Post-16 Review
The Council is currently carrying out a Strategic Review of Post-16 education, which aims to identify a long-term vision for school-based post-16 education in the county.
This follows the recommendation in the Council's recent Estyn inspection of Education Services to 'Work with partners to rapidly develop and implement a model for 16-19 education that is financially viable and sustainable, and meets the needs of all learners, and considers Welsh-medium and ALN provision.'
As part of this review, the Council's Cabinet recently considered a paper outlining the current provision, the challenges associated with this provision, and a number of future options. The paper considered by Cabinet is available below:
Post-16 education in Powys faces a number of challenges, including a steady decline in sixth form learner numbers. This trend has significant financial implications, as funding from Welsh Government (via Medr) is largely based on learner numbers, making it increasingly difficult to sustain effective provision, particularly in smaller schools.
Phase 1 Engagement
During June and July, the Council held in-person engagement sessions in each of Powys's five core towns, aimed at school staff and governors. These sessions provided a platform to share information about the pressures facing the sector and gather feedback on what future provision could look like. A key message from participants was the importance of placing learner voice at the heart of decision-making, rather than focusing solely on the shortlisted options.
Phase 2 Engagement
To ensure meaningful engagement with learners and parents/carers, the Council has appointed Opinion Research Services (ORS) as its external partner. ORS will lead a comprehensive programme that includes:
- An online questionnaire available to parents/carers of secondary-aged learners, as well as pupils attending secondary and post-16 education in Powys
- Focus groups with pupils and staff in all 13 secondary and all age school sites, which will ensure there is engagement in each of the 13 localities.
- Engagement with learners who have previously chosen to attend college or out of county provision
The purpose of this exercise is to understand what learners and parents/carers need from a post-16 education system in Powys and what factors affect their decision making when deciding where to attend.
This phase will run throughout the Autumn Term, alongside continued engagement with headteachers, governors, the Regional Skills Partnership, and other education providers across Wales and beyond.
What Happens Next
The outcome of this engagement will inform the evaluation of long options for future post-16 education in Powys. While three options were referenced in the Cabinet report, the Council will also consider alternative proposals put forward by stakeholders. A summary of findings and an updated options appraisal will be presented to Cabinet in the Spring Term 2026.
A further period of engagement will provide an opportunity for everyone to provide comments on the options and put forward alternatives before Cabinet agrees on a preferred way forward. It is anticipated that this open public engagement will be undertaken during the Summer Term.
Indicative Timeline
Any changes to post-16 education provision are not expected to be implemented before 2030. The table below provides a summary of the indicative timeline for the engagement process.
- Cabinet approved informal engagement - May 2025
- Engagement - Phase 1 - Staff and Governors - June - July 2025
- Engagement - Phase 2 - Learners, Parents/Carers, Headteachers, Governors, Regional Skills Partnership, Other Providers. - September - December 2025
- Outcome of engagement and updated options appraisal to identify short listed options - Spring Term 2026
- Engagement - Phase 3 - Open engagement for anyone to provide feedback on short listed options - Summer Term 2026
- Cabinet to consider feedback from engagement and identify preferred way forward - Autumn Term 2026
If you have any further questions about the review, please contact the Transforming Education Team using the contact details below.
Post-16 Review Frequently Asked Questions Post-16 Review Frequently Asked Questions
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