A FIGURE of £110m will be invested in school improvements over the next decade if Wrexham County Borough Council’s Executive Board give plans the green light next week.
But the council’s lead member for education has warned that if construction price inflation picks up again it could eat into the budget.
Welsh Government will invest almost £80m in the nine-year scheme through the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme (previously the 21st Century Schools Programme). The council will contribute around £27.7m with around £2.3m coming from church authorities to support works to improve faith schools.
Councillors will be asked to approve plans – which include the moving of the Haulfan pupil referral unit from Rhosddu to the former Yr Hafod Primary School site in Johnstown – at a meeting on Tuesday.
The rolling programme of investment will upgrade some existing schools and create new facilities for others to modernise education settings for pupils across the county borough.
The £52.6m first phase will see construction of a new 330-pupil special educational needs school for ages 6-19 to replace St Christopher’s. The new school will be built on the current St Christopher’s site.
According to Estyn while pupils are happy, the existing school has some overcrowding issues. The buildings have been extended a number of times but inspectors added that they limit learning opportunities. There is also a lack of parking provision which has caused problems with local residents.
Phase one also includes the remodelling of the former Yr Haford Primary School site in Johnstown to replace Haulfan Pupil Referral Unit. Once complete the unit will work with up to 40 secondary-age pupils with emotionally-based school avoidance.
Within the initial three years the programme will also build a replacement for St Mary’s Church in Wales Primary School in Brymbo. Just a mile from it’s current home, the new school will increase capacity from 154 pupils to 210, with scope to grow to 315 pupils if required.
St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in the city centre will also relocate, with a site yet to be identified.
“We’re thankful to the Welsh Government for committing to invest,” said Lead member for Education, Cllr Phil Wynn. “Phase one will deliver those projects from the back end of the previous 21st Century Schools Programme, including the two St Mary’s schools.
“By far the biggest investment is the brand new special educational needs school in Wrexham on the existing St Christopher’s site. That’s a major investment and is in the process of consultation at the moment.
“Our priority going forward is focusing on the need of the increasing number of children who are presenting with additional learning needs. Our intention is to provide more provision in county in schools that are run by the local authority rather than sending children out of county to private sector provision.
“That will be better for pupils, it means their travel day is shortened and it gives us more control over provision for those young people.”
Phase two will see just over £26.5m invested in the refurbishment and reduction in size of Acton Park Primary School. The school will also see an additional new building for 110 primary pupils with additional learning needs created.
There will also be refurbishment projects carried out at Ysgol Maes y Llan and Darland High School in Rossett.
The final phase two project will be a purpose-built site for learners with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. The 60-place school will reduce the number of pupils who have to go out of county to receive supported learning.
The final three years of the programme will see bilingual Welsh medium education improvements, with capacity at Ysgol Morgan Llwyd secondary school by 210 pupils as part of Wrexham’s commitment to support the Welsh Education Strategic Plan’s target of reaching a million Welsh speakers by 2050.
Ysgol Rhiwabon will undergo major improvement works as will any additional learning needs services identified by Wrexham Council’s current review.
Ysgol Rhostyllen will also be extended to increase pupil numbers – subject to a section 106 agreement connected to local housing developments.
Cllr Wynn said that while phase one was set in stone, phases two and three could be flexible if priorities change.
“We live in a fast-changing world and while those programmes are there now as our commitment, that is subject to review as time progresses.
“Phase one is an absolute guarantee, phases two and three can still be reviewed.
“The biggest risk going forward is construction cost inflation. Hopefully things have stabilised but there was a rapid inflation after Covid so that’s what we’ll have to keep a close eye on.”
