TALKS are being organised with parents and pupils in Abertillery to tell them about a controversial new school system coming into force later this year.

From September five schools in the Abertillery area will stop being independent and will instead be run under one headship.

While the majority of pupils will stay at their current school sites, children at two primary schools will be moved to a new yet-to-be-built school in Six Bells in September 2017.

The plans caused uproar with more than 60 parents and pupils marching through the centre of Abertillery appealing for the council to “save our schools”.

Upset residents and relatives of men killed in the Six Bells mining disaster also opposed plans for the new school to be built at the old colliery site next to the Guardian memorial.

But in March this year the Welsh Government backed the plans and approved the final business case.

Now the council is organising drop-in events to offer parents and pupils information about the new Abertillery 3-16 learning community.

Head of the new learning community Liz Miles, members of the learning community’s temporary governing body and the council’s education transformation team will be at the sessions to answer questions.

The first event will be at Ty Ebbw Fach, Six Bells, from 2pm to 6pm on Tuesday, May 24 and then at the Metropole Theatre, Abertillery, from 2pm to 6pm on Wednesday, May 25.

Ms Miles said the sessions are a chance for parents who have concerns to meet the new headship team face to face.

Chair of the temporary governing body, Mike Haines said: “The most important thing now is that we achieve the smoothest possible transition into 3–16 learning for our pupils and their parents.

“In order to support this smooth transition, the temporary governing body took the decision to adopt a phased approach to any staff changes, meaning that there will only be changes to the senior staffing structure during the first year of the school and we will look at the remainder of the structure next year.”

Abertillery Primary, Bryngwyn, Queen Street, Roseheyworth Millennium and Abertillery Comprehensive will all merge. Pupils at Queen Street and Bryngwyn schools will have pupils transferred to a new yet-to-be-built school in Six Bells in September 2017.