This week Swansea Council’s cabinet has approved funding to appoint a contractor to carry out detailed design, planning and site preparation work.
The new state-of-the-art school at Mynydd Garnllwyd Road will replace Ysgol Crug Glas and Ysgol Pen-y-Bryn with bigger and better facilities.
In another major milestone from September these schools will amalgamate under one governing body and headteacher even though both existing sites will remain open with no disruption to pupils until the newly built school is ready.
Both existing school communities have been involved in selecting a name for the new school and it will be called Ysgol Calon Lȃn.
Calon Lȃn is one of Wales’ most recognisable hymns and was written by Daniel James in the 1890s and set to the music of John Hughes, both of whom lived in Swansea.
Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, Robert Smith, said: “A lot of hard work has been done to get us to this stage and I’m extremely grateful to the governing bodies and wider communities at both schools for their support.
“Governors, staff and pupils will now have a big say in the design and look of their new school to help ensure a smooth transition for all.
“This is the largest ever investment in special school facilities in Swansea and when ready the new school build will not only improve education for current pupils, but it will also have an additional 100 places to accommodate a rising demand for special school places and reduce the need for some pupils to be placed into independent and out-of-county schools.”
Gethin Sutton has been appointed as the new headteacher of Ysgol Calon Lȃn.
He said: “Pupils, staff, governors and parent and carers from both existing school communities are looking forward to coming together in September to establish our new school, Ysgol Calon Lân, school of pure heart.
“We are very excited to be building a vibrant unified special school that is comprised of the very best of what our existing schools have to offer, and are thrilled at the journey we will be undertaking to build a wonderful new, 21st Century school building, that offers our city’s most complex and vulnerable learners, the very best resources, environment and opportunities to flourish, learn and thrive.”
Chair of Governors, Alan Pitt, said: “The school communities are very excited by this major project which will greatly improve the ALN provision for vulnerable learners in Swansea.
“There is a real passion within the governing body to ensure that we contribute fully to achieving the best possible outcome.
“Lessons are being learned from other recent special school builds and the governors are committed to keeping the school communities, including pupils, staff, parents and carers, fully appraised of progress as we move forward.”
Meanwhile in nearby Llanelli, Cllr Glynog Davies, Carmarthenshire’s cabinet member for education has said he will propose a new-build additional learning needs school for the town after the previous school-build plan to replace Heol Goffa school was pulled as being unaffordable – a decision that triggered a huge public backlash and a 5,000 name petition handed into the council calling on them to reverse that decision.
