School's out: Hermon's primary is too full to accept new pupils

Janet Parcell says her three-year-old is losing out because Pembrokeshire education department is sticking to the rule book over Hermon Primary School while allowing others to go over their agreed numbers.

County education chiefs want to close Hermon school and nearby Blaenffos school and transfer the pupils to a new �1.5m area school at Crymych.

In September, parents at Hermon were granted legal aid to challenge the authority's consultation process over the closure due next summer.

If it was applied across the board, I wouldn't have any quibble Janet Parcell

Mrs Parcell said she had agreed with the school's head teacher that her daughter, Eleri, who is four next month and who attends the nursery class at the Welsh-language primary, would join her sister Sadie in classes.

But Eleri is one of two youngsters from the 100 home community in the north of the county whose parents have been told they cannot start at the school in January.

Hermon currently has 50 pupils on its books, three less than last year.

It has an official capacity of 46 pupils, so the new year additions would still have meant fewer children in classes than last term.

Parents' protests included a demo at county hall in Haverfordwest

Mrs Parcell said: "The letter from the education department came out of the blue because as far as the head and myself were concerned, Eleri had a place there from January.

"There is no any consistency in the education authority's procedures.

"They are saying Eleri can't go to Hermon, which is within walking distance, because it is over capacity, but another school down the road has got 10 over and they are still allowing children in.

"If it was applied across the board, I wouldn't have any quibble but the other school is allowed to go over capacity.

"It seems that Hermon is the only school that has the problem of not having children accepted.

'Inadequate facilities'

"Suddenly, now the school is facing the axe in July, they have decided this particular school can't go over.

A spokesman for Pembrokeshire County Council said: "The children in question will not be of statutory school age by January, and in any event the school is over capacity at the present time."

Director of Education and Community Services, Gerson Davies, has informed both sets of parents that the matter will be considered again when places become available when Year 6 leaves in September.

It is the case that Hermon School has inadequate facilities while the proposal to establish an area school at Crymych includes full early years facilities and an integrated children's centre to serve the whole area.

The majority of parents at Hermon say it is a thriving school that should be expanded and not closed.

They are now busy raising funds to publicise their fight.