Following discussions with Mountain Ash Comprehensive School, the Council agreed to review the school’s sixth form offer. Concerns were raised by the school about the viability of the sixth form due to an ongoing decline in sixth-form learners, restricted subject offer, and reliance upon other schools in the Cynon Valley to deliver some of the sixth form subjects.
Around 75% of sixth form learners in Mountain Ash already access part of their education at other schools in the Cynon Valley, and the proposal would address the sixth form’s unsustainable size and its limited subject choices.
The Council review has found the current sixth form offer in Mountain Ash restricts the subject choice for learners and class sizes are too small to be financially viable. It also means the school is having to redirect valuable resources intended for learners in years 7-11 to support a shrinking sixth form. Currently, the school requires an additional £125,000 over and above the post-16 allocation to operate the sixth form – which is not sustainable in the longer term despite the school’s extensive efforts to work in partnership with other schools in the Cynon Valley.
Cabinet will consider whether to consult on these proposals on Wednesday, November 20. If agreed following the consultation, no current sixth form learners would be impacted. The change would start from September 2026. To facilitate this, in September 2025, no new Year 12 pupils would be admitted to Mountain Ash Comprehensive (instead starting sixth form in Aberdare or attending college), while Mountain Ash pupils due to enter Year 13 would continue their studies at the school. After this, the sixth form at Mountain Ash will be closed.
In addition, all learners who reside three miles or further from their school or college qualify for home-to-school transport. Therefore, it is likely that all post-16 leaners living in Mountain Ash Comprehensive’s catchment area would be entitled to free transport to Aberdare Community School.
Councillor Rhys Lewis, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and the Welsh Language, said: “These changes have been brought forward following discussion with Mountain Ash Comprehensive School to review their current sixth form offer, in which concerns were raised about limited subject choice for learners and shrinking sixth form numbers.
“Only 16% of Year 11 pupils in 2023/24 chose to return to the school for sixth form, whereas that figure was 60% in 2014/15. With Mountain Ash being such a small sixth form, it is increasingly reliant upon other schools in the Cynon Valley for access to many sixth form subject choices, with around three-quarters of sixth formers already having lessons in other schools.
“Concerns were also raised around increasing costs for the school to continue delivering sixth form education, which is impacting on their overall budget to deliver education for learners in years 7-11.
“The proposals would allow learners in Mountain Ash have access to a broad and balanced sixth form offer, which should encourage greater learner engagement within post-16 education, delivered in first-class education facilities in Aberdare.
“If agreed by Cabinet on Wednesday, the Council would undertake an extensive eight-week consultation into the proposals. After this process, all feedback will be thoroughly considered to inform a future, final decision.”
A report to Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting notes that sixth form pupil numbers at Mountain Ash Comprehensive have been steadily decreasing – from more than 140 in the 2015/16 academic year to just 84 in September 2023. Latest figures for October 2024 have shown a further decrease to just 72 learners.
Of these 72 learners, only 18 (25%) receive all of their education at Mountain Ash Comprehensive. The remaining 54 learners (75%) travel to Aberdare Community School or St John Baptist Church in Wales High School for some of their lessons.
The report adds that the current offer in Mountain Ash is likely to be a barrier to engagement, having a negative effect on transition rates from Year 11 to Year 12. For example, only 16% of Year 11 pupils in 2023/24 chose to return to the school for sixth form. The equivalent figure in 2014/15 was 60%.
Aberdare Community School, meanwhile, is a 11-19 school that opened in 2014 – graded ‘A’ for suitability and condition (on a scale where ‘A’ is the highest and ‘D’ is the lowest). It benefitted from major 21st Century Schools funding from Welsh Government, delivering modern, first-class facilities. It has 124 sixth form pupils which is projected to rise to 133 by 2028/29. The report notes that it has sufficient capacity to accept Mountain Ash’s sixth form pupils.
Under the proposals, the post-16 Consortium would continue with Aberdare Community School and St John Baptist Church in Wales High School. As is the case now, post-16 learners could also choose to attend Coleg y Cymoedd.
If agreed by Cabinet Members on Wednesday, the consultation could take place from December 2, 2024, to January 27, 2025 – undertaken under the arrangements outlined in Welsh Government’s School Organisation Code.
