A Senedd member has called for changes to the rules governing school closures ahead of a Powys County Council decision on the future of Gladestry Church in Wales School.

Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd MS James Evans has questioned whether the Welsh Government’s School Organisation Code does enough to protect small rural schools.

A report recommends launching a statutory consultation on the school’s future, with a potential closure date of August 31, 2027 if the proposal is later approved.

The school currently has 31 pupils and is the smallest primary school in Powys.

The council has said the recommendation set to go before Cabinet is not a final decision to close the school, but would begin a statutory consultation process involving parents, pupils, staff, governors and local residents.

In the Senedd this week, Mr Evans asked the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Minister for Education for an update on the School Organisation Code and how small rural schools could be protected.

In a statement afterwards, he said the situation raised serious questions over whether the code was protecting rural schools in practice.

“Gladestry School is at the heart of its community, and the threat of closure will understandably cause huge concern for parents, pupils, staff and local residents,” he said.

“The Liberal Democrats in Powys County Council told communities they would protect small schools, yet here we are again with another rural primary school facing the threat of closure. People have every right to feel let down.

“The Welsh Government needs to look again at the School Organisation Code and ask whether it is actually protecting small rural schools in practice. A code that allows the heart to be ripped out of rural communities is not working as it should.

“This is not just about numbers on a spreadsheet. Once a village school closes, a community loses something that can never be easily replaced.”

He added: “I will keep pressing both Powys County Council and the Welsh Government to stand up for small schools in our rural areas. I’ll happily work with my local representatives to stop this school from closing.”