Pembrokeshire County Council has welcomed the announcement by the Welsh Assembly Government that they will be awarding a £4.2 million grant towards the construction of a new area school at Llangwm.
The new area school will be called Cleddau Reach VC School and will be built at Llangwm. It will be the result of the amalgamation of Burton VC and Llangwm VC schools and will provide education for children aged three to eleven.
Councillor Huw George, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People, Learning and the Welsh Language, said: “This is fantastic news. We are committed to providing high quality, modern school buildings with the latest technology and a stimulating environment for children in Pembrokeshire.
“This is great news for pupils at Burton and Llangwm. We can now go forward with the planning and design of the school and hope that construction will start in Autumn next year.”
The headteacher of Llangwm VC School, Nick Groves, will become headteacher of Cleddau Reach VC School.
He said: “Both villages have a long tradition of providing high quality primary education, it is marvellous to know that this will be provided in modern buildings suited to the learning needs of children in the 21st century.
“Future generations of children from the Burton, Llangwm and Rosemarket communities will benefit greatly from this investment.”
Burton VC and Llangwm VC Schools will merge from September 2010, and will be run on the two current school sites until the new school building is constructed.
Cllr George added that the new school is an example of the Council’s commitment to raising education standards.
“This is recognition of the fact that this Authority has been proactive in the rationalisation of schools, and as a result of good investment, we are providing an excellent standard of education for children in Pembrokeshire.”
