First Minister Carwyn Jones and the Most Rev Peter Smith, Archbishop of Cardiff, have joined pupils to mark the start of work on the new £20m Archbishop McGrath Catholic High School in Brackla, Bridgend.
When it opens in 2011, the £20m three-storey school will cater for up to 750 pupils and will feature fully equipped class rooms, science labs, music suites, an all-weather pitch and multi-use games areas.
A large entrance hall will double as an amphitheatre-style drama area with seating provided by a specially designed staircase, and the school will incorporate community sports facilities and changing rooms.
The building will be environmentally friendly and seeks to achieve a BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) ‘Excellent’ rating by using high levels of insulation, recyclable materials, solar hot water heaters and high efficiency boilers. It will also harvest rainwater for flushing toilets.
Funding for the project has been provided by the Welsh Assembly Government, the Archdiocese of Cardiff and Bridgend County Borough Council.
The ceremony was attended by the Most Rev Peter Smith, Archbishop of Cardiff, together with leading representatives of the Archdiocese of Cardiff including Rev Canon Peter Collins, Chair of the Archdiocese of Cardiff’s Schools’ Commission; Mrs Anne Manghan, Director of Religious Education for the Archdiocese of Cardiff; and Mr Michael Bamber, Projects Manager for the Archdiocese of Cardiff. A short religious service was held to mark the event.
Jefferson Tidesley, Mayor of Bridgend County Borough Council was also on hand for the event, as were North Bridgend MP, Huw Irranca Davies; Assembly Member Janice Gregory; and Hilary Anthony, Bridgend County Borough Council Director of Children’s Services.
The school was represented by Acting Headteacher, Rev Dr Philip Manghan, plus Head Boy Benoit Turbervil, Head Girl Lydia Davies, Deputy Head Boy Luke Bevan and Deputy Head Girl Cerys Rees.
They were joined by staff and pupils from the four voluntary-aided primary schools within Bridgend County Borough which will feed into the new secondary school: Bridgend’s St Mary’s Catholic School and Archdeacon John Lewis Church in Wales School, St Robert’s Catholic School in Aberkenfig and St Mary’s and St Patrick’s Catholic School in Maesteg.
Acting Headteacher Rev Dr Philip Manghan said: “The governors of Archbishop McGrath Catholic School are very grateful to the Welsh Assembly Government and Bridgend County Borough Council for their support with the relocation of the school to our new site in Brackla.
“We are also indebted to the project manager Mr Wayne Ganderton of Davis Langdon, the architect Mr Jamie Yeoman of HLM Architects, Gary Mitchell of JUBB, Matthew Chambers of ARUP and many others for their vision, expertise and commitment to Archbishop McGrath Catholic School.
“The governors, parents, staff and pupils are looking forward with great excitement and anticipation to working with the wider local community in providing a first-class learning and leisure experience for all.”
Archbishop McGrath Catholic High School has provided a first-class education, built on Christian values, for over 40 years. Following a doubling of pupil numbers over the past 20 years and the gradual deterioration of the school buildings, wide-ranging consultations were carried out with the Archdiocese of Cardiff, Welsh Assembly Government and Bridgend County Borough Council, culminating in a commitment to spend more than £20 million on a brand new school, which would be located at a more accessible site in Brackla.
Carwyn Jones, First Minister of Wales said: “This significant investment is another sign of our ongoing commitment to improving school facilities in Wales and will provide an environment fit for the 21st century for the pupils of Archbishop McGrath Catholic High School.”
The Most Reverend Peter Smith, Archbishop of Cardiff, said: “I am deeply grateful to the Welsh Assembly Government and Bridgend County Borough Council for the commitment they have given to the provision of a new school for the pupils of Archbishop McGrath Catholic High School in partnership with the Archdiocese. It will provide excellent facilities and a first class education for children from the local community in the years to come.”
Councillor Alana Davies, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People at Bridgend County Borough Council, said: “This exciting development is the latest to benefit local children in Bridgend County Borough.
“It demonstrates not only the council’s approach to working in partnership to meet the demands of education in the 21st century, but also our commitment towards providing young people and the wider community with the very best opportunities.”
Jointly funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and the Local Authority Education Fund, the new flagship facility will offer around 8,500 square metres of space, including informal learning spaces and areas to be used by the community, all laid out over an 8.11 hectare site.
The new school, which is due to open for pupils in September 2011, will also provide sports facilities for use by the school and the local community, bringing additional sports provision such as an all-weather pitch, multi-use games areas, hard play areas and grass pitches to the local area.
Rob Bradley, Regional Director of Leadbitter’s Western Construction Division, said: “All at Leadbitter are delighted to be involved in the construction of this new school, which will provide a landmark building and a centre piece for the community.
“We are working closely with staff and students in order to ensure this new facility meets all their needs. At Leadbitter we pride ourselves on our community relations and will strive to engage the whole school community in the building process.”
