Apology as schools find out about closure confirmation via press release
Apologies have been given to a school community who found out only by press release that a crunch meeting on their schools’ future was about to happen.
The decision to start the closure process for Llanfechain and Llangedwyn primary schools was taken at a meeting of the Powys County Council’s cabinet on Thursday.
Finance portfolio holder Councillor Aled Davies, who represents a ward which includes Llangedwyn, criticised the issuing of the press release.
Councillor Davies said: “I’m extremely unhappy about the communications from the education team.
“The chair of governors and staff found out about this meeting from a press releases which is simply not good enough.”
The portfolio holder raised concern that it was not the first time schools had read about issues relating to them in a press release.
Councillor Davies added: “I know I’ve had discussions behind closed doors about this in the past, and it’s been repeated.
“I'm making my views public that and I’m extremely unhappy about what has happened.”
Education portfolio holder Councillor Phyl Davies apologised and said: “When the press release was agreed I should have checked that the chair of governors and headteacher had been informed, it’s not good enough.”
Head of transformation and communications, Emma Palmer, said “I want to be clear, communication with the area did actually start in September last year, and there have been a number of meetings.
“The press release for this week didn’t go to the chair of governors for which I also apologise.”
Chris Richards, the chairman of Llanfechain and Llangedwyn schools which work together as a federation, said: “We had an apology for the communication, it’s about the third time they have done this.
“Announcing it without informing the leadership of the school and giving them the chance to give parents a heads up, is disgraceful.
“Once the genie is out of the bottle, it doesn’t matter how hard you try and explain the nuances to parents, they’ve seen it, and in their minds, that’s it, we’re closing.”
In 10 years as a school governor, Mr Richards, has been through previous reorganisations, but believes this is different.
He said: “Previously it was piecemeal, a smaller school would be picked off, this is literally an industrial scale school closure programme.”
Councillor Phyl Davies has said in past learning and skills scrutiny committee meetings, that he expects around 30 primary schools to close during the decade long Strategy for Transforming Education.
This would bring the number down to around 50.
