GOVERNORS at Ysgol Meidrim in Carmarthenshire have published a counter-proposal to the council’s plan to close the village school, as the six-week public consultation gets underway today (Jan 16).

The start of the consultation had originally been scheduled for Tuesday (Jan 13) but was delayed after the council had not completed the Welsh-language translation of the consultation documents in time.

In a message to the Chair of Governors, Ann Jones, the council’s Chief Executive, Wendy Walters, confirmed the consultation period would begin today (Jan 16). It is expected that both the Welsh and English versions of the consultation document will appear on the council’s website.

In response, the school’s governors have released their own 73-page counter-proposal, developed since the cabinet decision in November to proceed to consultation.

The governors’ plan is to secure a viable long-term future for Ysgol Meidrim by developing the school, outside teaching hours, as a Community Hub. The document includes research and a cost-benefit analysis, along with a list of potential funding sources to support the project.

The proposal, however, depends on the school remaining open and based on the current premises, with governors arguing that the school is essential both as a focal point for young families and as a key part of the funding model.

Alongside the main document, the governors have also published a supplementary paper which sets out alternative savings the council could make — claiming it could reduce education spending by around a quarter of a million pounds without closing community schools.

Supporters say they now want the six-week consultation period to be used for detailed discussions between council officers and governors, with a view to reaching a positive outcome.

Speaking on behalf of the governors, Sian Straczek, of Meidrim, said: “As school governors at Ysgol Meidrim, we were very disappointed that we have not been given a proper chance to explore all future options for the school with council officers.

“The statutory code requires the council to have explored with us all options before proposing closure — otherwise the ‘presumption against closure’ of village schools becomes meaningless.

“We have worked hard on this carefully-costed counter-proposal to develop our school as a valuable community hub out of school hours, and hope that we will now be given the opportunity during the consultation period for practical discussions with officers in a spirit of co-operation.”

The governors have also launched a campaign logo — “Mlaen Meidrim” (“Forward Meidrim”) — as well as a campaign video highlighting the school’s importance to the local community.

On behalf of Cymdeithas yr Iaith in Sir Gâr, Ffred Ffransis said the council’s own figures suggested the financial case for closure was weak.

He said: “The council’s own figures show that there will be 39 pupils at Ysgol Meidrim in two years, and that the total saving from closing the school — after deducting additional school transport costs — is only claimed to be £13,000 a year.

“If such a school is closed, then 20 more rural Welsh-medium schools will be under threat, in a total annihilation of our rural communities.

“The governors at Meidrim, all volunteers, have produced an amazing document and deserve a proper hearing, not just the standard negative written responses. Their counter-proposal could be an exciting pilot project — both in community-based primary education and in the wider revival of Welsh-speaking rural communities.

“Over the last decade Carmarthenshire County Council has been far more open in its discussions than was previously the case, and our hope is that there will now be positive, two-way discussion rather than the usual sterile negative responses.”

ADULTS in Pembrokeshire who have ever fancied trying their hand at scriptwriting are being invited to join a new series of creative writing workshops at the Torch Theatre in Milford Haven.

The theatre is running fun, fortnightly sessions designed to help participants explore and develop writing for the stage in a supportive setting. The workshops are open to anyone aged 18 and over, and no previous experience is needed — just a willingness to share ideas and get writing.

The sessions are part of the Torch Theatre’s wider programme of community activities, aimed at giving more people the chance to get involved in the arts.

Torch Theatre Senior Manager for Youth and Community, Tim Howe, said the workshops are designed to help writers turn ideas into playable scenes and believable characters.

“We will help get your ideas out of your head and on to the page, give your characters voices, and support you in sharing your work with others,” he said. “To get the most out of your experience, we aim to create a nurturing and creative space so we can turn you into a writer for the stage.”

Tim added that each term explores a different approach to writing, with the current focus on verbatim theatre — a style that uses real people’s words and transforms them into scripts for performance.

“At the end of each term, we hold an informal sharing of the work which you can invite family and friends along to,” he said.

The workshops will be held on Thursdays from 6.30pm to 8.30pm at the Torch Theatre, with sessions taking place on January 15 and 29, February 12, and March 5 and 19.

Each session costs £10, or £50 for the full term.

For more information, contact the Torch Theatre Box Office on 01646 695267, or email Tim Howe at [email protected].

Independent review finds Llanidloes High School acted within Welsh guidance as secular campaigners call for stronger safeguards

POWYS COUNTY COUNCIL has said it will take no further action against Llanidloes High School after an independent fact-finding exercise concluded the school is operating within relevant legislation and Welsh Government guidance.

The review was commissioned after concerns were raised about the alleged promotion of evangelical Christianity and creationist messages at the community school.

According to the council, the exercise found the school was compliant with current guidance. While it identified some areas of practice for the school to consider and review internally, the council said no further action was necessary.

The decision follows complaints raised by the National Secular Society (NSS), which said it had uncovered evidence that headteacher Dan Owen was attempting to convert pupils to Christianity.

The NSS said its concerns included school displays featuring Bible quotations alongside science and geography themes, giving pupils school planners containing biblical “advice”, and holding assemblies which promoted Christianity.

Among the examples cited were wall displays featuring marine life and the solar system alongside quotations from the Bible. The NSS claimed the displays were paid for using school funds and were described by a source as “very expensive”.

The NSS also alleged that evangelistic material had been used in school activity and assembly content, including references to the Alpha course and a lunchtime club linked to it. It further raised concerns about an advice page in school planners covering issues such as suicide, sex and abuse using only Bible verses, without signposting professional sources of support.

Powys County Council said the fact-finding exercise found no evidence that creationism was taught in science lessons, and no evidence of evangelisation or inappropriate promotion of Christianity.

The NSS criticised the outcome, saying it raises “serious questions” about current guidance on religion in schools in Wales. The organisation argues that protections for non-faith community schools are too weak and has called for stronger safeguards to prevent schools being used to promote the personal beliefs of those in charge.

In Wales, maintained schools are generally required to provide a daily act of collective worship, which is broadly Christian in character unless exemptions apply, and parents have the right to withdraw their children.