Morgan Sindall Construction has won a £7.8m contract to build a new primary and nursery school in Pontypool.
The project will expand the site of the existing Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw Welsh language medium school which is home to 977 pupils aged 11-18.
Once completed the new build will provide spaces for 210 primary-school students, as well as nursery facilities for 30 full-time equivalent three and four-year olds.
Torfaen County Borough Council has commissioned the new build as a way to increase the number of Welsh-speaking primary schools available in Pontypool.
The project is scheduled for completion in March 2022.
The school will open initially with a nursery and reception classes, as part of a phased expansion.
Funding for the scheme has come entirely from the Welsh Government, as part of its 21st Century Schools and Colleges programme. In 2016, the Welsh Government unveiled plans to achieve one million Welsh-language speakers by 2050.
Plans for the main building outline a two-storey, 2,000 square metre building with nine general purpose classrooms.
Outside will be an MUGA (multi-use games area) court for physical activity, as well as a wildlife habitat area for learning, an informal play area and amenity grass areas
Rob Williams, area director for Morgan Sindall Construction, said: “We are proud to have been selected to deliver this new primary school and nursery for the council. It is an important investment in the education offering for the local area and, importantly, will support teaching in Welsh.”
“The new building will reflect the Welsh government’s desire for modern, 2st1 century campuses by improving Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw secondary school with state-of-the-art teaching spaces and a focus on sustainable design.”
