Pembrokeshire Council plan to strip Ysgol Cilgerran's faith status meets Catholic protest

Pembrokeshire County Council voted in May to remove the Voluntary Controlled (VC) status of Ysgol Cilgerran, a Welsh‑medium Church in Wales primary school, despite 97 % of consultation respondents opposing the change. The council justified the proposal on surplus places and a declining pupil population, but opponents argue there is no educational benefit.

Hundreds of parents, teachers and students protested at the council’s July meeting in Haverfordwest, displaying signs such as “Leave our VC status alone”. A petition on the council’s website gathered 391 signatures. The Church in Wales has threatened legal action, citing public misrepresentation and discrimination, and the Roman Catholic Church in Wales has now joined the campaign. In a formal letter, Angela Keller, Wales adviser for the Catholic Education Service, reiterated that the removal would bring no educational or financial gain. The dispute is linked to recent council actions affecting other faith schools, including the closure of Manorbier VC school and concerns over Tenby VC school.