A dual catchment area for Pencoedtre High School and St Cyres School is being considered by the Vale of Glamorgan Council to accommodate the number of secondary school places needed in the region.

In Monday's cabinet meeting, the council agreed to consult with the schools about the proposed changes for the 2022/3 academic year before any decisions are made.

The proposed temporary dual catchment area would provide a greater opportunity for pupils to gain a place in their school of choice.

Councillor Lis Burnett said the council wants to ensure that all pupils in the Vale can attend school in the county, but that there is short-term pressure on secondary schools in Barry.

A number of Barry parents express a preference for St Cyres School although they live in the Pencoedtre catchment area.

Leader of the Vale of Glamorgan Council Neil Moore said it was important to review the catchment areas. "There has been an overheating, for want of a better word, in Barry, since we created the new schools, which is only a good thing. "But we also have to make sure that all our children have the opportunity to be educated within the county too. "This is one way of doing that, even if it is temporary," he said. The Vale of Glamorgan Council is also proposing a change to the Welsh medium primary school catchment serving the Rhoose area from Ysgol Dewi Sant in Llantwit Major to Ysgol Sant Baruc in Barry. Following the transfer of the Rhoose area into the catchment area of Ysgol Dewi Sant, there have been less applications for Welsh Medium primary education from Rhoose. The Council received more applications from children living within the catchment area of Ysgol Dewi Sant than places available for the reception intake for September 2020. Ysgol St Baruc is expanding to a two-form entry school from September 2022 and will have the capacity to accommodate pupils from the Rhoose area in the future. The proposed change would reduce journey times for children and parents, as the Rhoose area is closer to Barry than Llantwit Major. Edward Williams, Councillor for Llantwit Major said the high numbers of pupils expected to come through Barry justify the proposals. "There were some difficulties last year and people need to understand that we are constrained by legislation and requirements, we can't just make some changes without consultation and we want to do it the best for the communities we look after," he said. "I'm looking forward to responses from residents, and there will be a raised awareness for people that there is a set way of doing things." The consultation period for the proposed admission arrangements for 2022/23 will run from the 14 December 2020 to 8 February 2021, with a report expected in March.