Powys County Council’s Cabinet will be asked to consider the next stage of a proposal to change the language category of Sennybridge Community Primary School and make it fully Welsh-medium.
At its meeting on 14 July, Cabinet will receive a report on the outcome of a public consultation that was carried out between 15 April and 27 May 2026 on proposals to change the language lessons are delivered in at the school.
The proposal would see Sennybridge Primary School move from its current dual-stream model to become a Welsh-medium school. If approved, the change would be introduced gradually, year-by-year, beginning with Reception pupils in September 2028. The recommended implementation date has been moved back by a year following feedback received during the consultation process.
Sennybridge Primary School currently has 115 pupils, with 63 educated through the Welsh-medium stream and 52 through the English-medium stream.
The consultation generated 64 responses through forms and a further 18 written submissions. A range of views were expressed, including support for strengthening Welsh-medium education as well as concerns about the impact on pupil numbers at the school, transport, the impact on the community and the proposed timescale for change.
The proposal forms part of the council’s Strategy for Transforming Education in Powys and its Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP), which aims to increase opportunities for children and young people to become confident Welsh speakers. The council is also progressing plans for a replacement school building at Sennybridge as part of the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme, with construction beginning in May 2026.
Councillor James Gibson-Watt, Powys County Council’s Cabinet Member for a Learning Powys, said: “I would like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to the consultation and share their views. We recognise that this proposal has generated significant interest within the community and that people feel strongly about the future of education in Sennybridge.
“The feedback received has been carefully considered and has helped shape the recommendations now being presented to Cabinet, including the recommendation to delay implementation by a year to allow more time for preparation and engagement.
“This proposal has the potential to strengthen Welsh-medium education in the area, support our ambitions for bilingualism and provide future generations of learners with valuable language skills, while also ensuring the school is well placed to benefit from its new building.
“Should Cabinet agree to proceed, there will be a further opportunity for people to have their say during the statutory notice stage before any final decision is made.”
If Cabinet approves the recommendations, a statutory notice would be published in September 2026. Any objections received would then be considered before a final decision is taken later in the year.
