Governors defend under-threat school amid fresh calls to pause Flintshire super-school plan
A fresh call has been made to halt the relaunch of Flintshire’s controversial Catholic super-school plans after governors at one school slated for closure insisted it remained viable.
Last month the Chair of Governors at St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School in Saltney issued a letter stating that the Governing Body supports keeping the school open – not closing it in September 2027 as outlined in the plans.
Referencing that letter, the Director of Education for the Diocese of Wrexham Wendy White last week told a meeting of Flintshire County Council’s Education, Youth and Culture Overview and Scrutiny Committee it was ‘inaccurate’ and was being ‘recalled’.
Now Liberal Democrat councillors have revealed the governors have denied her claim and want to see the school remain open.
Leader of the Lib Dem group, Cllr Andrew Parkhurst, has called for the council to pause plans to restart the consultation while there remains uncertainty over the evidence presented to the committee.
In an open letter sent to parents at St Anthony’s, Chair of Governors Alex Durcan-Smith wrote: “The Governing Body of St Anthony’s stands fully behind the school and is doing everything within its power to support its continued operation.
“The governors met to review the current position and we are clear in our view that the school is viable and has a future.
“The aspirations expressed by FCC (Flintshire County Council) and the Diocese to close the school and move towards a ‘super-school’ model do not reflect the views or wishes of the Governing Body.”
But during a call-in meeting of the education scrutiny committee last week to review the plans – which propose the closure of St Anthony’s alongside fellow primary schools St David’s in Mold, St Mary’s in Flint and St Richard Gwyn Catholic High School and the construction of a £55 million, 3-18 super-school in Flint – Mrs White told councillors the governors letter contained inaccuracies and had been recalled for correction.
“There sems to be some confusion,” she said. “Decisions about Catholic education are made by the Bishop in discussion with the trustees. The Governing Body comment that they were against the proposal was incorrect and the recent letter that went out is incorrect and has been recalled to be corrected.
“A number of the governors in all of the schools involved are foundation governors and have signed up to undertake the remit of the Bishop. He has a view not just for one school, but for the wellbeing of all schools in the Diocese.”
During a full council meeting on Monday Cllr Andrew Parkhurst challenged Cabinet Member for Education, Welsh Language, Culture and Leisure Cllr Mared Eastwood to confirm Mrs White’s claim.
“I’d like to ask whether she will urgently clarify whether the statement made by Wendy White that the governing body’s letter to parents and carers had been recalled for correction was accurate,” he said.
“The Governing Body has subsequently confirmed that the letter was neither being withdrawn nor corrected. It continues to stand fully behind the school and is doing everything in its power to support its continued operation.”
Cllr Eastwood said she would respond to the question – which she had had no prior notice of – in writing as soon as possible.
Flintshire’s Lib Dem group is now calling for the plans to be put on hold once more to ensure the evidence is clear for councillors, governors and parents.
“The issue is that a scrutiny committee was told that a governing body’s letter had been recalled, yet the governing body itself says that it has not,” he said.
“That matters because the committee was being asked to decide whether the consultation process should restart. If there is a dispute about the facts, the sensible course of action is to establish the truth before pressing ahead.
By Alec Doyle – Local Democracy Reporter
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