Education

New term structures prompt fears of ‘chaos’ in our schools

Published

12 years ago

August 26, 2013

Report and Comment by Herald Special Correspondent, John Vaughan

There are fears amongst many within the education sector that Wales could be heading into chaos with a radical potential restructuring of term times. This comes as England adopts a policy from 2015 whereby head teachers will have the power to set their own school terms, potentially scaling down the long held traditional six week summer holiday to as little as four weeks.

The plans for England were announced on Monday July 1 of this year. The Department for Education set out the policy to ensure that, in future, term times are decided upon by head teachers and not local Councils. As it stands at present, Wales is not included in these plans and, though currently there is no legal duty on councils or governing bodies in Wales to work together on holiday times, there are plans to give the Assembly Government powers to set the same holiday times for all state schools in Wales. However, this is not policy yet and there is growing concern from some people within education that Wales could well follow in the same direction as England.

The National Union of Teachers have stated it will cause problems for families in different schools. A view shared by South Pembrokeshire And Carmarthen West AM and Shadow Minister for Education, Angela Burns who said, exclusively to the Herald,

“Imagine the chaos, a child at one school, another at one with different term times. It is hard enough with the disparity that England and Wales have. Even schools in the Vale of Glamorgan have different term times to Pembrokeshire. It’s the logistics!”

The Shadow Minister went on to express her concerns over the impact that this could have for potential childcare issues and parents planning for their work schedules. She stated,

“Why not let the County Council do it as they do now? I don’t understand the point of it and what are the benefits?”

Some have cited that one of the potential benefits of such a change could be cheaper package holidays for parents; others are more sceptical of this as an argument, as Christine Blower, head of the National Union of Teachers, pointed out when suggesting that holiday companies would just expand the period over which they charge premium rates, with the result that the general public would have fewer weeks of less expensive holidays.

Mrs Burns expressed her concern at the current Welsh Government proposal that the Welsh Minister for Education could have the sole power to set school term dates which could also mean an arbitrary decision could be taken on five or even six terms in a school year. She stated that she had been challenging these proposals. Mrs Burns also cast doubt upon the idea of cheaper holidays, given any change of term structure by saying that,

“The holiday companies would soon cotton on to it and nothing would change (with regard to cheaper holidays). I don’t see how that (argument) holds water”, a sentiment echoing that of Christine Blower.

A further argument put forward for this change is that it would allow for a better means of organising the curriculum. One head teacher in England argued that the changes would allow for ‘more equalised blocks of working which would be much better for curriculum planning and would be better in terms of levels of student and staff exhaustion’. Putting this point forward to Mrs Burns she responded by saying,

“Instinctively I don’t like the idea, but there is statistical evidence that the long summer break does give children too much time to forget what they are learning. The more successful European countries have shorter terms.There might be a discussion worth having about a four term year, it might serve small children, especially during the winter term”

This raised an important issue with regards to the lack of consistency with current term times and, when this was suggested to one local teacher, who asked not to be named, said,

“I can understand the argument that some of our terms are currently very long, with the present structuring, and, certainly, the autumn term leading up to Christmas can really take it out of all involved, pupils and teachers alike, but the summer holiday is almost an institution. It is a very long year and at the end of it we are all exhausted. I would suggest the first week of that summer break be a period for recovery and rest and then the last week is mostly used by teachers to prepare for the autumn term, whereby you simply hit the ground running almost immediately. I can see an argument for a five week summer break, but I would add that extra week on to the Christmas holiday, leaving the term length as it is. I can’t imagine the kind of chaos that would ensue if different schools had different term times – it makes you glad to be teaching in Wales if this is what is about to happen to our colleagues in England”

Seeking a response from the Head of Education in Pembrokeshire, Kate Evan-Hughes stated that,

“If such a policy were to be introduced in Wales, we, as a local education authority, would work with schools to minimise the impact and disruption for parents and students”

It certainly appears that whatever is decided upon in Wales, the policy is likely to cause at least some disruption and disorientation to parents, teachers and pupils when it is introduced into English schools.

However, a local Pembrokeshire school governor, who wished to be unnamed, did stress there may be some positives,

“From speaking to teachers I know it can take months for children to be re-focused after the summer holidays. I can see a four week holiday might be of benefit to help with this problem and pupils would re-focus much more quickly. Also, schools often struggle to keep children in school, holidays are cheaper (outside of current holiday times), but of course holiday companies would cotton on, but it could well cut down on unauthorised absences which is a real problem.”

It is an emotive issue and there are opinions for and against the change in England. No matter whether Wales adopts this policy or not, it seems from speaking with the various academic parties that, in Wales, there is at least a growing movement to question as to whether there should be a change to the structure of the school year and the amount of and length of terms. However, what are the impacts likely to be and who will it benefit? As Angela Burns states,

“This is a big decision that needs to be taken with all the consultation of teachers, unions, parents, governors, support services and businesses as it is a really radical move. If only one school did this it would be highly disruptive. It is a decision that needs proper analysis, research, evidence and consultation with everyone that it will affect. It is a huge change that needs investigating properly. It could be very unsuccessful”

Perhaps we, in Wales, should wait and see how successful it is in England before deciding upon a policy for Wales. After all, where education is concerned, risks simply cannot be taken with children’s academic futures. It is far too important for that and, surely, a measured and patient approach should be taken before any change is made, where quantifiable evidence has been studied and reflected upon before any final decision?

Education

Major changes for Tenby area schools could be backed

Published

17 hours ago

December 9, 2025

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

PEMBROKESHIRE councillors are being asked to back major potential changes to school provision in the south of the county which could see multiple schools discontinued, along with the potential establishment of new 3-19 and 3-11 schools.

At Pembrokeshire County Council’s full council meeting of December 12, a recommendation before members asks that the Director of Education be authorised to undertake a public consultation on establishing a new 3-19 school, on a split site initially, but as part of a future investment to rebuild/extend Tenby’s Ysgol Greenhill site, or on a new site.

As part of that it also recommends Tenby Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled School and Ysgol Greenhill are discontinued.

A second part of the series of recommendations is a call to establish a new 3-11 primary school on the Saundersfoot School site “that encompasses the catchment of Saundersfoot and the catchment of Stepaside and Kilgetty, discontinuing Saundersfoot School and Stepaside school”.

A report for members says: “At a meeting of Cabinet on November 3, cabinet resolved that the [schools] Modernisation Working Group be requested to determine the final preferred outcomes in relation to the Tenby Area and that those recommendations be presented to full council in December 2025.”

It adds: “There are 534 surplus places in the primary sector in the Tenby area. There are 341 surplus places in the secondary sector in Greenhill School. Welsh Government does not set a fixed percentage or number of surplus places for schools, but there is guidance in the School Organisation Code and related documents.

“Surplus places should be minimised to ensure efficient use of resources and value for money. Historically, Welsh Government has considered 10 per cent surplus capacity as a reasonable planning margin for flexibility. When surplus places exceed 25 per cent, local authorities are expected to review provision and consider reorganisation or alternative use of space.

“In the Welsh context there are approximately 17 per cent surplus places in primary schools and 18 per cent in secondary schools. The Tenby area is 10 per cent above this in the primary phase at 27 per cent, and 10 per cent above in the secondary phase at 28.6 per cent”

In the case of Tenby Church in Wales VC it says the school has a surplus capacity of 38.1 per cent in 2025, and over a 25 per cent level for at least four years.

For Ysgol Greenhill it says the 1,194-pupil-capacity school has 877 pupils as of 2025, 28.5 per cent surplus places.

In the case of Saundersfoot Community Primary School, which has a capacity of 280 places, it says numbers were down to 151 by 2025, creating a surplus of almost half its capacity, (49.2 per cent).

For Stepaside, it says: “By 2025, enrolment is projected at 107, creating 101 surplus places—over half of the school’s capacity (50.5 per cent).”

The recommendations “to meet the council’s responsibility towards the planning of school places and ensuring a sustainable school estate to address the surplus places in the Tenby Area,” which will need public consultations, will be debated by members.

The meeting also includes two petitions opposing the potential closure of Manorbier and Ysgol Clydau, Tegryn, schools, after consultations on their futures were previously backed by councillors.

Education

Parent challenges council over Manorbier school closure data as long-running dispute deepens

Published

1 day ago

December 9, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Fire-damaged school has operated with limited capacity since 2022, but consultation still uses original figures

A ROW over the future of Manorbier Church in Wales VC School has intensified after a parent and former governor accused Pembrokeshire County Council of using “misleading and incomplete” data in its statutory consultation on permanent closure.

Suzanne Pearton-Scale contacted The Herald this week after receiving a formal response to her complaint from Steven Richards-Downes, the Council’s Director for Education. He said the consultation process meets statutory requirements and that the data used by the authority is accurate.

But Ms Pearton-Scale says the Council has failed to address fundamental issues about the figures underpinning its case to shut the fire-damaged school — issues the community says have been raised repeatedly since the consultation began on 5 November.

Fire, delays and temporary accommodation

The dispute comes more than three years after the October 2022 fire that destroyed Manorbier’s main building. The Council later moved pupils into temporary accommodation, where the school has remained ever since — despite early hopes that a rebuild could be completed by 2026.

The Herald has reported extensively on delays linked to insurance negotiations, the £2.6 million rebuild estimate, and uncertainty over how much of that figure would be covered by insurers. At one stage the Council confirmed that its own liability included a £200,000 excess, but refused to confirm the total amount insurers were prepared to fund.

By April 2025, community frustration was growing, with residents saying the long delays had left the school in limbo while wider “school modernisation” proposals were being developed.

Capacity figures at the centre of dispute

In its consultation documents, the Council states that Manorbier has 86 places and more than 70% surplus capacity — one of the key criteria used to justify closure.

Ms Pearton-Scale says this figure is “entirely hypothetical” because the school has not had 86 usable places since 2022.

She says the temporary site only has a functional capacity of 30 pupils, and that with 23.5 pupils currently on roll, the true surplus is around 21%, well below the School Organisation Code thresholds for closure.

“The figures being presented to the public are not based on the school that actually exists today,” she said. “You cannot run a consultation on numbers that ignore three years of reality.”

Was the school removed from the Council website?

She also alleges that at one stage the school was removed from the Council’s website, something she says misled prospective parents and suppressed enrolment during a period when pupil numbers were being monitored.

PCC did not address this point in its response to her complaint.

Rebuild costs: ‘separate issue’ or central justification?

Mr Richards-Downes told Ms Pearton-Scale that the rebuild is “a separate matter” from the consultation.

However, The Herald notes that the Council’s own consultation documents repeatedly cite rebuild costs, temporary accommodation fees, and insurance factors as part of the rationale for closure.

Ms Pearton-Scale said: “The authority can’t claim it is not relevant while using those same costs to argue the school is no longer viable.”

Diocese opposition and community campaign

Earlier this year, The Herald reported that the St David’s Diocesan Board of Finance formally opposed closure, stating the school should be reinstated.

Local politicians, including county councillors, have previously accused PCC of “steamrolling” the closure through the modernisation process.

A petition launched by residents in mid-2024 gained hundreds of signatures in its first week and has since grown to more than 1,500 signatures in a parish of around 1,900 people.

Campaigners say this level of engagement shows overwhelming opposition and should carry weight in the consultation.

Council figures challenged

Ms Pearton-Scale disputes several other key consultation claims:

That parental preference has shifted away from Manorbier: she says the cramped temporary site has deterred families, not lack of demand.
That pupil numbers have declined by nearly 60% since 2015: she says the true decline prior to the fire was around 30%, and the remainder is due to enforced displacement.
That per-pupil costs are high: she argues that temporary accommodation inflates figures that will not apply if a rebuild proceeds.

She says these issues were not adequately addressed in the Council’s response.

What happens next

The statutory consultation runs until 19 December 2025, after which officers will publish a consultation report and the Council’s Cabinet will decide whether to issue a statutory notice of closure.

If approved, the school could close in summer 2026.

Council response

Pembrokeshire County Council says the consultation is lawful, that its data is accurate, and that it has consulted all statutory bodies, including the Diocese.

The authority has been approached for further comment in light of the issues raised.

Education

Pembrokeshire creative project experiences ‘significant success’

Published

2 days ago

December 8, 2025

Tom Sinclair

YR EGINY, University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s creative and digital centre on the Carmarthen campus, is proud to report the early impact of ground-breaking project Gwd Thing: Sir Benfro!

The project received £49,952 in funding from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, distributed by Pembrokeshire County Council and in only 6-months Gwd Thing: Sir Benfro! has engaged with 49 businesses and community groups, worked alongside 10 creative freelancers and social media specialists and trained in depth six young content creators to capture and share the stories and heritage of Pembrokeshire.

At the heart of the project was a commitment to provide young people with hands-on, real-world experience in researching, filming and engaging audiences with authentic digital content creation. Thanks to Yr Egin’s industry expertise, mentoring, and infrastructure, the participants, who were all aged between 18-22 years old, gained first-hand insight into production and storytelling.

The Project was delivered through a dedicated Instagram platform, generating 134,714 content views since launching mid-August; with each content maker developing their own style, all while making contacts for further work.

Manon John, from Crymych and a recent graduate of UWTSD, one of the six content creators, shared how transformative the experience has been for her:

“Being part of Gwd Thing: Sir Benfro has changed the way I see myself. After studying BA Perfformio at The Wales Academy of Voice and Dramatic Arts, I always thought I’d be in front of the camera. But now, I realise I’m just as passionate about producing and working behind the scenes.

“I’ve loved uncovering under-represented stories across Pembrokeshire, like the community fundraising efforts for Eisteddfod y Garreg Las 2026, and the work happening at diversity group, Llwy Gariad. There are so many voices in our communities that need to be heard and celebrated, and I feel honoured to help share their stories.

“As the project comes to an end, I am now so proud to have secured a role working at Yr Egin, where I can continue to build on my skills and network with the many creative businesses working within the space. This wouldn’t have been possible without the opportunities offered by Gwd Thing:Sir Benfro.”

Commenting about boosting the creative sector and businesses in West Wales, is Carys Ifan, Director of Yr Egin:

“Gwd Thing: Sir Benfro wasn’t just about storytelling, it was about future-proofing.

“Projects like this are vital to securing the future of the creative sector in West Wales. Yr Egin has always aimed to generate linguistic, cultural, economic, and social benefits for our region, and this project does all that. By giving young people practical training in content creation and real-world opportunities, we’re helping to build the next generation of creators. At the same time, the stories reported helped change perspectives and raise awareness of the many small businesses, community groups and talented artistes, that make Pembrokeshire such a special place to live, work and enjoy.”

The project’s impact has travelled beyond social media, with Molara Awen, founder of weekly safe-space group for young black and brown people in rural Pembrokeshire, Llwy Gariad, has seen a profound impact through its inclusion in the project.

Molara, said: “One of the most powerful aspects of Gwd Thing: Sir Benfro is how it amplified under-represented voices.

“Gwd Thing has helped raise visibility for Llwy Gariad in a way we never imagined. For our young people, this space is more than a meeting point, it’s a place where they can connect, explore their identities, feel seen and heard. Having our group feature as part of the project has been fantastic in raising awareness of our members and the challenges they can sometimes face living in rural Wales.

Following the Gwd Thing: Sir Benfro programme that ran from June to November 2025, Yr Egin expects its effects to ripple well beyond that timeline. The training, content, and connections made will persist as part of a longer-term legacy; nurturing talent, increasing digital capacity, and strengthening cultural infrastructure in West Wales.