CONSTRUCTION work has started on a new £6.8million school for Trimsaran.

The building will cater for 210 children with 30 nursery places.

Swansea-based Dawnus Construction are the contractors for the scheme, and have now started work on site.

The school will take around 18 months to build, with a targeted opening date of September 2017.

Ysgol Trimsaran was founded in 1875 and was originally situated to the north of the campus, where the junior yard is now situated. A separate infants school was built in 1895.

In 1955, due to overcrowding and a deterioration of the building, a new infants school was built out of war surplus aluminium.

In 1968, the old school was demolished to make way for the junior yard, and in 1975 a purpose built nursery was set up to admit children from their third birthday onwards. In 1989, the infant and junior schools were amalgamated.

Now a new school is planned to replace the old building which is in a poor condition. It is being delivered through Carmarthenshire County Council’s Modernising Education Programme and the Welsh Government’s 21^st Century Schools initiative.

Education executive board member Cllr Gareth Jones said: “It’s great to see work starting on yet another new school for Carmarthenshire.

“Our commitment is to transform our schools into first class accommodation and facilities for all children in the county, providing the right environment for them to learn and grow.”

Trimsaran takes the total investment to around £240million which includes eight new primary schools, two new secondary schools, 41 major refurbishments and extensions, plus work in 12 other schools.