Additional learning needs school unveils £18m expansion

After two years of building works, Trinity Fields School has finally unveiled its new £18 million extension, which has been “shaped around the needs and potential” of its pupils.

Many of the new features of the extension were suggested by pupils at the additional learning needs (ALN) school, which is in Ystrad Mynach.

The project was described as a “legacy for the future” by headmaster Dave Jenkins during an unveiling assembly on Friday May 23.

He said: “The project hasn’t been without challenge, but these are first-class facilities which are fit for the future.

“We’re not an easy client…but it’s been a exhilarating experience. The pupils have had a direct say on the facilities, including the play room, colour schemes, aquarium room, and even a Lego windowsill.”

While Caerphilly County Borough Council put £4.5m towards the project, Welsh Government paid the bulk of the costs, contributing £13.5m.

During the assembly, which opened with a singsong, pupils were invited forward to read poetry and play instruments.

Cllr Carol Andrews, council cabinet member for education also spoke at the unveiling and said: “Today, we unveil a sustainable two-storey extension that creates 80 additional places for children and young people with profound and complex needs.

“This facility has been shaped around the needs and potential of the pupils that attend. They will help children learn, play, and thrive.

“I cannot wait to see the amazing things that you will achieve within these walls.”

After the talk, visitors were shown around the new section of the school, which was originally planned to expand sideways onto the neighbouring rugby pitch before backlash from the community.

Instead, the second floor expansion has proved a “positive inclusion” according to Mr Jenkins, who said some pupils have been learning to walk up the stairs and prepare for the wider world.

Starting with the new garden at the front of the school, Mr Jenkins said those learning how to use their wheelchair will be able to practice on the snaking path which runs between the green space.

Moving upstairs to the staff room, which is expected to be a busy spot with around 220 members of staff on site, Mr Jenkins added how “difficult” a job teaching at the school can be, and that spaces such as these are important.

A lot of thought had been put into both the comfort and practicality of the building. An ‘independent living space’ was a good example of this, preparing pupils for life outside of school one day.

The hair salon was another instance of this, with cutting hair sometimes a difficult operation for parents of children with ALN.

Around to the back of the building and Mr Jenkins told the group about the school’s memorial garden, which commemorates and remembers those from the school who have sadly passed away since it first opened in 1998.

With more than 200 pupils at the school in Ystrad Mynach, and a further 100 learning remotely, council leader Sean Morgan told Caerphilly Observer how this investment will “ensure resources are directed at those most in need”.

Caerphilly’s Labour Senedd Member, Hefin David, an ex-governor at the school, said: “It’s a pleasure to be here for the opening of the extension and to see the excitement from the learners and staff. It’s a much needed addition to ALN provision in Caerphilly and I’m delighted to be a part of it.

“I was a governor at the school for 15 years and I have a learning disabled daughter, so it’s really brilliant to see the school go from strength to strength.”

After the tour, everyone gathered outside the front of the school, where the official unveiling of the plaque was held.