26/10/2025
💬 Want to make your voice count but not sure how to answer to get the best result? Here’s some suggestions on how to answer key questions in the Powys Post-16 review questionnaire!
📝 Q9 – Deciding where to study
Rate ‘Quality of teaching’ as number 10 - this is by far the most important factor. Crickhowell Sixth Form offers outstanding teaching that helps students thrive academically and personally.
📝 Q10 – Other factors when considering a school
FREE TEXT OPTION - Ideas to include - feel free to cut, paste, amend
· How will my child get to school? Free transport for sixth formers is not guaranteed. If everything moves to Brecon, families could face big costs.
· Does the school feel part of the local community? Are there opportunities for sports, volunteering, and other activities that make school life richer?
· If I’m choosing a school for Year 7, I want a sixth form attached. Sixth formers aren’t just older students, they’re role models, mentors, and a big part of the school culture. Allowing for leadership opportunities for the Sixth Formers and benefitting younger children too.
· Schools with sixth forms attract and keep experienced teachers who teach both GCSE and A-level. Take that away, and it’s harder to keep the best staff.
📝 Q11 – Studying locally
You can answer ‘Don’t know’ if you think that the range of options do not apply to Crickhowell, especially given the fact that the Sixth Form is local AND offers a wide breadth of subjects.
📝 Q12 – Staying local for lessons
A handful of learners at Crickhowell sixth form travel between two sites for lessons. You can answer ‘Don’t know’ if you think that the range of options do not apply to Crickhowell, especially as the Sixth Form can offer the vast majority of lessons one place AND do so locally.
📝 Q14 – Studying outside Powys
FREE TEXT OPTION - Ideas to include - feel free to cut, paste, amend
· Brecon isn’t a realistic option for many families - if Crickhowell’s sixth form goes, some students might miss out on further education altogether. Others will head to places like Abergavenny, Ebbw Vale, Brynmawr, or Monmouthshire because they’re closer to home and easier to reach than Brecon.
📝 Q15 – Additional considerations
FREE TEXT OPTION - Ideas to include - feel free to cut, paste, amend
· Many children do better when they stay in a familiar environment with teachers who know them. Crickhowell’s pastoral care is a huge strength.
· Removing a sixth form from a high school would leave a noticeable gap in the school’s culture. Take away the sixth form and suddenly the school loses its older role models, mentors, and leaders. Sports teams struggle to find coaches, drama productions shrink, and younger students miss out on seeing what success looks like. The school feels less like a community hub and more like just a building for lessons.
· Increasing the number of pupils who need to travel further every day does not align with Powys’ or Wales’ sustainability commitments.
· Moving learners to central hubs could disrupt continuity of ALN support and increase stress for vulnerable students.
· Changing schools at 16 isn’t easy. Local sixth forms give teens stability and pastoral care that really helps their mental health and wellbeing.
· Sixth formers coach sports, volunteer, and keep local activities alive. If they’re spending extra time traveling, they won’t have time to give back. Our community will feel the loss.
✅ Share your thoughts below so we can share the strengths of our great sixth form! 👇
