The Welsh Government has confirmed £1.75 million in funding for a new Welsh school to be built in Caerphilly town.
Caerphilly County Borough Council is currently developing the closed St Ilan School site in Caerphilly into a new Welsh language school for pupils aged between three and 16. Some post-16 classes will also be taught on the new campus.
The Welsh Government has set aside £1.75m in funding for the new school as part of its draft budget for 2013/14.
Caerphilly AM Jeff Cuthbert, who is also Deputy Minister for Skills, has welcomed the funding.
He said: “I very much welcome the commitment by the Welsh Government to work with Caerphilly County Borough Council to deliver these much-needed new Welsh medium school places.
“In the past I have been contacted by parents who want to see more secondary school places provided for the growing number of pupils who are sent to Welsh medium primary schools. They also, quite rightly, want to maintain and build on the excellent reputation of Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni.
“Public finances are tight due to the cuts imposed on Wales by the Tory-led UK Government, but we’re determined to do all we can to work together and deliver more Welsh-medium school places to meet growing demand for it in the Caerphilly basin and the surrounding area.”
Cllr Rhianon Passmore, cabinet Member for education and lifelong learning, also welcomed news of the funding and said: “Demand for Welsh medium education has been steadily increasing over recent years and there is now an urgent need to provide additional Welsh secondary places within the county borough – I therefore warmly welcome this news, which will enable the progress of this development scheme to be accelerated.”
The county borough currently only has one Welsh medium secondary school – Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni in Fleur de Lys.
Forecasts have shown there will be an overcapacity of almost 1,000 pupils by 2021.
In January this year, councillors voted to spend £3.5m to begin work on the first phase of the project. Year 7 pupils living in the Caerphilly basin will start at the new school in September 2013.
The new Welsh school will create an additional 900 secondary school places with YGG Caerffili also moving to the new site.
Permission has also been granted for a four court sports hall and changing facilities on the site as part of the development programme.
Consultation will take place in October and November for all interested parties to find out more and have their say on the plans.
School pupils, staff, governors and parents will get the chance to attend special meetings, but the main public meetings are as follows:
Drop-in session, Tuesday November 13 between 9am and 5pm at YGG Caerffili. CF83 3AH.
Public/community meeting, Tuesday November 13 at 7pm at YGG Y Castell. CF83 1WH.
Details about the proposals and feedback forms can be found online at www.caerphilly.gov.uk
For more information about the proposal please contact Mr Julian Williams on 01443 864817 or email willijn@caerphilly.gov.uk
Consultation closes on November 30.
I'm sure that the development of this new school will be great news for those parents and children wishing to access Welsh medium education in the Caerphilly basin.
Financial budgets are tight so its particularly pleasing that Caerphilly council and the Welsh Assembly Government have prioritised this development. Great news all round.
Another great achievment by the former Plaid Cymru administration of the Council. Don't let Labour convince you that they have achieved this new School,this was achieved by the dedicated hard work of Cllr Phil Bevan during his term as Cabinet member for Education under the Plaid Administration. Don't forget Labour closed this School when they were in control and were intending to sell the site for yet more housing in an area that is already getting short of green spaces.
Great news that Plaid have secured this school for the benefit of educating our children and superb that for the very first time Caerffili children will be able to walk, run!, cycle to a secondary Welsh medium school instead of taking a 20min bus ride up and down the valley, so it's also an environmental win win story too.
Unlike Labours idea that was to build yet more houses on the site and get rid of valuable buildings and precious playing fields…..