Past pupils among those who built new school

PUPILS and teachers in Caldicot will start term next week in a new £36.5m state of the art school – and it’s been built by local people, including past pupils.

The building includes naturally lit classrooms, a large hall, theatre-style areas and studio spaces for students to study informally. There are also quiet areas.

Cinema-quality projectors have been donated by audiovisual specialists Ricoh, and there is interactive technology for teachers to share information with colleagues and students.

The building is designed to be energy-efficient with a selfcooling system for hot weather and heat release to reduce the need for traditional heating. Natural light has been optimised throughout with automatic lighting to save electricity.

Funded by Monmouthshire council and the Welsh Government, the school was designed and built by international support services and construction group Interserve – with 70% of the builders, electricians, plumbers and engineers on site living in the area, including past pupils.

Many local apprentices have learnt skills on site and work experience students also contributed to the project to help them with future job opportunities. Interserve worked with the county council and Y Prentis, a shared apprenticeship scheme covering South East Wales, to exceeded the project’s community benefits target by 200%, the council said.

Community groups will also be able to use the new school’s facilities. The dance studio and hall can be used for meetings, groups and fitness classes and the stage area can be used by local choirs and amateur dramatic groups.

Head teacher Susan GwyerRoberts said: “I’m looking forward to welcoming pupils and colleagues into our 21st century school this September. I would like to thank staff, pupils, parents, governors and all our partners for their significant contribution into the design, to make this an inclusive learning environment for everyone.”