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Proposal to reduce the capacity at Abertillery Learning Community Primary Phase

Overview

°¬˛ćAƬ Education directorate established the Abertillery Learning Community in September 2016. The learning community comprises three primary campuses located on Roseheyworth Road, Six Bells Road and Tillery Street along with one secondary campus on Alma Street: together forming an All Through School. 

°¬˛ćAƬ County Borough Council (“the Council”) reviews the capacity of its schools on an annual basis. As such, the Council is responding to the high level of capacity places at Abertillery Learning Community Primary campuses. 

The Proposal

This consultation proposes reducing the overall capacity of primary places within Abertillery Learning Community from 980 to 770—a reduction of 210 places (21%)—through the closure of one primary campus. The preferred option is the closure of the Roseheyworth Road Campus, which has the lowest number of statutory‑age pupils on roll (119) and the highest levels of backlog maintenance due to the age and condition of the building. All pupils currently attending the Roseheyworth Road Campus can be accommodated at the remaining primary campus sites.

°¬˛ćAƬ County Borough Council will support the Abertillery Learning Community senior leadership team to ensure continued high‑quality primary learning opportunities across the school. The Council remains committed to working collaboratively with the school to develop a long‑term plan that supports sustained growth, development, and improved outcomes.

Therefore, this proposal will be delivered as follows:

To reduce the capacity of the primary school, which is part of the Abertillery Learning Community, from 980 to 770, to reduce the physical capacity of Abertillery learning Community by closing Roseheyworth Road Campus and to move pupils to the remaining campuses (Six Bells Campus and Tillery Street Campus) with phased implementation commencing from September 2026 and with full implementation by September 2027.

The proposal would support the °¬˛ćAƬ’s Vision for Education as follows:

'Empowering our communities to be ambitious, ethically informed, life-long learners who lead full and healthy lives.

The Formal Consultation concluded on Tuesday 14th April 2026 however, a copy will still be available on the webpage for information.

Therefore, the next steps for the Resource and Planning team will be to submit the Outturn report for a decision to be  made by the Council’s Cabinet in a meeting on Monday 30th April 2026 whether to proceed to Statutory Notice. Noting the legal obligation, in line with the School Organisation Codes (V2 2018), to be published on our webpage 2 weeks before (21st April 2026)

Please see links provided for the Outturn Report and prepared Statutory Notice.  Should the proposal proceed, The period which the Statutory Notice will run is from Tuesday 5th May – Wednesday 3rd June 2026.

Consultees can submit their objections on the proposal; during this period any correspondence outside these date will not be counted as objections to the proposal. 

Once the Statutory Notice period concludes an Objection report will be presented to the Council’s Cabinet for determination Week Commencing 8th June 2026 for full implementation from September 2027. 

If you have any questions or queries on the information contained within these document, please contact us either by using the email address 21stcenturyschools@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk, or by calling us on (01495) 355116.

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