Parents confident they can save school after raising £1.3m
Parents confident they can save school after raising £1.3m
The money was donated in a matter of weeks after the shock announcement by the owners of St Clare's School in Porthcawl
St Clare's School, Porthcawl
Parents who send their children to a private school threatened with closure say they're confident they can save it after raising their target £1.3m to do so. The money was donated in a matter of weeks after the shock announcement by the owners of St Clare's School in Porthcawl that they were closing it.
Owners Cognita said the school was successful academically but "economic volatility" and "factors beyond our control" meant they would have to shut it at the end of the Christmas term this year.
In a letter to parents Cognita also blamed the falling local birth rate. They said projected pupil numbers for next academic year make the school "unsustainable". Sign up for our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here.
Parents determined to save the school disagree and say they now have a "viable" plan to keep the school open and hopefully in the same location. The building and grounds are owned by the Dalton family which leases them to Cognita, the group said.
Natasha Bray, who has two children at the school was speaking on behalf of the campaign to save St Clare's. She said: "We have raised £1.3m which is phenomenal. We have had amazing support from parents and the local community. We have set up a charitable trust and are continuing to explore options."
Helen Hier, head teacher of St Clare's School, Porthcawl
Article continues below
Talks are ongoing with Cognita as well as with Ffynone House, an independent school in Swansea which was also saved by parents. A trust the St Clare's Charitable Trust has been set up to run and manages the campaign funds and plan.
"Everyone is still hopeful but with the longer time some parents are getting anxious and some students are leaving. But there are stil a lot of children who want to stay if we can fins a solution," said Natasha.
"St Clare's is a fantastic school. It's more than a school, it's a family and a community. Everybody knows each other and children can be here from aged three to 18 so it's their whole young lives.
"We are doing everything we can to keep the school open and we are very confident we have everything we need to move forward."
In a statement on its website the Save St Clare's Trust said: "On Tuesday 6th May 2025, Cognita UK wrote to parents informing them that due to factors outside their control, they had begun a consultation with the staff about a proposal to close the school in December 2025.
"The announcment left parents reeling, some having only started with the school at the beginning of the term or academic year. The news was particularly upsetting for our Year 10 and Year 12 students, who will be left without support for GCSE and A-Level courses not due to be completed until May/June 2026."
St Clare's says on its website that it charges fees of between £2,000 and £6,000 a term for children aged from nursery to sixth form. The non-selective school, which is understood to have around 150 pupils, is run by education company Cognita UK, which operates a number of schools across the UK.
In her letter announcing the news from St Clare's to parents in May Nicola Lambros, general manager of Cognita, UK said the school would do everything it could to help them find alternative places at a local school for their children should the decision be taken to close. St Clare's has entered into negotiations with staff affected.
Ms Lambros said the decision was not a reflection of the school's academic success but of other factors.
Article continues below
Her letter added: "We recently carried out a full review of the school's sustainability in response to the rapidly-changing environment for independent schools. This included determining the demand for independent school places within the local catchment area both now and in the future.
"Sadly the review has concluded that factors outside our control, including the falling local birth rate and economic volatility mean our pupil numbers are projected to be at an unsustainable level next academic year."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
3 hours ago
- Wales Online
Major shake-up of how people pay BBC licence fee proposed
Major shake-up of how people pay BBC licence fee proposed BBC chairman Samir Shah suggested the current flat fee could be replaced in future The BBC licence fee would be means tested if the proposals were introduced (Image: Getty ) A BBC boss has proposed TV licence fees could be based on the value of one's home in future. Chairman Samir Shah suggested that the current £174.50 fee could be replaced with a progressive payment structure tied to property values. In an interview earlier this year, he proposed that the fee could be linked to council tax bands and collected concurrently, marking his first significant change since succeeding Richard Sharp. He also dismissed the notion of replacing the TV licence with a Netflix-style subscription service, arguing it wouldn't fulfil the BBC's mission to provide something for everyone in the country. Under this proposal, households in higher council tax bands would pay more for BBC services, while those in lower bands might pay less than the current rate. The option to opt out of paying a TV licence would be removed. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here Shah believes this approach would lessen the need to prosecute non-payers, telling The Sunday Times: "It gets rid of the enforcement issue, which is a problem. The idea that not paying the licence fee is a criminal offence seems too harsh." For regions like Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands, where Council Tax doesn't apply, an alternative method would need to be established, reports the Express. Article continues below Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy may be receptive to the idea, having previously described the current model as "harder for poorer households to pay". During the interview, he tackled queries about altering the BBC's funding model and dismissed the idea of a hybrid structure that would offer basic services like news for free while charging for drama or comedy content. He also mentioned that introducing advertising to the BBC would "kill off ITV" and rejected the notion that the BBC should be funded entirely through general taxation, arguing it would "leave the BBC open to influence from the government of the day". Article continues below At the moment, although there are concessions or free licences for certain groups, such as those over 75 who receive Pension Credit, the licence fee does not take personal assets into account. The standard licence fee is set at £174.50 per annum, with a reduced rate of £58.50 for black and white TV subscriptions. For individuals who are blind or severely sight-impaired, there is a 50% concession, bringing the cost down to £87.25.
Wales Online
3 hours ago
- Wales Online
Mark Drakeford tells Plaid Cymru leader he's 'very bad at listening' in heated exchange
Mark Drakeford tells Plaid Cymru leader he's 'very bad at listening' in heated exchange The former First Minister told the Plaid Cymru leader to 'listen to me' Wales' finance minister Mark Drakeford lost his cool with Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth during a heated Senedd debate about rail funding. The former First Minister was delivering his closing remarks in a debate about today's spending review announcement by Chancellor Rachel Reeves. He turned to the Plaid Cymru leader, Ynys Mon MS Rhun ap Iorwerth, pointed and told him he was "very bad at hectoring". The UK Labour Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, today announced the government's spending plans for the next three years and a debate was scheduled in the Senedd to discuss it. One of the topics was £445m of funding announced for rail in Wales. Confusion emerged after the chancellor said that money was over 10 years, which would have meant the much-lauded announcement would mean Wales would have received less from Labour than under the Tories. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here Opposition parties jumped on the phrasing used by the chancellor. Yet briefings from Treasury officials and the Wales Office suggests it is more complex than that - although there is still a lack of detail about when the money will be spent, what it will be spent on and how much progress will be possible when the sum promised is less than the cost of the big ambitions for rail in Wales. You can read the full explanation here. Plaid Cymru members react as Mr Drakeford turns to Rhun ap Iorwerth (Image: Senedd TV ) The Treasury seemed to clarify the Chancellor's comments that of the £445m coming to Wales, the £350m would be spent in the next three financial years, not over a 10 year period. The 10 years, they said, referred to some £97m of money which is for developing future projects. Article continues below However, during the Senedd exchange, Mr Drakeford appeared to lose his cool with Mr ap Iorwerth. The pair had previously worked in partnership during the co-operation agreement. Mr Drakeford turned to Plaid Cymru and told them the £350m - a combination of £300m the UK Government will spend and around £48m the Welsh Government will get - will be spent in the next three years. Mark Drakeford points at Rhun ap Iorwerth during a heated debate over rail funding (Image: Senedd TV ) "Let's be clear," he said, "I know you don't like good news, but I am telling you, I am the finance minister here, would you like to listen to me? I would tell you, the Plaid Cymru leader, he is very bad at listening and very bad at hectoring." Mr ap Iorwerth then interjected quoting the chancellor's words "the Chancellor said £455m is coming over ten years, those were her words". Rhun ap Iorwerth looks on during the exchange (Image: Senedd TV ) Mr Drakeford then told him not to "make the same mistake for the fourth time, this afternoon". "The leader of Plaid Cymru is very bad at listening and very bad at hectoring people from where he sits, it's not an attractive trait, I can tell you that," he said. Mr Drakeford said £350m would come in the first three years, and an additional £90m over a 10 year investment strategy. "Wales will benefit from both," he said. Article continues below
Wales Online
6 hours ago
- Wales Online
Wales coal tips will never be safe because the money needed is 'so enormous'
Wales coal tips will never be safe because the money needed is 'so enormous' MPs were told the current funding allocated to coal tip safety in Wales just 'scratches the surface' The site of a landslide at a coal tip in Tylorstown in February 2020 (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) There will more than likely never be enough funding for the risk posed by disused coal tips in Wales to be taken away, MPs have been told. Representatives from three Welsh councils appeared in front of the House of Commons' Welsh affairs committee on Wednesday morning (June 11) and explained why funding announcements for coal tips are welcome, they only "scratch the surface" of the scale of the problem within their local authorities. The committee was held just hours before chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that the UK Government will give Wales £118m over the next three financial years to "keep coal tips safe in Wales". Wales' First Minister Eluned Morgan explained that the amount pledged by the UK Government was the maximum they had asked for from their UK Labour counterparts. The Welsh Government previously said £600m is needed to remediate the dangerous legacy of mining in the south Wales valleys and is carrying out mapping of recorded coal tips in order to provide a more up-to-date cost estimate. That figure is not yet available. However, adding together the UK and Welsh Government money, the total allocated to making coal tips safe in Wales currently sits at £221m. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here Article continues below The Welsh Government had long said it shouldn't have to foot the bill for issues arising from something that happened before devolution. You can read more on that here. Mark Williams, representing Caerphilly County Borough Council, told the committee that it is unlikely that funding allocated to coal tip safety will be enough to completely eliminate any risk from the tips. He added that the the funding does not currently address any remediation costs and just "scratches the surface" in terms of monitoring and maintenance. He said: "The funding that the Welsh and UK Governments have passported through in terms of tips has been very helpful. It enables us to manage the sites that we have - monitor them, undertake any remedial or emergency works to avoid problems in the future - perhaps an Aberfan or a Tylorstown. "What it doesn't do is allow the risk to be completely taken away. I'm not sure we'll get there because the bill is absolutely enormous." Nicola Pearce, from Neath Port Talbot Council, explained that the majority of the £14.48m of funding which has been allocated to her local authority since 2020, has only been spent on one scheme for one tip. She told the committee: "The funding we've had since 2020 has allowed us to undertake significant work on one large pit, Dyffryn Rhondda Tip , which was a concern due to its instability. "Out of the £14.48m of funding that scheme, which is still being delivered, will have cost £12m by the time it's completed - and that's just one scheme. "We have 617 tips within Neath Port Talbot so that gives you an understanding of the cost of remediating these tips and making them safe compared to the scale of the problem we have in Wales - there is quite a disparity." Ms Pearce, Mr Williams and Jacqueline Mynott, representing Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, all told the committee that they welcome funding and the Disused Mine and Quarry Tips (Wales) Bill introduced by the Welsh Government, but said greater funding for coal tip safety was needed from the UK Government as a priority. Ms Mynott said climate change causes a particular problem for coal tips, including those that were remediated in the 1970s and 80s. "We need to review those sites in the context of climate change and rain forecasts to revise the risk and that needs funding," she explained. Mr Williams agreed that former tip sites remediated years ago still need to be monitored. " The tips are still there so with climate change, water management and drainage can become an issue. "The major challenge is the amount of water and drainage issues that tips can throw up with climate change, which is obviously what happened with Tylorstown." Article continues below
