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Powys County Times
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Powys County Times
Schools 'deeply concerned' with Powys sixth form plans
Two major schools in Powys have said they are 'deeply concerned' with council plans to close English medium sixth forms in the county. The governing bodies of Ysgol Llanfyllin and Welshpool High School have released a joint statement saying both schools 'neither the interests of our learners or our communities' will benefit from one of the proposed plans regarding the future of Powys sixth forms. Powys Council is undertaking a review of post-16 education in Powys under which one option would be to close all English-medium sixth forms in the county and replace them with two new large-scale colleges in Newtown and Brecon. Governors of the Welshpool and Llanfyllin schools, which make up 29 percent of Powys sixth form pupils, have requested that stakeholders challenge 'both the methodology and outcomes' of the review. The joint statement said: 'Both governing bodies are aware and fully support the review of post-16 education in Powys; however, for the review to have such a considered outcome and openly declared preferred option, before directly considering the needs of learners and communities in North Powys, is very much placing the cart before the horse. 'Both governing bodies feel unable to support the preferred option and encourage other north Powys stakeholders to consider a similar approach. 'Beyond simply leaving Welsh Medium provision to one of the smallest providers, there is no coherent plan to address the key reasons for the lack of a broad Welsh Medium, post-16 curriculum in north Powys. 'The plan makes no consideration of the ease of access and close proximity of several well established and stable post-16 providers, which are available to northern Powys pupils a short distance across the border. 'No consideration has been given to the risk of an increased migration of north Powys pupils across the border, which could reduce the size of Powys 6th Form by as much as a third. 'No consideration has been given to how a decline in pupil numbers—caused by post-16 students choosing to attend provision in Newtown or across the border—might affect the viability of existing schools in north Powys.' The statement also called for better engagement with the schools before any decision is made, asking the Council to engage 'in a meaningful way' with schools, their senior leaders and governing bodies. Ysgol Llanfyllin's Chair of Governers added: 'A 'town hall meeting', arranged after declaring a preferred option, is neither a credible nor meaningful consultation with key stakeholders.'
BBC News
10-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Oscar winner Lol Crawley inspires pupils at former school
Imagine starting your school day interviewing an Oscar winner live from Los Angeles?Pupils at Ysgol Llanfyllin, Powys, welcomed Lol Crawley - who won an Oscar for his work on the film The Brutalist - to a school assembly on Monday Oscar success for best cinematography followed a BAFTA win in the same Crawley is a former pupil of the school, and said he was looking forward to speaking with the students. Children from Year Six up to the sixth form prepared questions about Mr Crawley's career, his links with the school, and his reaction to winning the said they were nervous, including 15-year-old said: "I thought it was a bit nerve-wracking to be honest as I'd watched his movies over the weekend and I was anticipating what shall I say, what shall I ask? Because I had so many questions."Freyja ended up asking him what the hardest scene he had to shoot was."So many of the movies I saw he was zooming out, and he said the hardest thing was actually zooming, so that was really interesting," she added."Once he answered the question, I was like 'oh, I can breathe now'." Nat, 14, had an unusual connection to Mr Crawley, as his uncle had played in the band "The Pepper Pots" alongside him."If I'm honest I was scared out of my mind," he said. "You get to interview someone who is famous, you're obviously going to get nervous."With the questions in full flow, Mr Crawley said: "Let me introduce you to my new friends", before bringing his Oscar and BAFTA awards from offscreen to show the school, who were watching the event in their classrooms. Chloe, 14, said she had been inspired by the success of the Oscar winner, who got his first taste of life through a lens in Llanfyllin."It was really inspiring to see someone from our school who has turned into this amazing famous person who has won an Oscar, and the fact that he took photography for A-Levels and I'm thinking of doing that, he's really inspiring to me really." Mr Crawley told the students that Wales played a vital part in shaping him."Wales, I think as a place really informed who I am today – I still love Wales very much," he said. "It's very hard to explain and put a finger on, but something about the essence of Wales or everything that place gave me, fed into how I respond to the world as a cinematographer."With a mix of questions about his career, the session ended on a more personal note when 11-year-old Brayden asked Mr Crawley who the first person he called after winning his said his the end of the assembly, head teacher Dewi Owen said that later in the year, some students will be visiting Los Angeles on a school trip, and a school bell will be carried from Llanfyllin to LA and presented to Mr Crawley said he would be "honoured" to receive the bell and would "ring it with pride" in the Hollywood hills.
