News

Secondary schools facing major changes

SECONDARY schools in Tregaron, Llandysul and Cardigan are facing the biggest changes as Ceredigion education chiefs look to overhaul secondary education.

Councillors are being asked to consider a major shake-up of Ceredigion’s secondary schools to fight concerns about falling pupil numbers, school funding and the condition of school buildings.

And while Aberystwyth’s Ysgol Penglais and Ysgol Penweddig, Ysgol Aberaeron and Ysgol Llanbed in Lampeter will not see major changes, the “Planning Secondary Education to 2020” report says there are major changes needed at the county’s other three secondary schools.

Ysgol Tregaron, which has the lowest number of pupils in the county, is facing major funding problems and also needs almost £1m of renovation work for the building to be brought up to standard.

To combat those problems the plan recommends that a new joint Welsh-medium three to 19 all-through school should be built in Tregaron to provide a new facility for the secondary school and also for a host of primary schools in the area, including Llanddewi Brefi, Llangeitho and Bronant.

The report says: “The key recommendation is the creation of a Welsh-medium 3-19 all-through school in the Tregaron area – an option already featured in ‘Developing Education in Ceredigion: Planning Education Provision to 2020’.

“However, this proposal needs to be significantly expanded to bring about the merger of Ysgol Tregaron with the primary schools in Tregaron itself, Llanddewi Brefi, Llangeitho, Bronant, Lledrod, Pontrhydfendigaid and Penuwch, which would create a viable and sustainable school, reducing some of the highest unit costs in the county.”

• See the full story in this week's Cambrian News