Welsh education secretary announces consultation into school closure procedures as two more pupil-less schools come to light

The Welsh Assembly has announced a review of the procedures required to close schools in Wales, after it emerged that two more village schools will remain open this year despite having no pupils enrolled.

Last week, the Welsh education secretary Leighton Andrews described year-long statutory process process required to close Ysgol Capel Iwan in Carmarthenshire as “bonkers”, since when it has emerged that schools in Gwynedd and Ceredigion will technically remain open while the procedure is followed.

In both of the latter cases, the teaching staff have been re-deployed, but maintenance of the schools' premises will remain the responsibility of the respective local authorities. The two schools did have pupils due to start school in the September, but these pupils were subsequently sent to other schools by their parents.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Andrews said the issue raised fundamental questions about strategic leadership in local authorities, and promised to start a consultation into how the how the process of closing empty schools could be shortened.

See also:

Welsh council faces year-long wait to close school with no pupils