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Last summer, a decision to reduce the number of classes at Rhydri Primary School was reversed – with a plan put in place to attract more pupils.

But nine months later, the school is threatened with closing altogether.

During Covid, pupil numbers at the small school in Rudry dropped from around 80 to around 60. As a result, a decision was made to reduce the number of classes from three to two.

But after a parent backlash, the decision was reversed and a plan to attract more pupils was agreed by the school’s governing body.

However, this month, parents were told by the governing body that the 123-year-old school faces a ‘managed closure’ – and could shut in the summer of 2025.

Caerphilly County Borough Council will now begin a process which will include a consultation with parents and stakeholders.

A petition opposing the closure has been created by parents.

“Reckless neglect”

The decision has been met with anger by Rhydri Primary School Parents Action Group, which described it as a “political choice” and a “reckless neglect of the interests of the school’s pupils and the community”.

In a statement issued to parents, the action group spoke of how last year they were told the school would need to increase pupil numbers in order to have a future.

It said: “Parents took up that challenge, and over the last year a huge collective effort has gone into growing the school – an effort many parents have contributed to.” 

Highlighting a 25% increase in pupils since September 2023, the group said: “Even our most pessimistic growth models show confidence that we could continue to grow the school to capacity over the next two to three years.”

They accused council officers of “deliberately” blocking marketing efforts to grow the school, and of ‘misleading’ parent governors.

The school is federated with Bedwas Junior School, which means they share a headteacher and governing body.

“Governors are told that whilst some schools in Caerphilly are viable at around 90 pupils, this requires a teaching-headteacher and since Rhydri is federated with Bedwas Primary, sharing a headteacher, this potential does not exist,” they argued.

Parents would now, they said, be forced to make “impossibly difficult decisions about their children’s futures”, while pupils themselves will face “huge disruption”.

“Not sustainable”

Andrew Diplock, chair of the school’s governing body, said falling pupil numbers has left the school in a “very difficult financial position with a projected continuing negative trend – which is not sustainable”.

In a letter to parents, Mr Diplock explained: “There are no hidden agendas, and this is not a political decision. The simple fact is that the financial outlook for the school has been of significant concern to the governing body for some time.

“A decision taken last year to move to a two-class structure for September 2024 would have, in part, have provided some financial respite.

“However, in response to the strength of feeling within the parent and community representation to the governing body, this decision was subsequently overturned.”

Mr Diplock said the governing body, along with the school and the council, – as well as the Rhydri Growth working group – has “investigated numerous scenarios to keep the school open and exhausted all opportunities for financial recovery”.

But he added: “It is with great sadness that the financial position of the school remains untenable, and the governing body had no choice but to seek the closure of Rhydri Primary at the end of the next academic year (July 2025).”

In his letter, Mr Diplock hit out as ‘inaccurate’ information in the community and described the situation as a “sensitive matter”.