Primary schools in Arddleen and Crewgreen are also under threat

The reorganisation of the Llanfyllin catchment does now include two primary schools from the Welshpool High School catchment area.

Arddleen county primary school and Bryn Hafren community primary school in Crewgreen have been added into the mix.

Officially the reorganisation of schools in the locality is now known as the “Transformation Programme for Llanfyllin/North Welshpool catchment area.”

The two schools have now been added to Llandysilio Church in Wales school in Four Crosses and Carreghofa county primary school in Llanymynech, which make up “phase three” of the process.

Proposals for these schools should be ready in the autumn.

At Powys County Council’s cabinet meeting on Thursday, March 18, the changes to the process were approved.

Education portfolio holder, Councillor Phyl Davies, said: “The attention now has moved based on the complexities within the case, and on the work done by the service area to take this forward on a phased basis.

“Phase three which will take place in the autumn will look at the remaining schools in the catchment.”

Finance portfolio holder, Councillor Aled Davies added: “It will be the end of the year before we start seeing the business case being developed, it’s sad to see it pushed back six months, because the investment in the area is desperately needed.

“It’s the quality and standard of education that Powys schools provide is key to all of this.”

Cabinet voted unanimoulsy to approve the approach.

Back in September 2020 when the cabinet first discussed schools in the Llanfyllin catchment area, there was shock that schools from the Welshpool area would be included.

The original proposal was to replace both Carreghofa and Llandysilio with a new 360 place area school, at an unconfirmed site.

And the previously unidentified schools in the Welshpool catchment area would have been included in this proposal.