Brand new Cefn Saeson Comprehensive School is ready for lessons

Pupils are due to move into Neath’s newly built Cefn Saeson Comprehensive School today (June 7th).

When teaching begins at the latest of Neath Port Talbot Council’s growing portfolio of modern schools, it will mark the completion of phase one of the Cefn Saeson Comprehensive school replacement project.

The next phase involves the installation of new playing fields around the school building at Afan Valley Road, Cimla, and the demolition of the old school.

Around 900 pupils at the new Cefn Saeson Comprehensive will benefit from more than 50 contemporary classrooms, spread across a two-storey building with art facilities, science laboratories, high quality sporting amenities and a purpose-built learning support centre for students with additional learning needs. Schools built under the 21st Century Schools programme ensure pupils have adaptable ICT facilities with integrated mobile technology, flexible learning and social spaces, and provide spacious, light and airy classrooms.

Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, Leisure and Skills, Cllr Peter Rees, said: “We are delighted to see this latest new Neath Port Talbot school being completed and ready to move into and congratulations to our contractors Morgan Sindall for finishing the school ahead of schedule.

“Cefn Saeson is one of the many 21st Century Schools building projects the council has commissioned with the aim of giving our young people the best and most up to date educational facilities the council can possibly provide them with.

“The old school served the community well but the new Cefn Saeson Comprehensive is now one of our many modern schools aimed at ensuring our pupils are taught in up-to-date, high quality buildings and ensuring places are available to serve local pupil demand, to reduce surplus capacity and to promote sustainability.”

The total spend to date (Bands A and B) under the 21st Century Schools programme in modernising Neath Port Talbot’s school estate has now reached £150m – a massive investment in Neath Port Talbot’s next generations and the biggest of any council in Wales outside of Cardiff.

The 21st Century Schools programme is a collaboration between the Welsh Government and local councils in Wales. It is a significant, long-term and strategic capital investment programme with the aim of creating a generation of 21st Century Schools in Wales.