Two rural schools to close despite community opposition

Nation.Cymru staff

Two rural primary schools will close permanently at the end of December after councillors approved proposals opposed by parents and local communities.

Carmarthenshire County Council voted on Wednesday, October 14, to close Ysgol Meidrim, near St Clears, and Ysgol Y Fro in Llangyndeyrn.

The decision follows a unanimous recommendation from the council’s Plaid-Independent cabinet earlier this month. The authority cited low pupil numbers, empty places and financial pressures at both schools.

Ysgol Y Fro already has no pupils on its register, while Ysgol Meidrim had 31 pupils in 2025, including two nursery-aged children.

Both closures will take effect on December 31. From January, current Ysgol Meidrim pupils will transfer to Ysgol Hafodwenog or Ysgol Griffith Jones, subject to parental preference and admissions arrangements.

The decision comes after 151 objections were submitted to the Meidrim closure proposal, compared with nine responses in support. Objectors warned that losing the school could make the village less attractive to young families and contribute to population decline.

A cabinet report forecast that Meidrim’s pupil numbers would rise slightly, reaching 38 in 2029 before falling to 34 in 2030.

It said the school’s deficit was increasing and its cost per pupil in 2025–26 was £6,363, around £880 above the county’s primary school average. The report also rated the suitability of its buildings as “poor”.

The school was placed in special measures following an Estyn inspection in 2024 but has since been removed from that category.

Following the full council decision, cabinet member for education Cllr Glynog Davies said: “The decision taken by Full Council has been an incredibly difficult one, however the long term challenges facing Ysgol Meidrim could not be ignored.

“This includes very low pupil numbers, substantial surplus capacity and the resulting financial pressures, with no evidence from the projections of sufficient growth to reverse that position.”

The proposal to close Ysgol Y Fro attracted 22 objections, including concerns about the effect on Llangyndeyrn and school transport.

Its pupil numbers had fallen to 15 in 2025, and the school had been placed in special measures. By September this year, all remaining pupils had applied for and accepted places elsewhere.

The council considered alternatives, including a proposal for Ysgol Y Fro to become a Church in Wales school, but concluded they did not justify changing its recommendation.

Cllr Davies said the authority recognised the impact closure would have on the community but described the school’s financial position as unsustainable.

Modernising Education Programme

Both schools were assessed under the council’s Modernising Education Programme, approved by cabinet in November 2024. The authority said a high proportion of children living in their catchment areas were already attending other schools.

Meidrim’s catchment will be divided between Ysgol Hafodwenog, Ysgol Griffith Jones and Ysgol Bancyfelin, while Ysgol Y Fro’s will be redistributed among seven neighbouring schools.

The closures follow that of Ysgol Llansteffan this summer, when pupils transferred to Ysgol Llangain.

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