Governors welcome decision but maintain original plans were based on outdated information

STEPASIDE Community Primary School will remain open after Pembrokeshire County Council formally reversed its earlier decision to consider closing it.

Councillors approved the change at a meeting of the full council on Thursday afternoon, July 16, bringing months of uncertainty for pupils, parents, staff and the wider Kilgetty and Stepaside community to an end.

The decision rescinds the authority’s previous instruction to begin statutory consultation on proposals to close Stepaside and Saundersfoot primary schools and replace them with a new school for children aged three to 11 on the existing Saundersfoot site.

The governing body of Stepaside Community Primary School said it was “delighted” by the outcome and described it as a major achievement for the community.

Chair of Governors Laura Burnett said: “We are delighted to share the exciting news that Stepaside Community Primary School will remain open.

“This is a tremendous achievement for the community served by the school in Kilgetty, and it means our staff can continue providing a high-quality education in the nurturing and supportive environment for which the school is known.”

However, governors said they continued to believe the original closure proposal had been ill-informed.

They raised concerns that figures relating to the school’s capacity, projected pupil numbers and finances were outdated and did not provide a reliable basis for deciding its future.

The governing body also argued that the effect of closing the school on pupils, families and the wider community had not been examined thoroughly enough.

It said there had initially been limited engagement with those who would have been most affected and expressed disappointment that some of those involved in developing the proposal had not visited the school before it was put forward.

The decision to reconsider the plans followed a change in Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet responsibilities.

Deputy council leader and Cabinet Member for Place, the Welsh Language and Education Cllr Paul Miller recommended that the authority should no longer pursue Stepaside’s closure.

He previously said a review had concluded that the school was producing good educational outcomes for its local population and was sustainable in its present form.

Governors thanked Cllr Miller and the county councillors, MPs and Senedd Members who visited the school and listened to the concerns of families and campaigners.

They said the visits had allowed the school to demonstrate its educational standards, community values and the wider consequences that closure could have caused.

The school’s recent Estyn inspection described Stepaside as “a happy place where pupils feel safe and are eager to learn”.

Inspectors also praised its nurturing ethos and described the school as having a welcoming, calm and purposeful learning environment in which pupils made good progress and were proud of their achievements.

The campaign to protect the school received widespread community support, with a council petition started by Angela Robinson attracting 1,952 signatures.

Local county councillors Alistair Cameron and Alec Cormack were also among those who publicly opposed the proposed closure.

The governing body said the dispute had raised wider questions about the future of rural education in Pembrokeshire.

It said: “Closing successful schools is not the right approach to educational development.

“Rural schools are far more than places of learning. They are at the heart of their communities, and their loss has far-reaching consequences for local families and community life.

“Approaches that may be appropriate in cities should not automatically be applied to counties such as Pembrokeshire, where vibrant rural schools play a vital role in sustaining thriving local communities.”

The decision was also welcomed by Swansea City and Wales footballer Liam Cullen, a former Stepaside pupil whose family has been connected with the school across several generations.

He said: “Stepaside is a school that my family and I attended, from my mum and auntie to my nephew and niece today.

“It provided me, and so many other pupils, with an amazing education and prepared us perfectly for moving on to secondary school.

“I met many friends there who I am still in contact with today. Alongside giving me a brilliant education, the staff supported my ambition of becoming a footballer.

“My family and I could not have done it without the school allowing me to train and play while making sure I remained on top of my education.”

The governing body said it was now looking forward to welcoming pupils back in September and beginning a more settled chapter in the school’s history.

Families interested in applying for a place or arranging a visit can contact the school at [email protected].

PROCEEDINGS against a man accused of assault and intentional strangulation in Pembroke Dock have been discontinued.

Michal Rakowski, 42, had been due to stand trial at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (July 16).

He had faced allegations of assaulting a woman and causing her actual bodily harm, and of intentionally strangling her, in Pembroke Dock on June 8.

Rakowski, who was listed as being of no fixed abode, entered not-guilty pleas to both charges on Tuesday (July 14).

The court register confirms that both proceedings have now been discontinued.

No findings were made against Rakowski and he was not convicted of either offence.

Magistrates heard Robert Hedley put an opposing player in a headlock before gouging at his eyes during a match in St Clears

A FOOTBALLER who put an opposing player in a headlock before jumping on his back and gouging at his eyes has been ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

Robert Hedley, 42, returned to Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (July 16) after being found guilty of assaulting Liam Morley-Trivett and causing him actual bodily harm.

The assault took place during a football match at St Clears on August 30 last year.

Following a two-day trial earlier this week, magistrates concluded that Hedley grabbed Mr Morley-Trivett in a headlock before jumping onto his back and gouging at his eyes.

The court heard that Mr Morley-Trivett suffered injuries including blurred vision following the attack.

When delivering the guilty verdict on Tuesday, the presiding magistrate said the defence had given varying versions of what had happened and where the two players had been positioned on the pitch.

The prosecution witnesses, however, were found to have given credible accounts of Hedley jumping onto Mr Morley-Trivett’s back and gouging at his eyes.

“We’re satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant caused injuries and, as a result, we find him guilty,” the magistrate said.

Hedley, of Wesley Way, Spittal, appeared for sentence after an all-options pre-sentence report had been prepared by the probation service.

A victim personal statement from Mr Morley-Trivett was read to the court by prosecutor Sian Vaughan.

Magistrates imposed a community order lasting until July 15, 2027, requiring Hedley to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay £200 compensation to Mr Morley-Trivett, £650 prosecution costs and a £114 surcharge.

The total financial penalty must be paid in monthly instalments of £100, beginning on August 14.

The bench considered imposing a restraining order but decided it was neither necessary nor proportionate because of the length of time since the offence and the absence of any further offending.