School to double in size as plans approved
A MULTI-MILLION-POUND campus development which will see a Cowbridge school double in size has been given the go-ahead.
Vale of Glamorgan council revealed plans for the new Ysgol Iolo Morganwg primary school building are expected to be completed by September 2025.
Earmarked for land located on the new Clare Gardens residential development to the north-west of Darren Farm, the new school will see the number of places offered to pupils go from 210 to 420. Nursery places will also increase, going from 66 places to 96.
Councillor Rhiannon Birch, cabinet member for education, arts and the Welsh language, said: “It is not possible to expand Ysgol Iolo Morganwg’s current premises. The 19th-century building cannot support a modern learning environment and limited outdoor space restricts the school’s capabilities. The £13m investment will fund a bespoke, brand-new school building fit for 21st-century learning, benefiting pupils, staff and the wider community.
“As a council, it is vital we support the growing number of Welsh-speakers in our communities with the current demand for Welshmedium education and for future generations to come. A new, bigger campus for Ysgol Iolo Morganwg will support Welsh-speakers in our communities long-term.”
The £13.74m development, which will be located 1.3km away from the existing premises, is part of the council’s drive to meet its Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) commitments and contribute to the Welsh Government’s target of reaching one million Welshspeakers by 2050.
As part of the council’s WESP development, Ysgol Iolo Morganwg’s new campus will feature an adult education and Welsh-language immersion centre for primary school pupils aged seven years and above.
It will also offer adult and community learning programs after school hours.
With the opening of Welshmedium secondary school Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Morgannwg, it is hoped the increased number of pupils coming from Ysgol Iolo Morganwg will be well accommodated in the county when moving on to secondary education.