Special school to close residency

New regulations and the fall in demand for residential care for pupils at Brynllywarch Hall School, Kerry, has forced Powys County Council to end the service from September 2011.

 

A report into the special school has shown that due to stringent guidelines introduced over the past decade, the new school term will not host any residential pupils. In 2000 there were 36 for both boys and girls from across Powys.

 

The report said: "In 2009, following a critical fire officer inspection report, it was necessary to close the residential floor in the main house and, therefore, the residency was reduced to the two houses, a total of eight pupil bed spaces. This followed the introduction several years earlier of new regulations which meant the girls residential building had to close.

 

“At the end of the summer term 2010, there were only two full-time (Monday-Friday boarding) residents at the school. One of these pupils left the school at the end of the term and the second pupil had expressed a desire to attend the school on a day-basis rather than continue as a residential pupil.”

 

Just 20 years ago, Brynllywarch Hall School was the only school of its kind and also received youngsters from Shropshire. However, the numbers have dwindled with more specialist teaching now available at schools closer to home.

 

The report stated that the residential budget for the 2010/11 term was set at £125,000.