Parents could refuse to take their children to the area school

Llangedwyn school, which has 49 pupils, will close if the county council gives the go-ahead for a bigger area school at Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant.

But Llangedwyn's head teacher John Parkinson says a survey of parents there shows most live outside the new school's catchments area and none of the pupils would attend the new school.

The final decision on Llangedwyn's future will be made by a full meeting of Powys Council on Thursday.

Last month the education committee voted for a different option of building a replacement school at Llanrhaeadr, which has 73 pupils, to enable Llangedwyn to remain open.

But last week that decision was overturned by the council's board, which is backing a move to close Llangedwyn school.

My survey showed that none of the pupils at this school would attend the new area school because their parents work and live closer to other schools John Parkinson, head teacher

Head teacher John Parkinson has conducted his own feasibility study of the closure proposal.

"My survey showed that none of the pupils at this school would attend the new area school because their parents work and live closer to other 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?"

The school governors claim that only six of its 49 pupils live in the catchments area of the new school.

This would mean that only about 80 pupils would attend the new 120 pupil capacity school, they say.

"Most of the families who send their children to Llangedwyn school live closer to other schools at Llansilin, Llanfyllin and Llansantffraid" said Len Lewis, chairman of Llangedwyn school governors.

"Closing Llangedwyn would result in most if not all our pupils going to schools closer to where they live now, which would not be at Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant."

'Ultimate decision'

Head teachers of both schools have supported the "replacement" school option for Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant which would cost �1.7m,

In 1997 Llangedwyn school only had 13 pupils but the roll has now risen to 49.

Llangedwyn county councillor Harry Hughes said he was still confident the board's decision would be overturned by the full council.

"Fortunately the ultimate decision rests with the full council and I believe a majority of councillors will support keeping Llangedwyn school open," he said.

The schools were among a dozen in Powys threatened with closure under a review of primary schools last May.

Nine schools were saved last November but a decision on the schools at Llanrhaeadr and Llangedwyn was deferred.