School only opened 10 years ago but now pupils have to leave

Further discussions are set to take place regarding the relocation of pupils from a Pembrokeshire school while its roof undergoes a complete rebuild - despite the school being less than a decade old. Tenby VC School, a 3–11 English-medium primary school with an additional learning resource centre (LRC) provision, was only built in 2016. Within just a few years of its construction reports of water ingress began to emerge. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here. In November 2024 Pembrokeshire council's cabinet members approved a £75,000 feasibility budget to explore solutions for tackling roof leaks at Tenby's VC school, including the possibility of a complete roof replacement. The council introduced a series of urgent health and safety measures to address immediate risks, including the installation of 510 'acro' props to reinforce vulnerable roof sections, the full closure of the early years/playgroup wing, and the implementation of regular inspections. At the November 2025 cabinet meeting members received a report outlining the findings of the feasibility study. The preferred option of replacing the entire roof was identified, with tenders for the works now being sought. It was cautioned that "a comprehensive decant strategy" would be required to accommodate pupils elsewhere during the construction period. At the June 2026 cabinet meeting members were presented with a report by deputy leader and cabinet member for education and regeneration, Cllr Paul Miller, requesting approval to award a pre-construction services agreement (PCSA) for stage one of the Tenby VC School roof replacement project following the tendering process, with Morgan Sindall Construction emerging as the most successful bidder. The stage two construction contract will only advance following separate formal approval based on market-tested packages, validated cost plans, and a value for money assessment, according to the report presented to members. Members were additionally asked to determine which decant strategies should undergo detailed feasibility studies to facilitate the roof replacement works. The report indicated that seven initial proposals have been reduced to five possibilities. The options comprise: Relocating the entire school to Saundersfoot CP and Stepaside Schools while maintaining Tenby VC as a distinct entity at an estimated annual cost of half a million pounds. Dispersing Tenby VC pupils amongst several local schools throughout the broader Tenby cluster Transferring to neighbouring comprehensive Greenhill School which presently has 302 vacant places Creating a modular village at Greenhill School's northern perimeter, a self-contained modular village near Heywood Lane, featuring nine classrooms and associated facilities for Tenby VC A hybrid approach merging the modular village with Greenhill accommodation Two previously considered options - a modular village on alternative council-owned land in Tenby and a modular village on the Tenby VC site - have both been ruled out. Members consented to further examination of the 'decant' strategy, contingent upon a more thorough feasibility study, with a final decant proposal to be presented to cabinet for review, alongside the allocation of up to £75,000 to support the final proposal. Cllr Miller stated there were essentially two choices regarding the building: "Replace the roof or don't, and effectively abandon that site." "A roof completely failing on a 10-year-old building is completely bad news, but we have 180 children being educated in a building that is no longer fit for purpose, and we have to get on with it," he said. An additional report will be submitted to cabinet upon completion of stage one, seeking authorisation to proceed with the stage two construction contract. Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here . We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice .