Powys County Council has opened a public consultation on ambitious plans to transform education in mid Powys, which include establishing a new Welsh-medium all-age school in Builth Wells alongside significant investment in school facilities.

The proposals form part of the council’s Transforming Education programme and are designed to support its Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) for 2022-2032, as well as its broader Strategy for Transforming Education in Powys.

Under the plans, the changes would be implemented in two phases. From September 2027, the council intends to open a new Welsh-medium all-age school for pupils aged 4 to 18 on the current Builth campus of Ysgol Calon Cymru. Initially, this new school would share the campus and some facilities with Ysgol Calon Cymru as a temporary arrangement while capital investment is carried out at Ysgol Calon Cymru’s Llandrindod campus. As part of this phase, Builth Wells C.P. School would change its language category to English-medium, with pupils in its Welsh-medium stream transferring to the new all-age school. Meanwhile, Ysgol Calon Cymru would change from a dual stream to an English-medium school, with pupils in Years 7 to 9 currently in its Welsh-medium stream moving to the new Welsh-medium all-age school. The Welsh-medium stream at Ysgol Calon Cymru would be phased out by September 2029.

The second phase, planned for September 2029 at the earliest, involves the completion of capital investment at the Llandrindod campus to accommodate all pupils from Ysgol Calon Cymru and to improve existing facilities. At this point, the Builth Wells campus of Ysgol Calon Cymru would close, and all its pupils would move to the Llandrindod site. The new Welsh-medium all-age school would then take over the entire Builth campus.

Cllr Pete Roberts, Cabinet Member for a Learning Powys, said: “This exciting proposal represents the next stage in the delivery of our strategic plans for education in Powys. They will move us one step closer to delivering our Strategy for Transforming Education in Powys and Welsh in Education Strategic Plan.

“The proposals would see a new Welsh-medium all-age school established in central Powys which would provide an improved Welsh-medium experience for our learners while a broader curriculum could be provided to English-medium learners who would all be on one campus, eliminating the need to duplicate English-medium provision across two sites.

“As part of our proposals, we would invest in both campuses to ensure that all learners are taught in 21st century facilities that will enable them to thrive and reach their full potential.”

The council is inviting members of the public, particularly those in the Calon Cymru catchment area and surrounding communities, to share their views on the proposals. The consultation is open until Wednesday, July 2.

To respond to the consultation, visit https://en.powys.gov.uk/transformingeducation and follow the links to give your views online.

Alternatively, you can respond in writing by emailing [email protected] or via post to Transforming Education Team, Powys County Council, County Hall, Llandrindod Wells, LD1 5LG.