A MONMOUTHSHIRE village primary school which was graded one of the worst in Wales will officially close in April.

Llanfair Kilgeddin Church in Wales Primary School was placed in special measures in December 2014 and was graded by Estyn inspectors as red – the lowest possible category - in January last year.

All of its 29 pupils were moved to Usk Primary School in March 2015, after a temporary head teacher who had been seconded from another Monmouthshire council-run school resigned from their Llanfair Kilgeddin role.

Welsh Government inspectors had previously found the school lacked stable leadership.

Monmouth MP David Davies and AM Nick Ramsay backed parents' pleas to keep the school open in the spring last year.

But Monmouthshire council’s cabinet members are expected to pass the plan to close it at a meeting next Thursday.

The authority would stand to save about £45,000 when the site closes, but any money made from the sale of the land involved will go to the Monmouth Diocesan Trust, who own it.

The average cost of educating a pupil at Llanfair Kilgeddin Primary was considerably more than the Monmouthshire average. Llanfair Kilgeddin’s pupils cost £5,928 per year while the Monmouthshire average was in 2014, £3,627.

A statutory consultation over the closure was held from January 20 until February 17 this year, with one person objecting.

The council’s cabinet member for operations councillor Bryan Jones attended the school in the early 1950s – but supports the closure.

He told a previous meeting: “This is something of an emotional day for me. I became pupil there 63 years ago and following my seven elder siblings who had also been there proceeding my two sons who also went there.

“We all understand the reason it has to close and it is with some sadness – but that building is identical to the state it was in almost when I went there. So very, very little has changed there. I mourn its passing, I enjoyed life there tremendously but life moves on.”

All former Llanfair Kilgeddin Primary pupils are now being educated either at Raglan Primary School, Usk Primary School, Llanvihangel Crucorney Primary School, at schools outside Monmouthshire, or at private sites.