Hands off our school

(Prior to the meeting on Thursday when it was decided to propose only the sixth form should go).

FOLLOWING a packed meeting at City Hall St Davids last night I felt compelled to write to you. The questions surrounding the review of education provision in Pembrokeshire have been debated recently during the consultation, of which I attended a meeting at Solva CP school as I am a community governor through my capacity as vice chair of Solva Community Council.

I am alarmed and dismayed at the suggestion that my former School, Ysgol Dewi Sant is to close as part of the education shake up.

This school has served as a central hub of the community and the wealth it brings is immeasurable, producing well known figures in the Arts i.e David Gray and Meic Stevens and in the world of sport, Simon Davies.

To lose this school would be a catastrophic result, tearing the very heart out of the community. It seems to be that Pembrokeshire County Council have no regard for the communities that this school serves, again our peninsula will lose a vital service in favour of centralising provision in a more central area.

Questions have been raised regarding the time it would take for children to travel to school adding a further hour and a half to their school day, could you please clarify with documentation any studies that show this would not have any negative effect on the children?

Further to this the provision of after school groups and clubs would be nigh on impossible to cater for youth in Solva, as by the time the classes would finish it would be around 6pm before the child got home, this would also not be viable unless a replacement bus service was established as there is currently no service that could be used.

Also the loss of valuable team building relationships through after school sports groups and clubs helping to create well rounded individuals.

Another issue with the loss of after school clubs is the ability to build relationships with children who may be suffering at home, something that is no always very apparent and at times is only acknowledged through a child’s adverse behaviour, i.e. attending after school classes every night may flag up an underlying issue where perhaps that child may not wish to go home.

Could you clarify how after school groups and transport would be dealt with for a child from Solva attending a school in Fishguard?

As a business owner the impact of passing trade is a massive driver for my business, the closure of the school is going to mean a loss of this after school footfall and also a loss of lunchtime trade etc. Have the council included any impact analysis in their assessment, please provide relevant documentation.

The loss of the school would no doubt have an impact on the cathedral and its choir, further damaging the culture of a unique community.

It is and always has been the aim of the Welsh Assembly that your child should be able to attend the school they want, not the school their LEA wants them to through catchment boundaries.

In summary please clarify and respond to the following questions: How after school groups and transport would be dealt with for a child from Solva attending a school in Fishguard?

Any studies that you have used to show that increased travel times would not have any negative effect on the children?

What impact would the closure of the school have on local businesses in St Davids and the surrounding area, i.e lack of footfall and passing trade.

What social impact will the closure have on the communities of St Davids and Solva, losing an historic educational relationship.

What educational impact would the closure have on the close working relationship between YDS and it’s network of feeder schools in Solva, St Davids and Croesgoch.

It seems once again the people of this peninsula are being forgotten about, the cuts are hitting here harder than anywhere in Pembrokeshire.

It is this slow erosion of services like youth provision, mobile library, buses, hospital care, given how far we are from Withybush, coupled with the potential loss of roads at Newgale and policing that are making life at our end of the county more and more difficult. We are left on a limb and almost forgotten about, to lose our school would be the final blow for our community and our way of life.

“Rage, rage against the dying of the light”, the lights are fading in Dewisland!

I look forward to your response,

JOSHUA PHILLIPS

Vice chairman of Solva Community Council

Governor Solva CP School