Education

School closure raises alarm over future of alternative education in Pembrokeshire

Published

3 weeks ago

June 20, 2025

Westward House to shut after just one year—former Castle School site under same ownership set to close again

A SCHOOL offering specialist support to children with additional learning needs is to close at the end of this term—less than a year after it opened in the same building where a mainstream private school under the same ownership and management shut its doors last summer.

Westward House School in Haverfordwest will close in July, marking the second collapse of an independent education venture at Glenover House, Scarrowscant Lane, in under 12 months.

Both schools were founded and run by education provider Harriet Harrison, who opened Castle School in 2009 to offer mainstream independent education with a strong academic focus. That school closed in July 2024, citing the loss of key staff, mounting regulatory pressure, and rising operational costs.

In response, Mrs Harrison set up Westward House School—a new, smaller school designed to provide alternative education provision for children with additional needs who were not thriving in mainstream settings. Originally based in St Clears, it relocated to the former Castle School premises in Haverfordwest last year.

But speaking this week, Mrs Harrison confirmed that Westward House will now also close—this time due to a worsening financial situation made unmanageable by VAT changes introduced earlier this year.

Crushed by costs and policy change

“It’s devastating,” Mrs Harrison said. “Castle School was a traditional independent school, but we knew there were still families in Pembrokeshire whose children weren’t coping in mainstream. That’s why we opened Westward House—to meet that need. It was a new name, but the same mission to do right by the pupils.”

She said the school’s model, based on small class sizes, specialist support, and consistent pastoral care, had proven highly effective—but was no longer financially viable.

“Since January, all private schools have been required to add 20 per cent VAT to their fees,” she said. “This hit families hard. Our fees hadn’t risen since we opened in 2021, but the cost of wages, insurance, and energy have risen sharply. That extra 20 per cent was the final straw for many.”

The impact has been especially severe in west Wales, where local authorities such as Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire have not funded placements at Westward House, unlike in Cardiff where Harrison’s sister school, Eastward House, works closely with local government.

A loss for vulnerable learners

Westward House prided itself on helping children who had struggled in other schools. Its strapline, “Qualifications are important, but self-esteem is life-changing,” encapsulated its therapeutic approach to learning.

“Although most of our learners have now completed their GCSEs and are moving on to college or sixth form,” Mrs Harrison said, “some younger pupils still need support. That’s why I’m pleased to say we’ve been working closely with the Cherry Grove Learning Centre, which is due to open soon in Haverfordwest.”

The new centre will offer small-group teaching, pastoral support, external exam entry, and an enriched curriculum—providing, she hopes, “a lifeline” for families affected by the closure.

National pattern of closures

Westward House is not alone. Across the UK, small independent schools are closing at an alarming rate. The Labour policy of adding VAT to private school fees—intended to fund thousands of new state-sector teachers—has hit smaller, non-elite schools the hardest. Unlike Eton or Harrow, most small independent schools have no historic endowments or corporate backers.

According to a recent Times report, Whitehall officials are already braced for a wave of closures as schools struggle with inflation, declining enrolment, and new tax burdens.

Glenover House—built around 1907 and used as a school for decades—is now listed for sale at £495,000.

Whether it will reopen again as an education site remains to be seen. But for the second time in a year, the pupils, parents, and staff of a Harrison-run school are saying goodbye.

Photo caption:

Déjà vu: Glenover House, former site of Castle School and Westward House, is now for sale once again (Pic: Rightmove)

Education

Wales to host WorldSkills UK National Finals for the first time

Published

15 hours ago

July 10, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Record number of Welsh finalists as prestigious competition heads to the nation this November

WELSH venues will host the WorldSkills UK National Finals for the first time this November, marking a major milestone for skills excellence across the country.

The event—considered the UK’s premier competition for technical and vocational training—will see 417 top competitors from across the UK take part in 47 finals. This year’s contest, running from 26 to 28 November, will be held across five sites in Wales.

A record-breaking 120 Welsh competitors have qualified, making up 29% of the national finalists—an increase from last year’s already impressive figure of one in four. The success highlights Wales’ growing reputation for producing skilled young professionals in fields ranging from beauty therapy to aerospace engineering.

The Welsh Government announced its hosting partnership with Inspiring Skills Excellence and WorldSkills UK last September, following the successful international finals in Lyon. That collaboration paved the way for the UK finals to be brought to Wales for the first time.

Disciplines at this year’s finals will include 3D Digital Game Art, Aircraft Maintenance, Health and Social Care, and Culinary Arts. Top performers could be selected to represent the UK at the prestigious “Skills Olympics” in Japan in 2028.

‘Futureproofing the economy’

Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership Jack Sargeant MS said:
“These competitions show the real-world value and applications of apprenticeships and are invaluable in futureproofing our economy.

“I am proud Wales is hosting the WorldSkills UK Finals in 2025. We have a beautiful country, and I hope all visitors will take some time to explore it.

“I wish this new cohort of competitors pob lwc – I know you’ll do yourselves and us all proud.”

WorldSkills UK Competitions attract more than 6,000 registrations annually from across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The competition-based training is seen as a crucial part of the post-16 education and training landscape, helping schools, colleges, and employers benchmark performance against international standards.

Meet the competitors

Mark Wright, an apprentice at International Crusher Solutions Ltd, is competing in the Metal Fabricator category.
“I started out in Construction Metalwork competitions last year and won gold in the Skills Competition Wales with the highest score in the region, and silver in WorldSkills UK,” he said.

“I enjoyed them so much I decided to go for the UK qualifiers this year in Metal Fabrication too—and I’m over the moon to be heading to the finals. It’s a great experience—I just focus, get stuck in, and enjoy it.”

Elara Jones, selected for the Beauty Therapy Practitioner competition, added:
“Winning gold at Skills Competition Wales and now reaching the WorldSkills UK Finals shows all the hard work has paid off. It feels like everything I’ve done has been building to this—it means so much to reach this level.”

Bradley Claringbold is returning to the Industrial Electronics competition after competing last year.
“I didn’t place in the top three last time, but I’m back to show how far I’ve come,” he said. “The extra training has helped me learn so much—I’m excited to have another shot.”

For more information about WorldSkills UK and how to get involved as a competitor, tutor, or employer in Wales, visit: https://inspiringskills.gov.wales

Education

Top marks for Aberystwyth University in UK student survey

Published

2 days ago

July 9, 2025

Staff Writer

ABERYSTWYTH UNIVERSITY is the top university in Wales for student satisfaction for the tenth year in a row according to the latest survey of students’ opinions on the quality of their courses.

The 2025 edition of the authoritative National Student Survey (NSS), which is published today, has been compiled using over 357,000 student responses from across the UK.

With an improved and consistently high student satisfaction rate, 86% of Aberystwyth University students are satisfied with the quality of their course, 4 percentage points above the sector average in Wales.

Based on the higher education institutions featured in the latest edition of The Times / Sunday Times Good University Guide, 90% of the University’s students are satisfied with their teaching, putting Aberystwyth in the top 10 in the UK.

Aberystwyth also features in the UK top 5 for ‘Academic Support’ and ‘Learning Resources’ and in the top 10 in the UK for ‘Assessment and Feedback’ and ‘Organisation and Management.

Aberystwyth also outperforms the UK sector in all seven core themes that are featured in this year’s survey: Teaching on My Course, Learning Opportunities, Assessment and Feedback, Academic Support, Organisation and Management, Learning Resource and Student Voice.

Professor Anwen Jones, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Student Experience at Aberystwyth University, said:

“This is fantastic news. Our University has a long-standing and enviable reputation for student satisfaction and today’s results underline that. They demonstrate that Aberystwyth University is rated by our students as one of the best universities in the UK, reflecting the dedication of our staff to provide the best possible learning experience.

“The survey results go to show that we are an excellent place to learn, and that our teaching is simply outstanding.

“Aberystwyth is an inclusive, welcoming and supportive place, located in one of the most inspiring locations to live and study in the UK. Our town is a friendly and vibrant community, and a safe and affordable place that welcomes staff and students from around the world.”

Undeb Aber, the Students’ Union at the University, said: “It is great to see the NSS once again backing up what we already know – Aberystwyth University offers students a brilliant experience. We are proud to work side by side with staff at the University to make sure that Aber students love student life. This result is testament to the amazing work that continues to happen right across the institution.”

The NSS is an annual survey of students in universities, colleges and other providers across the UK.

Final-year undergraduate students are asked to score their university across a wide range of measures of student satisfaction.

Students in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland were also invited to express their overall satisfaction with their university.

The NSS is managed by the Office for Students on behalf of the UK funding and regulatory bodies – the Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland), the Scottish Funding Council and Medr.

Education

Milford Haven schools set for major redevelopment

Published

2 days ago

July 8, 2025

Tom Sinclair

New Welsh medium school and combined campus approved by council

PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL’S Cabinet has given the green light to a major investment in Milford Haven’s schools, approving a £141.6 million redevelopment plan that includes a new 3-11 Welsh medium school and a combined primary and secondary campus.

The preferred option will see a brand-new shared building constructed on the site of the current Milford Haven School. The facility will house both the English medium primary and secondary schools, with shared services such as kitchens and sports areas. It will also include a 40-place Flying Start centre and a 36-place Learning Resource Centre for secondary pupils.

This marks a significant shift from previous proposals, which had focused on refurbishing the existing Milford Haven School and Milford Haven CP School.

In addition to the shared campus, a Strategic Outline Case will be submitted to the Welsh Government for the development of a standalone Welsh medium primary school for children aged 3 to 11.

The total estimated cost of the scheme is £141,598,965, with £46.5 million to be funded through the council’s capital programme.

Cabinet Member for Education and the Welsh Language, Cllr Guy Woodham, said at Monday’s (July 7) meeting: “The Milford Haven schools redevelopment represents the largest investment in the school estate ever undertaken by the Council. It will address serious concerns about the condition of the existing buildings and allow Milford Haven CP School to operate from a single site.

“The co-location of the English medium schools will deliver economies of scale through shared facilities and also opens the door to developing an ‘all-through’ school in the future, if that is what the community wants.

“The creation of a new Welsh medium school will meet growing demand in the Milford Haven area and allow Ysgol Caer Elen in Haverfordwest to extend its catchment area. This is a key step in delivering the aims of the Council’s Welsh in Education Strategic Plan.”

Cabinet members voted unanimously to support the plans.

Local member and Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services, Cllr Rhys Sinnett, welcomed the decision: “This is a great day. This has been such a long time coming. The redevelopment can’t come quickly enough.”