FIVE new schools could be coming to Neath Port Talbot

Councillors in Neath Port Talbot have put forward a £106.2m funding bid to Welsh Government for five new school build projects.

The approval came at the council’s Education, Skills and Wellbeing Cabinet Board on November 24^th, and represents the council’s next phase (Band C) of investment under the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme.

The new schools are:

Llangatwg Comprehensive

A replacement 850 place Secondary school for 11 to 16 year-olds, including a new 16 place Learning Support Centre (LSC). It is proposed to construct the new school on the playing fields of the existing site. On completion, the existing buildings will be demolished to make way for new playing fields and play areas. 

Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Rhosafan

A replacement 465 place Primary school for 3 to 11 year-olds, including a 45 place Nursery and 16 place LSC. It is proposed to replace the school with a new build school to accommodate increased numbers of Welsh-medium pupils in the area. The replacement school will be built on the playing fields of the existing site. On completion of the new build the existing building will be demolished to make way for new playing fields and play areas. 

Tywyn Primary

A replacement 465 place Primary school for 3 to 11 year-olds, including a 45 place Nursery and 48 place LSC for pupils with severe learning difficulties (SLD) and profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD). It is proposed to replace the school and LSC with a new build school. The replacement school will be built on the playing fields of the existing site. On completion of the new build the existing building will be demolished to make way for new playing fields and play areas.

Ysgol Gymraeg Newydd Dwyrain

A new 465 place Welsh-medium Primary school for 3 to 11 year-olds, including a 45 place Nursery and 16 place LSC. The council says a review of Welsh-medium provision has initially identified the need to establish a new school in the East of the County Borough.

St Joseph’s RC School and Sixth Form Centre and St. Joseph’s Catholic Junior School

A new build 1,130 place Middle School for 7 to 18 year-olds and a 16 place LSC. The replacement school would be built on the playing fields of the existing sites. On completion of the new build the existing buildings will be demolished to make way for new playing fields and play areas.

The Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme supports capital build projects for new and replacement schools. Since 2014 the council has significantly benefitted from the funding, enabling around £200m of capital investment to be made in new school builds.

Cllr Nia Jenkins, Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Training said: “Projects proposed for this next phase of investment aim to address the poorest condition school buildings. There are many more schemes that will still need to be tackled with the support of future funding initiatives.

“Through these projects, the council will also seek to address Welsh in Education Plan targets to increase the number of pupils accessing Welsh-medium education, as well as addressing challenges of providing specialist education for pupils with Additional Learning Needs.”