Welshpool High School slashes expected budget deficit

By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

Welshpool High School senior staff and governors have calculated that they can bring down their budget deficit down from £407,000 to £24,800 over a three-year period.

But what impact will that have on the quality of education and subject options available at the school has been questioned by a councillor.

At a meeting of Powys County Council’s Governance and Audit committee on Friday, members received an internal audit report on the “adequacy” of the governance and controls at Welshpool High School.

The audit by SWAP (South West Audit Partnership) gave a “limited assurance opinion” on the controls. Findings show that on the whole the school is “operating effectively” with most assurance opinions in the green.

Kevin Price of SWAP told members that the audit had been “completed” in March, and the “main area of concern” was the budget.

Mr Price said: “The school were operating with an unlicensed budget and no formalised deficit recovery plan in place.”

He explained that at the time the report was written the school’s budget was forecast to be in a cumulative deficit balance of £157,00 by the end of March, and predicted to be up to £407,00 by the end of the 2027/2028 financial year. But since the end of March the situation has improved.

Head of School Improvement and Learning, Anwen Orrells, said: “Welshpool High School has worked very closely with us and have provided us with a recovery plan.

“Their submittal on May 1 did leave them with an in-year deficit of £17,807 in 2024/2025.

“But I am pleased to announce that they do predict in year surplus budgets for future years resulting in a cumulative deficit projected to have come down to £24,800 by 2028/2029.

“We will be monitoring and looking for further assurances that they will maintain what they have said.”

Conservative Cllr Pete Lewington (Newtown West) said: “I wonder with action taken to reduce this deficit, whether there’s been any impact on either the quality of education or any reduction in the options available for the pupils?”

Mrs Orrells said: “I want to reassure you that we work alongside the governing body and the school’s senior leadership team for them to look very carefully for what can realistically be done.”

Powys Independents Cllr Graham Breeze (Welshpool Llanerchyddol) is a governor at Welshpool High School and commented: “I’m really concerned about the timing of this presentation to the committee. This meeting was postponed two weeks ago (May 8) but this report was available to the press.

“That means that the school has been subject to some serious out of date information appearing across a broad range of printed and online press which could prove extremely damaging to the school’s reputation.

“Should the authors of the report have waited until the final figures were confirmed?” asked Cllr Breeze.

Director of Corporate Services, Jane Thomas, said: “Audit reviews take place throughout the year; they are a snapshot of where our schools are at that point.

“Those figures were an accurate reflection of where that school was at that time and it’s pleasing to see they have addressed some of those issues and have worked with the authority.

“I appreciate what Cllr Breeze is saying but we have to bring reports forward.”

The committee noted the report.

Committee chair and lay member, Lynne Hamilton, said that she and senior staff would also take away Cllr Breeze’s comments and “consider very seriously” the timing around publishing of future schools’ internal audit reports to committee.