Education Cabinet Secretary Lynne Neagle MS has officially opened the new Welsh-medium school for three to 11-year-olds built in Pembroke.
The £13.9 million Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Penfro new build represents further investment in Welsh medium primary education in Pembrokeshire and was funded by the Welsh Government through its Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme, (Welsh Medium Capital Grant), (Childcare Offer Capital Grant) and Pembrokeshire County Council.
Ysgol Bro Penfro opened for pupils last September and currently has 148 children in roll.
The development provides a:
- 33-place year round, full day-care provision
- 30-place nursery
- 210-place primary provision
The Minister was welcomed to the school yesterday (Thursday, 30th January) by Cllr. Steve Alderman, the Chairman of Pembrokeshire County Council, and Executive Headteacher Dafydd Hughes.
Mr Hughes said that the investment from Welsh Government and Pembrokeshire County Council had produced an excellent educational facility and that it “represented an exciting new chapter for Welsh medium education in Pembrokeshire, following in the footsteps of Ysgol Hafan y Mor in Tenby, and Ysgol Caer Elen in Haverfordwest”.
Before unveiling a plaque, Lynne Neagle told pupils: “It is a privilege to officially open this fantastic new school and see first-hand how it will empower the learners at Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Penfro, as well as providing Flying Start childcare. This investment, through the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme, reflects our commitment to Welsh medium education and meeting the Cymraeg 2050 targets. I’m grateful to Pembrokeshire County Council and everyone who has helped make this remarkable facility a reality.”
She later toured the new school.
The County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and the Welsh Language, Cllr. Guy Woodham, said the new facility represents a significant milestone in the Council’s delivery of its Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP), and thanked the hard work of officers and contractors in delivering the new school on budget and on time.
Councillor Woodham added: “This is yet another historic day for the Welsh language in Pembrokeshire. The opening of a brand new Welsh medium school to serve the south west corner of the county represents a hugely significant step forward, and is a fitting tribute to the strong foundations laid by the previous Welsh stream of Ysgol Gelli Aur / Golden Grove School. Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Penfro shows that the status of the Welsh language is being fully supported by Pembrokeshire County Council, and my sincere congratulations go to all those who have worked to make this possible.”
The main contractors for the project were Morgan Sindall Construction & Infrastructure Ltd.
