The Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee are scheduled to meet on 9 December 2025 to discuss additional learning needs (ALN) provision and a proposal to extend the age range of Ysgol Gymraeg Coed-Y-Gof to include nursery-age children. The committee will hear a briefing on the Children's Services pathway for children with ALN, and will also consider the outcome of the consultation on the proposed age range extension for Ysgol Gymraeg Coed-Y-Gof.

Proposal to Extend the Age Range of Ysgol Gymraeg Coed-Y-Gof

The committee will note and agree the output of a report regarding the proposal to extend the age range of Ysgol Gymraeg Coed-Y-Gof, located on Beechley Drive in Pentrebane, from 4-11 to 3-11 by establishing a Welsh-medium nursery unit as part of the school from September 2026. This follows a period seeking objections to the proposal, from which there were zero returns.

The report pack includes papers that were previously considered by the committee on 9 September 2025 and 11 March 2025. Issues previously raised by the committee included:

• Consultation: The committee requested that the consultation be extended beyond statutory consultees to include parents/carers, staff, children and relevant groups in the wider community around Ysgol y Gof.
• Travel and Congestion: The committee raised concerns about increased congestion around the school and the wider community, particularly on Lime Grove. They requested that traffic colleagues be consulted about these concerns and report back to the committee.
• Demand for places: The committee asked about the rationale for places, given that the report stated that by 2028/29 there could be a 36% surplus of places across schools. They requested regular updates on the demand for places to ensure they can review and support the monitoring of school places. They also asked for assurances that if a fourth Welsh-medium secondary school is considered, a different area of the city would be considered, not just the north.

The recommendations set out in the Cabinet proposals include:

• Approving the proposal to extend the age range of Ysgol Gymraeg Coed-Y-Gof.
• Authorising officers to take the appropriate actions to implement the proposal.
• Authorising officers to publish the decision within 7 days of determination of the proposal.

The reason for the recommendations is to support progress towards Outcome 1 and Outcome 2 of the Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP).¹

Outcome 1 of the WESP sets out the Council's intention to increase the number of nursery children/ three-year-olds receiving their education through the medium of Welsh. Outcome 2 of the WESP sets out the Council's intention to increase the number of Reception Class children/ five-year-olds receiving their education through the medium of Welsh. Public reports pack 09th-Dec-2025 16.30 Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee.pdf

Councillor Sarah Merry, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Education, Melanie Godfrey, Director of Education and Lifelong learning, and Richard Portas, Programme Director for the School Organisation Programme have been invited to attend the meeting.

Children's Services Briefing - Pathway for Children with Additional Needs

The committee will receive a briefing on the Children's Services Pathway for children with ALN. Councillor Ash Lister, Cabinet Member for Childrens Services, Tackling Poverty & Supporting Young People, and Sarah Skuse, Operational Manager Locality Services, will provide a detailed presentation on this topic. The report pack notes that the focus of this agenda item is to bring members up to date in relation to developments in this area, and it is not a hold to account session.