For years, Cradoc C.P. School has been at the centre of its community, but in recent times, the school’s future has been uncertain.

In September 2024, Cradoc became part of Ysgol Golwg Pen y Fan, following a merger with Mount Street Infants and Junior Schools. The merger created a larger school operating across three campuses as part of Powys County Council’s plans to modernise education in the Brecon area. A new, 360-place primary school is planned on the site of the former Brecon High School, with dedicated facilities for early years, wraparound care, and community use. The new building is intended to replace the three current campuses once it opens. Contractors for the building work are expected to be appointed early in 2026, though the school is unlikely to be ready before the end of that year.

The most recent debate with Cradoc is over timing. Pupil numbers at Cradoc have fallen from 71 in September 2024 to 39 this year, with projections suggesting just 32 by September 2026. Powys County Council says the decline may require the Cradoc campus to close earlier than originally planned, with pupils moving to the other sites.

When the early closure proposal was first announced last month, Cllr James Gibson-Watt, Cabinet Member for a Learning Powys, said: "We are committed to securing the best possible start for our learners and we believe that our Strategy for Transforming Education in Powys will achieve this.

"As part of the strategy, we need to address the high proportion of small schools in the county, decreasing pupil numbers and the high number of surplus places.

"The Cradoc campus currently has a 75 per cent surplus capacity and faces challenges in offering the same level of provision as the other sites, including access to wraparound care.

"Bringing staff and pupils together will support stronger collaboration, allow for more effective grouping by ability or need, and foster social development through larger peer groups. It also makes it more viable to run clubs, sports teams, and enrichment activities.

"We remain committed to providing a new school building for Ysgol Golwg Pen y Fan and these plans are moving forward. This proposal provides greater certainty for the school ahead of their move."

Following that announcement, at a Cabinet meeting on October 14, councillors unanimously agreed to consult on the early closure proposal.

For many in the community, the drop in numbers was not inevitable. Parents and governors argue that the removal of wraparound care, the loss of outdoor play equipment, and advice discouraging new enrolments contributed to the decline. There has also been a question mark over official capacity figures, with claims the usable space at Cradoc has been overstated and may have misled decision-makers during earlier merger discussions.

Parents and governors alike have raised concerns over the speed and transparency of council announcements, noting that governors had less than 90 minutes to respond to closure proposals before a press release went public.

But now, a new initiative is emerging from within the community itself.

A group of volunteers, spanning backgrounds in education, business, youth services, finance, creative industries, and building trades, has formed a charity to explore taking over the Cradoc site through a Community Asset Transfer. Their plans go beyond keeping the classrooms open, they say. They want a community hub for all ages, restore services that have been lost, and create a space that will support the village for years to come.

“This is not about blame,” said Bev Carr, a trustee of the new charity. “It is about belief. Belief that rural communities deserve local schools. Belief that community-led solutions can work. And belief that closure does not have to be the final chapter.”

The group points to the Well Being of Future Generations (Wales) Act as a legislative framework that encourages exactly this kind of long-term, community-driven thinking. Leaflets and a social media campaign launched recently invite residents, businesses, local councillors, and Senedd members to register support or offer skills and resources.

If the county council moves forward with the closure, the group says it is prepared to request a Community Asset Transfer and take the vision forward. Such a move would mark one of the first instances in Wales of a community formally taking on a school site.

A Community Asset Transfer is a way for local groups to take ownership and manage publicly owned land and buildings. Under the General Disposal Consent, public bodies can transfer property to communities at less than full market value. This allows a group to take responsibility for a site that matters to them, keeping it open and in use, rather than letting it be closed or sold.

Ms Carr explained: “For years, Cradoc School has existed under the long shadow of possible closure. What should have been conversations about opportunity and children’s futures became discussions defined by uncertainty and decline.

“Now something different is happening. A group of parents, residents and volunteers, tired of feeling that closure is the only story available, have stepped forward with a shared belief: Cradoc is not finished, it is waiting for a future shaped by the community it serves.

“Rather than organising a response rooted in protest, they are offering a careful, positive and ambitious alternative.

“Their proposal is this: if the Local Authority no longer wishes to run Cradoc School, then the community is ready to do so, through a Community Asset Transfer, managed by a newly formed charity which puts long-term local benefit at its centre.”

Ms Carr continued: “This may be the first time in Wales that a community has sought to take on a school through a Community Asset Transfer. But every successful community-led future, in every village, town and city, began with the same starting point: people deciding something mattered enough to step forward.

“In Cradoc, that moment has arrived.”

For those wishing to get involved, more information is available at https://cradoc.org.uk or on the group’s Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/CradocCIO