TWO Ceredigion secondary schools have been categorised as “amber” by the Welsh Government and told they are “not improving quickly enough”.

Penglais School in Aberystwyth and Ysgol Henry Richard in Tregaron have both been placed in the second-lowest category of the Welsh Government’s National School Categorisation System.

The system places schools in one of four colour-coded categories — ‘red’, ‘amber’, ‘yellow’ or ‘green’ — based on the support the Welsh Government and local authorities consider them to require.

The two Ceredigion schools have been told they “do not know and understand all the areas in need of improvement”, that aspects of improvement are “not improving quickly enough”, and that they are “at risk of dropping to a red level of support”.

Ysgol Gynradd Gymunedol Llannon, the only Ceredigion school in the ‘red’ category, which means it will receive “intensive support” and is subject to intervention by the local education authority and “regional consortium”, has failed to move out of the lowest category after it was labelled ‘red’ last year.

Ceredigion’s primary schools categorised as amber are those in Felinfach, Cei Newydd, Penllwyn, and Ysgol Henry Richard in Tregaron.

The number of secondary and primary schools in Ceredigion in the ‘green’ category — requiring the least support — remains the same as last year on 15.

These primary schools are: Ciliau Parc, Comins Coch, Llanfihangel-y-Creuddyn, Llanilar, Mynach, Llechryd, Cwrtnewydd, Llanwnnen, Plascrug (Aberystwyth), Y Dderi, Aberteifi, T Llew Jones, Llanwenog, and Ysgol Gymraeg (Aberystwyth).

The only secondary school in Ceredigion to make it into the green category is Cardigan Secondary School.

See this week’s south editions for the full story, in shops and online tomorrow