Village fighting to keep 'beating heart'

It's a story seen all across Wales, but Robert Harries discovers one seaside community that is not accepting the closure of its school lying down

- Robert Harries

IN A quaint Welsh coastal village there’s a tiny school that has been educating young children for more than 70 years.

Nestled south of Carmarthen and east along the coast from other more renowned seaside locations such as Tenby and Saundersfoot, this a beautiful spot and one that, for generations, has had education as part of its very core.

This is Llansteffan, home to an ancient castle, a beach, a chip van, a tea room, pubs, eateries, scenic walks and a primary school. It offers everything you could possibly desire if you want to draw young families to this charming corner of Carmarthen-shire. For now.

That could soon change as this idyllic setting looks likely to be without a school as Ysgol Llansteffan - a Welsh-medium school situated in the heart of the village - has been earmarked for permanent closure at the end of the current school year next summer.

Generations of primary school-aged children have been educated in the building since it opened its doors in the early 1950s, many of whom still reside in the village. But now, after years of uncertainty about its long-term future, the fear of closure is both genuine and immediate.

Earlier this month, Carmarthenshire council officially proposed to shut not only Ysgol Llansteffan next summer but also Ysgol Y Fro, near Kidwelly, Ysgol Meidrim, and Ysgol Pontiets, at the end of December 2026.

A recommendation has been made that the council's cabinet proceeds with a statutory notice to close Ysgol Llansteffan and launches a formal consultation on the potential closure of the other three schools.

Speaking at a recent scrutiny meeting, county councillor Peter Hughes Griffiths said declining pupil numbers were a reality and that in his view the council had to accept this and adapt.

This is true in part, but Ysgol Llansteffan’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) says closing the school is the wrong move because pupil numbers have actually increased.