THE START of a formal consultation of a potential federation of two Pembrokeshire schools has been backed by senior councillors.

At the April 28 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet members were asked to note the decisions of St Florence VC School and Penrhyn VC School to commence consultation on establishing formal federations for the two schools, and to obtain Cabinet’s approval for the Director of Education to commence consultation on behalf of the two schools.

A report for members said the two schools had been in an informal ‘soft federation’ since September 2022, with the headteacher of St Florence acting as Executive Headteacher.

“Prior to this period, the Headteacher at Penrhyn VC School was a longstanding appointment since the school opened in September 2017 and subsequently leaving the authority in August 2022,” a report for members said, adding: “In order to ‘formalise’ the collaboration that is currently taking place, the governing bodies of both schools have considered establishing a Federation. The initial soft federation was set up due to challenges in recruiting a headteacher at Penrhyn VC School.”

In the report given by Cabinet member for education Cllr Guy Woodham, it was stressed the federation is “not an amalgamation, a take-over or a route to closure,” but a partnership of the two schools “sharing a joint vision for a venture that would serve the interests of pupils, staff and both school communities”.

The schools would remain as separate establishments; they would be funded and inspected separately, produce separate accounts and report their assessment results separately.

The report concluded: “Both schools will now work with local authority officers to undertake the appropriate consultation. As a school-led federation, determination of whether to proceed subsequently will rest with the two governing bodies.  The local authority and Diocesan Director of Education (Church in Wales) endorses the decisions of the governing bodies to proceed to consult on this matter.”

Members unanimously backed the recommendation, moved by Cllr Woodham.

APPLICATIONS for the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for the 2025-26 academic year are now open.

EMA in Wales provides eligible learners aged 16 to 18 with £40 per week to help cover education-related costs such as transport, meals, and learning materials. In comparison, EMA is available at a lower rate of £30 in Scotland and Northern Ireland and was discontinued in England in 2011.

More learners are now eligible as income thresholds have been raised:

• Households with one dependent child: income of £23,400 or less
• Households with two or more dependent children: income of £25,974 or less

Raonaq, a learner at Fitzalan High School, said: “EMA has helped me to focus a lot more on school. Without it, I would have had to get a part-time job, which would have made it harder to study and revise for exams. It has helped me cover the cost of stationery, transport to and from school, and entering writing competitions. I don’t think I would have been able to afford these without EMA.”

The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Vikki Howells, said: “EMA is a vital support system that helps young people continue their education without financial barriers. Learners have told me about the positive impact EMA has had on their educational journey by helping them with everyday costs.

“I was delighted to announce the extension of the eligibility range earlier this year, ensuring that more students have access to this support. I strongly encourage all 16 to 18-year-olds and their families to check if they are eligible, even if they weren’t previously.”

New and continuing learners can check their eligibility and apply online [here] or speak to their school or college for help with applications.

A CONTRACT of more than £0.5m has been awarded for urgent repairs to a Pembrokeshire seaside school where more than 700 building defects were found.

A special individual Cabinet member meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council saw leader Cllr Jon Harvey award a contract to Trident Engineering GBR Ltd to carry out urgent Concrete Repair and Protection works at Ysgol Greenhill, Tenby.

A survey report by Trident identified 750 faults at the school following a survey in July 2024, with further inspections this February.

A total of 750 defects were recorded, including spalled concrete, cracks (horizontal and vertical) in concrete slabs, beams, columns and soffits, failed repairs, failed coatings, honeycombing to concrete, damage / cracks in panels, cracking to brickwork, with an increase in defective areas across the structure since the July survey.

“We have observed an alarming acceleration in corrosion-related degradation due to the saline environment, leading to further concrete fracture, spalling, and delamination,” the report said.

It added: “This deterioration poses a significant risk, as sizeable debris has been witnessed falling from the structure, endangering pedestrians and potentially damaging vehicles and surrounding infrastructure.

“Our recent revisit surveys indicate that the cracks are expanding monthly, and the overall degradation is expected to worsen as thermal movement increases in response to climatic changes.

“We recommend undertaking the necessary remedial works with immediate effect. If we delay initiating the works, we will incur additional surveillance costs, which could have been avoided. Moreover, it is of utmost importance to note that some columns have lost enough structural mass to bring their integrity into question.

“Trident cannot endorse the continued use of the structure unless emergency repairs are initiated promptly. We strongly advise that these works be categorised as urgent and immediately necessary to restore safety and suitability for use.

“Should this critical advice not be followed, Trident will not accept liability for any subsequent developments.”

The value of the contract, at £555,946.17, includes the provision of a 15-year manufacturer’s warranty for the works undertaken.