THE catchment areas for two Valleys primary schools will be reassigned to Blackwood Comprehensive School next year if councillors agree to the plans later this month.

The Islwyn West changes tie in with plans to close Pontllanfraith and Oakdale secondary schools, leaving Blackwood Comprehensive and a newly built school on a flat area in Oakdale known as Plateau 3.

Last year Caerphilly council said this would cut the borough’s surplus places from 22.1 per cent to 16.9 per cent.

A report on admission arrangements went before Caerphilly council’s education scrutiny panel last week where members agreed with the plans, which are due to go before the full council on March 19.

School admission arrangements across the county remain much the same for next year, except for the changes (mentioned above) brought about as part of the Islwyn West project.

The new school in Oakdale would have capacity for 900 pupils plus provision for 50 pupils with additional learning needs.

“In order to ensure that pupil numbers are balanced between the new school and Blackwood there will be a review of catchment areas,” said the report.

The catchment areas for Libanus and Markham primary schools will be taken away from Pontllanfraith Comprehensive and assigned to Blackwood from September 2015, and admission numbers for Blackwood, Pontllanfraith and Oakdale would also be reviewed from that date.