Council’s education plan sets out improvement targets for struggling schools

Education chiefs expect to see two local high schools move out of their Estyn follow-up categories by April next year.

Brecon High School is currently in special measures while Ysgol Calon Cymru is in the significant improvement category, but both are expected to be moved up by December.

At a meeting of Powys County Council’s Learning and Skills scrutiny committee on Thursday, October 16, councillors and independent lay members will receive an update on the Education Department’s “Integrated Business Plan” which sets out how the council intends to improve the service over the next five years.

In March it was revealed that Estyn had found that the council’s Education department was “causing significant concern.”

Recommendations 

Following the inspection, the council had produced a Post Inspection Action Plan (PIAP) to Estyn which was submitted in July explaining how they would try and answer four recommendations given to them by the education watchdog.

The business plan details a broader approach that the council is taking.

The plan sets out a timetable for when results that show improvements in schools being made, are supposed to materialise.

The document says that: “By December through effective support and intervention, Brecon High School is removed from Special Measures and Newtown High School, Llanidloes High School, Ysgol Bro Caereinion (all-through primary school and high school in Llanfair Caereinion) and Guilsfield primary school from Estyn Review.”

Estyn Review is the lowest form of follow-up category that the education watchdog has.

The document also states that by April 2026: “Through effective support and intervention, Ysgol Calon Cymru (Builth Wells and Llandrindod Wells) are removed from significant improvement.

And by July 2026: “Archdeacon Griffiths Church in Wales (CIW) primary school in Brecon and Ysgol Dolafon primary school in Llanwrtyd Wells are removed from Significant Improvement.”

Educational priorities 

The document goes on to say that Machynlleth’s Ysgol Bro Hyddgen all-through primary and secondary school should come out of the significant improvement category by December 2026 as with St Mary’s Catholic primary school in Newtown, Llangors CIW primary school would also be expected to move out of special measures.

Similarly, Presteigne primary school is supposed to move out of the significant improvement category by April 2027 and Maesydderwen secondary school in Ystradgynlais out of special measures by July 2027.

The document then outlines that they would then start dealing with the Estyn inspection results from the 2024/2025 academic year which includes Welshpool High School who were put into special measures in July.

The report also states: “By October 2025, Education is championed across the entire council, with elected members (councillors), senior officers and all service areas working collectively to embed educational priorities into every aspect of policy, planning and delivery.

“This shared commitment ensures that education is not just the responsibility of schools or the Education department, but a central pillar of the council’s vision for community wellbeing, economic growth and social equity.”