Pupils' joy as school re-opens after takeover

PARENTS, pupils and teachers have celebrated the official re-opening of a Swansea independent school.

The continuation of Ffynone House School in Uplands had been in doubt earlier this year after parent company Cognita told staff and pupils it was considering closing the school for good because it was not financially viable.

A small number of pupils left the school immediately after the announcement.

Ffynone House has now transferred from the hands of Cognita, which acquired the school in 2007, to the charitable trust which previously owned the school.

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Headteacher and parent Nicola Walker addressed the official re-opening ceremony and said: "We have had some very difficult months since the beginning of the year and we have been overwhelmed by the support from parents past and present and pupils, from friends of the school and people in the local community.

"With that swell of support for the school came the parents' action group and the trustees, without them it would have been a different story.

"Thankfully people realised it would be a great loss to see a school such as this disappear."

Parent John Williams chaired the Parents' Action Group and said: "Many of us believed that in the context of the city of Swansea the need for an independent school in the secondary sector was hugely important.

"Swansea is a city on the up.

"It is a sporting capital of Wales reflected by Pro12 champions the Ospreys, Swansea City being second in the Barclays Premier League and swimming gold medals in the Olympics.

"It is an ambitious, vibrant city and plurality of education is essential if such a city is to succeed."

Teenager Chris Williams is about to start his second year of GCSEs at the school and said: "We were all really devastated to hear the school may be closing."

The 15-year-old from Uplands added: "We are such a tight family."

Fellow pupil Ellie Gorvett, 16, said: "We all tried to do what we could to keep the school open."

Mark Williams, vicar at St James Church in Uplands, said his congregation prayed for the future of Ffynone.

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