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’s Learning and Skills Committee on Friday, 2 May, 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, which will be subject to a two stage “engagement” process to 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.

Cllr Chloe 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.”

Conservative group leader Cllr Aled Davies said that he was concerned at the “lack of vision” of what Powys education could look like in 15 to 20 year’s time adding successful sixth forms could be “swept up and lost”.

Director or education Dr Richard Jones told the committee there had been “thorough engagement” which “provided us with a framework for three options to go out to engagement.”

Cabinet member for post-16 education Cllr David Selby 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.

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.”

The committee recommendations will be added to the report which is expected to go before Cabinet for decision later this month.