Britain’s smallest primary school and ‘key part of the community’ to shut for good as council issues devastating statement

Britain's smallest primary school will close permanently at the end of August, after more than 14 decades of educating local children.

Ysgol Y Garreg, situated in the North Wales village of Penrhyndeudraeth, has been described as "a key part of the community" but will close its doors on August 31 after 143 years of operation.

The tiny school, which has served generations of families in the Welsh village, faced mounting financial pressures that ultimately proved insurmountable.

Rising costs forced the decision to permanently close the institution, ending over a century of primary education at the site.

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The school experienced a dramatic collapse in pupil numbers over a remarkably short period.

Attendance plummeted by more than 90 per cent in just two years.

Student numbers fell sharply from 17 children to just two pupils, both of whom are in year six and will move on to secondary education following the summer break.

Currently, the school has no children enrolled in nursery, reception, or any year group from one through five.

The situation became terminal when no families registered their children to attend Ysgol Y Garreg for the upcoming academic year, leaving the institution without any future intake.

Financial considerations drove the council's decision, with each pupil's education at the school costing £21,471 annually.

This figure exceeds three times the nationwide average expenditure of £5,998 per student, rendering the institution economically unviable.

Cabinet members at Cyngor Gwynedd reached a unanimous decision to close the school on 31 August, despite its lengthy heritage in the Welsh community.

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The vote reflected the stark reality facing the local authority, which could no longer justify such disproportionate spending on a school with virtually no remaining pupils and zero prospective enrolments for the coming year.

Dewi Jones, cabinet member for education, acknowledged the painful nature of the decision.

He said: "Nobody goes into education in order to close schools.

"Our ambition is to see schools thriving, children succeeding and communities staying strong."

He added: "However painful it is to acknowledge that, we cannot ignore the facts before us, and in the specific position of Ysgol Y Garreg, it is impossible to ignore the seriousness of the situation."

Councillor June Jones described the closure as "a very sad situation".

He noted the school had provided excellent education for local children throughout its existence.

Pupils from the catchment area will now attend nearby Ysgol Cefn Coch, which currently educates approximately 40 children.

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