The construction of new £10.2m facilities at Hirwaun Primary School has made excellent recent progress, with staff and pupils on course to move into the state-of-the-art building during the early part of the 2020 autumn term. The project has reached an important milestown, that will allow the next phase of work to begin on the remaining external upgrades.

In September 2019, contractor Morgan Sindall started work on site to deliver a brand new 21^stCentury school to replace existing buildings at Glanant Street. Despite the challenges of the severe weather last winter and the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the project is on schedule to be completed in 2021. All work carried out since the health emergency started in March has adhered to social distancing guidance.

The building’s structure is complete, including a roofing system and perimeter wall construction (brickwork and cladding). The installation and decoration of internal walls is nearly finished, while mechanical and electrical installation is well advanced. Installation of windows and internal doors has also started.

School staff were recently welcomed to the site by the Council and Morgan Sindall, and they were taken on a tour of the new building. The wider community is also being kept up-to-date via quarterly newsletters.

The contractor is on course to hand the building over to the Council during September 2020, with Hirwaun Primary School staff and pupils moving into the fully-furnished building shortly afterwards.

The wider development includes two Multi Use Games Areas, staff car park, ecological habitat area, grass sports pitches and external spaces. These will be delivered in 2021 following demolition of the existing school buildings. This process can begin once staff and pupils have moved into the new building.

Councillor Joy Rosser, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and Inclusion Services, said: “These latest images from Hirwaun Primary School show fantastic progress by our contractor, who have maintained their programme despite a number of challenges over the past 10 months – including unprecedented weather and the Coronavirus emergency.

“The Council has an excellent track record of delivering new school facilities for the benefit of our young people right across the County Borough, since Welsh Government’s 21^st Century Schools Programme began a number of years ago. A 65% contribution for the £10.2m Hirwaun project has been secured, complementing our own significant funding via #RCTinvest.

“A number of 21^st Century Schools projects were delivered in time for the 2018/19 academic year, with pupils across the Rhondda, Tonyrefail and Cwmaman benefitting from brand new schools. In 2020, schemes in Treorchy and Ferndale were completed – while further developments in Cwmdare and Penywaun will be delivered across the Cynon Valley by 2022.

“The very exciting Hirwaun Primary School development is really beginning to take shape, with the building structure in place and external works to begin in September. The state-of-the-art facility represents a huge upgrade on the existing buildings, and I’m looking forward to staff and pupils moving into a learning environment which they can be proud of very soon.”