SCHOOL chiefs say a consultation ahead of a shake-up of the education system will be better organised this time around.
Flintshire Council is proposing a major reorganisation of secondary education in the county in a bid to deal with surplus places.
Last year bosses set out a list of options for schools in Holywell, Queensferry, Shotton and Connah’s Quay, Buckley, Mynydd Isa and Mold.
The options included plans to close the Argoed High School at Mynydd Isa and John Summers High School in Queensferry.
But the consultation was halted in August after angry parents and pupils launched a campaign to save their schools.
Connah’s Quay councillor Aaron Shotton, who was among opposition Labour members who called for a halt to the original consultation, told a special meeting yesterday: “One of the concerns of parents at the previous consultation was there was a lack of organisation and focus at these events.
“A huge number of parents attended these events and a lot of them didn’t get to speak to officers on a one-to-one basis.”
Council chief executive Colin Everett said the events will take the form of a presentation, followed by a question and answer session and one-on-one conversations with officers and elected members.
He said: “We’re encouraging people as far as we can to email their questions in advance so that we are better organised.
“If there is such a big turnout that we can’t field all of the questions, then we will look at doing a repeat event.”
A revised list of options for schools was agreed by the full council in December. The options are due to be discussed with parents, teachers and governors later this month.
They include plans to merge John Summers High School with Connah’s Quay High School, co-locate Westwood Primary School in Buckley with Elfed High School on the Elfed site, and build a new high school in Holywell together with a new primary school to replace Ysgol Perth y Terfyn and Ysgol y Fron.
Consultation events will be held at Elfed High School, Buckley, on February 27 and 29 and at Westwood Primary School, Buckley on February 28.
Events will be held at Holywell High School on March 13 and March 19 and at Ysgol y Fron, Holywell, on March 14.
Sessions will be held at Connah’s Quay High School on March 5, at John Summers High School on March 6 and at Deeside Leisure Centre on March 12.