Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has welcomed a major investment from Welsh Government towards the delivery of a brand new Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhondda in Cymer, marking the most important milestone yet for one of the County Borough’s most significant school projects.
The Council can confirm that Welsh Government is investing £51,694,157 in the project through its Sustainable Communities for Learning programme. The Council will invest £25,805,843, with the total project expected to cost £77,500,000.
The new school will provide a brand-new, fully accessible 11-19 Welsh Medium school on the current site, replacing the existing buildings and creating first-class facilities for up to 900 pupils (including 150 sixth form pupils). Plans for the development include new outdoor areas and improved sports facilities that will be available for both school and community use.
The Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhondda project is one of many investment priorities included within a joint £414 million funding strategy for the years ahead, agreed in principle between the Council and Welsh Government. It sits alongside other major projects already moving ahead, including the new Additional Learning Needs school in Clydach Vale (Ysgol Cambrian) and the ultra-sustainable new school for Glyn-coch (Ysgol Gynradd Glyn-coch), which are both due to open later this year.
The funding announcement is a huge boost for a project that will help strengthen and grow Welsh Medium education in the Rhondda, support the ambitions of the Council’s Welsh in Education Strategic Plan, and contribute to Welsh Government’s Cymraeg 2050 vision for a million Welsh speakers. Public consultation has already taken place on the proposals and planning consent has recently been approved.
Kier Construction are developing the project, and the design has been progressed in close collaboration with the school.
As well as delivering a brand-new learning environment, the project will also support Welsh Government’s wider community benefit goals. That means the investment will help create added social and economic value through areas such as jobs, apprenticeships, training, engagement with the school, fair payment, environmental outcomes, and opportunities for local businesses and local labour wherever possible.
Councillor Rhys Lewis, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, Inclusion and the Welsh Language, said: “This is fantastic news for Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhondda, for its pupils and staff, and for Welsh Medium education in the Rhondda. We very much welcome this significant investment from Welsh Government, which will help us deliver a brand-new school that is fit for the future and worthy of the ambition we have for our learners and communities.
“This project is a strong example of what can be achieved through close joint working between the Council and Welsh Government. We have worked together over many years to transform schools across Rhondda Cynon Taf, and this latest investment continues that shared commitment.
“The new school for Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhondda will provide first-class facilities for teaching and learning, as well as delivering wider benefits for the community through improved sports provision, accessible facilities and opportunities linked to jobs, training, and other community benefits during delivery.
“More widely, this is part of a huge and ongoing programme of investment in education across the County Borough. Since 2014, the Council and Welsh Government have worked together on an unprecedented programme of school improvements, and the total investment in new school facilities across Rhondda Cynon Taf over the 20-year period to 2033 is expected to reach almost £1 billion. That is a remarkable level of investment in our young people, and this project is a very important part of that story.”
