Council to make a ‘radical’ overhaul of sixth forms, due to lack of post-16 students

Elgan Hearn, local democracy reporter

A local authority will unveil a “radical and ambitious” overhaul of sixth forms later this year, an education chief has said.

The future of post-16 education was brought up for discussion at a Powys County Council meeting, due to concerns over dwindling student numbers.

Powys currently suffers from a “brain drain”, with hundreds of teenagers leaving the county each day to follow further education courses elsewhere.

Funding loss

Welsh Government funding for post-16 education directly corresponds to the number of students at an institution.

This means that Powys schools miss out on funding when pupils opt to study elsewhere after their GCSEs.

In 2020, the council were told that an estimated 500 youngsters from Powys were leaving the county daily to continue their education in Shrewsbury, Hereford, Cheshire, Denbighshire, Neath Port Talbot, and elsewhere.

Between 2010 and 2019, the number of pupils in Powys sixth forms dropped from 1,445 to 978.

Correspondingly, funding from the Welsh Government based on pupils numbers for this period dropped from £6.5 million to £4.4 million.

Councillors were told that this year Powys schools received around £4 million from the Welsh Government to teach sixth formers.

‘Stay local’

Powys Independent Cllr Jeremy Pugh said: “Post 16 education is our biggest challenge.

Cllr Pugh said that he knew of students that left Builth Wells at 6.10 am to attend Hereford Sixth Form College, getting back home for 7pm.

Cllr Pugh said: “This is shocking to me – our post 16 education needs to start looking outside the norm and give them the chance to stay local.”

‘Strategic review’

Head of schools transformation Marianne Evans told the committee that a “strategic review” of Post-16 education in the county is being conducted.

Ms Evans said: “The current model is that we have 12 sixth forms, as approved in 2021.”

“Whilst the model has improved collaboration, co-ordination and planning of the post 16 curriculum, the financial position for next year is difficult for us.”

She said: “We will be bringing papers to cabinet later on this spring around our post-16.”

‘Courageous’

Ms Evans said: “It is time to take some courageous ambitious steps with our post-16”, adding “It’s an opportunity to do something radical and ambitious.”

“We can’t cut any further, it’s death by 1,000 cuts in our schools and sixth forms”, she added.

Recommendation from the panel will be included in the draft budget papers that will be voted on by councillors at a full council meeting later this month.