Two Carmarthenshire rural schools face closure after Christmas

Two rural schools in Carmarthenshire, including one with no pupils left, are likely to close for good just after Christmas.

The council’s Plaid-Independent cabinet voted unanimously to proceed with the closure of Ysgol Meidrim, Meidrim, and pupil-less Ysgol Y Fro, Llangyndeyrn, at a meeting on October 5.

Full council will have the final say when it meets on October 14.

Cllr Jean Lewis, whose ward includes Meidrim, north of St Clears, addressed cabinet urging it to think again. She said Ysgol Meidrim governors had brought forward “practical and sustainable” alternatives to bolster the school, such as an expanded community hub role, and address financial issues.

“The saddest thing this morning is that the school hasn’t had a fair a chance to test whether these options could work,” said Cllr Lewis.

“Therefore I have to ask: is it really justified to close a Welsh rural school which is at the heart of the entire village for such a small financial saving?”

She added: “We are not asking for a favour, we are asking for a fair opportunity.”

There were 151 objections to the closure proposal and nine in support. Many people were concerned it would make the area less attractive to young families and could contribute to population decline in the longer term.

Cabinet members said they acknowledged the strength of the feeling and had considered the objections and alternative options put forward.

But they felt learners would benefit from high-quality and more sustainable education at other schools and difficult decisions were needed given the county’s schools were expected to collectively overspend again this year against a backdrop of a falling birth rate.

A cabinet report said Ysgol Meidrim and Ysgol Y Fro had many surplus places, a high number of pupils living within the respective catchment areas who attended other schools, and financial deficits.

Ysgol Meidrim had 31 pupils in 2025, including two nursery-aged ones. Numbers are forecast to increase slightly in the coming years, peaking at 38 in 2029 and then falling back to 34 in 2030.

The report said the school’s deficit was rising, that the cost-per-pupil was £6,363 in 2025-26 – £880 more than the average for primary schools in Carmarthenshire – and that its suitability building-wise was “poor”. The school was placed in special measures following an inspection by Estyn in 2024 but has since been removed from that designation.

Cllr Hazel Evans, presenting the report at cabinet, said the passion shown by parents, pupils, staff, governors, Cllr Lewis, and the community showed how much Ysgol Meidrim was valued within village life and this wasn’t in dispute.

“However our responsibility is to consider whether the school arrangements are sustainable in the long term and whether we are fulfilling our statutory duty to provide high-quality education across the county,” she said.

The evidence presented to cabinet, she said, showed Ysgol Meidrim “continues to face significant long-term challenges” and the alternative proposals put forward didn’t adequately address them.

After voting unanimously to recommend closure on December 31, with pupils to transfer to Ysgol Hafodwenog or Ysgol Griffith Jones, cabinet heard about 22 objections to the proposal to shut Ysgol Y Fro, Llangyndeyrn.

Objectors were concerned about the impact on the village , between Pontyberem and Carmarthen, and school transport among other things.

The cabinet report said pupil numbers Ysgol Y Fro had declined to 15 last year, with costs rising and the school placed into special measures. As of last month, it added, all remaining pupils had applied for and accepted places at other schools.

Cllr Glynog Davies, cabinet member for education, said the responses and alternative options put forward such as Ysgol Y Fro becoming a Church in Wales school had been considered carefully but that “there is no evidence to justify changing the proposal”.

After being seconded by Cllr Aled Vaughan Owen cabinet unanimously agreed to recommend closure on December 31 with Ysgol y Dderwen stated as the receiving school.

Cllr Vaughan Owen said school closures were the kind of decisions “that keep people awake at night” but councillors had to think “what’s best for children now and in the future”.

Another small rural school, Ysgol Llansteffan, shut its doors for good this summer with pupils transferring to Ysgol Llangain.