Construction work on a new Welsh-medium primary school in Cardiff is progressing well.
The £7.8 million school is being built on Lewis Road. Once complete it will allow Ysgol Glan Morfa to double in size. The primary school is currently operating from a location on nearby Moorland Road, and will move to its new home next summer [2018].
Photo courtesy of @ClaireCoopz
Funded by Cardiff Council and Welsh Government through the city’s £164 million 21st Century Schools programme, the new school will accommodate up-to 420 pupils, across two classes per year, from reception class to year 6, and provide 80 part-time nursery places.
Construction and infrastructure company, Morgan Sindall, is delivering the scheme, which will create approximately 2,500 sq m of floor space, in a two storey primary school and nursery building.
The school design also incorporates facilities available for community use, including a multi-use games area and a room available for hire.
Mark Stephens, senior project manager at Morgan Sindall, said: “The building’s steel frame is in place and we have just finished installing the roof and windows.
“Next we’ll be completing the external brickwork and fitting the internal sprinkler system. Everything is progressing well ahead of a summer handover next year.”
Turf cutting at site
At a turf cutting ceremony earlier this year, attended by teachers, governors, pupils and councillors, head teacher, Mr Meilir Tomos said:
“This is a tremendous moment for everyone at Ysgol Glan Morfa, and for Welsh-medium education in Cardiff, marking a major milestone in work to create a brand new home for the school.
“It is incredible to think that we will be able to have double the children in the new building than we currently have, reflecting the fantastic growth in demand for Welsh-medium education in the local area.
“The children are so excited and it’s great to have some of them involved in the ceremony. We are looking forward to July 2018 and to provide the best education to the children of Splott.”
Deputy Leader of Cardiff Council, and Cabinet Member for Education, Employment and Skills, councillor Sarah Merry:
“It was great to see the excitement on the children’s faces as the opening of their new school comes another major step closer. They did a fantastic job helping me out with the turf-cutting duties.”
Photo courtesy of @ClaireCoopz
“The work to double the size of Ysgol Glan Morfa is further evidence of the work we are doing to continue the expansion of Welsh-medium provision and widen parental choice in Cardiff.
“Cardiff 2020 – our vision for education and learning in Cardiff – makes a clear commitment to provide more school places, ensuring that provision is available to all families who choose a Welsh-medium education.”
There are currently 17 Welsh-medium primary schools in Cardiff, each in catchment for one of three Welsh-medium secondary schools in the city – Bro Edern, Glantaf and Plasmawr.
Cllr Sarah Merry added:
“As well as the work we have undertaken to create a new home for Ysgol Glan Morfa in Splott, we also have schemes underway to provide purpose-built schools for Ysgol Hamadryad in Butetown, Ysgol Glan Ceubal in Llandaff North and Howardian Primary School in Penylan.”
Cardiff Council has also awarded Morgan Sindall with the contract to build Howardian Primary School in Penylan and Ysgol Hamadryad in Butetown.