A CONSULTATION to merge Llanidloes High School and Primary School has started and will run until St Dwynwen’s Day, January 25.

If the proposal is supported the schools that stand next to each other could operate as a federation from the beginning of the next school year, September 2019.

The consultation document states: “Governors, headteachers and senior leaders at Llanidloes High School and Llanidloes Community Primary School believe now is the right time to explore federating the two schools.

“Collaboration between our two high achieving schools is already well developed.

“Our transition arrangements are strong, our firm commitment to promoting the Welsh ethos is closely aligned and excellent professional relationships exist at all levels.

"However we do not want to stand still at a time of great challenge and change both  within Powys and the education sector more widely.

“The foundations of deeper partnership working are already laid.

“We believe that federation will help us meet the diverse needs of our pupils even more effectively .

“This belief is at the heart of our proposal to federate.”

The federation of schools is a legal process which enables schools to work together through a formal structured process by sharing a governing body that will make decisions in the best interests of all the schools, staff and pupils in that federation.

Each school retains its name, category, budget, staff and remains in its community.

In rural communities across Wales, federation is seen as an opportunity to strengthen the sustainability of schools and to ensure that schools are retained in their local communities,

Federation also enables smaller groups of pupils and staff to network and share good practice, ideas and resources.

In Powys Ysgol Bro Hyddgen in Machynlleth already provides education from the age of four to 18.

Primary and Secondary Schools in Llanfyllin are also consulting on proposals to close the schools and have one all through school.

Following the consultation, in March the Governing Bodies will meet to consider the responses and decide to proceed with the federation or not.

Llanidloes Primary School has 283 pupils and a capacity for 269.

Llanidloes High School has 545 pupils and a capacity for 692 pupils.