Parents increase pressure over catholic super-school plan

Alec Doyle Local Democracy Reporter

Plans to replace four Catholic schools with a single ‘super-school’ have been described as ‘crazy’ and ‘underhand’ by parents and politicians.

The Diocese of Wrexham and Flintshire County Council plan to close St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School in Saltney, St David’s in  Mold and St Mary’s and St Richard Gwyn in Flint and send all pupils to a catholic ‘super-school’ catering for pupils aged 3-18.

The proposals have been met with fury by parents – with a significant number saying they will refuse to send their children to the new school.

Petition

Parents at St Anthony’s  – who will have to send their children 14 miles away to attend the new school – are currently running a survey to gauge opinions of the plans. So far 100% of respondents say they will not allow their children to go to the new school.

They have also handed a 2,600 signature petition to Saltney’s Flintshire County councillors  – Cllr Richard Lloyd and Cllr Jason Shallcross – to voice their opposition to the plans.

Once open the consultation is expected to run for a year. If the plans are approved they would see St Anthony’s close in August 2026.

“This is going to make their journey time to and from school at least 40 minutes each way,” said Claire Owens, a mum with two children currently at St Anthony’s.

“They won’t be able to go to extra curricular activities like sports clubs, dance, gymnastics, they will barely have time to do any homework because they get home too late.

“It eats into their time to be children, to go and play, to spend time with their family.”

Claire said she did not understand the reasons given for the closure – which included the school’s maintenance deficit.

“That simply doesn’t make any sense to me,” she said. “The bill for repairs and maintenance at St Anthony’s is around £16,000 which is tiny.

“Also St Anthony’s would be closing in 2026, before any of the other schools, which has still not been adequately explained.  It’s been handled badly but it also feels underhand.”

Concern

She also expressed concern about the impact of the move on her five year old and eight year old, with both facing two school moves if the plans go ahead.

“Flintshire County Council’s own website says that changing schools can have a negative impact on your child by disrupting their education, which may affect academic progress and affecting their social environment, friendship groups and extra-curricular activities.

“If this happens my children will be forced to move twice – first to Venerable Edward Morgan in Shotton and then to the super-school when it opens. Who has thought of the children’s welfare in this situation?

“It’s a lot of upheaval and it’s not good for children’s mental health.”

Claire said that herself and a number of parents wrote to the Diocese but received no response. Pupils at the school also produced a video inviting Bishop Peter Brignall to pay his first ever visit the school to see for himself the learning environment. But they say no response was received.

“I went to St Anthony’s,” said Claire. “When I was there the bishop and the priest used to regularly visit the school and speak to the children. Bishop Peter has never been to the school, he doesn’t know what it’s like.

“We all feel they don’t care about the pupils or St Anthony’s, they just want to shut it and that’s it. They’ve got no consideration for the children at all.”

Flintshire County Council’s cabinet is expected to open that formal consultation process next week having twice delayed it to consult with local members.

“Crazy idea”

Parents at St Anthony’s are not the only ones fighting the plans.

Families of pupils at St David’s School in Mold have been vocal in their opposition and last week they were visited by North Wales MS Sam Rowlands, who supported their campaign.

“I have met with concerned parents, governors and local councillors who are quite rightly against the merger and worried for the future of their local schools and the affect it could also have in their communities,” he said.

“It is a totally crazy idea and I will be writing to the leader of Flintshire Council and the Bishop of Wrexham asking them to look again at the proposals.”

Last week a petition was submitted to Flintshire County Council on behalf of St David’s Catholic by Cllr Chris Bithell.

“The parents of St David’s School in Mold have expressed universal opposition to the closure of the school,” he told councillors. “Parents are very concerned that the 150-year-old school on that site will disappear because it has served generations of children. Not just catholic children but those of other faiths and of none.

“The closure would sever a vital link with the area and in their view would be a devastating loss to the educational landscape. It would place an increasing stress on other local schools which are working to capacity and parents have overwhelmingly stated they would not consider sending their children to a super-school at Flint which is seven miles away.

“They claim this fails to take into account the impact on working parents and  the fact Mold and its surrounding villages are growing rapidly – meaning there will be a need for these school places in the very near future.”

Flintshire Council and the Diocese have both been approached for comment.