Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, is continuing to back a campaign to save a Saltney school from closure.
Flintshire County Council is currently consulting on its plans to close four schools, including St Anthony’s in Saltney and merge them to form one ‘superschool' for pupils aged 3-18 from 2026 to 2029.
Mr Rowlands, who is totally against the proposal, which also means the closure of St David's in Mold, St Richard Gwyn Catholic High School and St Mary's in Flint, recently met up with staff, governors and children at St Anthony's Catholic Primary School.
He said:
I was delighted to have the opportunity to visit St Anthony’s and talk to the pupils about my role as a MS in the Welsh Parliament and to visit their excellent Forest School.
As chair of the Senedd’s Cross-Party Group on Outdoor Activity Sector, it was also great to see children engaging with outdoor learning experiences in their very own forest.
I am a great believer that everyone should be able to take part in activities outdoors and in particular that all young children should have the opportunity to enjoy outdoor education.
The Forest School is designed to provide children with an outdoor learning experience that fosters personal growth, social skills, and environmental awareness and has been a great success.
However, this experience is under threat because of the Council’s school modernisation programme, where investment has been identified in partnership with the Catholic Diocese of Wrexham and Welsh Government. The proposal would amalgamate several schools and create a new a school.
The latest proposal seeks to close St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School, St David’s Primary School, St Mary's Catholic Primary School and St Richard Gwyn Catholic High School and open a new 3-18 all through Catholic school.
Following an assessment of all existing sites, the proposed new school will be developed on the existing sites of St Richard Gwyn and St Mary’s in Flint with St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School due to close by September 2026.
Mr Rowlands added:
I know there is real concern over this controversial proposal and I am determined to help all my constituents who would be affected by such a plan.
I am a firm believer in keeping schools local and I do not think merging four local schools into one “superschool” is the right way forward. St Anthony’s has been part of the Saltney community for over 150 years and provides education grounded in Christian values.
I would urge everyone who has view on these proposals to please take part in the consultation as the Council needs to realise the strength of opposition to such plans.
Sam Rowlands AS yn ymweld ag ysgol yng Ngogledd-ddwyrain Cymru dan fygythiad o gau
Mae Sam Rowlands, Aelod o’r Senedd dros y Gogledd, yn parhau i gefnogi ymgyrch i achub ysgol yn Saltney rhag cau.
Ar hyn o bryd mae Cyngor Sir y Fflint yn ymgynghori ar ei gynlluniau i gau pedair ysgol, gan gynnwys St Anthony yn Saltney a'u cyfuno i ffurfio un 'uwchysgol' ar gyfer disgyblion 3-18 oed rhwng 2026 a 2029.
Yn ddiweddar, cyfarfu Mr Rowlands â staff, llywodraethwyr a phlant yn Ysgol Gynradd Gatholig Sant Anthony. Mae Mr Rowlands yn gwrthwynebu'r cynnig yn llwyr - cynnig sydd hefyd â’r bwriad o gau Dewi Sant yn yr Wyddgrug, Ysgol Uwchradd Gatholig Sant Richard Gwyn a'r Santes Fair yn y Fflint
Meddai:
Roeddwn i’n falch iawn o gael y cyfle i ymweld â Sant Anthony a siarad â'r disgyblion am fy rôl fel AS yn y Senedd ac ymweld â'u Hysgol Goedwig ardderchog.
Fel cadeirydd Grŵp Trawsbleidiol y Senedd ar y Sector Gweithgareddau Awyr Agored, roedd hi hefyd yn wych gweld plant yn ymgysylltu â phrofiadau dysgu awyr agored yn eu coedwig eu hunain.
Rwy'n credu y dylai pawb allu cymryd rhan mewn gweithgareddau yn yr awyr agored ac yn arbennig y dylai pob plentyn ifanc gael y cyfle i fwynhau addysg awyr agored.
Mae'r Ysgol Goedwig wedi'i chynllunio i ddarparu profiad dysgu awyr agored i blant sy'n meithrin twf personol, sgiliau cymdeithasol, ac ymwybyddiaeth amgylcheddol ac mae wedi bod yn llwyddiant ysgubol.
Fodd bynnag, mae'r profiad hwn dan fygythiad oherwydd rhaglen moderneiddio ysgolion y Cyngor, lle mae buddsoddiad wedi'i nodi mewn partneriaeth ag Esgobaeth Gatholig Wrecsam a Llywodraeth Cymru. Byddai'r cynnig yn cyfuno sawl ysgol ac yn creu ysgol newydd.
Mae'r cynnig diweddaraf yn ceisio cau Ysgol Gynradd Gatholig Sant Anthony, Ysgol Gynradd Dewi Sant, Ysgol Gynradd Gatholig y Santes Fair ac Ysgol Uwchradd Gatholig St Richard Gwyn ac agor ysgol Gatholig 3-18 newydd i gyd.
Yn dilyn asesiad o'r holl safleoedd presennol, bydd yr ysgol newydd arfaethedig yn cael ei datblygu ar safleoedd presennol St Richard Gwyn a’r Santes Fair yn y Fflint gydag Ysgol Gynradd Gatholig Sant Anthony i fod i gau erbyn mis Medi 2026.
Ychwanegodd Mr Rowlands:
Rwy'n gwybod bod pryder gwirioneddol am y cynnig dadleuol hwn ac rwy'n benderfynol o helpu fy holl etholwyr a fyddai'n cael eu heffeithio gan gynllun o'r fath.
Rwy'n credu'n gryf mewn cadw ysgolion yn lleol ac nid wyf yn credu mai uno pedair ysgol leol yn un "uwch-ysgol" yw'r ffordd orau ymlaen. Mae St Anthony wedi bod yn rhan o gymuned Saltney ers dros 150 mlynedd ac mae'n darparu addysg wedi'i seilio ar werthoedd Cristnogol.
Byddwn yn annog pawb sydd â barn ar y cynigion hyn i gymryd rhan yn yr ymgynghoriad gan fod angen i'r Cyngor sylweddoli cryfder y gwrthwynebiad i gynlluniau o'r fath.
