The need to respond to a highly critical report by education watchdog Estyn will see Powys County Council pump an extra £10m into schools next year.

In the council’s 2026/2027 draft budget the share for schools is expected to be £103.872m out of a total £390.541m.

This is nearly £10m more than the £93.9m which was agreed in this year’s budget.

This sum eventually went up to £98.303m as the financial year has gone by.

The draft budget report which is set to go before the council’s Cabinet at a meeting on 20 January explains why schools need more cash.

The report said: “The Estyn inspection of February 2025 identified significant weaknesses in leadership, school improvement processes, Additional Learning Needs strategic oversight, site safeguarding and the sustainability of the county’s post‑16 model.

“The required improvement activity is already under way, including strengthened leadership accountability at all levels, enhanced support and challenge to schools based on first‑hand evidence of teaching and learning, targeted intervention for schools causing concern, completion of urgent site‑security works, and development of a financially viable 16–19 offer, all of which have clear and unavoidable resource implications.

“These include the in‑year drawdown of risk‑budget funding to support the improvement delivery, targeted school support and safeguarding works, alongside additional capacity for leadership development and improvement support.”

The report explains that the funding of schools and education is above the level of increase received by the council in aggregate external funding from the Welsh Government

The report said: “It provides the funding required to fully support the schools funding formula ensuring that all schools have sufficient funding available to them to resource an appropriate educational provision and meet the obligations of the national curriculum.”