### Significant Drop in A-Level Performance Raises Alarm for Powys Schools
Councillors and education officials have raised the alarm over a dramatic fall in A-level attainment for students in Powys, warning that the decline could have major implications for the county’s future educational standards and prospects for young people.
According to a recent Powys County Council report, the area’s post-16 results have shown a marked downturn in comparison to previous years, positioning Powys at the lower end of outcomes among Welsh local authorities. Only 65% of students achieved three or more A* to E grades in their A-level exams. This figure starkly contrasts with the Welsh national average of 69%, placing Powys in 18th place out of the 22 local authorities in the country.
The report identifies that Powys is struggling not only to keep pace with the national average, but also considerably lags behind neighbouring counties. Ceredigion, Gwynedd, and the Vale of Glamorgan boasted the highest proportions of their pupils achieving three or more A* to E grades—with 77%, 76%, and 73% respectively. These discrepancies have prompted concern and urgent calls for reform.
A further analysis suggests that only 73.1% of A-level marks awarded in Powys were within the more desirable A* to C range in 2024. This is a fall from the rates recorded in 2019, when 75.1% of grades reached this threshold. In addition, just 9% of Powys students managed to obtain at least three top A* to A grades, far behind the 19% of their peers in the Vale of Glamorgan, and ranking the county 15th amongst all Welsh authorities on this metric.
The seriousness of the decline has prompted local leaders to publicly acknowledge the necessity for radical action. Councillor James Gibson-Watt, who recently stepped down as council leader but remains involved in education reform discussions, highlighted the issue in a recent meeting. “If ever we needed evidence of some radical reform in post-16, this paper sums it up,” he commented. Gibson-Watt recalled that Powys was historically among the best performing counties for key examination results, but now finds itself situated in the bottom quartile.
One of the key factors influencing local performance, according to both councillors and educational officers, may be the exodus of higher-achieving students who opt to continue their post-16 education outside Powys. Councillor Gareth E Jones questioned what impact this trend had on statistics, suggesting that those with stronger academic profiles were the ones most likely to leave. Education officer Anwen Orrells confirmed this assumption, stating, “You would be correct in assuming that the more able are the ones that are leaving.” However, the local authority lacks precise data on the exam results of those educated elsewhere.
The backdrop to these outcomes includes a dramatic dip in sixth-form numbers within Powys over the past decade. Student numbers dropped by 32%—from 1,445 in 2010, down to 978 by 2019—as pupils sought educational opportunities outside the county, often travelling daily to Hereford, Shrewsbury, or Merthyr.
These developments arrive as the council contemplates significant restructuring of post-16 education in the area. Plans currently under consideration favour replacing all English-medium sixth forms with two specialist sixth form centres in Brecon and Newtown. If implemented, these proposals would represent substantial reform in a bid to halt the downward trend and better serve Powys’s young people.
As local leaders reflect on these sobering statistics, the debate continues over how to address educational inequalities and stop the further decline in standards. The council has committed to a comprehensive review of post-16 education, stressing the need to deliver more effective support and better outcomes for Powys’s students in years ahead.
The challenges facing Powys highlight wider concerns about rural education in Wales, as communities strive to retain and nurture their most talented students. Without urgent action, many fear the county may face ongoing challenges in ensuring all young people receive the best possible start to their futures.