Work is progressing well on the redevelopment of Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera School site. The project is being delivered in two phases to minimise disruption for staff and pupils at the school. Dawnus Construction is the contractor for the £12.5m first phase of the development.
Over the summer holiday period the demolition of the Llwchwr teaching block has been completed to make way for a new building which will house class rooms, specialist design technology rooms and science labs.
The groundwork for the new teaching block is now complete and the erection of the steel frame is underway.
Over the coming half term period a large tower crane will be brought to the site to help with the building works.
The completion for this first phase of the school site redevelopment is planned for late 2016.
The second phase of works is due to start early 2017 which will see around £5m invested in the re-modelling of some remaining teaching areas.
The redevelopment of the Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera campus is part of the Council’s plans for an ‘all-through’ school providing Welsh medium education for over 1,100 pupils aged 3-18 in the north of the County Borough.
It will bring together Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Y Wern, a Welsh medium primary school, and Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera, a Welsh medium secondary school on one site and addresses issues around significant repair and maintenance costs and surplus capacity.
Secondary aged pupils will move into their new building from December 2016 and the re-modelled teaching blocks from the summer of 2018. Primary aged pupils are likely to occupy their new accommodation by September 2018.
Improving schools and raising levels of educational achievement for children in Neath Port Talbot is a priority for the Council. At the heart of its Strategic School Improvement Programme is the desire to deliver the best possible education for children and to maximise the resources available to the Council.
The redevelopment of the Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera campus is one of seven major projects being delivered through Neath Port Talbot’s Schools Improvement Programme and the Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools Programme between 2014 and 2019.
The Programme will see a multi-million pound investment in Neath Port Talbot schools, of which 50% will be grant funded by the Welsh Government.
Councillor Ali Thomas OBE, Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council said: “I was pleased to meet some of the pupils at Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera and see for myself the progress made on site to date”.
“Despite the budget pressures we face, the investment in this and many other schools in the county borough demonstrates our commitment to education and providing the best possible opportunities for our young people”.
“Through our strategic schools improvement programme, ‘Better Schools Brighter Prospects’, and working in partnership with the Welsh Government, we are creating the best environment for teaching and learning to help us improve standards, making sure the right schools are in the right place, and that they are fit for 21st Century learners”.
*Caption:Neath Port Talbot Council and Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera representatives on site: (L-R) Andrew Thomas, Head of Transformation, Neath Port Talbot Council; Matthew Evans, Headteacher ; Alistair O’Mahoney, Head Boy; Ben Lupton; Henry Hall; Damien Hall; Telyn Evans; Eli Flowers, Head Girl; Cllr Ali Thomas OBE, Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council; Matthew Phipps
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