RCT Council’s Cabinet Member for Education has visited staff and pupils in Hawthorn, and saw the progress being made towards constructing first-class new education facilities which will be completed next year.
Councillor Rhys Lewis visited the site on Thursday, May 25, along with a group of pupils from Hawthorn Primary School, Heol y Celyn Primary School and Hawthorn High School. They were joined by the headteacher of the new 3-16 school and representatives from contractor Kier and partner AECOM.
Cllr Lewis joined the pupils in signing the steel which will be used in the new school building, to celebrate the construction phase reaching this milestone.
The development is part of the Council’s wider £75.6m investment in brand new education facilities in the Greater Pontypridd area, being delivered jointly with Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme.
The project will create a new 3-16 school, welcoming pupils from Hawthorn Primary School, Heol y Celyn Primary School (English medium stream) and Hawthorn High School in 2024. Some buildings on the existing primary and high school site in Hawthorn will be demolished and replaced with a brand new, Net Zero carbon development. Other buildings will be refurbished while a new staff car park, coach car park and pupil drop-off area will be provided.
On Thursday, Councillor Lewis received a project update from the contractor. Important progress has been made on site in recent months. The first phase of work is complete, with the car parks and drop-off areas now constructed.
The second main phase of work is now underway, to construct the new school buildings. This is on course for completion next spring in time to welcome pupils to the 3-16 school for the new academic year in September 2024. A third phase of work will follow, to complete external works by December 2024.
Councillor Rhys Lewis, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, Youth Participation and the Welsh Language, said: “Thank you to all of the pupils and staff from Hawthorn Primary School, Heol y Celyn Primary School and Hawthorn High School, for your very warm welcome at the development site on Thursday. These are exciting times for the project, with attention now turning to constructing the main buildings after the first phase of work, to construct the car park areas, being completed recently.
“The development in Hawthorn is one of four major projects being delivered by the Council via the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme, in a £75.6m investment. It will also provide the new Welsh Medium Primary School for Rhydyfelin, the new Pontypridd 3-16 school in Cilfynydd, and a new sixth form block and extra facilities at Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive in Beddau – with all these projects set to make important progress in the year ahead.
“Other projects currently being delivered with investment secured from the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme are brand new buildings for Pontyclun Primary, Llanilltud Faerdref Primary and Penygawsi Primary over the next two years – as well as a new school for Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Llyn y Forwyn. This ambitious programme is delivering on our commitment to provide more new education facilities for the County Borough, while contributing to our Climate Change goals as each project aims to achieve Net Zero carbon in operation.
“It was fantastic to see the new development in Hawthorn begin to take shape on site, to deliver first-class school and community facilities. The investment will bring exciting opportunities for young people in their education, and I’m looking forward to seeing further progress in the weeks and months ahead.”
