Construction of new school at Whitmore High begins

Executive Headteacher Vince Browne was joined by a host of guests for a turf-cutting ceremony at Whitmore High The event marked the start of work on a £30.5 million project to transform the school. Under the Council's 21st Century Schools programme, a partnership with Welsh Government that involves comprehensive upgrading of educational infrastructure across the County, the current school site is set to change dramatically. Accommodating 1,100 pupils, the work, carried out by Morgan Sindall Construction, will create an ultra-modern learning environment with state-of-the-art facilities. Teaching space will be spread across three storeys, with 70 general classrooms and two drama and activity studios encompassed within the 11,000-metre square site. A specialist suite will also help support students with additional learning needs. Indoor and outdoor sporting facilities form part of the development and include an all-weather pitch and multi-use games court as well as a central courtyard designated for group learning and informal use. There will also be a music studio, fitted with the latest equipment, a multifunctional hall with retractable seating and a large dining area. Staff and pupils will move across to the new building for September 2021 to allow demolition of the existing buildings and creation of new sport facilities, with the project due for completion by spring 2022. Cllr Neil Moore, Leader of the Vale of Glamorgan Council, said: "The new school with its state-of-the-art facilities will see pupils at Whitmore High given the very best platform for success. ''The extensive development taking place is the latest in a far-reaching series of work being carried out under our 21st Century Schools programme that is the most ambitious ever undertaken in the Vale." Elsewhere in Barry, a completely new school will also be built at Pencoedtre High, including a four-court sports hall, performance space, innovative learning environments, allotment areas, and a new all-weather hockey pitch. Welsh language secondary education will also benefit with Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Morgannwg set to undergo extensive improvement and expansion works. This follows other recent work to build the likes of the new Llantwit Learning Community and the multi award-winning Penarth Learning Community.