Our children and grandchildren deserve first class facilities to aid their learning

Mike Hedges – MS for Swansea East

In 2009 the Welsh Government announced its 21st Century Schools plan and in 2010 ministers confirmed that it was to be a long-term capital investment programme to improve learning environments and educational outcomes.

It also aimed to enable councils to address the long-standing problem of surplus school places and create a more sustainable education estate.

It was a collaboration between the Welsh Government, Welsh Local Government Association, local authorities, Diocesan education authorities for the voluntary-aided sector and Colegau Cymru, representing further education with the Welsh government providing 50% of the building cost.

The 21st Century Schools and Education Programme represents the largest strategic investment in educational infrastructure since the 1960s.

It has been designed to end the piecemeal ‘patch and mend’ approach to investment in educational infrastructure that characterised earlier funding packages.

Patch-up

The programme’s approach was a vast improvement on what went before. The shift from an annual grant to a long-term programme has led to a profound change in the approach to improving the education estate in Wales. In the past, the short-term focus meant councils would patch-up school buildings to make them last beyond their expected life span.

In 2019 the second phase of the 21st century programme started, and more schools have become eligible for either rebuilding or substantial remodelling and the provision of additional buildings.

In Swansea East there are currently  six secondary schools, three have been completely or almost completely  rebuilt, one has been remodelled and has had some new build with more planned, one is due to be rebuilt and the site for the new build has been agreed, the only one not being refurbished or rebuilt is Birchgrove comprehensive which was built in 1989 and opened in 1991.

The Twenty First century schools’ scheme’s first wave of school investment ended in 2019 with over £1.4 billion spent rebuilding and renovating more than 150 schools and colleges across Wales.

In the first phase we had £154.1m worth of upgrades was spent in Swansea with the Welsh government having funded 50%, while the other half was funded mainly by Swansea Council.

The first new school built in east Swansea was Cefn Hengoed Comprehensive which moved into new buildings in September 2012. The main building includes glass bridges, spacious and bright meeting areas, and modern toilets. It then had a new Leisure facility with new an indoor sports barn, refurbished leisure centre and community rooms opened in 2024. An all-weather sports facility is also attached to the school.

New facilities

Morriston Comprehensive Secondary School had its official opening following the rebuild in July 2015. The original buildings were demolished, and a new modern facility was constructed at a cost of around £22 million.

One of the school buildings that had been built more recently was kept and is still used by the school. Along with the school development a new all-purpose outdoor sports pitch has been built.

Pentrehafod moved into new buildings in 2019. The school has a much-improved front atrium and car park area, and for the first time, all the school buildings have been linked up meaning pupils and teachers can now move around completely under cover and no longer have to rush building to building in bad weather.

There is  a new library, upgrades to science labs, a brand-new reception area, new art rooms and state-of-the-art ICT rooms. There is also a 3G all-weather football pitch, greatly enhancing on-site sports facilities which is also available for community use. Other community facilities include a swimming pool and sports hall, all of which can be booked through the school.

There are plans to build a replacement school for Bishop Vaughan and for substantial additional work to be done at Bryntawe.

Bishop Vaughan school is planned to be being rebuilt on the former Daniel James Community School  with the aim of creating a more modern and welcoming environment. This is being funded by the Welsh government and Swansea Council. Asbestos will have to be removed from the current Daniel James buildings prior to more comprehensive demolition work in 2026 and 2027. Work on the new school is expected to start in the summer of 2027.

In Bryntawe which was substantially remodelled when it opened as a Welsh medium school there are plans to renovate parts of the existing buildings, build a new teaching block for sixth form students and a brand-new facility for students with additional learning needs. It is hoped construction will start in summer 2026 and take around 18 months to complete.

These new buildings have transformed the secondary education estate. Our children and grandchildren deserve first class buildings and facilities to aid their learning. This building programme has shown commitment to raising education standards in Wales.