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Response by the Cabinet Member: It has been recognised for some time that Welsh-medium secondary provision in Mid and South Powys has been deteriorating, in terms of the number of subjects available to pupils, not only at Ysgol Calon Cymru but also at Brecon High School. This is clearly a matter of major concern for myself as Portfolio Holder for a Learning Powys, and the Cabinet as a whole, and we are now reaping the result of inaction by previous administrations. In the short term, work is being carried out as part of the Chweched Powys Sixth initiative, which also focuses on post-14 provision, to improve the choice of Welsh-medium subjects in the area by using e-sgol to provide additional subjects digitally. However, significant transformation is required to substantially improve Welsh-medium secondary provision in the area, and there is a commitment in our WESP to establish a new all-age Welsh-medium school in Builth Wells. As outlined in the recently published Transforming Education Newsletter: ‘Earlier this term, the Council published the findings of an informal engagement exercise carried out on plans to transform secondary education in the Mid Powys area. The report is available on the Council’s website at: https://www.haveyoursaypowys.wales/ysgol-calon-cymru The aim of this exercise was to give stakeholders the opportunity to give their initial views on the Council’s preferred way forward for Ysgol Calon Cymru, which is: • A new 11-18 English-medium campus in Llandrindod Wells; plus • A remodelled 4-18 Welsh-medium all-through campus in Builth Wells The findings of this piece of work will be invaluable in helping the Council shape the future direction for the school. Further work is also being carried out to test the preferred way forward, including work to assess the feasibility of remodelling Ysgol Calon Cymru’s Builth Wells campus to accommodate an all-age school. This work is expected to be concluded early in 2023, and the Council will then need to consider how to move forward, to ensure that in the future, learners across the catchment can access educational opportunities of the highest quality.’ This will of course take time and will be subject to successful completion of business cases and formal consultation proposals, but it is the single, most transformative, initiative proposal that we expect to progress within the education sector at this time and I will be asking officers to prioritise moving it forward to the next stage of the process in the new year.
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