Welsh language teaching is to be extended and a new special school at Llanfyllin are among the plans put forward as Powys County Council relaunched its education strategy.

The council relaunched its  Strategy for Transforming Education in Powys at the Royal Welsh Show.

The change has seen the strategy amended to fit in with council terms, and will mean extra emphasis on extending Welsh medium education, digital innovation and improving Additional Learning Needs provision in the county.

During the next five years the council’s wish list is to:

  • Establish at least three new all-age (3 to 16 years old) schools.
  • Continue to reconfigure and rationalise primary schools.
  • Roll out the new Chweched Powys Sixth by collaborating with schools and other educational providers.
  • A greater emphasis on vocational qualifications, apprenticeships, and work-based placements in the post-16 educational offer.
  • Support at least three schools to move along the Welsh language continuum
  • Establish at least two new Welsh medium schools
  • Develop new county-wide network of specialist ALN (Additional Learning Needs) provision, to include post-16.

Further analysis of the proposals by the Local Democracy Reporting Service shows that there are specific ambitions to deliver these aims in the relaunched programme.

These are:

  • Extending “Trochi”  the Welsh language immersion programme that allows pupils new to Powys to develop their Welsh language skills – vital if attending a Welsh medium school – this will be provided across Powys in strategic location and supported online.
  • A satellite of Cedewain special school could be established in Llanfyllin.
  • A similar satellite of Brynllywarch special school would be established for the Ystradgynlais area.
  • A “Nurture” pilot would also be trialled at three primary and three secondary schools as part of the proposals for pupils with Additional Learning Needs (ALN).
  • Another proposal is to establish a “virtual school” for children in care.

Cabinet member for a learning Powys, Cllr Pete Roberts said: “We are at a time of significant change for education, both in Powys and across Wales, with the Curriculum for Wales due to be introduced from September onwards.

County Times: Cllr Pete RobertsCllr Pete Roberts

“This brings new opportunities, but also challenges.

“By listening to the views of those affected by any changes, I’m confident that we can make better decisions, and can work together to deliver the change needed to ensure that young people brought up in Powys benefit from an education system which will enable them to compete with the best in the world.”