The school had 17 pupils last year

Ysgol Croesor - hit by dwindling pupil numbers - has been given a helping hand by trustees of the Italianate village Portmeirion.

The Second Portmeirion Foundation - which cares for the estate of Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, architect of the village which became the setting for the cult 1960s TV series, The Prisoner - owns many of the houses in the village of Croesor, which are let to local people.

It recently advertised for new tenants from outside the village - inviting applications solely from people with young, Welsh-speaking children.

By doing so, the trustees hope to attract new families to the area, bringing a continuing supply of new pupils for the school.

Deep in the heart of the rugged and spectacular Snowdonia countryside, the small village of Croesor sprang up towards the mid 19th century to provide homes for workers in neighbouring quarries.

Slate production ended back in 1930 and today it is a small community with Ysgol Croesor, built in 1873, as its focal point.

The school's headteacher, Morwen Pritchard, said the village's very existence was under threat.

She shares the teaching duties for the pupils, aged between four and 11, with newly-qualified teacher Delyth Griffiths.

If the heart of the village is gone then there is nothing else here. Morwen Pritchard, headteacher Ysgol Croesor

Mrs Pritchard said: "We owe the Portmeirion estate a great deal.

"The school is the heart of the village. If the heart of the village is gone then there is nothing else here - nothing to attract people - the nearest shop is two and a half miles away."

She said there were obvious benefits to such a small school.

During the Second World War evacuees were taught at the school

"The children get loads of individual attention and our results in key stages are always very high.

"Gwynedd council have promised us they won't close us, they have given us they word and been very supportive but I don't know what will happen in the future and what the government will say."

She said: "It would be such a shame if we lost the school.

"The children are very happy here - we are like a big family and the big children are very caring to the little ones who help them with things like their reading."

Budgetary constraints mean Mrs Pritchard will have to teach on her own from next April.

"I need 15 children to have two teachers and every child is a bonus."

Caroline Beasley, from Shrewsbury-based Balfours who manage the foundation, said she hoped another property would be available for a similar scheme towards the end of the year.