We are asking you to sign this petition against the proposed closure of Mynyddygarreg School. The School has been in the village for over 130 years and during that time has been the hub of the community, teaching generations of families through the medium of Welsh and keeping the language alive in the village.

Carmarthenshire Council is proposing a new school in Kidwelly and whilst we do not oppose the school for Gwenllian, we do not want to lose our school from Mynyddygarreg. The proposal runs against Welsh Government guidance, which states that closure of a small school cannot be presumed.

The two schools have operated under the same Head for the last year - a federation - and we would like that to continue as it provides all the benefits of a small school with the opportunities created by being in a partnership.

The school has been categorised as excellent for the last four years, has maintained the same number of pupils and is the heart of the village. There is no reason to change that - but the school does need refurbishing to bring it to the standards required of a 21st century school.

An old building refurbished, which is more eco-friendly than building a new one.

Without a school in Mynyddygarreg:

• Attending a new school would mean crossing the bypass, with no safe route. Walking or cycling to school would be perilous, forcing families to travel by car as there is no bus service. Decarbonisation is high on the agenda with Carmarthenshire Council the first to pledge Net Zero Carbon Footprint.
• The Welsh language will be eroded as parents travelling further afield may opt for an English speaking school.
• The currently thriving Meithrin nursery will lose its home and a service to the community will be lost.
• The future choice of a small schools in the area is taken away and cannot be replaced.
• The impact on the community cannot be understated. The loss of a gathering place, the glue that holds a community together.

We are asking Carmarthenshire Council to:

• Establish a new school for Gwenllian only
• Assess and properly cost Mynyddygarreg building for upgrading works.
• Establish a business plan for both schools as a federation on two sites, giving parents the choice of a small school setting, which could also benefit pupils that would thrive in a smaller setting but don’t really achieve in a larger school.
• Obtain funding from 21st Century schools for both settings.
• Recognise the essential parts that small schools play in community cohesion, over and above the education of pupils and establish a mechanism for additional funding for this purpose which would bolster the community asset.