Welshpool High School has responded to an internal auditor’s report for Powys County Council that found “significant gaps or instances of non-compliance” after they probed the governance of at the school the internal auditors were tasked by the council’s Governance and Audit committee to conduct a review to assess the “adequacy” of the governance and controls at Welshpool High School The report gives a “limited assurance opinion” and will be discussed by members of the Governance and Audit committee next Thursday (May 8) Findings show that the school on the whole is run well – with most assurance opinions in the green and “operating effectively” the schools’ finances are flashing red and SWAP believe this requires “major improvement.” The Chair of Governors at the school said that the report contained “out-of-date figures” and that Welshpool High School was “one of many Powys schools that has been underfunded for years through the council’s funding formula” the school’s budget was forecast to be in a cumulative deficit balance of £157,826 by the end of March This is expected to rise to £296,393 by the end of March 2025/2026 and predicted to be up to £407,129 by the end of March SWAP said: “The school are operating with an unlicensed budget and there is currently no formalised deficit recovery plan in place The school has not set and submitted a balanced budget for at least three years “The cash flat budget projections from the local authority last year prevented the school from achieving a balanced budget a recent cash injection from the local authority has now enabled the school to work towards this goal.” SWAP said that a business manager for the school had been working with the council’s central finance team to find ways of balancing the books At a meeting in January the school had presented council finance chiefs with “potential budget savings” that they could make to do this headteacher Jon Arnold was supposed to “deliver and produce” an approved balanced budget and recovery plan Eight other “agreed actions” also needed to be completed by the end of April which include compulsory training for school governors as well as reviewing and reporting on the risk of fraud This is how the school has responded through Mr Jeff Johnson “It is disappointing that this report has been published containing out-of-date figures when the governing body school business manager and staff have been working hard to produce improvements as required by the end of April “Welshpool High School is one of many Powys schools that has been underfunded for years through the council’s funding formula – a fact now recognised by the authority This meant it was impossible to present a balanced budget without seriously jeopardising the education of the pupils “The school was given an April deadline to present an improved financial position and has submitted predictions of balanced budgets for the next four years “The school’s business manager will continue to work with the council’s central finance team to achieve balanced budgets going forward “All other issues highlighted will be and the governing body is pleased to see that finance is the only red flag in the report which otherwise recognises that the school is being run well and effectively.” the stark financial position of all secondary and all through schools was highlighted by the need to pump an extra £7.4 million into the schools delegated budget this year This was done in the hope of staving off cumulative deficits predicted to be close to £16 million by the end of March 2027/2028 Other secondary and all-throughs were noted to be in a far worse financial predicament than Welshpool Welshpool has come together to produce a simply stunning centrepiece for this weekend’s 80th VE Day celebrations Thousands of poppies have been knitted and crafted by a number of community groups with the finished product revealed last night by St Mary’s Church the result is “breathtaking" and is set to be one of the most popular picture subjects in the coming days “And it’s up!” the church exclaimed last night “A big thank you to everyone who has helped.. brownies and guides that have contributed.” St Mary's Church will mark VE Day on Sunday with a special service that will follow a Parade through the town from 10.35am It looks like Welshpool has another fight on its hands to save another vital service with the high school set to lose its sixth form should one Powys County Council idea go ahead A review of post-16 education has concluded that one of the best ways moving forward is to centralise sixth forms in Newtown and Brecon to be run in conjunction with NPTC Group of Colleges and other external providers It will also impact Llanfyllin and Llanfair Caereinion high schools The full press release issued last night by Powys County Council is published below Welshpool councillors immediately took to social media to rally the troops Cllr Richard Church urged constituents to take part in the consultation while Cllr Graham Breeze went one step further and said: “I have only just seen the paper which is scheduled for scrutiny and will need time to digest the implications for sixth form education in the Welshpool area should the proposals be accepted “Welshpool currently hosts the largest sixth form in North Powys so there will need to be an enormous amount of scrutiny around moves to move to a two-site base situation in Newtown and Brecon.” Other county councillors for surrounding villages also alerted their constituents online with Cllr Lucy Roberts from Llandrinio stating: “I fear that increasing numbers of students from North Powys will favour crossing the border to receive their sixth form education in Shropshire Newtown is just not the natural direction from the north of the county.” Here is the Powys County Council press release in full: which sets a long-term vision for post-16 education in Powys will be reviewed by the council’s Learning and Skills Scrutiny Committee on May 2 before being received by the Cabinet on May 13 The review sets out the challenges facing post-16 education in Powys and recommends reconfiguration of sixth form provision to achieve a critical mass of learners to minimise duplication and improve resource allocation The review was driven by the need to improve outcomes for learners both for Welsh-medium and English-medium learners enhance the curriculum offer as well as the need for financial sustainability.  The review was set within the context of emerging new national developments and strategies It examined Powys school-based provision and does not affect other providers that deliver post-16 education in the county The review has identified three options to rationalise sixth form provision and recommends engagement with key stakeholders to support the development of a preferred way forward options include a completely new model for post-16 provision which would see the establishment of post-16 centres in Newtown and Brecon providing co-ordinated provision in partnership with NPTC Group of Colleges and other external providers the council would gather feedback from a wide range of perspectives Welsh Government and other stakeholders The learner voice would be central to the development of the preferred way forward to ensure any proposal best meet the needs of the county’s learners Cabinet Member for a More Prosperous Powys said: “While the review concludes that schools and partners are committed to delivering post-16 provision through the Powys Chweched Sixth initiative significant change is needed if the county is to deliver a post-16 education that meets the vision set out in the Learner Entitlement Criteria and the aspirations of future generations “It is recommending that stronger collaboration is fostered between all providers to offer a broader range of courses and improve learner outcomes that support local businesses and assist the development of emerging technologies “The review identifies several options that we should consider if we are to meet the demands of the future including the creation of a two-centre post-16 model “Powys sixth forms have performed well in the past but need to significantly change to meet the demands of the future and deliver truly world class provision for future Powys learners I am recommending we receive the strategic review and that further engagement is undertaken to support the development of a preferred way forward,” he added The A458 Welshpool Road in Shrewsbury is to be resurfaced from 14 October to 1 November 2024 as part of Shropshire Council’s annual resurfacing programme Work will be carried out from the Clayton Way roundabout to the A5 – and has been co-ordinated/aligned with work being carried out for nearby housing or other developments During the work the road will be closed from 9.30am to 4pme each day and a signed diversion will be in place Depending on vehicle type drivers may be able to use an alternative route Access to properties and businesses within the closure will be maintained when safe to do so and access to the park and ride will be maintained at all times buses and emergency vehicles will be allowed through More information can be found on the One Network interactive roadworks website. Search using reference 34701164 The work will be delivered in two key phases: Phase 1 – from roundabout at Clayton Way to Little Oxon Lane Access will be maintained to to Shelton Gardens Phase 2 – switchover at Little Oxon Lane junction to the A5 roundabout Access to Shepherds Lane and Calcott Lane will be maintained from Holyhead Road For access to Bligny Crescent please approach the gatemen and access will be provided Note: the actual ‘hard closure’ points may be adjusted on site to minimise disruption Email: communications@shropshire.gov.uk Phone: 01743 252826 Email: customer.service@shropshire.gov.uk Phone: 0345 678 9000 while others help us to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used For more detailed information, please see the List of cookies used on this website Necessary cookies enable core functionality such the website login.  The site will not function properly without these cookies and they can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences We'd like to set Google Analytics cookies to help us to improve our website by collecting and reporting information on how you use it The cookies collect information in a way that does not directly identify anyone For more information on how these cookies work, please see the List of cookies used on this website The service is expected to be located at the site while a new glass extension is being built The work will create additional floor space under the canopy area and see the heating system upgraded to make it more efficient It complements and extends the refurbishment undertaken when the library moved into the building in 2020 There will also be a remodelling of the displays in the Powysland Museum which is now closed to allow this to take place Welshpool Library will be open on 23 and 24 December, before closing for Christmas and returning on Friday 3 January. It will then be open during its usual hours https://en.powys.gov.uk/article/8562/Y-Lanfa-Powysland-Museum It will be offering all its usual services but the number of books and computers available to browse and use on site will be limited. It does, however, have iPads and Chromebooks that can be loaned out and readers are being encouraged to make use of Powys County Council's Order and Collect Service Readers across Powys are also being reminded that the council has a: All these services, and more, can be accessed through the StoriPowys website which is the new online home for all the council's Arts and Culture Services "I'm glad that we are going to be able to keep our library service on the Y Lanfa site in Welshpool while work is being carried out to the main building," said Cllr Richard Church Powys County Council's Cabinet Member for a Safer Powys "It's important to maintain some continuity and visitors to the cottages will be able to see the progress being made on the glass extension I would encourage readers in Welshpool and elsewhere in Powys to try out our Order and Collect Service You just need to tell our library staff what kind of book you like and they will hand-pick some great books for you to get stuck into." For more information on the services available at Welshpool Library, while it is in its temporary home email ylanfa@powys.gov.uk or call: 01938 553001 Y Lanfa also has its own Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057137242643 The improvements to Y Lanfa are costing around £1 million and are part of the £14 million Montgomery Canal Restoration project that the council was successful in securing UK Government funding towards The council has also received £164,000 from the National Lottery's Heritage Fund towards the work on Y Lanfa and £140,000 from the Welsh Government towards the work on the canalside cottages The work is being supported by the council's Economy and Climate Service while its Strategic Property Team is managing the build To find out more about the Montgomery Canal Restoration Project: https://en.powys.gov.uk/article/13669/Montgomery-Canal-Restoration-Project PICTURE: The newly refurbished canalside cottages which are going to be Welshpool Library's temporary home Powys County Council's Housing Development Team is excited to announce a new housing project in Gungrog nestled on the outskirts of the market town of Welshpool This development replaces the former Gungrog Church in Wales Nursery and Infant School and is designed to provide 16 high quality affordable bungalows that are both sustainable and energy-efficient