Children and parents at Ysgol Abersoch have marched from the school to the village’s main beach to have their voices heard over the planned closure of the school.

The march, a video of which you can view below, took place on Monday, and involved children, parents and former pupils.

A statutory notice of closure on 31 December 2021 has been placed on the school.

Louise Overfield, who has a child who attends the school, was at the march. She said: “The children, parents and friends of Ysgol Abersoch marched from the school, holding banners saying ‘Dim Ysgol, Dim Cymuned, Dim Gobaith, Cofiwch Ysgol Abersoch’ and ‘Don’t drown our children’s voices!’

“The children proudly marched alongside ex-pupils and even got to meet one of the oldest surviving pupils at just 90 years young.

“The school bell rang out loud and proud letting everyone know they were coming, onlookers and shop keepers clapped and cheered in support.

“The children marched onto the main beach in Abersoch, where they planted 1,000 Welsh flags inside a sand sculptured heart, representing their place in the community.

“The flags represented past pupils’ voices, silenced voices, drowned voices and redacted voices.

“The community and village want answers from the council about affordable housing to encourage families and first-time buyers to build a life in their community.

“The cost of the children’s education appears to be worth less than the trash in our community.

“The children, parents and governors of Ysgol Abersoch want to thank the community for getting behind them, the children took the march all in their stride.”

Abersoch councillor Dewi Wyn Roberts added: “I’m disappointed with the decision to carry on with the closure of the school.

“There will be an appeal against the decision lodged. The school will be a huge loss to the village and it is detrimental to the Welsh language.

“The school is a huge asset in the middle of the village. The governors, parents and community don’t want it to close.”

A spokesperson for Gwynedd Council said: “The council has a duty to ensure that we provide the best possible education and experiences along with the best possible learning environment for our children. That is why we carried out a statutory consultation on the proposal, with full consideration given to comments received during the process.”