Welsh-medium school opens on Barry Waterfront
An ultra-modern Welsh-medium primary school has opened on Barry Waterfront as the Vale of Glamorgan Council continues to grow the language.
St Baruc pupils moved into their new building today, a 420-place state-of-the-art facility that has a host of impressive features.
It replaces their old Victorian premises, which offered only half the capacity.
This is the latest investment in Welsh-medium education by the Council and follows the expansion of Ysgol Bro Morgannwg in 2021.
Before that, Ysgol Dewi Sant opened in Llantwit Major, with a new cylch meithrin nursery added last year, that is for children aged two-and-a-half and above.
Additionally, Ysgol Gwaun Y Nant, in Barry, opened an immersion unit offering intensive Welsh courses for those not from Welsh speaking homes.
These efforts contributed to a jump in Welsh speakers within the County, one of only four in Wales where that number is increasing.
Cllr Rhiannon Birch, Vale of Glamorgan Council Cabinet Member for Education and the Welsh Language said: “The new St Baruc school building is a fantastic facility that provides pupils, teachers and staff with the perfect platform for success.
“The school is low carbon, in keeping with our Project Zero commitment, and is the latest piece of work in our Sustainable Communities for learning programme,
“That extensive improvement scheme has seen a major upgrading of educational facilities across the Vale.
“As this is a Welsh-medium school, it also promotes the Welsh language, something we believe is vitally important.
“In the Vale, more and more people are now speaking Welsh and we want those numbers to rise further.
“School buildings like this, which provide first-class learning environments, with lessons delivered in Welsh, can play a big part in helping achieve that.”
The school’s low carbon features include solar panels and onsite battery storage, air source heat pumps – which use outdoor air to heat the building, underfloor heating and EV charging points in the car park.
Inside, there is mechanical ventilation, rather than an air conditioning unit, and a host of innovative teaching aids.
The food technology space is large, allowing for more interaction, and includes a full catering kitchen. That was built in consultation with the Council’s Big Fresh Catering Company, which has recently helped roll out free school meals to every primary pupil in the Vale.
There are extensive outdoor spaces, some just off the classrooms, which can be used for teaching, along with hard and soft landscaping for learning and playing.
The grounds include a multiuse games area, two grass pitches, a small training field and habitat areas to develop wildlife and encourage biodiversity.