Additional funds for school expansion

An additional £647,000 will be taken from Caerphilly County Borough Council’s cash reserves to help fund the expansion of Trinity Fields School and Resource Centre.

Trinity Fields, based in Ystrad Mynach, is the only school in the county borough exclusively for pupils with learning difficulties.

Growing demand for pupils aged three to 19 to be accommodated at the school has led the council to look into expanding the site.

Currently there are 178 pupils who attend the school and nearly all have a statement of special educational needs for severe learning difficulties, physical and medical difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties or autistic spectrum disorders.

The council’s proposal is to build an extension on the playing field next to the school, which will allow room for an extra 80 pupils.

The playing field is used by Penallta Rugby Club on a pay-to-use basis and the council is working to reduce the potential impact on the proposed change of use.

New design facilities for the proposed expansion will allow the opportunity for social services and health to expand their work with pupils and families.

However, this has led to a £2.6 million increase in the project’s cost.

The council is contributing £647,000 (25%), which will be funded through the social services capital earmarked reserves.

Following approval from the council’s cabinet yesterday (July 23) a full business case will be produced, and a 42-day consultation will be scheduled for the autumn term.

Councillor Barbara Jones, the council’s cabinet member for education, said: “This is a project very very close to my heart and if any of you have had the opportunity to visit Trinity Fields it will break your heart because we provide services for some of the most special, beautiful children within Caerphilly County Borough.

“I’ve been fortunate that I’ve been there on a number of occasions and I’ve seen the excellent work that is carried out with these little ones.

“The fact that we are across the road from the hospital is vital because if a child has a seizure or if there’s a problem with a little one, we have a hospital across the road.”