A class act – pupils delighted with new Pencoed Primary School

The new term has started in style at Pencoed Primary where pupils and staff are enjoying settling into their brand new £10.8m school.

Built on the old playing fields off Penprysg Road, the new two-storey school contains everything you’d expect to meet modern educational needs.

Large interactive screens can be found in each classroom, all of which can be found off one long circulation space or ‘street’ that runs through the heart of the school on both the ground and first floors.

Within the ‘street’ there are ample places to find a comfortable spot for reading, computer work and other learning opportunities.

Above the ‘street’ are large windows that run the length of the building at the apex of the roof. As well as allowing light to flood into the school, the windows open automatically when the building reaches a certain temperature, and close when it gets cold. The school also has underfloor heating throughout.

As pupils walk around the school, several walls greet them with a selection of words that describe Pencoed Primary’s ethos such as creative, fun, active, co-operation, enjoyable, lovely, safe, ambitious, caring, healthy, and charitable.

Outside, the extensive grounds include a large playground for junior pupils, a ‘soft play’ playground for the infants, a reading circle, pond, and an AstroTurf which is the length of two full football pitches.

Everyone is also delighted that all pupils can now be taught on one site for the first time in the school’s history.

For more than a century, there were separate infant and junior sections, with buildings across either side of the busy Penprysg Road as well as premises at Heol y Cyw.

We’re really pleased to be able to bring everyone together under one roof. Saying goodbye to the old school was an emotional time for anyone with ties to it, but this is the start of an exciting new era for Pencoed Primary School where many more fond memories will be created.

The new school certainly has the ‘wow factor’ and I would like to thank our contractors BAM Construction Ltd, pupils, teachers, governors, school staff, council staff, and everyone else who has made this project a reality.

Councillor Huw David, the Leader of Bridgend County Borough Council

“I’m also particularly proud of the specialist provision that the school has for children with additional learning needs. There are eight places for visually impaired pupils, eight infant observation places, eight places for pupils with autism and two further classes of 15 places for pupils with moderate learning difficulties.”

Councillor David added: “We want our children to have the very best start in life that we can provide, and new, modern schools such as Pencoed Primary are helping us to achieve this. Welsh Government has once again played a major role in the funding of the school, and their ongoing contribution towards providing local children with first-rate educational environments deserves full recognition.”

Education Secretary Kirsty Williams said: “Our 21st Century Schools and Education Programme represents the largest investment in our schools and colleges since the 1960s. This fabulous primary school building is testament to our partnership with Bridgend local authority and will provide an inspiring learning environment for the Pencoed area.”

The new Pencoed Primary School has been jointly funded by Bridgend County Borough Council and the Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools and Education Programme. The total council investment is £6.766m while the Welsh Government has provided £4.067m.

Significant local authority investment of approximately £400k has also been made via highways works and traffic calming to improve road safety nearby and enable pupils to travel to school safely on foot, bike or scooter.