School to Cater for Rising Welsh Education Numbers

A STATE-OF-THE-ART new home for a Welsh Medium Primary School in Swansea will help accommodate the growing number of pupils requiring a primary education in the medium of Welsh over the next few years.

Latest figures show that the Council will need to deliver 300 extra Welsh medium places over the coming years and Council Leader Chris Holley said the new £6m school for Llwynderw would help ensure the authority met that commitment.

Swansea Council Cabinet Members have agreed to award the contract for building the new £6 million YGG Llwynderw school with work due to start on the West Cross site over the summer.

Pupils are currently based in a temporary home near Sketty's Bishop Gore Comprehensive which can no longer cater for the number of pupils attending the school.

Whilst there are falling pupil numbers in the English Medium sector as a whole, these are not spread uniformly across the County and it is less of an issue in the West of Swasea. There is, however, a rising demand for provision through the medium of the Welsh language- and the Council has a target to deliver 300 extra Welsh Medium primary places by 2011 to respond to this increased demand.

Swansea Council Leader, Cllr Chris Holley said, "The Council has a duty to the pupils at YGG Llwynderw to provide them with a school. We consulted widely and beyond statutory requirements prior to any decisions being made on this project and there was robust scrutiny of the proposal by the Welsh Assembly Government. WAG agreed that a one and a half form entry school on this site was appropriate."

Head Teacher at YGG Llwynderw Alun Jones said, "It's good to see it moving forward and we'll all work very hard to make this work. I think the school will look fantastic when it's completed."

The new building for 315 pupils and nursery children will be built at West Cross House on West Cross Lane, and will incorporate play areas, including a multi-use games area. There would also be a lay-by and car-parking.

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