Flintshire village school to close

Sep 18 2012 by Dave Goodban, Flintshire Chronicle

A VILLAGE school with just nine pupils will close down to save the council almost £120,000 a year.

Flintshire county councillors said it was ‘a sad day’ after agreeing to shut Ysgol Rhes-y-Cae, which is more than 100 years old, this morning (Tuesday).

But they admitted it was a decision that had to be made after figures showed the shortfall in numbers means keeping the school open costs £14,029 per pupil per year – compared to a county-wide average of £3,319.

On Tuesday councillors agreed a statutory notice should be published to inform the public of the plan to shut the school from August 31 next year. If there are objections, a decision will be made by the Welsh Government.

A statement released by the governors said: “We are saddened by the decision that the school should be closed in August 2013. The primary concerns of the governors remain the education of the pupils and the welfare of staff.

“The governors are committed to working with parents and the local authority to ensure that pupils are disrupted as little as possible and that staff are supported in every way possible.”