Education

Everyone has the right to a good education. That starts in childhood, but doesn’t end at any age.

We believe in a right of access to good quality early years provision, and Flintshire People’s Voice in power will work with locally owned private and social sector operators to expand the number of available places, keeping cost levels accessible, and securing the viability of the sector. Early years is vital to developing social skills, and no family should see their child denied this and disadvantaged for life because of price or lack of places.

We firmly oppose the introduction of the academy and free school model from England. Flintshire’s local schools are rooted in our communities, staffed by committed teachers, and their only aim is to serve the citizens of tomorrow. Our system in Flintshire is based on collaboration, sharing of best practice, and a fair approach across all schools. Switching to academies drives competition between schools, benefiting the parents with the sharpest elbows, reduces accountability to local communities, and leads to more central targets blocking an individual focus on the needs of individual pupils.

FPV sees school funding as a priority and will categorically refuse to support cuts to any funding which directly benefits pupils. We are open to wider reform of the funding model to move away from lots of earmarked grants to a system which empowers headteachers and governors to make decisions in the interests of, and with knowledge of, their own pupils. Where the sector agrees that restrictive budget lines are not delivering for schools, we will divert funds to better uses.

The sustained attack on the role of teaching assistants through a decade and a half of budget cuts has been hugely damaging, and to none more so than the most disadvantaged pupils. FPV pays tribute to teaching assistants in Flintshire schools and we will work to reverse cuts to these roles as a top priority when funding allows.

We recognise that rural schools play a big role in their local communities. In principle, we are opposed to the closure of rural schools. In cases where pupil numbers have fallen to very low levels (fewer than 40 enrolled in the whole school), we will work with local communities to explore every option, which may include boosting the number of families who choose to send their children to the school, federation with other schools, better use of buildings outside of school hours to raise revenue, financial support from other sources, and any innovative options coming forwards from local communities. An FPV administration will never order the closure of a rural school. 

In order to ensure fairness to pupils across Flintshire, we will cap per pupil funding for primary schools in the county so that, excluding money for special educational needs or deprivation, per pupil funding at the highest schools is no more than 160% of funding per pupil at the lowest school in the county.

In Saltney and Broughton, the St. David’s High School building is reaching the end of its life. FPV backs the construction of a new school, and we believe that the best location is the current site. We would welcome the integration of Saltney primary schools into a shared site, with schools keeping their own identities, if this is feasible with the space available. This would use the rebuilding of St David’s as an opportunity to provide modern facilities to primary schools, benefiting local children, which is otherwise likely to take a long time to secure separate funding.

Flintshire People’s Voice supports the principle of free education, at schools, colleges, universities and apprenticeships. We will never support tuition fees at any level. We believe that Education Maintenance Allowance should be continued by the Welsh Government, and that both it and maintenance grants and loans for students should be index linked, ensuring their adequacy in future.

In power, FPV will introduce sponsorship for students from Flintshire to attend university, subject to them agreeing to work for the council for a number of years on completion of their studies. Places will be awarded competitively, and will benefit local students by offering financial support while studying and a guaranteed job, whilst also helping the council fill certain long-term, hard to recruit vacancies which are causing serious breakdown in some services.

FPV deeply regrets the Welsh Government’s decision to close Coleg Harlech, a unique institution which acted as “a second chance college for those who didn’t have a first chance” at education. As a long term ambition, FPV would like to see the establishment of a successor institution in Flintshire.

Our commitment to universal access to education includes everyone. We will protect special schools against cuts – no ifs, no buts. We will ensure funding for special educational needs (SEN) provision in mainstream schools is adequate in all cases, and will seek to expand provision where possible. We recognise that to enable pupils to get the most out of education, provision may need to expand beyond schools, covering not only transport, but also provision for assistance at home with homework or social support at evenings and weekends. We are committed to delivering beyond our statutory obligations wherever we have the funds and capacity to do so.