Is Pembrokeshire County Council planning on merging two of Tenby's schools?

That is the burning question members of the town council want answering.

At Tuesday night's meeting of the council, Clr. David Morgan, a governor at Tenby Infants School, reported that meetings had been held with education chiefs, governors and staff, when the future of the junior and infants schools were discussed.

Clr. Morgan told colleagues that there were three options being considered.

Option 1 - Tenby Infants and Junior Schools to remain unchanged on two sites.

Option 2 - Amalgamation of both schools to a primary school on the Tenby Juniors site.

Option 3 - Amalgamate to a Welsh medium primary school on Tenby Infants site and English medium primary school on Tenby Junior site.

Clr. Morgan said that the likely preferred option was number three.

He said that a recommendation on the future of the schools was being made to cabinet this week, prior to a consultation process.

"We as a town council are anxious to be kept informed," said Clr. Mrs. Tish Rossiter. "As a town council, we have a right to know what is going on."

Clr. Mrs. Christine Brown agreed.

"We are getting asked in the street what's going on. We need to meet with the education officer."

Members agreed to invite Mr. Graham Longster, the local authority's director of education and children's services, to meet with them at the earliest opportunity to discuss the proposals.

Council

response

When contacted by the Observer about the proposals, a spokesman said there were no recommendations regarding the mergers reported at the council meeting, only to review provision at this stage.

A report from the director of education and children's services is to go before cabinet on Monday regarding the primary education provision in Tenby.

"It is the policy of the council to review provision of primary education in specific areas from time to time, and this has occurred in many parts of the county since 1996.

"In a number of places, there has been a review of separate infant and junior schools and there is merit in undertaking such a review given the close working relationship between Tenby VC Infant School and Tenby Junior Community School.

"Furthermore, and in view of the level of Welsh language provision at both schools, there is merit in reviewing this provision, both within the context of Tenby itself and South Pembrokeshire in general."

The report recommends to proceed accordingly.