Education

Manorbier school closure row deepens as parent challenges PCC figures

Published

4 months ago

November 22, 2025

Council insists no decision made as consultation opens – but parents, governors and the local MS say the process is “misleading” and shaped by years of delays after devastating 2022 fire

A MAJOR row has erupted over the future of Manorbier VC School as a former governor accuses Pembrokeshire County Council of using “incorrect and misleading” data in its consultation on proposals to close the village primary.

In a detailed letter sent to The Herald, parent and former governor Suzanne Pearton-Scale says the Council’s figures “misrepresent the real situation”, particularly around pupil numbers, surplus capacity, parental preference and the projected cost of rebuilding the fire-damaged school.

The Council says it is following the statutory School Organisation Code, has launched a formal public consultation running until 19 December, and stresses that “no decision has yet been taken”.

Local Senedd Member Samuel Kurtz MS, who has repeatedly called for the school to be rebuilt, told The Herald that the community has been “let down” and that the school “should never have been allowed to drift into this position”.

The future of Manorbier VC School now appears set to become one of the most contentious education issues in Pembrokeshire in recent years.

“The figures don’t reflect reality”: Parent challenges PCC data

Pearton-Scale disputes several central elements of the Council’s published case for closure.

The consultation documents identify a school capacity of 86 places, with a surplus of between 74% and 77.9%.
Pearton-Scale says this is the pre-fire capacity and does not reflect the temporary buildings pupils have occupied since the 2022 blaze.

She says the temporary accommodation provides 30 places, with 23.5 children currently on roll — an actual surplus of around 21.7%, far below the threshold normally considered significant under the School Organisation Code.

“The Council’s headline surplus figure is misleading because it is not the real capacity the school has been operating under for more than two years,” she said.

Pupil-number decline

The consultation cites a 59.8% fall in pupil numbers between 2015 and 2025.
Pearton-Scale argues that this is skewed by the fire and subsequent delays to reinstatement.
She notes that the decline between 2015 and 2022 (pre-fire) was around 30.7%, which she says is “not enough to justify closure”.

The Council states that only 18.5% of children in the catchment attend Manorbier.
Pearton-Scale says this reflects the limited temporary accommodation, not a drop in parental preference.

“Families haven’t turned away from Manorbier. They’ve been forced away by lack of space. If the school were reinstated properly, local enrolment would rise immediately,” she added.

Cost of rebuild

PCC’s consultation lists a projected rebuild cost of £2.6 million.
Pearton-Scale says the figure “lacks transparency”, claiming the documents do not clearly set out how much insurance will cover, how much additional funding would be needed, or whether competitive quotes have been obtained.

She also argues that temporary accommodation costs have been treated as long-term per-pupil costs, inflating the school’s apparent financial inefficiency.

As a Church in Wales VC school, Manorbier’s status requires consultation with the St David’s Diocesan Board of Finance.

Pearton-Scale says the Diocese has expressed opposition to closure, but claims this is not clearly reflected in PCC’s public documents.

PCC: “No decision has been made – we are following the Code”

Pembrokeshire County Council says it is following all statutory procedures.

According to the consultation timeline:

Cabinet considered the review of Tenby-area schools on 8 May 2025
The Diocese was formally consulted on 14 May
Cabinet approved general consultation on 17 July
Public consultation is running from 5 November to 19 December

Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Guy Woodham, recently told councillors:
“We’re not at a situation yet where any decision has been taken; I can’t agree we’re ‘steam-rolling it through’.”

PCC says the consultation was launched due to:

declining numbers
high surplus places
long-term budget considerations
concerns about viability
the impact of the 2022 fire and extended use of temporary accommodation

The Herald has asked PCC to clarify:

whether surplus-place calculations should be based on the temporary units
the method behind the stated 59.8% decline
the basis of the £2.6m rebuild estimate and the role of insurance
whether temporary-accommodation costs were included as long-term costs
how the Diocese’s position has been incorporated

A full response is expected next week.

***“Manorbier School has been at the heart of its community for generations”, said Sam Kurtz MS***

Sam Kurtz MS: “The Council let the community down”

Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire MS Samuel Kurtz has consistently supported a full rebuild.

After the fire in 2022, he says the community was assured that rebuilding was the intended route.
In September he told local media: “Manorbier School has been at the heart of its community for generations. Its loss has been deeply felt. I’m calling on the Welsh Government to work constructively with Pembrokeshire County Council to honour the original commitment to rebuild the school.”

He has since criticised “broken promises” and said pupils and staff “deserved better than to be left in temporary accommodation for years”.

Kurtz has now asked the Education Minister to intervene to ensure that “closure is not the default option”.

Background: the fire that changed everything

Manorbier VC School was severely damaged by fire in June 2022, forcing the evacuation of pupils and the long-term closure of the main building.

Since then:

pupils have been taught in temporary units
no firm rebuild timeline has ever been published
tight temporary accommodation has influenced catchment choices
parents have repeatedly sought clarity on the Council’s intentions

The school, which has served the community for more than 150 years, remains highly valued locally.

Community concerns growing

Parents contacting The Herald this week say they feel the consultation treats the school as “already closed” and that temporary conditions have been wrongly used as evidence of falling demand.

Others believe the Council favours consolidation of smaller schools rather than undertaking costly rebuilds.

Pearton-Scale said: “The consultation is built on flawed data and cannot fairly inform the public. We want transparency and the chance to save our school.”

What happens next

The statutory consultation closes on 19 December.

After that:

PCC officers will analyse all submissions
a report will be presented to Cabinet in early 2026
if Cabinet agrees, a Statutory Notice would be issued
a 28-day objection period would follow
Cabinet would make a final decision later in 2026

For Church in Wales schools, the Diocese plays a formal role throughout the process.

The Herald will continue to seek answers

Given the seriousness of the issues raised, The Herald has submitted detailed questions to PCC and will publish the response in full.

We have also invited the Diocese, Sam Kurtz MS, and local county councillors to provide further comment.

Anyone wishing to share factual information may contact: [email protected]

Education

Tenby students compete in UK robotics challenge

Published

1 day ago

March 14, 2026

Tom Sinclair

STUDENTS from Ysgol Greenhill in Tenby have taken part in the FIRST Tech Challenge UK & Ireland competition, showcasing their engineering and computing skills at a national robotics event.

The Tenby Techno Team travelled to the University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s School of Applied Computingwhere teams from across the UK and Ireland gathered to compete in the international robotics programme.

The competition challenges students to design, build and programme robots capable of completing tasks on a specialist arena, testing both technical ability and teamwork.

The Tenby team said they were proud to be competing and were supported during the event by former computing students Issac, Ieuan and Finley, who returned to help the team as volunteers.

Organisers of the programme say the FIRST Tech Challenge aims to inspire young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics while building practical problem-solving skills.

The team also thanked Valero Pembroke Refinery and Tenby Round Table for sponsoring the project, along with Marc Ingram, who provided advice and guidance during the build and preparation stages.

More updates from the competition are expected as the event progresses.

Education

Port joins careers event for Pembrokeshire pupils

Published

1 day ago

March 14, 2026

Tom Sinclair

THE PORT OF MILFORD HAVEN joined students from schools across Pembrokeshire for a careers event aimed at inspiring the next generation of workers in the region.

The event, organised by the SPARC Alliance, took place at the Canolfan Arloesedd y Bont / Bridge Innovation Centre. Pupils were given the opportunity to learn about a range of career opportunities available at the port and the wider maritime sector.

Representing the Port of Milford Haven were Pilot Jamie Furlong, Project Manager Claire Lawrence, Environmental & Sustainability Assistant Bethan Davie, HR Director Vidette Swales and Stakeholder Engagement Executive Emily Jones.

Students spoke directly with the team about different roles within the organisation and the skills needed to work in areas such as shipping operations, project management, environmental work and stakeholder engagement.

The Port thanked the SPARC Alliance for hosting the event and said supporting initiatives that connect young people with employers and highlight opportunities in Pembrokeshire is something it is proud to be part of.

Education

Influencers amplify misinformation and online toxicity, study finds

Published

3 days ago

March 12, 2026

Tom Sinclair

SOCIAL media influencers can significantly increase the spread and toxicity of misinformation online, according to new research led by academics at Cardiff Business School.

The study, published in the journal Psychology & Marketing, analysed brand-related misinformation and associated user comments across forty-seven brands in nine industries over a three-year period. Researchers say it is the first study to measure how online toxicity differs when misinformation comes from influencers rather than ordinary users.

Brands increasingly rely on social media influencers to reach audiences, with spending on influencer marketing hitting a record $33bn in 2025. While influencers can drive engagement and sales, the communities built around them can also amplify inaccurate claims and direct hostility towards brands.

The research found that regular social media users who spread misinformation are often challenged or criticised by other users. As a result, discussions tend to become more civil over time as inaccuracies are corrected.

Influencers, however, face the opposite incentive. Their visibility, engagement and profits often increase when posts generate controversy or strong emotional reactions.

The analysis found that online toxicity was particularly high when influencers discussed socio-political issues, where public emotions and stakes are greater.

Lead author Dr Giandomenico Di Domenico said: “Social media influencers often have huge followings that are extremely valuable for brands seeking to increase sales.

“But our research shows the negative consequences when influencers endorse or amplify misinformation. Under the same conditions that increase their visibility and influence, influencers also generate significantly more toxic engagement than regular users.”

He explained that the close relationships influencers cultivate with their followers play a key role.

“Unlike regular users, influencers form parasocial bonds with their communities. These relationships make followers far more likely to support or defend claims without critically questioning them.

“This means misinformation introduced within these networks does not simply attract attention — it can transform scattered reactions into collective, belief-driven antagonism.”

The researchers identified two key mechanisms that strengthen misinformation when it comes from influencers.

The first is “legitimation”, where the influencer’s endorsement lends credibility to a claim. The second is “community enmeshment”, where followers rally around the influencer and reinforce the narrative.

When combined, these factors can create what researchers describe as “toxic echo chambers”, producing a self-reinforcing cycle in which toxicity increases engagement — and engagement encourages further inflammatory content.

The study highlights how these dynamics played out in early 2025 when several TikTok influencers posted viral videos claiming luxury brands including Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Chanel secretly manufactured products in Chinese factories while marketing them as “Made in France” or “Made in Italy”.

The videos presented the claims as exposés of industry deception but offered no verifiable evidence. Despite this, they generated millions of views and fuelled widespread online debate about authenticity, ethics and transparency in the luxury industry.

Dr Di Domenico said the example illustrates a growing tension within influencer culture.

“Despite the positive impact influencers can have on marketing outcomes, their prominence also introduces new risks,” he said.

“When misleading or controversial claims are amplified by influencers, the resulting backlash can create highly toxic environments that damage brands and distort public understanding.”

The research paper, titled Don’t You Know That You’re Toxic? How Influencer-Driven Misinformation Fuels Online Toxicity, is published in Psychology & Marketing.