News
New schools to open thanks to £70m investment
THREE brand new secondary schools are set to open in the county this month, funded by more than £70 million by Pembrokeshire County Council and the Welsh Government.
Welcoming hundreds of pupils through their doors for the first time are Ysgol Harri Tudur/ Henry Tudor School in Pembroke; Ysgol Caer Elen in Haverfordwest and Ysgol yr Eglwys yng Nghymru Penrhyn Dewi in St Davids.
The schools are part of the 21st Century Schools investment programme run by the County Council in collaboration with the Welsh Government.
Darren Thomas, Programme Manager and the Council’s Head of Infrastructure, said he was delighted that the three major projects had been delivered successfully.
“We’d like to thank the staff, governing bodies and local communities of the three schools who have undertaken a tremendous amount of work to ensure that the new schools have opened on time and within budget,” he said.
Ysgol Harri Tudur / Henry Tudor School is an entirely new build on the Bush school site in Pembroke, accommodating all pupils from the former Pembroke School.
The flagship project cost £38.3 million and is the largest ever project undertaken by the County Council.
The 11-19 secondary school was built by construction company Bouygues UK and provides education for 1,463 children and an autism centre for 30 learners.
Work will now begin to demolish the old Pembroke School and the former Pembroke Grammar School buildings, with the aim of completing all work on site by August 2019.
Headteacher Fiona Kite said: ”Last year we held a competition among staff and students to create a motto for our new school.
“The winning entry, ‘Learners Today, Leaders Tomorrow’ embodies the aims of Ysgol Harri Tudur / Henry Tudor School to fulfil the potential and dreams of all pupils and students who learn with us, whether onto further academic study at A Level or undergraduate level or into employment and training.
“The impressive new school building is just the beginning of an exciting time for education for everyone who works and learns at Ysgol Harri Tudur / Henry Tudor School.
The school will open its doors to pupils on Thursday, 6th September.
Ysgol Caer Elen is a brand new £28.1million Welsh medium school in Haverfordwest for children aged 3-16.
The school replaces the former Welsh-language primary school in the town – Ysgol Glan Cleddau – and provides secondary education in Welsh for children aged 11-16 for the first time ever in the centre of the County.
Headteacher Mike Davies said it’s an exciting time for the Welsh language in Pembrokeshire.
“The establishment of Ysgol Caer Elen is a celebration of the success of Welsh medium education in the county. Our aim will be to develop a pioneering 3-16 school which will deliver Welsh medium education of the highest quality in partnership with the feeder primary schools and Ysgol y Preseli.
“One of the main strengths of our school will be its caring, open and happy ethos where pupils feel at home and enjoy their education in a totally Welsh environment.
“One of our main aims will be to make learning an exciting and pleasurable experience and we are confident that our pupils will be proud of their new school, proud of their Cymreictod and their bilingualism.“
Ysgol Caer Elen includes a 600-place secondary provision, 315-place primary provision and 45-place nursery, as well as a 24-place Cylch Meithin (Welsh-language playgroup).
Separate entrances have been provided for the different age groups. Post-16 Welsh-medium education will continue to be provided at Ysgol y Preseli in Crymych.
Contractors Wilmott Dixon will continue to work on some parts of the site not required by the current year groups until late autumn (as scheduled).
The school’s first day of the new term is Thursday, September 6th.
Ysgol yr Eglwys yng Nghymru Penrhyn Dewi is a new 3-16 school for the St Davids Peninsula, operating across the three sites formerly known as Ysgol Dewi Sant, Ysgol Bro Dewi and Solva Community School.
Penrhyn Dewi will be the first Church in Wales secondary phase school to open since the 1920s and the Church’s first 3-16 school.
The former Ysgol Dewi Sant site has seen £4 million investment into a part-new build and remodelling of teaching accommodation.
Post-16 provision for pupils is available at the new sixth form centre in Haverfordwest as part of a formal collaboration between the County Council and Pembrokeshire College.
Penrhyn Dewi will welcome its first intake of pupils across all three sites on Thursday, 6th September.
Headteacher David Haynes said: “‘I am thrilled that we are about to open the doors to Ysgol Penrhyn Dewi VA and I am sure that the pupils will benefit greatly from the improvements that have been made to the buildings.
“I would personally like to thank the older pupils who have been travelling to Haverfordwest over the last year while the work has been completed, together with the parents and the teachers who have supported them greatly during this time.
“Many thanks also to WB Griffiths and Pembrokeshire County Council who have worked tirelessly with the temporary governing body in order to deliver the project on time.”
Pembrokeshire County Councillor David Lloyd, Cabinet Member for Education, said: “The transformation of the schools’ estate of the county is a testimony to the vision and drive of a group of officers lead by the former Leader, Councillor Jamie Adams.
“The fact that it has been the second largest 21st Century Schools Programme in Wales gives the scale of this achievement.
“It was badly needed. The Victorian primary schools and the 50’s secondary schools were no longer fit places for our children to be taught in.
“We are now able, however, to offer some of the best education centres in Wales for the benefit of future generations.”
Two more brand new schools are also coming into existence this week.
Sir Thomas Picton School and Tasker Milward VC School are merging to form Haverfordwest High VC School, with pupils continuing to receive their education on the two sites for now.
In July, at a meeting of full Council, members expressed their preference for a brand new school building at the Sir Thomas Picton site. The Council will now proceed to submit a business case for the development to the Welsh Government.
The other new school starting this week is Milford Haven Community Primary School, which will replace the Meads Infants School and Milford Haven Junior School. Pupils will continue to receive their education on the two sites.
A MAJOR search and rescue operation is under way in the Irish Sea after a man went overboard from a UK-registered yacht late on Saturday night (Apr 19).
The vessel, which was sailing from Brighton to Swansea via Falmouth, sent a 999 call to the Irish Coast Guard at approximately 10:55pm. The distress call was made by another person on board the yacht, who reported the man missing around 16 nautical miles south of Dunmore East, County Waterford.
The incident initially led to some confusion about the vessel’s position, but authorities later confirmed the yacht was off the coast of Ceann Heilbhic, near Dunmore East, rather than near Swansea.
The Irish Coast Guard launched an immediate multi-agency search operation, with extensive resources deployed overnight and into Sunday morning.
Rescue helicopters R117 from Waterford and R116 from Dublin were scrambled alongside a fixed-wing aircraft from HM Coastguard in the UK. RNLI lifeboats from Dunmore East, Kilmore Quay, and Ballycotton were also launched to join the search.
Weather conditions in the area have been described as calm, which is aiding the ongoing efforts.
The individual who raised the alarm has since been brought safely ashore. However, there has been no confirmed sighting of the missing man, whose identity has not yet been released.
A spokesperson for the Irish Coast Guard confirmed that the Dublin-based Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre is continuing to lead the operation and is coordinating all available assets.
As of Sunday afternoon (Apr 20), the man had not been located and the search remains active.
The Herald understands that further updates will be issued as the situation develops.
CONCERNS have been raised about trespassers entering the closed Oakwood theme park, prompting calls for a swift sale of the site.
The once-popular attraction near Narberth has become a hotspot for urban explorers and thrill-seekers, with social media videos emerging of people wandering around the abandoned rides and infrastructure.
Since Oakwood shut its gates last month, following a decision by Spanish owners Aspro Parks to cease operations due to falling visitor numbers, locals have raised concerns about safety and the risk of vandalism.
Sam Kurtz MS, who represents Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, said a speedy sale was now vital to prevent further deterioration and potential criminal activity.
“The longer it remains empty, the greater the risk of problems – from trespassing to the site falling into disrepair,” said Mr Kurtz. “There’s also a real risk to health and safety if people are entering unsupervised.”
Mr Kurtz called on Aspro to actively work with the Welsh Government, local businesses, and other stakeholders to secure a new future for the site.
“This is a valuable asset,” he said. “There’s been a lot of interest from businesses already, and I urge Aspro to engage with us so we can get the ball rolling.”
Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed they have received multiple reports of trespassing and possible criminal offences at the site since its closure.
The BBC have reported that Economics expert Professor Calvin Jones, of Cardiff University, was less optimistic about Oakwood’s chances of reopening as a theme park.
“If the existing operator – who’s invested tens of millions – can’t make it viable, it’s unlikely a new operator would be able to,” he said.
Instead, Prof Jones suggested the land might lend itself better to other recreational activities, such as adventure tourism, mountain biking, or zipline attractions, depending on what planning authorities allow.
“Ultimately, the future use of the site will come down to planning permission,” he said. “It may become something entirely different.”
Bluestone National Park Resort, which neighbours Oakwood and employs around 700 people, declined to comment on whether it would consider buying the land. Prof Jones noted that Bluestone has historically expanded cautiously and would likely only consider purchasing the site if the price was low.
The Welsh Government said that it “continues to engage” with Aspro Parks and recognised the former theme park’s importance to the local economy.
A spokesperson said: “We are hopeful a buyer will come forward to ensure this site can continue contributing to tourism in the area.”
Pembrokeshire County Council has confirmed it has not yet held any discussions with Aspro.
FAMILIES in Haverfordwest are in for a treat as the Easter Funfair rolls into town, offering colourful rides, sweet treats, and affordable fun for all ages.
The fair, presented by Andrew Holmes, officially opened on Friday (April 18) and runs daily until Saturday (April 26) at the Rifleman Field Car Park, SA61 1SF. Today, Sunday (April 20), the fair is open from 2:00pm to 8:00pm and is already drawing large crowds enjoying the lively atmosphere and family-friendly rides.
Entry to the event is free, with tokens for rides starting from just £1, making it a budget-friendly option for a family day out. A wide selection of attractions are available, including teacup rides, funhouses, and the popular ‘Puppy Catcher’ game. There are also refreshments sold on site, and car parking is available nearby.
The fair operates weekdays from 4:00pm to 8:30pm, Saturdays from 2:00pm to 8:30pm, and on the Bank Holiday Monday from 2:00pm to 8:30pm.
Organisers have kept a “price freeze for 2025”, ensuring that families can enjoy the fair without worrying about rising costs.
For more information, updates, and competitions, visitors can follow Andrew Holmes Funfairs on Facebook or visit www.funfairshirewales.co.uk.
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