Please Help Save Rhigos Primary School

RCTCBC have opened a consultation period for a proposal to close Rhigos Primary School and transfer the pupils to Hirwaun Primary School.

This is opposed by the parents, children, staff, governors and community.

We are incredibly lucky to have a school that takes children full-time from the age of 3 and many children have hugely benefited from having an education from that age. They have formed lifelong friendships and have a sense of community.

At Rhigos Primary, the children are all known by their names and the teachers and parents know one another well. The smaller scale at Rhigos means intimate teaching and good links between staff and parents, good communication and an ability to discuss any issues easily. Our children will lose that if they are absorbed into a much larger school.

Estyn report that the provision in Rhigos is “good”. Estyn however reported that Hirwaun school was deemed as “needing significant improvement” at the same time. Just because a huge amount of money has been pumped into Hirwaun does not mean that the teaching provision has improved, and increasing the pupil numbers there is only going to place more pressure on the teachers.

Rhigos is a community and its school is the heart of the village. If the school closes, the children will lose a central part of the village which in turn will impact on their socialising.

Since we heard the news about the proposed closure, many of the children have been upset, as have members of the community. There would be a loss of local jobs and an impact on house prices if the school were to be closed, meaning Rhigos as a village would suffer and no further regeneration could be sustainable. No new families would be drawn to the village if there’s no school.

A closure of Rhigos Primary School will have a detrimental effect on the children’s well-being and mental health and upon the Rhigos community as a whole.

Please sign this petition to help us campaign against the proposed closure. We only have until 17th November to respond to the consultation.