Pupils to say goodbye to old Welsh school

PUPILS at Lôn Las Primary are preparing to say goodbye to their old school buildings.

The Llansamlet Welsh Medium primary school, which is home to more than 500 pupils, is going to be demolished to make way for a brand new 21st century school fully equipped with the latest education facilities.

The old school will close on January 15 and on January 20 the pupils will transfer to a temporary school in the grounds of Y Cwm, in Bonymaen, so their education can continue undisrupted while the work to build their new school takes place.

The £9.7 million new school project is jointly funded by Swansea Council and the Welsh Government. It is envisaged pupils will return to their new school on their existing site in Autumn 2017.

To help the move run as smoothly as possible parents have been sent a guide to the move and invited to drop in sessions at the school this week.

Cllr Jen Raynor, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, said: “YGG Lôn Las is a great school at the heart of its community with a special place in the history of Welsh Medium primary education in Swansea.

“However its current buildings are old, in poor condition, increasingly expensive to maintain and threaten to stifle the schools ability to provide the best possible education provision for pupils.

“I am delighted that we are now going to develop a new school there which will provide a safe, efficient and fit for purpose environment with quality teaching and learning facilities necessary to provide a modern education.

“It will also help meet growing demand for Welsh Medium education in the city and provide more appropriate provision for pupils with special educational needs who wish to be taught through the medium of Welsh.”

Karen Thomas, Lôn Las Headteacher, said: “We are grateful to pupils, parents, and the local community for their co-operation which means we are able to move into our temporary home quickly to enable our new build to get underway.

“Having seen what has been achieved elsewhere in Swansea and the plans for our new school we are really looking forward to the day we will be moving back to Llansamlet and having a 21^st Century school.”

The Lôn Las scheme is part of Swansea Council’s 21st Century Schools Programme which aims to invest tens of millions of pounds in improving school facilities across the city.

The programme has already seen building replacements and upgrades at Burlais and Gowerton Primaries, Cefn Hengoed and Morriston Comprehensives, and new classrooms at Newton and Glyncollen.

All projects have been supported by part-funding from the Welsh Government.

The Local Authority will be working closely with its contractors, Dawnus Construction, to minimise disruption to neighbouring residents on both the temporary and new school sites.

Updates on the Lôn Las project will be provided through newsletters and posted on the Council website at www.swansea.gov.uk/newygglonlasbuild