A CLOSURE listed secondary school has been given the approval of Welsh school inspectors Estyn.
Gwernyfed High School in Three Cocks has been removed from Estyn monitoring. The school had been placed under monitoring following its last full inspection.
Estyn sent its inspectors back into the school in February to monitor its progress over two days and has now confirmed monitoring would no longer be required.
Powys County Council is proposing to close Gwernyfed and Brecon High and establish a new 11-16 school, which would initially operate from the two existing sites before a new build in Brecon is completed.
Council cabinet members have said its plans, which also propose closing secondaries at Builth Wells and Llandrindod, are aimed at improving standards.
Cabinet members have often repeated the line that it must tackle standards with three schools in special measures and Gwernyfed under Estyn monitoring.
Headteacher John Williams said: "Thanks must go to all pupils and staff who have worked so hard to ensure Gwernyfed continues to raise expectations and standards and allows all young people to reach their potential.
"This can only be achieved by the support of parents, governors and the whole community."
The chairman of the school’s governing body, Ian Charlesworth said Estyn’s approval further undermined the council’s closure case.
He said: "Thanks to the hard work and diligence of Gwernyfed’s staff and pupils, it continues to improve and is well on the road to becoming a ’green category school’, with both good results and a good capacity to improve - all whilst delivering a balanced budget and retaining our staff.
"That this has been recognised by Estyn is excellent news and Powys must be very proud to have such a well managed, high performing school.
"Why they are seeking to effectively merge it with one in special measures is utterly bewildering and completely at odds with the Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools programme, and with its School Organisation Code, which clearly states Powys must place the interests of learners above all others.
"In this respect, and many others, Powys’ plans to close Gwernyfed singularly fail.
"Instead they propose to break up the leadership team they aspire to, destroy the staff team, and disrupt the pupils, all to solve a problem of their own making."
The council has said its plans will create sustainable 600 pupil secondary schools and eliminate the need for travelling between sites for post 16 pupils in Brecon.