Support for deal to strengthen schools’ ties and share staff

Plans for two Abertridwr schools to enter a federation agreement could save money and help with staffing, senior councillors have heard.

Cwmaber Infants School could strengthen ties with Cwmaber Junior School under the plans – the two have been cooperating under an “informal agreement since 2020”.

A federation is a formal arrangement which allows schools to share a single governing body and other resources.

Caerphilly County Borough Council’s cabinet members agreed on Wednesday June 5 to open a public consultation, seeking the views of the schools’ communities.

Andrea West, the council’s sustainable communities for learning service manager, told the cabinet meeting there were already “a number of schools working collaboratively” in the county borough, and the Cwmaber governors were on board with the federation proposal.

A deal could allow staff to “work across both sites”, and any new employees would be expected to do so, she added.

Cabinet member Philippa Leonard asked if the schools could pull out of the federation in future if it proved “unsuccessful”.

Ms West explained the schools would have to go through the same consultation process, but this time for “defederation”, if that happened.

Council deputy leader Jamie Pritchard noted the schools’ “informal” ties over the past four years and said a federation deal “would seem the logical way forward”.

Ms West said the proposals could help both schools “build on the success of the collaboration” to date.