Neath school projects up for discussion

A series of multimillion-pound school building and refurbishment projects could be underway in Neath Port Talbot soon.Today (20 November), Neath Port Talbot Council’s cabinet will be recommended, via education officials, to seek permission for ambitious new school project submissions.The schemes will be included in the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning funding programme, formerly known as 21st Century Schools.Proposed submissions include a new-build, English medium, £17m replacement for Godre’rgraig Primary School at Gnoll Road, Godre’rgraig, providing 210 full-time and 30 part-time nursery places.Also included is a £10m extension to Ysgol Maes Y Coed Special School in Bryncoch. This will allow it to take in 40 extra pupils who will benefit from the specialist facilities already existing there.Lined up is a £17m replacement, single-site school for Ysgol Hendrefelin Special School, which is a maintained community special school currently on three sites. It provides for pupils aged three to 16 who have moderate learning difficulties, severe learning issues, autistic spectrum disorder, and long term and complex social, emotional and behavioural problems.There would also be a complete £9m refurbishment of the vacated Education, Library and Resource Service building at Reginald Street, Velindre, Port Talbot. This will create a new central hub offering a range of skills-based learning and vocational opportunities for pupils across Neath Port Talbot.The council added that it will expand and enhance current internal provision and promote a wide range of subjects for a more cohesive vocational learning experience for young people.