Crickhowell Town Council is urging residents to attend a public meeting on Monday, June 30, to discuss controversial proposals that could see the closure of Crickhowell High School’s sixth form.

The event will be held at The Clarence Hall, with the bar open from 5.30pm for a 6pm start. All members of the community are welcome to attend.

It comes as Powys County Council consults on a major overhaul of post-16 education across the county. Among the options being considered is the closure of all English-medium sixth forms in the county, to be replaced with two large-scale post-16 centres in Brecon and Newtown. Three Welsh-medium sixth forms would be retained elsewhere.

Crickhowell Town Council has voiced strong opposition to this proposal, warning it would be “devastating” for the town.

Writing on social media, the council said: “Crickhowell Town Council strongly opposes this and believes the closure of our sixth form at Crickhowell High School would be devastating for our town and would not solve the problems facing education in South Powys.

“We believe there are far better ways to raise educational standards than dismantling the most successful sixth form in Powys.

“Please join us if you can and share widely.”

The proposals follow a strategic review into post-16 education and will be presented for public engagement over the coming months to allow people to give their views.

Education officers say the current model of maintaining sixth forms in every school is no longer financially viable – a point also raised by education watchdog Estyn in a critical report earlier this year.

At a meeting of Powys County Council Learning and Skills Scrutiny Committee last month, Cllr Chloe Masefield, who represents Crickhowell, said she had "significant concerns" about the review.

“Crickhowell sixth form is operating incredibly successfully, bringing in students and funding from across the border and there’s no argument to say that we should be closing it,” she said.

She warned "every single person in the area of Crickhowell" would object to the proposals.

Crickhowell has the biggest sixth form in Powys with many pupils also coming from Monmouthshire and Blaenau Gwent.

A-level results at Crickhowell High School continue to be consistently strong.

In 2024, more than 40 per cent of all grades were awarded at A*/A, 62 per cent at A*-B, 85 per cent at A*-C, and 100 per cent at A*-E.

These results were comfortably above the Welsh average last year, where 29.9 per cent of students achieved the top A* and A grades.

Powys currently operates sixth forms on 12 sites.

Other options being considered in the review include 'rationalising' existing sixth forms to operate from fewer school sites, with the aim of ensuring an average of 120 to 180 learners at each retained site.

A nuclear option of closing all sixth forms and Powys not having any post-16 education, with learners accessing provision outside of the county, was also outlined in the report, but is not listed as a preferred option.