Schools, school places and buildings, additional learning needs and Welsh-medium education.
What councils do
Councils run community schools, fund every state school, provide school transport and support pupils with additional learning needs. They plan school places, including Welsh-medium places under a ten-year plan.
Who decides
The Cabinet decides on school changes, such as opening, closing or merging schools, after a formal consultation. Head teachers and governing bodies run each school day to day.
Having a say
Proposals to change a school must be consulted on, and anyone can respond. Parents can also become school governors.
In numbers
Welsh councils plan to spend £1,307 per person on this in 2026-27.
It ranges from £1,099 in Monmouthshire to £1,475 in Merthyr Tydfil.
Year 1 pupils taught in Welsh: 25% across Wales (2025-26).
Decided: Cabinet approved moving the start of Phase 1 of the Ysgol Calon Cymru transformation proposals from September 2027 to September 2028. From September 2028 a new Welsh-medium all-age school (ages 4 to 18) will open on the current Builth campus of Ysgol Calon Cymru. Pupils from Reception to Year 9 will attend first. Year 10 will be added in September 2029, then one more year group each September up to Year 13 in September 2032. At first the school will share the Builth campus with Ysgol Calon Cymru until there has been capital investment on the Llandrindod site. Cabinet also approved two regulated alterations (formal changes to a school that follow a set legal process). Ysgol Calon Cymru will change from dual stream to English-medium, and Builth Wells C.P. School will change to English-medium. Dual stream teaching will continue at Builth Wells for pupils in Year 10 onwards until they leave. Welsh-medium stream pupils at Builth Wells C.P. School will move to the new school.
Decided: Cabinet approved nine nominations recommended by the Director of Education with the Cabinet Member for Education & Learning. They are: Dr Nicola Jones (Knelston Primary), Cllr Andrew Williams (Penclawdd Primary), John Winchester (Pentrechwyth Primary), Finola Wilson (Sea View Primary), Richard Lancaster (Sketty Primary), Cllr Fiona Gordon (Terrace Road Primary), Jessica Hopkins (Ynystawe Primary), Cllr Lyndon Jones (Bishopston Comprehensive) and Cllr Chris Holley (Pentrehafod School).
Decided: Cabinet considered the responses to the public open space notice dated 27 July 2026. It resolved that the land is no longer needed for its current General Fund purpose. It appropriated the land from General Fund purposes to Education purposes under section 122 of the Local Government Act 1972. This lets the land be allocated as a potential site for a new Ysgol Calon Lân, subject to Planning and Welsh Government approval.
Decided: Cabinet approved the change to the design brief for the Gowerton School (Secondary) Sustainable Communities for Learning project. It approved and committed a revised sum of £2,523,285 for the pre-construction phase to the capital programme. This is £4,557,600 less than the £7,080,885 approved on 17 July 2025.
Decided: Cabinet approved receiving and committing the £2,962,397 additional 2026-27 Welsh Government grant to the capital programme for school repairs and maintenance, subject to the final grant award and conditions. It noted that schemes are still being developed. These may include roofing at YGG Bryn Tawe, works at Cefn Hengoed Community School, school-identified priorities such as toilet upgrades, early design for 2027/28 schemes, health, safety and safeguarding risks, and new heating for four primary schools on oil-fired boilers. It delegated to the Director of Education and the Director of Place the choice and priority of schemes. It also delegated to the Director of Finance and the Director of Education the power, if needed, to swap up to £1,533,800 of the grant for core capital funding already allocated to Education projects. The equivalent unsupported borrowing would move to the 2027-2028 programme.
Decided: Council adopted Cabinet's recommendation to go ahead with the proposal to discontinue (close) Ysgol y Fro as set out in the statutory notice. The school is to close on 31 December 2026, with pupils moving to Ysgol y Dderwen from 1 January 2027.
Decided: Council adopted Cabinet's recommendation to go ahead with the proposal to discontinue (close) Ysgol Meidrim as set out in the statutory notice. Pupils are to transfer to Ysgol Hafodwenog or Ysgol Griffith Jones from January 2027.
Rhondda Cynon Taf, Education and Inclusion Scrutiny Committee,
Decided: The Committee unanimously resolved to recommend that Cabinet proceed with formal consultation on Ysgol Blaenau. This is a recommendation to Cabinet, not a decision to close the school.
Carmarthenshire, Education, Young People and the Welsh Language Scrutiny Committee,
Decided: The Committee resolved to recommend that Cabinet proceed with formal consultation on Ysgol Pontiets. This is a recommendation, not a decision to close the school.