June 24, 2026 - 117 views
Conwy County Borough Council has approved the next stage in the formal process for the potential closure of Ysgol Ysbyty Ifan and Ysgol Betws y Coed.
At a recent Cabinet meeting, councillors agreed to proceed with issuing Statutory Notices following a formal consultation period held between December 2025 and January 2026.
Under the Welsh Government’s School Organisation Code, any proposal to close a school must follow a structured legal process, beginning with consultation and followed by the issuing of statutory notices if the proposal is taken forward. The outcomes of the consultation were previously considered by both the Education and Skills Scrutiny Committee and Cabinet earlier this month.
Cabinet has now voted to move the process forward, with Statutory Notices for both schools having been published. This marks the start of a 28-day statutory notice period during which formal objections or representations can be submitted.
The notices relate to the proposal to close Ysgol Betws y Coed and Ysgol Ysbyty Ifan. Once the notice period ends, all feedback and representations will be reviewed before a final decision is made by the Council’s Cabinet.
The council says the proposals form part of a wider review of school provision in response to long-standing challenges affecting a small number of rural schools across Conwy. These include falling pupil numbers, surplus capacity, and increasing pressure on budgets and staffing in smaller schools, which can make it more difficult to maintain a broad and sustainable curriculum offer.
It adds that in some rural communities, declining enrolment has been an ongoing trend over a number of years, and projections suggest pupil numbers are unlikely to increase significantly in the foreseeable future.
The council has previously said that ensuring long-term sustainability of education provision, while maintaining quality and making effective use of resources, is a key factor in considering changes to the school estate.
A final determination on both proposals will be made once the statutory process has concluded.
