Parents protest after ALN school funding pulled

Parents and governors are protesting over plans for a new Llanelli school have been scrapped

Parents are "heartbroken" that plans to build a new multi-million pound school for children with additional needs will not go ahead due to financial pressures.

Last week, Carmarthenshire Council said it would not go ahead with plans to build a new school for Ysgol Goffa in Llanelli, after they were first announced in 2017.

The school’s parents and governors are against the decision – saying a new school was "vital" for the education, health and wellbeing of pupils with additional needs.

The council said it was "fully committed to providing the very best facilities for all children with additional learning needs (ALN) needs in Llanelli".

Aimee Evans’ 13-year-old son Cameron is a pupil at the school and said when she first found out the plans were scrapped she was “devastated”.

"I can’t understand why the plans have been pulled when we’ve been waiting for seven years."

Cameron has a rare condition called Joubert Syndrome, and is only one of four people in Wales with the condition.

It is a rare neurological condition that affects the brain and has left Cameron unable to speak, as well as having problems with his balance and breathing.

Ms Evans says she feels like children like Cameron are forgotten about

Ms Evans said the school helped Cameron "hit milestones he never would have".

"It’s made a massive difference and the support he has had at the school has been phenomenal," she added.

However, she said the facilities at the school are inadequate.

"The building is not fit for purpose, it’s falling apart.

"The doors are barely wide enough to fit a wheelchair through. Renovations won’t even touch the sides as to what work is actually needed," she said.

Gareth Davies says children on waiting lists for Ysgol Heol Goffa, like his granddaughter, need to be given a chance

Ysgol Heol Goffa has capacity for 75 pupils, but currently has 124.

In 2017, the council voted in favour of building a new school but cabinet member for Education and Welsh Language, Glynog Davies, announced the authority could not fund a new school because of financial pressures.

Gareth Davies’ 3-year-old granddaughter Millie, has been told she would have to wait three years for a space at the school.

He said that the school's staff were "exceptional", but that the building was "dangerous" and "passed it’s sell by date".

Owen Jenkins, chair of governors at the school said they were "back to square one".

"To say we’re disappointed is an understatement.

"We provide specialist provision for pupils with additional needs right across Carmarthenshire, here we are seven years on and it’s back to square one.

"It’s about ensuring our pupils have the appropriate education in the very best facilities."

He added that all local authorities were facing financial challenges and they were building specialist schools, "so why not Carmarthenshire?"

Nia Giffiths MP says she does not support having ALN education units within mainstream schools

Nia Griffith, MP for Llanelli attended the protest on Wednesday, and said that parents wanted assurances from the council that they were committed to having Heol Goffa as a specialist school.

"The children at Heol Goffa need specialist facilities, and that’s provided across counties in Wales, and some are even building new special schools.

"We want Carmarthenshire Council to rethink this and carry on with building the new school."

In a letter to parents Glynog Davies said whilst the council we unable to deliver the planned new school building they were "fully committed" to providing the "very best facilities".

He added with the needs of pupils first and foremost they would begin a review of the current ALN specialist provision in the area, and improvement work would be carried out at Ysgol Heol Goffa.