Pupils and staff back plan to join infant and junior schools

Pupils progressing to Key Stage 2 will benefit if Hendre Infants School is allowed to amalgamate with Hendre Junior School, supporters of the plan say.

The two schools could join together to form one single entity, under proposals being considered by Caerphilly County Borough Council.

A recent consultation with members of the school communities found general support for the move, although just eight responses were received – and they came mostly from staff.

The vast majority of pupils at the schools also support the plans, the council has said.

During the consultation, supporters said amalgamation was “the natural next step from collaboration”, which the two schools have been doing since September 2022.

A council report shows the two sites, on opposite sides of Caerphilly’s St Cenydd Road, share a headteacher, “with both governing bodies working together for the best interests of the school, pupils and wider community”.

Backers of the amalgamation plan said the move would also lead to “improved pupil transition across the key stages” and better sharing of resources and professional development for staff.

Joining the two schools together could also support “long-term sustainability” and safe access between the sites, they added.

Nobody objected to the plan during the consultation period, but one respondent did not feel strongly either way.

According to the report, the council found that 176 of the schools’ 195 pupils, in Years 2 to 6, support the amalgamation plan.

The council said it “welcomes” supporters’ hopes the move could lead to better pupil transition and the sharing of resources.

The next step in the process will be for council cabinet members to issue a statutory notice, offering another opportunity for people to lodge objections to the proposal.

If the plans are taken forward, it is expected the two schools will amalgamate and become a single institution from September 2025.

No changes to the school layout have been proposed, and infant and junior pupils are expected to remain at their current sites.

The name of the new amalgamated school will be a decision for its governing body, the council added.