AS FEW as seven Newport schools could be fully open during September's two-day Nato summit at Celtic Manor, as fears over "major disruption" along the M4 corridor cause head teachers and governors to close schools and take inset days instead.
As the President of the United States and other heads of state gather in the city, Bridge Achievement Centre, Duffryn Infants, Junior and High Schools, Pill Primary, and St Julian's High School will remain fully open on September 4 and 5, while St Joseph's RC Primary and High Schools will only close on the Friday.
Newport High, Lliswerry and Llanwern High Schools will each be partly open, closing at various times between 1pm and 2.30pm on both days. Llanwern will be closed on September 5.
According to a list provided by Newport council, Milton Junior School will be open 8.55am to 2pm Thursday and closed Friday; Lliswerry Primary will be open from 8.30am to 1.30pm both days; Somerton and St Andrew's will both be open from 8.30am to 1.30pm both days;
The majority of Newport's schools have elected to have an inset day on Thursday and Friday that week, although Crindau Primary, Marshfield Primary, Milton Infants, Monnow Primary, Pentrepoeth Primary, Pill Primary and Ysgol Gymraeg Casnewydd had not yet declared their intentions as the Argus went to press.
Schools as far afield as Chepstow and Penarth have declared their intentions to close entirely or to shut early during the gathering of world leaders at the Caerleon golf resort.
The schools have taken advice from their respective councils.
This will be the first Nato Summit since Chicago in 2012, and the first in the UK since it came to London in 1990, with thousands of delegates and journalists from all over the world congregating in Newport as well as a sizeable contigent of anti-Nato protesters.
Meanwhile, during working sessions at the Celtic Manor and more informal events in Cardiff, world leaders will look to address issues which threaten Nato countries’ national security, including piracy, terrorism and cyber attacks.
Around 9,000 police officers will be deployed to South Wales as part of the biggest security operation the UK has ever seen, allowing Gwent Police to continue responding to emergencies and other incidents as all their leave is cancelled.
At a meeting of Caerleon residents last week Gwent Insp Mike Richards said they had conducted a “dry run” on the M4 on a Monday during the evening rush without experiencing "excessive" disruption.
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