RURAL SCHOOLS in Pembrokeshire are set to receive a boost after the Education Secretary announced new rules which will protect them from closure.

Between 2006-07 and 2015-16, seven state schools in Pembrokeshire were closed due to financial pressures or surplus places.

The Education Secretary, Kirsty Williams, has said that closure will now be considered as a last resort, only once all other options have been considered.

She went on to say that federations with other schools should also be considered.

That has already happened in Pembrokeshire with Tavernspite and Templeton CP Schools becoming a federation.

Two schools in Milford Haven, The Meads Infant and Nursery School and Milford Haven Junior School, are also set to close in 2018 with the aim of creating one new school.

Three rural schools in the Angle peninsula, Angle, Stackpole and Orielton, are also being closed to make way for a new school in Hundleton, but concerns have been raised out transporting kids to the new school.

Under the rules, authorities must now consider the impact of closure on a child’s education, the wider community and travel arrangements.

They will also have to explain why closure would be seen as the best option.

Speaking in 2016, Kirsty Williams said: “Small and rural schools play an important role in our national mission in raising standards and extending opportunities for all our young people.

“Pupils in rural schools deserve the same opportunities as children in other areas of Wales. However, they face particular challenges including small pupil numbers, budget and resource pressures and greater difficulty in recruiting head teachers and teaching staff.

“Let me be clear – this isn’t simply about keeping all schools open. This is about raising standards in all of our schools, no matter where they are based, and ensuring all schools get a fair hearing when their future is being considered.

“These changes set out a presumption against closing rural schools and new incentives for rural schools to link up and work together for the benefit of both teachers and pupils. I want to see rural schools working more formally together and across the country, forming federations and looking into the possibility of sharing buildings with other services to ensure school buildings remain viable.”

Responding to the new rules, Llyr Gruffydd, Plaid Cymru shadow education secretary, said: “I welcome the commitment by the government to consider all options and consult fully before closing any school. The change of direction should mean less pressure on councils to close rural school. Previously the emphasis was on dealing with ’empty places’, which meant that councils were forced to close rural schools. There was no flexibility to cope with variations in population that happen in rural communities periodically. That is the nature of rural communities.

“But, if the government wants to assert keep small schools open, it must also recognise the additional cost for councils at a time of hardship and cuts. I will be seeking assurances that the new Code here means money will not be lost for our more urban schools. The £2.5m funding promised amounts to just £110,000 for every county in Wales – that will not go very far.

“The new code offers an opportunity to ensure the community has a greater voice and, if local people want to keep the school open or federate, then the Welsh Government should respect that opinion wherever possible to ensure the best education for our children.

“That said, the new Code does not mean that rural schools will not be closed and each must be considered individually. I really hope that we see a situation where thriving rural schools are never closed again. Full details of the plan will need to be scrutinise of course before reaching a final judgement about what is being offered.”