A North Cardiff primary school has celebrated expansion and a new nursery.
The new development at Pentyrch Primary School includes an extension for two classrooms with their own external play/teaching area including canopies, a new nursery with toilets and changing room, teaching kitchen, quiet room and external teaching space with canopies.
The work by contractor Knox and Wells also features a new toilet block, staff office and headteacher's office, as well as hard and soft landscaping, infiltration basin and rain garden. The scheme included the demolition of the existing toilet block and double demountable classrooms.
Since 2017 the school has been in a formal collaboration with Llanishen Fach Primary School in Rhiwbina, with a leadership team working across both schools, and both schools collaborating on joint school improvement priorities.
Headteacher Sarah Coombes said: "This is a momentous day for Pentyrch Primary School and the village community. The school is on an incredible journey and through the power of collaboration we have now been able to provide a nursery for the children of Pentyrch along with a school extension to accommodate greater numbers of pupils from the local area.
"The newly established wrap-around care and an after-school provision also provides much needed support for working families.
"I would like to thank everyone who has made this possible: the local authority for enabling access to grant funding; the consortia for brokering a collaborative partnership with Llanishen Fach Primary School to build capacity to enable improvement and Knox and Wells for building our state-of-the-art facilities often in the most difficult Pentyrch weather conditions!"
During a celebration event pupils, parents, staff, governors and members of the community were invited to take part in activities including natural crafts, campfire, traditional and party games as well as every child making a pendant with the new school logo on as a memento, and designing and painting a commemorative pebble to be placed in the school's new courtyard area.
Guests could tour the new school building and view an exhibition of photos of Pentyrch Primary School over time.
Past pupils who left the school last year were invited to join in the celebrations as well as current year 10 children who missed out on their year 6 celebrations due to Covid-19.
A picnic lunch with celebration cakes made by the school cook alongside music from a brass quintet, Pendyrus Male Choir, school choir and a dance performance from pupils, concluded the celebrations.
Comments