Welsh government announces investment in new and improved classrooms and equipment
Lynne Neagle, Cabinet Secretary for Education, has announced an additional £20m to improve facilities in Welsh schools for children and young people with additional learning needs (ALN). They money will be used to create inclusive learning environments such as quiet or sensory areas, as well as to upgrade facilities to improve accessibility, and purchase new equipment.
Lynne Neagle, Cabinet Secretary for Education, with pupils at Ysgol Craig y Don primary school in Llandudno, photo courtesy of Welsh government
The new £20m will be distributed via local authorities to support mainstream settings.
Over the past three years, more than £80m has been provided to the sector to transform learning spaces for learners with ALN. Last year, 249 schools across Wales received funding to improve their facilities, with Conwy County Borough receiving £700,000.
Some £50,000 of that went to Ysgol Craig y Don, a primary school in Llandudno, enabling a range of improvements to promote inclusion and access within the mainstream school. These include upgraded changing facilities, the creation of new accessible toilets, installation of changing beds for learners who need assistance with personal care, the creation of a sensory garden and outdoor play area, and the purchase of learning equipment.
Work will begin soon on creating an outdoor gym at the school.
This government funding is in addition to £750m being invested by the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme over the next nine years to improve existing facilities and create new specialist provision for ALN learners. To qualify for such funding, projects must demonstrate how they will meet the needs of learners with ALN.
This week, Lynne Neagle, Cabinet Secretary for Education visited the new facilities at Ysgol Craig y Don, where she announced the new funding.
She says: ‘Every child deserves the best possible start in education. I’m so pleased to see the impact the new facilities here at Ysgol Craig y Don are having on not just learners with additional learning needs, but also the whole school community. The £20m I’m announcing today will make a real difference to thousands of pupils with additional learning needs up and down the country, making sure they have the facilities they need to reach their full potential.’
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