PENGLAIS School has lost 19 teachers — with combined teaching experience of 253 years — within the last two years, it has been revealed.

Among the teachers to have left since December 2014 are six heads of department, a deputy headteacher, a head of year, and two assistant heads of year, with the recruitment of only five new members of teaching staff so far announced.

School newsletters published at the end of each school term also reveal that two teachers have left to take up positions at neighbouring Welsh-medium secondary school, Ysgol Penweddig, while two other teachers have moved to secondary schools in Lampeter and Tregaron, with another moving to Comins Coch Primary School.

Six have left the county’s biggest school due to retirement, including former deputy headteacher Hugh Lewis, who had 33 years of experience at the school, and former head of lower school Alison Lewis, who taught at Penglais for 32 years.

Speaking to the Cambrian News this week, Ceredigion County Council said such events were “inevitable”, and said the movement of staff to other schools in the county was a “significant compliment” to Penglais School’s leadership and its governors.

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