Gwynedd Council will close Ysgol Baladeulyn and Ysgol Nebo will on 31 December.

From 1 January, Ysgol Baladeulyn pupils will attend Ysgol Talysarn. Ysgol Nebo’s will move to Ysgol Llanllyfni.

Council leader Nia Jeffreys said the decisions were “very difficult” and had been considered “with a heavy heart”.

The closures are due to falling pupil numbers. In January Ysgol Nebo had 12 and the average cost per pupil for the 2026-27 financial year was £16,066.

Ysgol Baladeulyn had eight where the average cost per pupil was £25,123. That’s compared to a county average of £5,998.

Pupils, parents, teachers, school governors, councillors and communities fought to save the schools, with written responses sent in and a petition organised.

Cllr Dewi Jones acknowledged that rural schools were “much more than buildings” and “part of the fabric of communities and part of the memories of local families, often going back centuries”, and said the closures had not come about due to any shortcomings in the quality of education at either school but due to demographics.

“Across Gwynedd there have been 1000 fewer pupils of primary school age than 10 years ago.”

The situation was “not unique,” the trend was being seen “across the county, nationally and internationally with birth rates in decline,” he added.

Head of education Gwern ap Rhisiart said “all options” had been considered.

“Federalisation does bring strengths but only works at schools where you have a substantially higher number of pupils.” he said.

“We did not feel the federalisation model was one we were able to press on with.”

He said “many objections were received” and they had “considered every option very carefully.”

“We don’t come to work with a wish to close schools, we’re here to ensure the best education for young people and children, sometimes we have to make difficult decisions to move the sector forward.”