Powys council 'super schools' plan for Machynlleth and Llanidloes

Powys council says plans are in the early stages

Plans have emerged for two new "super schools" for 3-19-year-olds in Powys, which could mean the closure of at least three primary schools.

A review is taking place in the Machynlleth and Llanidloes areas as part of a wider shake-up of education.

Primaries in Machynlleth, Llanbrynmair and Glantwymyn could shut and an all-through school built in Machynlleth.

But Powys council said there were other options and a super school could be delivered across a number of campuses.

A spokesman said that if approved, it could be a decade before funding was in place to press ahead with the proposals.

Neighbouring Ceredigion council is creating a 3-19 schools in Lampeter and is making plans for a similar set-up in Llandysul.

Powys council has been looking at modernising its primary and secondary schools.

It has already agreed to close 10 primary schools and build four replacements in and around Ystradgynlais at a cost of £36m, which also includes the £9.6m refurbishment of the town's secondary school.

Save money

A Powys council report from last November said that in June 2010 the authority published a discussion document outlining the "educational and economic challenges facing the county".

In response, the governing bodies of Ysgol Bro Ddyfi, Ysgol Gynradd Machynlleth, Ysgol Gynradd Glantwymyn and Ysgol Gynradd Llanbrynmair together wrote to council with their views and "their wish to explore the possibility of establishing an all-through school for 3-19-year-olds in the area".

The report added: "Subsequently, an area review of primary schools has begun in the Bro Ddyfi and Llanidloes areas and this presents the authority and the schools with an ideal opportunity to bring together the secondary and primary modernisation programmes, so that education can be reviewed as a whole in both areas."

The council said all-through schools could save money.

Both Machynlleth and Llanidloes primary and secondary schools are on neighbouring campuses.