PUPILS’ FIRST GLIMPSE OF NEW £7.2m SCHOOL
PARENTS and pupils have had a sneak peek at Cwmaman’s new £7.2m primary school.
Cwmaman Primary School, off Glanaman Road, will open to pupils from Glynhafod Junior and Cwmaman Infants’ Schools in September.
The school, funded through #RCTinvest and the Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools and Education Programme, will provide a first-class learning environment for the pupils aged three to 11.
The wider development includes a multiuse games area, a staff car park, an on-site pupil drop-off area, grass sports pitches, external pupil spaces and a dedicated room for the use of local groups and the wider community.
The council’s contractor for the development, Morgan Sindall, has made excellent progress over recent months. Construction work inside the school building has recently been completed, and it is now in the process of being furnished.
ICT installations will be carried out in the building over the summer holiday ready for the new term.
The contractor, along with the school’s headteacher, welcomed parents and pupils at an open day, so they could see the new facilities for themselves.
Councillor Joy Rosser, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s cabinet member for education and lifelong learning, said: “It was fantastic for parents and pupils to take the opportunity to see the impressive, brand-new school in Cwmaman for the first time.
“Now fully built, the building represents a first-class learning environment which will be enjoyed by generations of pupils in Cwmaman for years to come.
“We are entering exciting times for the council’s huge investment in firstclass education facilities across RCT, made possible by joint Welsh Government funding.
“An £85m investment will transform education in Rhondda and Tonyrefail from the 2018-19 academic year, while the £7.2m Cwmaman school represents the latest 21st Century Schools project in the Cynon Valley.
“The Cwmaman development has been very successful – with the new school building delivered on schedule.
“The council has worked closely with the school and its contractor, who hosted a number of open events throughout the year so local residents could see the progress being made. Pupils even held their annual Christmas carol service in the building last December.
“The project has many advantages beyond the provision of this fantastic learning facility.
“Bringing the two existing schools together on one site will benefit parents with children at both schools – currently a mile apart.
“The project is also community-inclusive, featuring a meeting room for groups and residents, while the existing play area has already been relocated and remodelled.
“The Cwmaman school development is a flagship project for the council, which has now been successfully delivered to improve educational outcomes and offer our young people new opportunities.
“The pupils can now start looking forward to moving into their new classrooms in around six weeks’ time, when they return from their summer holiday.”