A ceremony has been held at the new site of Gabalfa Primary School and Ysgol Gymraeg Glan Ceubal, to mark the construction reaching full height.
Jointly funded by Cardiff Council and Welsh Government, through the 21st Century Schools and Education programme, the £8.2m project will provide accommodation for both schools, in a shared layout on a 32,000 square metre site.
Gabalfa primary head teacher, Mrs Carrie Jenkins, and Ysgol Gymraeg Glan Ceubal head teacher, Mrs Lisa Mead, along with pupils from both schools, welcomed guests which included Deputy Leader of Cardiff Council, and Cabinet Member for Education, Employment and Skills, Cllr Sarah Merry, to the topping out ceremony.
Speaking at the event, Mrs Jenkins and Mrs Mead said:
“We are two schools in the local community, coming together to embed the future of our pupils here in Llandaff North and Gabalfa, with the aim of working together to ensure a successful future for all.
“It’s a very exciting time for all our pupils, staff and community members, and we very much look forward to moving into the new building after the summer holidays.”
Cllr Sarah Merry said: “It is a pleasure to come back to the site and see that such fantastic progress has been made. I visited the school at the end of September to cut the turf and celebrate the start of construction. Now, barely six months later, the building has reached another major milestone, with the construction standing at full height.
“It is a very different design to other new schools we are investing in with Welsh Government in Cardiff. The innovative shared layout creates an efficient way for us to provide for both Welsh-medium and English-medium education in the area.
“At the same time, the scheme is created in a way that ensures both schools keep their separate identities, while allowing them to work together.”
Education Secretary, Kirsty Williams said:
“Funded by £4.1m from the Welsh Government, this new site for Gabalfa Primary School and Ysgol Gymraeg Glan Ceubal will provide an excellent learning environment fit for the 21st Century. I’m particularly pleased about the way in which the building will share resources for both Welsh-medium and English-medium education.
“This project is part of the first wave of the Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools and Education Programme, which will see the rebuild and refurbishment of over 150 schools and colleges across Wales, representing the largest investment in our schools and colleges since the 1960s.”
Designed by Project, Design and Development in Cardiff Council, the new building is situated on land between the current schools on Colwill Road and, once completed in the summer, the original school buildings will be demolished.
The site will be fully landscaped, and each school will have its own multi-use games areas, playing field, forest school and grow zone.
Both of the new schools will be one form entry, and each will accommodate up-to 210 pupils, from reception class through to year 6, as well as offering nursery provision.
