Last week, the Welsh Government announced it had given provisional approval to Powys County Council’s plan for rebuilding Brecon High School including transferring Gwernyfed students to the so called new Beacons Learning Campus. It was however made clear that the decision was subject to full statutory processes being carried out which would include full meaningful consultation with the school, students, parents and the community as laid out in the Welsh Governments Statutory Guidance. Sounds good but given that when Powys closed a number of primary schools over the last 5 years plus John Beddoes Secondary School it did not carry out anything like a full statutory consultation preferring instead to drag the process of closure out, doing very little, and waiting for parents to become disheartened and to move their children to new schools rather than subject them to uncertainty. As far as the local authority was concerned, mission accomplished. We therefore have to make sure, in relation to Gwernyfed, that the local authority fulfil their obligations and hold them to account. There is a campaign group working on this but in the meantime it would be better if we could persuade the local authority to drop their daft plan to close a very good school to salvage Brecon High School which is in special measures. Therefore we need to keep up the pressure so please circulate details of the petition to your contacts (they do not have to have direct involvement in the school) and ask them to sign and comment. The link is below. http://www.change.org/p/cllr-barry-thomas-leader-powys-county-council-overturn-decision-to-close-gwernyfed-high- school?utm_source=guides&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=petition_created Powys stated aim is to reduce the number of secondary schools from 12 to 10. If they close a very good school like Gwernyfed, who is next Crickhowell, Builth, Llandrindood, not a Montgomery school I bet? Lastly on 28 June, weather permitting, Glasbury Arts is organising a Harp in the Park recital in the Gwernyfed High School Victorian Rose Garden (how many state schools has one of those?) at 2.30pm with Katherine Thomas, principal harpist with WNO, leading guest violinist Laurence Kempton. If the weather is poor it will be held in the schools purpose built and very well equipped drama studio (why is Powys wanting to spend £50 million on a new building). Details and tickets available online at Glasburyarts.co.uk – please come and support both Glasbury Arts and Gwernyfed High School. JOHN FITZGERALD