Earlier in the year, Coginta, the company running St. Clare’s School, a private school in Nottage, Porthcawl – announced it was set to close due to falling pupil rolls and questions over its financial viability.
At this month’s full council meeting, Cllr. Martin Williams (Ind, Coity Higher) asked about the impact the closure would have on the county’s state schools and the support offered to parents and affected pupils.
There was a particular concern about pupils in exam years. As a private school, St Clare’s doesn’t need to follow the Welsh national curriculum – meaning students don’t have to study Welsh (Second Language) to GCSE level. The school also offers different subjects to local state schools, such as the continued offer of triple/separate science GCSEs.
What would BCBC do to address this?
BCBC “not given notice of closure”
Cabinet Member for Education & Youth Services, Cllr. Martyn Jones (Lab, Garw Valley) described it as a “dreadful situation”.
Cllr. Jones confirmed that BCBC was not given any advanced notice of the closure by Coginta and only knew of it through affected families.
Resettlement options are being looked at for families who have applied to the council for places, while there have also been separate talks with trustees looking to take over the school. Cllr. Williams has since stated on Facebook that 87 pupils are set to transfer to state schools in September 2025.
On the issue of the curriculum, Director for Education, Lindsay Harvey, said Cllr. Williams raised “a really important point”. The closest state secondary school – Porthcawl Comprehensive – is “close to capacity” and doesn’t offer Spanish GCSE unlike St. Clare’s (though it does offer French and German).
That said, he praised how Porthcawl Comprehensive’s staff had reacted and the work they were doing to accommodate St Clare’s. He said he would provide more information to councillors as the situation develops.
