A SCHOOL Learning Resource Base (LRB) will be axed as part of cuts made by Newport City Council.

Newport City Council (NCC) councillors voted to support a proposal to permanently remove the Learning Resource Base provision at Llanwern High School in Newport at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday (January 17).

The move, which will see the LRB taken away from April 1, 2018, is estimated to make an annual saving of £133,619.

The council says the decision will also allow pupils requiring specialist support to get help in small groups in a mainstream setting.

Cllr Debbie Wilcox (Gaer ward), leader of NCC, told the cabinet meeting: "Unfortunately the LRB is a luxury we cannot afford and support, but will provide provision in other ways."

Cllr Mark Whitcutt (Gaer ward) said the decision was not one taken lightly by the council.

He said the move had been made considering the alternative provision available, adding: "Finding alternative provision has become a panacea."

The meeting heard that there had been one objection lodged from a member of staff within the LRB at Llanwern High School.

Outlining their reasons for the objection in a council report, the staff member wrote: "Pupils are placed in an LRB as it has been identified that they are not ready to access mainstream education.

"If forced to be placed there before they are ready, it is likely that they will not cope.

"This may not be immediately but the likelihood is that at some point they will start to struggle and the challenging behaviours which they feel comfortable resorting to will begin to resurface."

However responding to the concerns, the chief education officer said the decision was taken as part of the budget for 2017/18.

The officer added: "This decision supports the strategy that individual pupil needs could be better met at more inclusive Additional Learning Needs settings within mainstream host schools, and also serves to reduce the significant operational running costs of the existing provision."

The LRB has been empty since the start of the academic year, pending the decision on permanent closure.

All pupils have been moved to either alternative small group provisions in host schools or small nurture groups which are more suitable to their specific needs.