Four rural schools in Powys face closure consultation

Llanbedr Church in Wales School is one of four being considered for closure in Powys

Powys council leaders have voted to press ahead with proposals to close four rural schools despite objections from their communities.

They say the schools near Crickhowell, Llandrindod Wells, Montgomery and Welshpool all have 40 pupils or fewer.

A 10-year strategy aims to improve the quality of education and cut costs.

Lib Dem group leader James Gibson-Watt accused the council of a piecemeal approach lacking in strategy, picking on schools because they were small.

The schools affected are:

• Castle Caereinion Church in Wales School, near Welshpool, which the council says has 23 pupils

• Churchstoke County Primary School, near Montgomery. with 36 pupils

• Llanbedr Church in Wales School, Crickhowell, with 40 pupils

• Llanfihangel Rhydithon County Primary School, near Llandrindod Wells, with 37 pupils

Castle Caereinion was first to be discussed, with local member David Jones pointing out that special allowance should have been given to its position as a faith school.

However, the council's head of transformation Emma Palmer said Welshpool Church in Wales School would have capacity to take Castle Caereinion's pupils.

In the case of Churchstoke, councillors disputed the number of pupils said to be there and claimed the village was growing and would swell numbers even more.

Deputy council leader Aled Davies said he shared concerns that the nearest alternative school was at Chirbury in Shropshire, and thus following the different curriculum in England.

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Population growth was also cited by councillors as a reason not to close Llanfihangel Rhydithon County Primary School, known locally as Dolau.

Former cabinet member Councillor James Evans - now a Conservative Senedd candidate - called for a pause in the proposal to close Llanbedr Church in Wales School, claiming it would be a "mistake" to press ahead with consultation during the pandemic.

However, cabinet member Councillor Myfanwy Alexander pointed to the higher-than-average cost of teaching pupils at each of the four schools.

For example, during 2020-21 each pupil at Castle Caereinion cost £6,919 compared with the Powys average of £4,264.

The ruling Independent/Conservative cabinet voted unanimously in all four cases to press ahead with consultation on closing the schools.

If approved they would close in August 2022 at the earliest, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.