Senior councillors back closure of rural school with just seven pupils

A school with just seven pupils is facing closure, following a recommendation by senior councillors.

Powys County Council is proposing to close Llangedwyn Church in Wales School after carrying out a six-week consultation on the future of the school between October and November 2023.

The findings of the consultation will be considered by the council’s Cabinet on Tuesday, 19 December.

If the closure plans are given the go-ahead, the council will publish a statutory notice formally proposing the change.

It would then be required to consider another report to conclude the process.

Consultation

Cllr Pete Roberts, Cabinet Member for a Learning Powys, said: “The council would like to thank all those who took part in the consultation exercise for this proposal.

“After carefully considering all the consultations responses, the recommendation that Cabinet will be considering is to continue with the proposal by publishing the statutory notice formally proposing the closure of Llangedwyn Church in Wales School.

“The proposal would address the issue of low numbers at Llangedwyn Church in Wales Primary School and it would increase pupil numbers at Llanfechain Church in Wales School. The proposal would also reduce the council’s overall surplus capacity in primary schools.”

Enviable reputation

Reacting to the potential closure, Chair of Governors at the school, Chris Richards, told the County Times:  “Llangedwyn School has served the local community for nearly 200 years and has an enviable reputation for providing a caring and nurturing environment for the children it has cared for over the years.

“Many in the community will know that the school has been under constant threat of closure for over a decade. This has created real uncertainty for parents thinking of bring their children to us.

“This combination of the long-term uncertainty over the future of the school and the rapidly diminishing funding has created a situation where it is not possible for the governors to continue to believe that the school is sustainable.”