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Powys County Times
2 days ago
- General
- Powys County Times
Powys student accepted to prestigious placement in America
A Powys student has beaten other students from across Wales to be accepted to a prestigious journalism placement in America. Lottie Cook, who has already written two books has been dubbed 'an inspiration' by teachers after she added to her accolades by earning a prestigious placement in Florida. Lottie, who is studying at Ysgol Bro Hyddgen Sixth form in Machynlleth, gained a coveted place at the University of Florida Summer Media Institute Residential. She was up against learners from across Wales and will travel to the United States this summer to study journalism for a weeklong placement along with three other lucky students Lottie praised the help she has received from the school and said: 'Ysgol Bro Hyddgen has massively helped me achieve dreams and goals of mine that I did not believe would be possible. 'The school and its staff have massively supported me with my writing over the last few years.' Help support trusted local news Sign up for a digital subscription now: As a digital subscriber you will get Unlimited access to the County Times website Advert-light access Reader rewards Full access to our app Lottie is a published author and has written a number of books including 'Killing Gwen Crawford', and 'If Walls could Talk' and intends to apply for Oxford University to study Journalism in September. The Head of Sixth form at Ysgol Bro Hyddgen, Cath Lloyd-Williams said that Ysgol Bro Hyddgen 'prides itself on supporting our students to achieve all their goals' and is very proud to have achieved the ALPS A Level Gold Award for our 2024 A level exam results – placing them in the top 25% of schools and colleges in England and Wales for value-added progress.
Powys County Times
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Powys County Times
Powys sixth form plan call to withdraw and rethink
CALLS have been made to withdraw plans to reorganise sixth forms in Powys until more options are put on the table. Speaking as members of Powys County Council's cabinet looked at starting discussions on how they shape post-16 education in the county, Councillor Graham Breeze called for the paper to be withdrawn to allow for further discussion. Three options were laid out to ouncillors – with the current preferred option being a sixth form college set up with one board of governors and management team across two sites in Brecon and Newtown – this would see all English medium sixth forms close. Similarly, a sixth form college would be based across Welsh medium all-through schools at Ysgol Bro Hyddgen in Machynlleth, Bro Caereinion in Llanfair Caereinion and potentially Builth Wells. The Welsh medium sixth form would also be run separately from the main schools. Cllr Breeze said: 'I call on the cabinet to withdraw the paper for further discussion or at least make an assurance of adding another option before considering going out to engagement of any kind. 'There's already much opposition across Powys to the proposals from school, parents, governors, councillors and indeed from within the ruling Liberal Democrat and Labour groups.' He added that the Learning and Skills Scrutiny Committee had highlighted when they met earlier this month the 'ridiculous situation' of proposals to close Welshpool and Llanfyllin, 'the largest and most successful sixth forms' in the north of Powys. Cllr Breeze said: 'Indeed scrutiny committee members asked for any northern sixth forms centres to be housed in Welshpool rather than Newtown, and I ask that this option is added to this paper before it is put out to engagement. 'If anyone from the cabinet thinks that the majority of sixth formers from Welshpool and Llanfyllin will head to a centre in Newtown, they need to think again, because they will scuttle across the Shropshire border and be lost to Powys forever.' 'This is not an improvement for sixth form pupils in the north of Powys and in particular Welshpool and Llanfyllin.' Cllr Breeze invited the cabinet member for post-16 education Cllr David Selby to visit north Powys schools and in particular Welshpool High School. Cllr Selby said: 'The whole purpose of the work is to go out to engagement with our stakeholders which includes schools and that will happen and is absolutely vital to craft something that's acceptable. Cllr Selby did not rule out siting a sixth form college in Welshpool. 'We will talk about any proposals that come forward and engagement with anybody who has something to discuss or contribute,' said Cllr Selby. Director of education Dr Richard Jones: 'We've done our best to keep our schools engaged with our thinking, but the reality is there is a point where we need to step back set the strategic direction which is around engagement going back to our schools and getting those views from governors and headteachers.' Eventually the cabinet went to a vote and unanimously backed the proposal to start the discussions.
Powys County Times
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Powys County Times
Radical shake-up of Powys sixth forms slammed by councillors
PROPOSALS to reorganise sixth forms in Powys that could end up with just two sixth forms in the county have been slammed by councillors. At a meeting of Powys County Council Learning and Skills on Friday, May 2, councillors and lay committee members received a presentation on the outcome of a strategic review into post-16 education in the county. The review has come up with three options to consider. These will be subject to a two stage 'engagement' process which will allow people to give their views on the proposals over the next six months. Council education staff stressed that the current model with all schools having their own sixth form is not 'financially viable.' The need to address post-16 provision has also been highlighted by education watchdog Estyn in scathing report on the department published in March. Option three is the preferred way and could see a sixth form college set up with one board of governors and management team across two sites in Brecon and Newtown. Similarly, a sixth form college would be based across Welsh medium all-through schools at Ysgol Bro Hyddgen in Machynlleth, Bro Caereinion in Llanfair Caereinion and potentially Builth Wells. The Welsh medium sixth form would also be run separately. Cllr Chloe Masefield (Liberal Democrat) represents Crickhowell, which has the biggest sixth form in Powys – albeit with many pupils coming from Monmouthshire and Blaenau Gwent. Cllr Masefield said: 'I have really significant concerns about this review, and don't think it's appropriate for it to go out to engagement in its current state. 'It's not acceptable to go out and ask people to engage on a paper which doesn't present the information clearly and in a format that allows you to make a decision on it. 'It's unclear what option one and two would be. 'Option three is very clear on the specific on the locations of these sixth forms and puts them in Brecon and Newtown and I don't really know how that's been decided. 'Crickhowell sixth form is operating incredibly successfully, bringing in students and funding from across the border and there's no argument to say that we should be closing it.' She warned that 'every single person in the area of Crickhowell' would object to this. Conservative group leader Cllr Aled Davies who represents Llansilin and Llanrhaedr-ym-Mochnant said that he was concerned at the 'lack of vision' of what Powys education could look like in 15 to 20 year's time. Cllr Davies said that successful sixth forms could be 'swept up and lost' and that the work should focus on those sixth forms with small pupil numbers . Cllr Davies said: 'I worry that this paper is all or nothing, there has to be a blend and the focus on standards.' Cllr Sue McNicholas (Labour) who represents Ynyscedwyn near Ystradgynlais said: 'If these options came to fruition we would lose our pupils here in the south in droves across the border, as we have two colleges who offer a lot more subjects and options. 'It would be very detrimental to Ysgol Maesydderwen. 'In all fairness I cannot see pupils from Ystradgynlais travelling the 28 miles up the road to Brecon.' Director or education Dr Richard Jones told the committee there had been 'thorough engagement' ahead of the Powys Sixth/ Chweched Powys model being introduced and that 'learning from that' had been taken onboard. Dr Jones said: ''That's provided us with a framework for three options to go out to engagement.' He believed that going out to engagement without options would take the council: 'back to that pre Powys Sixth point.' Powys Sixth was rolled out in 2022 with greater emphasis on collaboration between schools and online learning. Cabinet member for post-16 education Cllr David Selby Liberal Democrat said: 'What we have demonstrated is the complexity of the issue that faces us. 'We have discussed this twice in the last 15 years and ended up not doing an awful lot – the short term challenges are only going to grow.' He pointed out that the decline in pupil numbers and those going on to sixth forms after their GCSEs was only going to continue. The challenge of countering the offer from further education colleges out of county would also: 'steadily get worse not better.' Cllr Selby said: 'The vision for the future is more likely to be option three than the others and we have to be prepared to offer a more mature post-16 offer which is why pupils are going over the border. 'We need to find a way of moving forward together.
