Consultation opens on plans to close four rural schools

Nation.Cymru staff

Plans to close four rural Welsh-medium primary schools have gone out to public consultation, amid warnings that the closures could also put local Welsh-medium childcare at risk.

Carmarthenshire County Council is seeking views on proposals affecting Ysgol Blaenau, Ysgol Pontiets, Ysgol Carwe and Ysgol Bancffosfelen. Parents, staff, governors and other residents have until 22 December to respond.

The council identified the four schools for review under its Modernising Education Programme, whose strategy was agreed in November 2024. The criteria included low pupil numbers, high numbers of empty places, projected budget deficits and the cost of renovating ageing buildings.

Cllr Glynog Davies, the council’s cabinet member for education, said: “These proposals would help respond to the challenges facing schools, including low pupil numbers and financial pressures, while supporting the delivery of high-quality education for all pupils.”

At Bancffosfelen, the village’s Welsh-medium playgroup, Cylch Meithrin Bancffosfelen, operates on the school site. Two national childcare organisations have raised concerns in letters to campaigners about what school closures could mean for families who rely on local provision.

Dave Goodger, chief executive of Early Years Wales, said the Bancffosfelen group had provided childcare for 50 years. He warned that closing a school could leave a childcare provider without premises that meet regulatory standards, particularly where nearby groups already have waiting lists.

Dr Catrin Edwards, chief executive of Mudiad Meithrin, said: “The Cylch Meithrin represents the first step on the Welsh-language education continuum; therefore, school provision and childcare provision should not be considered in isolation from one another”.

She said decisions about schools that host playgroups could affect families’ access to Welsh-medium childcare and make it harder to retain experienced staff.

Andrew Barlow, chair of governors at Ysgol Bancffosfelen, said the proposed closure raised “serious questions about the future of the village’s cylch meithrin”. He questioned whether Pontyberem could provide an alternative, saying its site was already at capacity.

At Ysgol Pontiets, chair of governors Elin Cullen called for the Welsh Government to pause school closures while it works on implementing the recommendations of the Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities.

The consultations opened on Tuesday 10 November. Responses can be submitted through the council’s website, by email to [email protected] or by post to Owain Lloyd, Director of Education and Leisure, County Hall, Castle Hill, Carmarthen, SA31 1JP.