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Pembrokeshire Herald
a day ago
- Politics
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Fight gains momentum to save historic Pembrokeshire school
Politicians, tv celebrities and national farming icons are all gathering forces to help safeguard a north Pembrokeshire school that's threatened with closure. For almost 200 years, Ysgol Clydau has taught children living in, and around, the village of Tegryn. But now, following a 34% drop in numbers, its classrooms could be closed for good by the end of the next academic year. Now, in a full-on effort to save the highly respected school from closure, a campaign is being endorsed by some of Wales' most prominent entertainers including the Welsh Whisperer, Gareth Wyn Jones and local politicians Ben Lake, MP, and Senedd Member Paul Davies. Meanwhile, a petition launched by concerned parent Sarah Farnden has already secured over 800 signatures in just two weeks. 'This just proves the strength of feeling that we have here in north Pembrokeshire, where people are prepared to do everything they can to save Ysgol Clydau from closure,' said Iwan Ward who is the local county councillor. 'But it's not just the children at the school who will be affected – the entire community in and around Tegryn is going to be hit. You only have to look at other villages which have lost their local primary schools, and you'll see that the majority of their residents are retired. Young families are choosing not to live there because the villages no longer have schools.' There are currently 36 children on Ysgol Clydau's register which represents a 34% enrolment drop from 2015 to 2025. As a result, Pembrokeshire County Council's School Modernisation Working Group has recommended a statutory consultation on closing Ysgol Clydau. 'It doesn't add up,' continued Iwan Ward. 'There's a school in Carmarthenshire which has only eight pupils, and this school has been told that it needs to attract an additional 10 or 12 children to remain open, which will bring it up to 20. Yet here we have Tegryn school with 38 pupils threatened with closure, and this figure is expected to rise with plans to build 30 affordable mixed housing units in the area which will obviously bring in more young families with children.' Cllr Ward believes that if the local authority's proposal is implemented, up to 50% of Ysgol Clydau's pupils will choose to be educated at home. 'And this is something I strongly disagree with,' he said. 'Many parents choose to teach their children only what they want them to learn rather than a wider, more all-embracing education. 'And the children are also in danger of missing out on a lot of social awareness and communication skills.' A recent Estyn inspection described the school as being 'happy, caring and welcoming' while its teaching standards are, according to Iwan Ward, exemplary. 'Its ALN support (Additional Learning Needs) support is absolutely first class – you really couldn't find better, and a lot of children are benefitting hugely from this. But if those children are suddenly made to go to a much bigger school, in this case Ysgol y Frenni in Crymych which has class sizes of around 30 children, they're going to feel lost. 'Ysgol Clydau is a real family concern where its teachers know the children's quirks, their strengths and their weaknesses, and these can all be taken on board in how the children are taught. 'To take all this away from them and to take the heart of the village away from Tegryn is unacceptable. 'Parents are starting to worry about whether they should be pulling their children out of the school now, before the consultation takes place in September, or should they continue in Ysgol Clydau hoping that it doesn't close the following July. Unfortunately these are questions I can't answer. 'Let's start fighting, and show the county council exactly how strongly the community feels about ensuring that Ysgol Clydau remains here in Tegryn, where it belongs.'
Western Telegraph
6 days ago
- General
- Western Telegraph
Hundreds sign petition to save Ysgol Clydau, Tegryn
Ysgol Clydau in Tegryn is one of the small schools under threat as part of proposals from Pembrokeshire County Council's School Modernisation Working Group. This month's meeting of full council heard that there has been a 34 per cent decline in the school's pupil population during the period 2015-2025, with no indication that this will be significantly reversed during the next five-six years. The school was praised in its last Estyn report with inspectors describing it as a 'happy, caring and welcoming community'. 'Teachers and assistants foster a very homely and supportive working relationship with pupils,' said the inspectors. 'Staff provide a curriculum that makes purposeful use of the local area and engages the interest and ignites the curiosity of nearly all pupils.' However, the report from the council's working group recommended that the Director of Education be authorised to commence statutory consultation on a proposal to discontinue Ysgol Clydau. A plea on behalf of Ysgol Clyddau was launched by Cllr Iwan Ward, local member, who said it was 'the heart of our society not just a school, it's family, a community, an anchor for children who deserve the opportunity to grow'. He added that closure was 'a disaster for the future of education locally' and was 'not fair and was not moral'. Cllr Ward's sentiments have been echoed in a petition set up by Sarah Farnden. 'We believe this closure will have a detrimental impact on our community and the well-being of our children and families,' she said. 'Ysgol Clydau is more than just a school; it's a hub for community life, offering a safe and welcoming space for children, families and residents of all ages. 'Its closure will isolate our community, leading to a decline in population and a weakening of our social fabric. 'We believe small schools to be a bedrock of rural communities, essential in the survival of the Welsh language, and most importantly, as loving, centres of academic excellence for our children.' Ms Farnden said that closing the school would impact the community, the education of local children, the finances of local families, social and recreational opportunities and would have severe historical significance as there has been a school on the site of Ysgol Clydau since 1880. Her petition asks the council to reconsider its decision to close Ysgol Clydau and prioritise the needs of the community by keeping the school open. 'We urge you [the council] to engage in a meaningful dialogue with the community, listen to our concerns, and work with us to find alternative solutions that support the needs of our children and families,' she said. To sign the petition, go to linked above.
