Campaigners have been left “heartbroken” and “let down by those elected to represent them” - after Pembrokeshire councillors backed the closure of small rural school Ysgol Clydau.

At its March meeting, Pembrokeshire County Council members backed a recommendation that Director of Education be authorised to publish a Statutory Notice to discontinue Ysgol Clydau, Tegryn.

Councillors had previously heard here has been a significant 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 statutory notice followed a consultation on the proposals, and a hearing of a petition opposing the potential closure, which had generated 648 responses on the council’s own website, with impassioned pleas to keep the school open.

Ysgol Clydau has been described as “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,” with those opposing closure warning: “Its closure will isolate our community, leading to a decline in population and a weakening of our social fabric.”

At a special extraordinary council meeting held on June 15, members of Pembrokeshire County Council were asked to consider a report on a summary of 126 objections received in respect of the proposal to discontinue Ysgol Clydau, which included an option to halt the closure.

However, it was recommended, in a report present by deputy leader Cllr Paul Miller, who now also has responsibility for education, for the discontinuation be proceeded with.

The decision for Ysgol Clydau followed an earlier agenda item where members backed a recommendation to discontinue Manorbier school in the south of the county.

At the meeting, local member Cllr Iwan Ward – who has championed the fight to keep Ysgol Clydau open – questioned the value of the consultation, saying it was “supposed to be an opportunity to listen and reflect on alternative viewpoints,” adding: “They deserve to know their voices matter.”

He said viable alternatives to closure had “not been fully explored,” adding: “This decision will have consequences that last longer than any council term; today we have an opportunity to send a message that rural communities matter, and that Welsh education matters, and that rural schools matter.”

Cllr Huw Murphy, whose ward is nearby said he would find it difficult to attend this year’s national Eisteddfod which is being held close to Tegryn, knowing a Welsh language school had been closed, before quoting the Manic Street Preachers rock band lyrics: “If you tolerate this then your children will be next.”

Cllr Miller stressed alternative Welsh language provision for the pupils, with the longest any pupil would have to travel was just over three miles.

Members voted by 32 votes to 21, with one abstention, to back the recommendation to discontinue Ysgol Clydau.

Speaking after the meeting, campaign group Save Ysgol Clydau – Cadw Clydau yn Gardarn said: “Many of us feel that those making this decision spoke about budgets, statistics and percentages, but failed to understand what Ysgol Clydau truly is.

“It is not simply a school. It is a community. It is the heart of a Welsh-speaking rural area. It is a place where children felt safe, supported, understood and valued. Today, that has been taken away.”

It added: “What happened today should concern every rural community in Wales. If it can happen here, it can happen elsewhere. This is bigger than Ysgol Clydau. It is about the future of rural schools, rural communities and the Welsh language.”

It ended by saying: “Today we are grieving. Today we are heartbroken. Today many people feel let down by those elected to represent them.

“But history will record that this community fought with dignity, passion and determination for its children. And we will continue to speak up for rural communities and rural schools, because what happened today should never become normal.”