New Welsh Language Childcare Facility at Flintshire School to be Discussed by Councillors

A PROGRAMME which will see a Welsh language childcare facility at a new school in Flintshire will be discussed by councillors.
The Education, Youth and Culture Overview and Scrutiny Committee will meet on Thursday, November 30 to look at the progress of the Sustainable Communities for Learning programme.
The Welsh Government made capital grants available to councils for the purposes of childcare provision between 2019- 2022, according to a report which will be presented to councillors.
Flintshire Council approved a number of projects for the first wave of investment into childcare facilities at schools across the county.
The report said: “Cabinet and Welsh Government have also already approved £1.2m as part of a second wave of Childcare Grant investment to include a new Welsh medium childcare facility for the Ysgol Croes Atti new school.
“This project was brought forward to coincide with the new school development to ensure the council capitalised on the opportunity to have a wraparound childcare facility on the same site as the new school.
“The objective is to improve provision for Welsh medium education in the Flint area – a key strand of the council’s Welsh in Education Strategy Plan. Construction is expected to be complete by September 2025.”
On the new Welsh medium school set to replace the current Ysgol Croes Atti in Flint, the report described it as a “significant project supporting the Welsh Education Strategic Plan”, because this will be the first new Welsh medium school built by the council since its inception in 1996.
The project is set to also make it a Net Zero Carbon (NZC) school.
It added: “Also included in the project is a standalone facility that will provide a wraparound childcare provision, a space for adult community learning and an immersion resource to aid the transition from primary school to Welsh medium secondary school.”
Progress is as follows according to the report: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Planning permission granted January 2022
A Design and Build contractor has been engaged
Full Business Case (FBC) approved in August 2023
Construction activities due to commence in 2023
School Occupation – September 2025 ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

A number of other projects are set to benefit other schools across the county, which will also be looked at during the meeting. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​