Campaigners fighting the proposed closure of Gladestry Church in Wales School are urging residents to turn out for a public meeting this week.

The Friends of Gladestry School are holding the meeting at Gladestry Village Hall at 7pm on Thursday, September 24. The group is calling on parents, residents, businesses, farmers, former pupils and others to attend and discuss the future of the village school.

The proposal followed concerns over falling pupil numbers, with 31 children on the school roll in July. Council figures presented to Cabinet that month projected that number would fall to 19 pupils by 2030.

The council has said closing the school would help address low pupil numbers and surplus places while supporting the long-term sustainability of education provision.

But the Friends of Gladestry School say the impact of a closure needs to be considered beyond pupil numbers and the immediate cost of running the school.

The group says Thursday's meeting will give people the opportunity to ask questions, scrutinise the case for closure and raise concerns about the potential effect on the wider community.

Hannah Price, a spokesperson for the Friends of Gladestry School, said: “This is not simply about losing a school building. It is about what sort of future we want for Gladestry and for rural communities like ours.

“A village school helps bring families into an area, connects generations and contributes to the social and economic life of the community. If we lose these institutions, we have to ask what the consequences will be in five, ten or twenty years’ time.

“We want the possible impact on local families, businesses, housing, transport and the future viability of our community to be properly examined as part of this process.

“And this matters beyond Gladestry. There is real concern that this could be the thin end of the wedge for small rural schools. Communities elsewhere in Powys will understandably be asking whether their school could be next.

“That is why we need people to turn up. Whether you have children at Gladestry School or not, whether you are a parent, grandparent, farmer, business owner, former pupil or simply somebody who cares about the future of rural communities, please come.

“Fill the hall. Ask questions. Make your voice heard.”

Local county councillor Ed Jones argued that the school was performing strongly and said alternative options such as federation or shared leadership should have been explored.

The council's Cabinet member for education, Cllr James Gibson-Watt, defended the proposal, saying the authority had considered different options and that there were “no easy or good answers” to the situation.

Cabinet agreed unanimously to proceed with the proposal.

This was not a final decision to close the school and the statutory consultation must be completed before any final decision is made.