Parents have raised concerns that the county council may be moving to close village schools ‘through the back door’.

Ceredigion County Council cabinet members approved an updated health and safety policy for schools in the county at its June meeting, which will be implemented from September.

The updated 23-page policy states: “The Supervision in Schools Guidance sets out the minimum safe staffing expectations for schools, explaining why at least three members of staff must be on site at all times

“Although no law specifies a minimum number, the guidance shows that a minimum of three is the only practical and defensible way to meet legal, safeguarding, health and safety, and insurance requirements.”

Multiple sources have approached the Cambrian News to raise concerns that this updated policy poses a threat to smaller schools with fewer staff, who don’t always have three members of staff on site, with fears that this could lead to school closures ‘by the back door’ in due course.

The concern is that increasing staff numbers would have an impact on school budgets and lead to rising costs, making some schools unviable.

There is also a culture of mis-trust between parents and senior education staff at Ceredigion County Council following contentious plans to close four schools in the north of the county, which were eventually shelved last year.

In September 2024, Ceredigion County Council cabinet members voted to launch statutory consultations on shutting the doors of four “unviable” village primary schools.

The consultations over the future of Ysgol Craig yr Wylfa in Borth, Ysgol Llanfihangel y Creuddyn, Ysgol Llangwyryfon, and Ysgol Syr John Rhys in Ponterwyd were then changed to informal consultations after a formal challenge was lodged over the plans.

The four schools were handed a stay of execution last year, with the council saying that the closure date of August 2025 was “not feasible”.

Responding to the staffing concerns, a Ceredigion council spokesperson said: “The local authority has stipulated, in the updated ‘Health and Safety Policy’ that three members of staff should be present at all times on the school site, during statutory school hours 9.00 - 3.30, in order to safeguard the health, safety and wellbeing of both pupils and staff.

“This expectation is not linked in any way to ‘school closures’ and it is not intended to place undue pressure on smaller schools but rather to ensure that appropriate supervision, emergency response and support arrangements are in place during the school day.

“Reduced staffing undermines the school’s ability to supervise safely, manage risks, and respond to emergencies it may also constitute a failure to meet statutory duty of care, risking legal challenge, HSE investigation, and potential personal or corporate liability.

“Whilst no single regulation specifies an exact number of staff, the combined requirements of health and safety law, safeguarding duties and risk management considerations make three staff members the minimum reasonable operational standard. Insurance providers expect staffing levels to be safe, reasonable, and aligned with local authority policies and guidance.”