A major new £110 million education campus in Cardiff is continuing to take shape, with pupils already benefiting from state-of-the-art facilities ahead of its full opening later this year.
Cantonian High School students have now spent six months learning in part of the new Fairwater Community Campus, a landmark development that will eventually bring together three schools on one site.
Woodlands High School and Riverbank School are due to open at the campus in September, expanding specialist Additional Learning Needs (ALN) provision and helping to meet growing demand across the city.
The purpose-built facilities for learners with additional learning needs will include sensory studios, rebound therapy spaces, music and drama rooms, soft play areas, family rooms, wellbeing spaces, an immersion room, an e-sports room and a community café.
Described as the largest project ever delivered through Cardiff Council and Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning programme, the campus has been designed to support learning, inclusion, wellbeing and community engagement.
Cantonian High School features specialist teaching areas for science, arts and sport, alongside dedicated social and wellbeing spaces designed to help pupils thrive both academically and personally.
The wider campus has been developed around seven key themes: learning, arts, sport, post-16 education, inclusion, sustainability and community.
Sustainability is at the heart of the development, with growing areas, nutrition teaching spaces and community cafés showcasing home-grown produce. The campus is being built as a Net Zero Carbon and BREEAM Excellent development, allowing students to experience sustainable living through the design and operation of their everyday environment.
The site will also feature a vocational enterprise hub known as Pontio, the Welsh word for “bridge”. Through partnerships with organisations involved in the Cardiff Commitment, pupils from Woodlands High School will have opportunities to develop workplace skills and gain experience that supports their transition into employment.
Health and wellbeing have also been integrated into the development through a dedicated multi-agency hub, bringing health professionals directly onto the campus. The facility will support pupils from Woodlands and Riverbank schools, reducing the need for learners to miss school for appointments and providing joined-up support for their educational and health needs.
The Fairwater Community Campus is being delivered by BESL and represents Cardiff Council and Welsh Government’s largest-ever investment through the Sustainable Communities for Learning programme. The project team also includes HLM Architects and CMB Engineering.
Once fully completed, the campus is expected to become a flagship education and community facility, providing modern learning environments and specialist support services for generations of Cardiff learners.
