Ysgol Gynradd Wirfoddol Dyffryn Cledlyn ground breaking ceremony

A Ground Breaking Ceremony was held on Friday, 26 February 2016 to celebrate the start of construction of Ysgol Gynradd Wirfoddol Dyffryn Cledlyn. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

​The project was developed for the construction of a new area school on site at Drefach near the A475 highway between Lampeter and Llandysul to merge Llanwnnen, Llanwenog and Cwrtnewydd primary schools. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Councillor Ellen ap Gwynn, Ceredigion County Council Leader said: “I am pleased to be here to start the building project for the children of the Dyffryn Cledlyn area. It’s very important to celebrate the first step of the journey in the company of some of the pupils. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

This is another step in the building process to provide some of the best teaching facilities in Wales for Ceredigion students.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The school has been designed to accommodate 135 pupils, and inside facilities will include early years, infants and junior classrooms, specialist classroom and resource area, multi-purpose spaces and community area, a main hall of 200 square metres, and a school kitchen. Outside facilities will include a sports pitch, a permeable tarmac multi games area, safety play areas for nursery pupils and an ecology area. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Councillor Hag Harris, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Learning Services, Children and Young People’s Partnership said: “The unique selling point of this building is to provide 21st Century school educational facilities in fit for purpose accommodation, that will be accessible and appropriate for the local communities around Drefach.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

He adds: “Our main purpose with the school was to provide facilities that could be used by the wider community. The main hall and the designated multi-purpose areas will be available for community use.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The new school is designed to achieve a ‘very good’ BREEAM (Building Research Establishing Environmental Assessment Method) rating for sustainability and environmental performance, and includes initiatives to maximise natural ventilation and utilize a sprinkler system, sustainable drainage and rainwater harvesting. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The School is designed and project managed by the Council’s architectural team and in-house consultants, and constructed by Andrew Scott Ltd who started on the building work in January 2016. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The project is funded by the Twenty First Century Schools programme fund with match funding from Ceredigion County Council. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The school is expected to open its doors in September 2017. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​