A SOUTH Powys primary school will close later this year following a Cabinet decision.
On March 8, Cabinet approved the proposal to close Llanbedr Church in Wales School.
The school will be closed on August 31, 2022.
Pupils of Llanbedr Church in Wales School will be transferred to attend their nearest alternative school.
Cllr Phyl Davies, Cabinet Member for Education and Property, said: “After carefully considering the objections, Cabinet has approved the proposal to close Llanbedr Church in Wales School.
“This decision has not been reached lightly. Not only has it been robustly challenged by senior leaders within the council at every step, but it has been developed with the best interest of the learners, who have been at the forefront of our discussions and decision-making.”
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The closure is part of Powys County Council’s ongoing project to reconfigure primary schools in the county as a Strategy for Transforming Education in Powys 2020-2030.
The strategy outlines a concern that the county has a high proportion of small schools which results in the budget share per student being higher than the Powys average for primary schools.
In November 2021, Cabinet formally proposed the change.
During the statutory notice period, over 350 objections were received.
Powys County Council is hoping that the change will allow the education pupils receive to more closely align with the standard area model for delivering education.
Phyl Davies added: “We are committed to transforming the learner experience and entitlement for our learners and we will achieve this by delivering our Strategy for Transforming Education in Powys 2020-2030.
“Our strategy is ambitious, exciting and we believe it will give our learners the best possible start they deserve.
“However, as we start to implement it, we will be faced with significant decisions as we look to address some of the challenges facing education in Powys which include the high proportion of small schools in the county, decreasing pupil numbers and the high number of surplus places.”
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