Reorganisation of Powys sixth forms is approved by cabinet

The first steps on the long awaited journey to restructure sixth forms in Powys have been taken.

At their meeting on Tuesday, May 18, councillors on Powys County Council’s Independent/Conservative cabinet approved the reorganisation which is officially known as: “Strategy for transforming education in Powys – strategic aim two, to improve learner entitlement and experience for post-16 learners.”

This is partly a response to the loss of hundreds of students and the corresponding money to colleges in England and other parts of Wales, during the last decade.

At the meeting Learning and Skills scrutiny committee chairman, Cllr Peter Roberts told cabinet that the committee viewed the reorganisation as: “putting our house in order.”

Post-16 work-stream chairman, Huw Evans, told councillors: “It’s an extremely exciting time for Post-16 in Powys to develop a long term framework which is so crucial for what Powys needs.

“The case for change has been laid out in Powys over many years.”

“The proposals is around basic post-16 provision across Powys, remaining at current centres (schools), although clearly not all courses will be available at all centres.

“We will be delivering a greater blend of learning through a mixed approach of face to face and distance learning with all the lessons we have learnt over the pandemic.”

He added that part of the proposal would include a review of sixth form facilities, so that they are all brought to a minimum level.

Mr Evans said that current education through the Welsh language and for those Additional Learning Needs (ALN) at sixth form is “very thin indeed.”

But that would change with the reorganisation.

Finance portfolio holder Cllr Aled Davies, said: “I welcome this, it is a really important step forward.

“The case for change has been apparent to us all for years and years before this cabinet even came into existence.

“I thank Phyl (Davies) as portfolio holder for grasping this and driving it forward.”

“We are just in the foothills, there’s been a huge amount of work done to date, and this report acknowledges that there is so much more to do.”

“This is a real opportunity to address the deficit in the Welsh language education.”

Education portfolio holder, Cllr Phyl Davies, said: “This is a significant movement and progression in the most important area of transformation of education Powys, it’s been left behind for all of us to pick up.

“It’s been moved at pace in the last 18 months.”

He added that he “appreciated the positivity” shown by members of the Learning and Skills scrutiny committee when they discussed the proposal last week.

In the coming months three management boards will be created to run Powys’ post-16 education.

A Strategic Management Board (SMB) will decide where the money received from the Welsh Government goes.

Beneath this board will be two Operational Management Board’s (OMB) for both north and south Powys.

They will deal more with the nuts and bolts of running the educational side of things and will be made up of the schools in those areas.

It is hope that by Christmas, under the new structure the boards will be able to explain to pupils what courses will be available from September 2022.

Schools in Cluster Group North are: “Bro Hyddgen (Machynlleth), Brynllywarch (Newtown)  Caereinion, Cedewain (Newtown), Llanfyllin, Llanidloes, Newtown, and Welshpool.

Schools in Cluster Group South are: Brecon, Calon Cymru, Crickhowell, Gwernyfed, Maesydderwen and Penmaes.