Work has officially started on the Blessed Carlo Acutis (BCA) Catholic School, which was officially marked by a ground-breaking ceremony on Friday 25 October and officiated by the Catholic Archbishop of Cardiff Menevia.
Archbishop O’Toole led the guests in a Liturgy at the site, with readings from children across BCA following shortly after. Guests from the Archdiocese of Cardiff Menevia, Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, Governors, staff and learners from the school and cluster primary schools, as well as the team from Willmott Dixon and consultants on the project then gathered for speeches.
Willmott Dixon will undertake the work to build the new school which will comprise of 525 full time primary school places, 63 full time equivalent nursery places and 600 secondary school places.
Blessed Carlo Acutis Catholic School is currently operating across four separate sites – St Aloysius Campus, St Illtyd’s Campus, St Mary’s Campus, and Bishop Hedley Campus; these are made up of the three Catholic primary schools and the Catholic secondary school. The new build project will create a brand-new state of the art school building for BCA on the current Bishop Hedley Campus allowing the school to operate on a single site.
The new £52m development will cover 8,840m2 and target being net zero in operation when it’s completed in the summer of 2027. It will provide exceptional learning facilities for students across the Borough from the ages of 3 to 16. The secondary element will comprise of a range of classrooms including languages, humanities, Art and design, science and computer laboratories as well as a drama studio and hall. The primary school has 15 classrooms and a nursey and reception space. The school which will be categorised as BREEAM excellent will have NET Zero Carbon credentials in operation and will have a range of sustainable features including a photovoltaic array on the roof space. Phase 1 of the school is scheduled to be completed in 2026 with phase two following in 2027.
Cllr Gareth Lewis, Cabinet Member for Education at MTCBC commented: “We are very excited to see the start of this project. At Merthyr Tydfil Council, we know how important the learning environment is for students. Our goal is to create a space that enhances the learning experience for everyone involved, from the students to the teachers to the wider community. We can’t wait to see the positive impact this project will have.”
Sarah Hopkins, Executive Head Teacher of BCA Catholic School commented: “Our entire community is incredibly excited about our new build. Our current buildings are showing their age and even though bricks and mortar don’t make a school, our children and staff deserve an environment that is purpose-built where they are able to thrive and be nurtured to achieve their God given potential. We are working hard to operate as one school, finally being in one building will enable us to continue the excellent work we do and watch our children in their educational journey from 3-16.”
Ian Jones, Director at Willmott Dixon said: “In partnership with both Merthyr Tydfil County Brough Council and the school, we are thrilled that this project is now underway. We understand how much learners are impacted by the buildings in which they’re taught and working in collaboration with our customer, partners and stakeholders we aim to deliver this project with minimal disruption to the learners, teachers and wider community.”
