AMENDMENT to an ‘oversight’ error in a Pembrokeshire school catchment area have been backed by senior councillors.
At Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet meeting of June 2, members were asked to amend the school catchment area for Waldo Williams Primary School so that the new school site sits within its boundary.
Back in 2019, Waldo Williams Primary School was established and utilised on both of the former school sites for Mount Airey Nursery and Infants School and Haverfordwest Church in Wales VC School after they were previously discontinued.
Following a refurbishment of the school building as part of the Council’s Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme, Waldo Williams Primary School moved to the former Ysgol Glan Cleddau School site at Scarrowscant Lane, Haverfordwest in February 2022.
“However, the new school site currently sits marginally outside the existing catchment area, and it is logical that this is addressed by amending the catchment boundary,” report for members said.
It added: “It is proposed that, with effect from September 2025: The catchment area for Waldo Williams Primary School is extended marginally eastwards to include the location of the new school site on Scarrowscant Lane with the catchment area for Fenton Community Primary School realigned accordingly.”
It concluded: “It is acknowledged that the school site moved in February 2022, and the catchment area should have been amended at that time, but this was an oversight,” adding: “There is evidence that no current pupils live in the area subject to the proposed change and extending the catchment area will therefore merely formalise access to the school in the future.”
It was recommended that “Cabinet approves the proposal to extend the catchment area of Waldo Williams Primary School to include the location of the new school site on Scarrowscant Lane, with the catchment area for Fenton Community Primary School realigned accordingly”.
Members unanimously backed the recommendation, which had been moved by Cabinet Member for Education and Welsh Language Cllr Guy Woodham.
