New Ysgol Y Deri campus to open in Barry
More than £150,000 is being invested by the Vale of Glamorgan Council to establish a second base for the award winning Ysgol Y Deri school for children with additional learning needs.
The building that formerly housed Ysgol Sant Baruc in Barry will be renovated and retrofitted with a range of specialist equipment to provide a vibrant and safe learning environment for 60 pupils and staff.
Ysgol Y Deri Barry will include features such as a cooking room, a therapy room, new reception and break out areas for parents and carers and a purpose-built on-site dining room.
Cllr Rhiannon Birch, Cabinet Member for Education, Arts and the Welsh Language, said: “Our 21st Century Schools team have worked with colleagues at Ysgol Y Deri to create proposals for the school that will feel like a hug for those children and young people being educated here.
“As the building will now only accommodate a quarter of the number of pupils compared to when it housed Ysgol Sant Baruc, there is scope for very significant alteration inside.
“Ysgol Y Deri is rightly lauded for its facilities. With the new Barry campus, we have the opportunity to take all the design elements and technology that make the Penarth school great and put these into a smaller, more homely setting.
“The staff are genuinely excited at the plans, and I hope parents and pupils feel the same way now they have heard the news.”
Work will commence on the building in July with a view to opening its doors to pupils in September.
Ysgol Y Deri Barry is being opened as a temporary measure while a new purpose build building, currently known as Ysgol Y Deri 2, is being developed at Cosmeston, near Penarth.
Chris Britten, Headteacher at Ysgol Y Deri, said: “The huge success of Ysgol Y Deri means that our school is already oversubscribed. At the same time demand and complexity of need continue both to grow rapidly. In the best interests of the children and young people we support we simply cannot wait for the new building to open.
“We want to give as many children and young people access to the wonderful learning environment that we offer. Without a new building that would mean compromising on class sizes, something that would not improve the experience of those already studying with us.
“Ysgol Y Deri Barry will provide pupils with a space designed to meet their needs as part of this transition. We support pupils from all across the Vale and so it will also make travelling to school easier for many.
“The renovations will make it feel like a natural extension of our Penarth school, and most importantly make it feel like home for those who attend.”
Earlier this month Welsh Government confirmed it would not intervene in the planning process for Ysgol Y Deri 2. This leaves the Vale of Glamorgan Council now able to commence development in line with the plans that were approved in March. Construction of the new building will commence this summer.