Construction work on a new £6 million primary school in Penyrheol has begun.
Welsh Education Minister Leighton Andrews attended a sod-cutting ceremony on the site of the new Cwm Ifor Primary School on Thursday with pupils, Caerphilly AM Jeff Cuthbert, contractors Kier Western and Cllr Phil Bevan.
The ceremony marks the beginning of construction of the £6 million project. The Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools programme is contributing £4.4 million.
The state-of-the-art building has been designed without traditional corridor spaces and places greater emphasis on informal learning.
The new Cwm Ifor Primary School is expected to welcome staff and pupils at the beginning of the 2012/13 academic year.
The Minister said: “I am delighted to be here to mark the beginning of a new era for Cwm Ifor Primary School. The £4.4 million we have invested in this project, together with the funding from the council, will allow this school to go from strength to strength.
“Cwm Ifor is yet another excellent example of government at all levels working together – the collaboration that is at the heart of our 21st century schools programme. I’m sure that the new building will provide pupils and staff with a first class learning environment fit for the 21st century, and I look forward to seeing the project take shape.”
Cllr Phil Bevan, the council’s cabinet member for education, said: “This brand new school building will provide a wonderful learning environment for our youngsters. This project forms part of our wider commitment to providing first class educational facilities for generations to come, and I greatly look forward to seeing this project progress over the coming months.”
The current Cwm Ifor Primary School building was built in the 1950s and is a sprawling site with an end-to-end distance of 226.5m.