Llangedwyn school is threatened with closure

And parents at Llangedwyn School near Oswestry - one of the three schools threatened with closure - fear their meeting with education chiefs will be the only public consultation about the shutdown.

But even if the new area school is built at Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, Llangedwyn school's head teacher claims few, if any, of the 52 pupils will go there.

Last month Powys councillors agreed to start a review of the organisation and management of the county's primary schools.

Why would parents decide to travel an extra 20 minutes in the morning to take their children to a school at Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant? John Parkinson, head teacher at Llangedwyn

One of the moves being considered is to build a new area school for 200 pupils at Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant to replace schools in that village as well as those at Llansilin and Llangedwyn.

But the governing bodies of all three schools have rejected the proposal outright.

On Tuesday, Mike Barker, the council's director of families, children and lifelong learning, will attend a public meeting at Llangedwyn, eight miles west of Oswestry, to answer questions from parents.

A joint statement issued by the three school governing bodies said: "We unanimously agreed the independent status of all three schools be maintained and that all consultation regarding an area school be deemed inappropriate.

Criteria

"It was also noted the condition of the buildings at Llanrhaeader-ym-Mochnant school does not provide an appropriate working environment for pupils and staff."

The governors urged the local authority to provide a replacement school at Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant.

"The criteria chosen to look at schools' future includes the fabric of the buildings, the number of pupils and provision of IT," said Simon Clarke a member of the friends of Llangedwyn school.

Parents could refuse to take their children to the new area school

"But Llangedwyn school is oversubscribed with 52 pupils, we have an IT network and we have good facilities so I don't understand why the school would be closed," said Mr Clarke.

"We are worried that building the new school is a done deal and Mr Barker's visit is the only consultation we will have before the scheme goes ahead.

"In 1997 we only had 12 pupils at the school but now we've increased that number four-fold and the school has become a thriving centre."

Head teacher John Parkinson has conducted his own feasibility study of the county council's proposal.

"None of the children at this school would attend the new area school because their parents work and live closer to Llanfyllin and Welshpool.

"Why would parents decide to travel an extra 20 minutes in the morning to take their children to a school at Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant?"

Pupil numbers Bro Cynllaith (Llansilin) - 81 Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant- 70 Llangedwyn - 52

A council spokesman said Mr Barker was visiting a number of schools as part of the "root and branch" review of the organisation and management of Powys schools over the next 10 years.

The county council is considering the closure of five rural primary schools at Llangurig, Llandinam, Howey, Libanus and Trecastle.

In the south of the county near Ystradgynlais, Glanrhyd, Gurnos, Cwmtwrch and Ynysgedwen schools are earmarked for closure.

A new school would be built at the Glanrhyd site.

The council is also considering setting up one school to replace separate infant and junior schools at Welshpool.