Education

Manorbier school closure row deepens as parent challenges PCC figures

Published

2 weeks ago

November 22, 2025

Council insists no decision made as consultation opens – but parents, governors and the local MS say the process is “misleading” and shaped by years of delays after devastating 2022 fire

A MAJOR row has erupted over the future of Manorbier VC School as a former governor accuses Pembrokeshire County Council of using “incorrect and misleading” data in its consultation on proposals to close the village primary.

In a detailed letter sent to The Herald, parent and former governor Suzanne Pearton-Scale says the Council’s figures “misrepresent the real situation”, particularly around pupil numbers, surplus capacity, parental preference and the projected cost of rebuilding the fire-damaged school.

The Council says it is following the statutory School Organisation Code, has launched a formal public consultation running until 19 December, and stresses that “no decision has yet been taken”.

Local Senedd Member Samuel Kurtz MS, who has repeatedly called for the school to be rebuilt, told The Herald that the community has been “let down” and that the school “should never have been allowed to drift into this position”.

The future of Manorbier VC School now appears set to become one of the most contentious education issues in Pembrokeshire in recent years.

“The figures don’t reflect reality”: Parent challenges PCC data

Pearton-Scale disputes several central elements of the Council’s published case for closure.

The consultation documents identify a school capacity of 86 places, with a surplus of between 74% and 77.9%.
Pearton-Scale says this is the pre-fire capacity and does not reflect the temporary buildings pupils have occupied since the 2022 blaze.

She says the temporary accommodation provides 30 places, with 23.5 children currently on roll — an actual surplus of around 21.7%, far below the threshold normally considered significant under the School Organisation Code.

“The Council’s headline surplus figure is misleading because it is not the real capacity the school has been operating under for more than two years,” she said.

Pupil-number decline

The consultation cites a 59.8% fall in pupil numbers between 2015 and 2025.
Pearton-Scale argues that this is skewed by the fire and subsequent delays to reinstatement.
She notes that the decline between 2015 and 2022 (pre-fire) was around 30.7%, which she says is “not enough to justify closure”.

The Council states that only 18.5% of children in the catchment attend Manorbier.
Pearton-Scale says this reflects the limited temporary accommodation, not a drop in parental preference.

“Families haven’t turned away from Manorbier. They’ve been forced away by lack of space. If the school were reinstated properly, local enrolment would rise immediately,” she added.

Cost of rebuild

PCC’s consultation lists a projected rebuild cost of £2.6 million.
Pearton-Scale says the figure “lacks transparency”, claiming the documents do not clearly set out how much insurance will cover, how much additional funding would be needed, or whether competitive quotes have been obtained.

She also argues that temporary accommodation costs have been treated as long-term per-pupil costs, inflating the school’s apparent financial inefficiency.

As a Church in Wales VC school, Manorbier’s status requires consultation with the St David’s Diocesan Board of Finance.

Pearton-Scale says the Diocese has expressed opposition to closure, but claims this is not clearly reflected in PCC’s public documents.

PCC: “No decision has been made – we are following the Code”

Pembrokeshire County Council says it is following all statutory procedures.

According to the consultation timeline:

Cabinet considered the review of Tenby-area schools on 8 May 2025
The Diocese was formally consulted on 14 May
Cabinet approved general consultation on 17 July
Public consultation is running from 5 November to 19 December

Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Guy Woodham, recently told councillors:
“We’re not at a situation yet where any decision has been taken; I can’t agree we’re ‘steam-rolling it through’.”

PCC says the consultation was launched due to:

declining numbers
high surplus places
long-term budget considerations
concerns about viability
the impact of the 2022 fire and extended use of temporary accommodation

The Herald has asked PCC to clarify:

whether surplus-place calculations should be based on the temporary units
the method behind the stated 59.8% decline
the basis of the £2.6m rebuild estimate and the role of insurance
whether temporary-accommodation costs were included as long-term costs
how the Diocese’s position has been incorporated

A full response is expected next week.

***“Manorbier School has been at the heart of its community for generations”, said Sam Kurtz MS***

Sam Kurtz MS: “The Council let the community down”

Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire MS Samuel Kurtz has consistently supported a full rebuild.

After the fire in 2022, he says the community was assured that rebuilding was the intended route.
In September he told local media: “Manorbier School has been at the heart of its community for generations. Its loss has been deeply felt. I’m calling on the Welsh Government to work constructively with Pembrokeshire County Council to honour the original commitment to rebuild the school.”

He has since criticised “broken promises” and said pupils and staff “deserved better than to be left in temporary accommodation for years”.

Kurtz has now asked the Education Minister to intervene to ensure that “closure is not the default option”.

Background: the fire that changed everything

Manorbier VC School was severely damaged by fire in June 2022, forcing the evacuation of pupils and the long-term closure of the main building.

Since then:

pupils have been taught in temporary units
no firm rebuild timeline has ever been published
tight temporary accommodation has influenced catchment choices
parents have repeatedly sought clarity on the Council’s intentions

The school, which has served the community for more than 150 years, remains highly valued locally.

Community concerns growing

Parents contacting The Herald this week say they feel the consultation treats the school as “already closed” and that temporary conditions have been wrongly used as evidence of falling demand.

Others believe the Council favours consolidation of smaller schools rather than undertaking costly rebuilds.

Pearton-Scale said: “The consultation is built on flawed data and cannot fairly inform the public. We want transparency and the chance to save our school.”

What happens next

The statutory consultation closes on 19 December.

After that:

PCC officers will analyse all submissions
a report will be presented to Cabinet in early 2026
if Cabinet agrees, a Statutory Notice would be issued
a 28-day objection period would follow
Cabinet would make a final decision later in 2026

For Church in Wales schools, the Diocese plays a formal role throughout the process.

The Herald will continue to seek answers

Given the seriousness of the issues raised, The Herald has submitted detailed questions to PCC and will publish the response in full.

We have also invited the Diocese, Sam Kurtz MS, and local county councillors to provide further comment.

Anyone wishing to share factual information may contact: [email protected]

Education

Primary school application deadline reminder

Published

3 days ago

December 1, 2025

Tom Sinclair

PARENTS or guardians of children in Pembrokeshire born between 01/09/2021 – 31/08/2022 are invited to apply for a Primary school place (Reception year group) for September 2026 by the closing date of 31st January 2026.

Applications received after this date will be considered late which may have a bearing on whether your child gets a place at your preferred school.

It is important to note that a school place will not be allocated unless a formal application is received.

The online application form can be found on the Pembrokeshire County Council website: www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/schools-and-learning under ‘Apply for a School Place’.

There is no need to re-apply if you have already submitted an application form. You can view your current applications by logging into your My Account and into the ‘Schools & Learning’ ‘School Admissions & Transport’ section.

For further information on the school admissions process, please view our Information to Parents

Parents/guardians will be informed of the allocation of places on the common offer date of 16th April 2026.

Crime

Former Swansea headteacher banned after exposing himself to staff

Published

5 days ago

November 29, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A SWANSEA primary school headteacher who repeatedly exposed himself to female colleagues – both on school grounds and during a school trip – has been barred from working in education in Wales for at least fifteen years.

James “Jamie” Richards, who led Cadle Primary School between 2011 and 2021, was removed from the Education Workforce Council (EWC) register after a professional conduct panel found numerous allegations against him proven. The panel described his behaviour as “harassing, abusive and predatory”.

Richards, a father-of-two, did not attend the four-day hearing, was not represented, and did not respond to the allegations. The panel therefore treated all allegations as denied but considered them on the evidence before them.

Staff left traumatised

During the hearing, several current and former staff members gave accounts of being left “shocked”, “numb”, and “frightened” by Richards’ actions.

One woman said she was summoned to his office and found him standing next to his desk with his trousers and underwear around his ankles. Another member of staff recalled him showing explicit images on his phone during a meeting, while others described a video he displayed of himself touching his genitals.

Five women in total told the panel that Richards had exposed himself to them. Some said they had been too scared to report what happened at the time. One recalled him saying he “can’t help myself” after an incident.

The panel heard that Richards did not return a school-issued laptop during an internal investigation in 2021 – the same device he was said to have used to display naked images of himself.

One complainant told the hearing she felt “silenced” and let down after Richards was allowed to resign while the school’s internal investigation was underway. She also described feeling “unbelieved” when South Wales Police later decided there was no criminal case to answer.

Concerns over dishonesty

The panel was told that Richards had refused to participate in an independent internal investigation at the school in 2021. He claimed, via his union, that ill health prevented him from being interviewed.

However, evidence from a Swansea Council fraud team contradicted this. Investigators filmed Richards driving and playing golf with friends at a time when he was claiming he was too unwell to co-operate.

Presenting officer Sara Lewis said Richards had abused his position of trust and had told frightened staff not to speak out.

Struck off until at least 2040

The EWC panel said it had no information about Richards’ current employment or whether he planned to return to teaching. However, it concluded that his behaviour amounted to unacceptable professional conduct and that striking him off was the only appropriate outcome.

Richards cannot apply for reinstatement until November 2040. He has 28 days to appeal the decision to the High Court.

Education

Pembrokeshire talent strike gold as Wales hosts WorldSkills UK finals for first time

Published

6 days ago

November 28, 2025

Tom Sinclair

WALES has hosted the WorldSkills UK National Finals for the very first time – marking a historic milestone for the nation and showcasing its largest ever team of competitors.

Following the Team Wales Torch Relay, which toured the country to celebrate skills and unite colleges and communities, the Finals brought together more than 400 of the UK’s top apprentices and learners who competed for the title of best in their trade.

From 26–28 November, events were held across five venues in South Wales, covering over 40 skill areas including engineering, digital, construction, hospitality and the creative industries.

The results were revealed during a medal ceremony at ICC Wales on Friday, 28 November, where Team Wales achieved an exceptional 57 medals in total.

Pembrokeshire College students excelled on the national stage, securing 3 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze and 2 Highly Commended medals. Competitors also delivered an impressive performance in Foundation Skills, bringing home 2 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Highly Commended – underlining Wales’ commitment to inclusive, accessible skills development.

This year’s Finals featured 122 Welsh competitors – the highest number Wales has ever fielded. Welsh entrants made up around 30% of all UK competitors, highlighting both the depth of skills talent in Wales and the impact of sustained investment in training and facilities.

Bronze medallist Mason Aitchison, who competed in Welding, said he was delighted with his achievement.

“After getting Silver at Skills Competition Wales, the WorldSkills UK National Finals felt like the natural next step for me.
I’ve put in so much practice to improve my welding skills, and competing has really helped me grow. Learning from trainers, tutors and peers has been invaluable – it’s all about building your skills through practice.”

Minister for Skills Jack Sargeant praised Team Wales’ performance.

“I’d like to extend a huge congratulations to Team Wales on their outstanding success at this year’s WorldSkills UK National Finals.
Hosting the Finals for the first time has been a proud moment for our nation, and the achievements of our competitors highlight their dedication and the exceptional quality of vocational talent we have here in Wales.”

Ben Blackledge, Chief Executive of WorldSkills UK, added: “These exceptional young people represent the future of our economy. They are the new generation of highflyers who will give UK employers a competitive edge. Our competitions, based on global standards, play a vital role in developing the skills that will drive investment, create jobs and fuel economic growth.”

WorldSkills UK, the Welsh Government and Inspiring Skills Excellence in Wales welcomed leading employers, global industry experts and representatives from across the UK’s education and training sector to watch the Finals unfold.

Skills competitions in Wales begin at regional level through Skills Competition Wales, before progressing to national and then international WorldSkills stages.

Medallists at WorldSkills UK may now be selected for Squad UK, with the opportunity to represent their country at future global competitions.

For more information on WorldSkills UK and SkillBuild, or to get involved as a competitor, tutor or employer, visit: https://inspiringskills.gov.wales
.