A new multi-million pound primary school which will provide a first-class educational environment for pupils in Caernarfon as well as a fantastic resource for the local community has opened its doors today (12/3/12).
The £9.3 million Ysgol yr Hendre – which provides places for up to 450 children – is also one of the most environmentally friendly schools in the country.
Gwynedd Council Leader, Councillor Dyfed Edwards said:
“Ensuring that all Gwynedd’s children and young people have the best start in life is a key priority for us as a Council. Ysgol yr Hendre is a great example of a real team effort between Gwynedd Council, the Welsh Government, the school itself, its governors and the wider community to achieve this aim.
“This flagship project will mean that children from this part of Caernarfon will now benefit from being educated in Wales’ most modern school.”
Councillor Roy Owen, Chairman of Ysgol yr Hendre Governors, added:
“This is a day we have all been looking forward to – we now have a school that all the pupils, our staff, and the wider community can be really proud of.
“The new Ysgol yr Hendre is much more than a school. The fact that it is also home to facilities that provide adult education, health and social welfare initiatives as well as cultural and sporting activities means that it really is the beating heart of the local community.”
Ysgol yr Hendre pupils will now be taught in a modern new building which replaces the outdated old school. The innovative design has given the building a spacious feel with maximum use of natural light throughout, delivering a learning and working environment that is second to none in Wales.
The construction methods used means that the building keeps warm in the winter and cool in the summer, reducing heating costs and leads to a 60% reduction in carbon emissions during the building’s lifetime and boasts such credentials as being able to recycle rainwater.
Councillor Liz Saville Roberts, who leads on Education for Gwynedd Council said:
“As well as providing pupils and their teachers with the modern learning and working environment they deserve, the new school has been awarded the BREEAM excellent standard which means that it is also one of the greenest schools in the country.
“The new Ysgol yr Hendre building is the most recent school building project as the Council strives to provide facilities which meet the demands of a 21st century curriculum.”
