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MEIDRIM: Village school down to 24 pupils ahead of final vote on Christmas closure

Ysgol Meidrim is down to 24 pupils, and could close for good on 31 December if councillors back the plan next week.

Six children moved to Ysgol Bancyfelin or Ysgol Griffith Jones in September, according to Carmarthenshire Council. The school had 31 pupils at the end of the summer term.

On Monday the council’s cabinet voted unanimously to recommend closing it, with nobody against and no abstentions.

It also unanimously backed closing Ysgol Y Fro in Llangyndeyrn, which no longer has a single pupil. Full council has the final say on both on Wednesday 14 October.

Speaking in Welsh, local councillor Jean Lewis told cabinet the governing body had “worked tirelessly” to save the school. “For this community, this is not just a matter of closing a building,” she said, through the chamber’s interpreter.

She asked cabinet: “Is it really justified to close a Welsh rural school, which is at the heart of an entire village, for such a small financial saving?”

And she warned: “Once a school like this is closed, there’s no turning back the clock.”

Ysgol Meidrim, down to 24 pupils this term (Image: Google Maps)

Ysgol Meidrim closure: 151 objections and nine in support

The closure notice in June drew 160 responses: 151 objections and nine in favour.

If the closure goes ahead, pupils would move to Ysgol Hafodwenog or Ysgol Griffith Jones from 1 January 2027, the council says.

Its case rests on numbers and money. The council says the school ended 2025-26 £62,581 in deficit and is forecast to be £123,968 in the red by next March.

It puts the cost per pupil at £6,363, against a county average of £5,479, and says closing the school would save £63,229 a year. The building could sell for around £150,000 if no community group takes it on.

Campaigners say the real saving is far smaller. Cymdeithas yr Iaith puts it at about £13,000 a year once extra transport costs are taken off, and Cllr Lewis told cabinet a lot of the costs “will go with the children to other schools”.

Meidrim governors’ rescue plan: “Closure is irreversible. Collaboration is not”

The school’s governors sent the council a detailed alternative in July, asking for “a defined period” to show it could work before “an irreversible decision” is taken.

Their plan includes a partnership between the council and the community, wider use of the building, childcare, and talks on federating with the Bancyfelin, Llangain and Llansteffan schools.

Their case to councillors came down to six words: “Closure is irreversible. Collaboration is not.”

They also point to new housing along the A40, saying Ysgol Bancyfelin is already at or above capacity and Meidrim’s spare places “may become an important strategic asset”.

Governors note the school came out of Estyn special measures in December 2025. They add that the judicial review earlier this year “did not halt the statutory process” but reinforced that alternatives to closure deserve “genuine and conscientious consideration”.

That legal challenge shaped Monday’s meeting. Education cabinet member Glynog Davies left the chamber for the Meidrim item, telling the meeting he had spoken for the council at the judicial review.

He stood aside on legal advice, and deputy leader Hazel Evans presented the report instead.

The governors’ plan did not change the council’s mind. It says the plan has no projected income and spending, cashflow forecasts or three-to-five-year budgets, and that federation would not fix falling numbers.

The council’s verdict: “No new evidence has been presented that would justify amending the proposal.”

Ysgol Y Fro in Llangyndeyrn has no pupils left

At Ysgol Y Fro, every pupil has applied for and accepted a place at another school, and no new starters are due, the council says.

Its closure notice drew 22 responses, all of them objections. The council ruled out one suggestion, turning it into a Church in Wales school, saying it would not fix pupil numbers, money or leadership.

Ysgol Y Fro ended 2025-26 £107,810 in deficit, according to the council, which says closing it would save £99,522 a year. Pupils would transfer to Ysgol y Dderwen.

Rural school closures in Carmarthenshire: what happens at full council on Wednesday

Both are designated rural schools, so the Welsh Government’s school organisation code presumes against closing them unless the council makes a strong case and has looked at every realistic alternative.

The council says it has done that. The vote comes as the county’s schools head for a £16m deficit that finance chiefs have warned could wipe out the council’s emergency reserve.

Meidrim and Y Fro were two of four rural primaries put under review last year, and campaigners say more are coming.

Cymdeithas yr Iaith says three village schools in the lower Gwendraeth Valley, including Bancffosfelen and Carway, and Ysgol Blaenau near Llandybie face proposals to close at the end of 2027. The council’s education scrutiny committee is due to consider consulting on them on Tuesday morning, the group says.

The group’s Ffred Ffransis said: “By proposing to close four additional village schools even before the Council has made its decision on Meidrim, the Cabinet has shown that it is on a mission to close village schools throughout the county outside the towns and a few large villages.”

Its message to councillors ahead of Wednesday’s vote is stark: “If Meidrim is to close, then 20 other Welsh-medium rural schools in Carmarthenshire are immediately under threat, and that will be the end of our Welsh-speaking rural communities.”

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

SCHOOL CLOSURES: Council confirms village schools in Meidrim and Llangyndeyrn to shut, but campaigners say they will fight on
The closure notices issued in June.

CARMARTHENSHIRE: Schools’ £16m deficit could push council into the red
The county’s schools budget crisis, school by school.

CARWAY: Council weighing village school’s long-term future as £1.8m classrooms stay on hold
Carway’s children are still bussed to Pontyates, with formal proposals promised.

Four Carmarthenshire schools face closure under modernisation plans
Llansteffan, Y Fro, Meidrim and Pontiets put under review last year.

#Carmarthenshire #CarmarthenshireCouncil #Carway #CarwayPrimarySchool #CllrGlynogDavies #CllrHazelEvans #CymdeithasYrIaith #education #Llangyndeyrn #Meidrim #ModernisingEducation #ruralSchools #schoolClosure #WelshMediumEducation #YsgolMeidrim #YsgolYFro

SCHOOL CLOSURES: Council confirms village schools in Meidrim and Llangyndeyrn to shut — but campaigners say they will fight on

Carmarthenshire County Council has confirmed it intends to close two more village schools, issuing the formal notices needed to shut them.

The council’s cabinet has agreed to issue statutory notices to discontinue Ysgol Meidrim and Ysgol Y Fro at Llangyndeyrn, with the notice period beginning in June.

The move had been widely expected. Both schools were placed under review last year and have been through a months-long consultation, but the decision marks the point at which the council formally commits to closing them, subject to any objections.

The consultation ran from 16 January to 2 March this year, taking in pupils, teachers, parents, governors and the wider community at both schools.

Both schools were identified for possible closure under the council’s Modernising Education Programme, signed off by cabinet in November 2024.

The council points to extremely low pupil numbers, high numbers of empty places, and budgets it says are unsustainable as the reasons for acting.

It also notes that many children living within each school’s catchment already attend other schools, and that pupil projections show little sign of numbers recovering.

Cllr Glynog Davies, the council’s cabinet member for education, said the decision had not been taken lightly.

“Today’s difficult decision to issue statutory notices to discontinue both Ysgol Meidrim and Ysgol Y Fro has not been taken lightly,” he said.

“However, significant financial pressures and low pupil numbers with a high surplus of places in both schools has forced cabinet to come to this conclusion.”

Both schools have faced wider scrutiny. Ysgol Y Fro, which had around 15 pupils, and Ysgol Meidrim, with about 31, were each placed in Special Measures by education watchdog Estyn.

The two schools were among four rural primaries put under review last year under the modernisation programme, alongside Ysgol Llansteffan and Ysgol Pontyates.

Ysgol Llansteffan has since been earmarked for closure through its own statutory notice, while Pontyates was kept out of the immediate process — though campaigners there have vowed their fight is not over.

The latest decision has drawn an immediate response from Welsh language campaign group Cymdeithas yr Iaith, which said it was surprised by the move.

The group argued the closures would undermine the new Welsh Government’s commitment to building rural resilience, and said an opportunity had been missed at Meidrim to work with governors on a plan to build a community hub alongside the school.

In the case of Ysgol Y Fro, Cymdeithas said the closure would again reduce capacity for Welsh-medium education in the Carmarthen area, which it warned could push families towards English-language schooling.

Ffred Ffransis, speaking for the group in the Carmarthen region, said Cymdeithas would work with the governors of both schools to gather objections to the statutory notices before final decisions are taken in the autumn, and called on the Welsh Government to intervene.

As campaigners signalled when the consultation was launched, Cymdeithas has questioned the way the council handled the earliest stage of the process.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Welsh language campaigners prepare to fight ‘flawed’ Carmarthenshire school closures
Cymdeithas yr Iaith vowed to oppose the closures, criticising the council’s handling of the early consultation stage.

Four Carmarthenshire schools face closure under modernisation plans
The county’s Modernising Education Programme put four rural primaries under review over falling rolls and surplus places.

Rural schools under threat as council defends tough decisions
Carmarthenshire communities raised concerns over what campaigners called piecemeal closures.

#CarmarthenshireCountyCouncil #CllrGlynogDavies #CymdeithasYrIaith #education #Llangyndeyrn #Meidrim #schoolClosure #WelshMediumEducation #YsgolMeidrim #YsgolYFro

Community backlash grows as residents warn closure of Pontyates GP surgery would be “a massive blow”

The outcry follows Swansea Bay News’ report that Hywel Dda University Health Board is considering dispersing all 4,300 patients from Meddygfa’r Sarn to neighbouring practices from June 2026. Local councillors said they were “shocked” to learn of the proposal and had received no prior warning.

Councillors say they were blindsided by the announcement

Cllr Tyssul Evans and Cllr Meinir James, who both represent Llangyndeyrn Ward, and Cllr Alex Evans, who represents Glyn Ward, said they only discovered the proposal when the health board’s press release appeared on Facebook.

Cllr Tyssul Evans, Cllr Meinir James (Llangyndeyrn Ward) and Cllr Alex Evans (Glyn Ward) said:

“We were shocked to learn yesterday, via a press release shared on Facebook, of Hywel Dda University Health Board’s plans to consider closing Meddygfa’r Sarn GP surgery in Pontyates. We had no prior knowledge that the surgery was even at risk of closing and we fully appreciate the anxiety and concern this announcement will have caused for patients and residents.

“We understand the real concerns about how patients would be able to access GP care if the 4,300 patients registered in Pontyates were transferred to other surgeries in Pontyberem, Kidwelly and Llanelli. There is no direct bus route to Pontyberem for many patients registered at Meddygfa’r Sarn and there is no direct bus for anyone to Kidwelly. We also appreciate the potential knock‑on effect this could have on other local services in the village, including the chemist.

“We want to reassure everyone that we will do everything we can to save the surgery in Pontyates from closing. We will be launching a petition and outlining the further actions we propose to take in support of a campaign to save Meddygfa’r Sarn next week. We will be sure to keep you all fully updated as these details are finalised.”

Residents say closure would leave thousands cut off

Dozens of residents have now taken to social media to condemn the potential closure, describing the surgery as a lifeline for Pontyates and surrounding villages.

Many warned that neighbouring practices in Pontyberem, Kidwelly and Llanelli are already overstretched, with long waits for appointments and limited capacity.

Phillip Griffiths said the plan “makes no sense”, arguing that Pontyates Surgery is centrally located, has good parking and sits next to the village chemist. Others raised fears that the chemist itself could be at risk if the GP service disappears.

Kaye Hamer said many residents simply had no way of travelling to other surgeries. Jo Clarke warned the move would hit older patients hardest, saying it was “wrong” to expect people who have lived in the village all their lives to travel miles for care.

Lorraine Edwards said the proposal came “just when you think healthcare couldn’t get any worse”, while Andrew Williams said neighbouring practices already rely heavily on locum doctors, making continuity of care difficult.

Front view of Meddygfa’r Sarn in Pontyates, the GP surgery at the centre of proposals to disperse its patient list. Image: Google Maps.

Concerns over transport, capacity and impact on elderly patients

Residents repeatedly highlighted the lack of direct bus routes to Pontyberem and Kidwelly, with some journeys requiring multiple changes and taking hours.

Julie Harry said public transport was “absolutely non‑existent”, while Andrea Gower questioned how the health board expected patients to travel at all. She also disputed claims the site sits on a flood plain, saying she had “never seen the place flooded”.

Others warned the closure would be a “massive blow” to the village, particularly for elderly and vulnerable residents.

Lisa Evans‑James said her 93‑year‑old grandmother had relied on the surgery for decades and could not travel further afield. She said the practice offered continuity, familiarity and reassurance that could not be replaced by dispersing patients across multiple towns.

“This surgery isn’t just a building – it’s familiar faces, continuity of care, and reassurance,” she said. “To the health board we may just be numbers on a list, but behind every number is a person, a family, and a real need for accessible care.”

Petition launched as anger builds

A petition launched by local resident Clare Treharne has gathered more than 500 signatures in less than 24 hours. She warned that dispersing patients would mean longer travel distances, reduced continuity of care and increased pressure on already overstretched practices.

The petition calls on Hywel Dda to reject the proposal, consult properly with residents and commit to keeping GP services in Pontyates.

Health board urged to rethink

Many residents accused the health board of failing to understand the geography of the area or the realities of rural transport.

Helen Thomas said Pontyberem Surgery “can’t cope as it is”, while Ryan Hayhurst described the proposal as “outrageous”. Others warned the move would push more patients into already overstretched A&E departments.

Caroline Owens Green said the community “can’t sit back and let the health board push this through”, while Kerry Jane Hards said life would be “desperate” without the surgery.

Hywel Dda University Health Board has said no final decision has been made and that it will consider feedback before any recommendation is taken forward.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Future of Pontyates GP surgery in doubt
Health board confirms it is considering dispersing all 4,300 patients to neighbouring practices.

Petition: Save Meddygfa’r Sarn GP Surgery
More than 500 people sign within 24 hours as residents rally to protect local healthcare.

#CllrAlexEvans #CllrMeinirJames #CllrTyssulEvans #GP #GPSurgery #HywelDdaUniversityHealthBoard #Llangyndeyrn #MeddygfaRSarn #petition #Pontiets #Pontyates #PontyatesDoctorsSurgery

Welsh language campaigners prepare to fight ‘flawed’ Carmarthenshire school closures

The council’s Cabinet has agreed to publish a statutory notice to close Ysgol Llansteffan, while also launching consultations on the future of Ysgol Meidrim and Ysgol Y Fro, Llangyndeyrn.

Campaigners argue the decision is flawed, with Cymdeithas criticising councillors for pressing ahead despite admitting that the initial statutory stage of discussions with the schools — known as stage 0 — “did not happen properly.”

Ffred Ffransis, speaking on behalf of Cymdeithas yr Iaith in Carmarthenshire, said preparation work to mobilise responses and objections would begin immediately alongside the schools themselves:

“The cabinet should not have voted for a consultation after admitting that the initial statutory stage of discussion with the schools, known as stage 0, did not happen properly. The council officers’ reports say clearly that a consultation or a statutory notification to close should not be authorised unless councillors were sure that it was the best option. The preparation work to ensure responses to the consultations and objections to the statutory notice to close, together with the three schools, will start straight away.”

Four schools under review as viability questioned

As Swansea Bay News previously reported, Carmarthenshire councillors considered proposals last month to close four rural primaries under the county’s Modernising Education Programme. Reports highlighted falling rolls, high surplus places and financial pressures.

• Ysgol Llansteffan has just eight pupils on roll, with costs per pupil more than three times the county average.
• Ysgol Y Fro has 15 pupils and was placed in Special Measures by Estyn earlier this year.
• Ysgol Meidrim, with 31 pupils, is also in Special Measures following an inspection in 2024.
• Ysgol Pontyates has 24 pupils and more than 70% surplus places, with projections showing numbers continuing to fall.

Pontyates campaign continues despite reprieve

Although Pontyates was excluded from the immediate closure process, villagers have vowed to continue their fight. At a packed public meeting earlier this month, governors and parents insisted the threat remains and uncertainty continues.

“Of course it is a relief to hear that the consultation process is unlikely to proceed in the case of Ysgol Pontyates, but the anxiety and uncertainty will continue. For the benefit of the children and staff we must continue to fight, demand fairness for our families and our community, and ensure a future for a school – which has just celebrated its hundred and fifty years – for generations to come.”

Campaigners accused the council of rushing plans “in a thoughtless and unnecessary manner” and warned closures would mean upheaval and long journeys to larger schools. One pupil told the meeting:

“Our school is small but it is very special. We all know each other… We learn everything in Welsh and we are very proud of that. It is part of who we are and it helps keep our village and our language alive.”

Parents and supporters plan to protest outside County Hall in Carmarthen when the Cabinet meets on 17 November to decide whether to continue with the consultation.

Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Glynog Davies said:

“We of course understand how difficult this is for the schools involved and wholeheartedly sympathise with the parents, staff, governors and local members.

“It is important to note that no decisions have been made with regards to Ysgol Meidrim and Ysgol y Fro and a consultation process will provide an opportunity for those school communities to have their say as part of the decision-making process.”

Related articles

• Four Carmarthenshire schools face closure under modernisation plans
• Pontyates villagers vow to continue fight to save school

#carmarthenshire #carmarthenshireCouncil #carmarthenshireCountyCouncil #countyHall #cymdeithasYrIaith #llangyndeyrn #llansteffan #meidrim #modernisingEducation #pontyates #schoolClosure #ysgolLlansteffan #ysgolMeidrim #ysgolYFro

Four Carmarthenshire schools face closure under modernisation plans

Carmarthenshire County Council’s Education, Young People and the Welsh Language Scrutiny Committee will meet on Tuesday (14 October) to examine proposals affecting Ysgol Llansteffan, Ysgol Y Fro, Ysgol Meidrim and Ysgol Pontiets.

The reports, published ahead of the meeting, recommend issuing a Statutory Notice to close Ysgol Llansteffan from August 2026, while launching formal consultations on the future of Ysgol Y Fro, Ysgol Meidrim and Ysgol Pontiets.

Schools identified as “no longer viable”

Council officers say the four schools have been assessed against viability criteria including pupil numbers, budget position and educational standards. Ysgol Llansteffan, for example, has just eight pupils on roll, with projections showing only 18 by 2030. Its cost per pupil is more than three times the county average.

Ysgol Y Fro in Llangyndeyrn currently has 15 pupils and was placed in Special Measures by Estyn earlier this year. Ysgol Meidrim, with 31 pupils, is also in Special Measures following an inspection in 2024. Meanwhile Ysgol Pontiets has 24 pupils and more than 70% surplus places, with projections showing numbers continuing to fall.

The council argues that such small cohorts mean pupils are taught in mixed‑age classes, making delivery of the new Curriculum for Wales increasingly difficult.

At a glance: the four schools under review

Ysgol Llansteffan
8 pupils on roll (PLASC 2025). Estyn: No follow‑up (2024). Proposed closure August 2026, with pupils transferring to Ysgol Llangain.

Ysgol Y Fro, Llangyndeyrn
15 pupils on roll. Estyn: Special Measures (Feb 2025). Consultation on closure, with Ysgol Y Dderwen identified as receiving school.

Ysgol Meidrim
31 pupils on roll. Estyn: Special Measures (Apr 2024). Consultation on closure, with Ysgol Griffith Jones identified as receiving school.

Ysgol Pontiets
24 pupils on roll. Estyn: Not in follow‑up. Consultation on closure, with Ysgol Pum Heol identified as receiving school.

Financial pressures and surplus places

The reports warn that the schools are running unsustainable budgets, with deficits forecast to rise. In some cases, the per‑pupil funding is more than double the county average.

Closing the four schools could save the authority more than £340,000 a year in revenue costs, while the sale of redundant buildings could generate up to £695,000 in capital receipts if no community use is found.

Cllr Glynog Davies, cabinet member for education, said the strategy aimed to ensure a sustainable and balanced provision of education throughout the county.

“These proposals will help to address the challenging circumstances faced by individual schools and the wider school system, which includes schools operating with pupil numbers far below their intended capacity and unsustainable financial situations,” he said.

Local concerns

Cllr Tyssul Evans, whose Llangyndeyrn ward includes Ysgol Y Fro, acknowledged the emotional impact of the proposals.

“Sadly we are as a local authority dependent on funding from central Government and there have been cutbacks. And unfortunately the number of pupils in these schools has fallen drastically over the years.

We are faced with reality. We have to take steps. We have got to live within our means. It is sad, of course it is.”

Previous closures put on hold

This is not the first time Carmarthenshire has faced controversy over school closures. In December 2021, as Swansea Bay News previously reported, plans to shut Ysgol Mynyddygarreg and Ysgol Blaenau were put on hold after an extended review of the Modernising Education Programme. At the time, campaigners celebrated a reprieve, but councillors warned that viability reviews would continue across the county.

What happens next

If scrutiny members back the recommendations, the proposals will go before Cabinet on 17 November 2025. Ysgol Llansteffan would move directly to a Statutory Notice of closure from August 2026, with pupils expected to transfer to Ysgol Llangain. Ysgol Y Fro would enter consultation, with Ysgol Y Dderwen identified as the preferred receiving school. Ysgol Meidrim would also enter consultation, with Ysgol Griffith Jones as the preferred receiving school. Ysgol Pontiets would follow the same process, with Ysgol Pum Heol identified as the likely destination.

Parents would still retain the right to apply for places at other nearby schools under the council’s admissions policy.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Carmarthenshire school closure plans put on hold… for now
Proposals to close Ysgol Mynyddygarreg and Ysgol Blaenau were paused in 2021 after an extended review of the county’s Modernising Education Programme.

Councils clash over Mynyddygarreg school closure plan
Kidwelly Town Council opposed Carmarthenshire’s decision, warning the loss of Ysgol Mynyddygarreg would “decimate” the community.

Llanelli MP and MS voice concern over council’s Mynyddygarreg school closure proposal
Local representatives raised fears about the impact of closing Ysgol Mynyddygarreg on families and the Welsh language.

#Carmarthenshire #CarmarthenshireCouncil #CllrGlynogDavies #CllrTyssulEvans #education #Estyn #featured #Llangyndeyrn #Llansteffan #Meidrim #Pontyates #ruralCommunities #schoolClosure #smallSchools #specialMeasures #YoungPeopleAndTheWelshLanguageScrutinyCommittee #YsgolLlansteffan #YsgolMeidrim #YsgolPontiets #YsgolYFro