New school buildings for St Illtyds RC High School, Rumney
New school buildings for St Illtyds RC High School, Rumney
Pupils at St Illtyds Roman Catholic High School, Cardiff with now have superb new accommodation following a £4 million grant from the Welsh Assembly Government.
The two new teaching blocks and refurbished dining hall and gym were officially opened today (Tuesday 16th December 2003) by Jane Davidson, Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning and the Most Reverend Peter Smith, Archbishop of Cardiff.
Ms Davidson said: "The Welsh Assembly Government has pledged that all school buildings should be in good physical condition and properly maintained by 2010.. Years of under-investment take time to reverse, but we have made a good start. The refurbishment of this school and the outstanding new facilities are one of a growing number of examples of delivery of our commitment.
"I am especially pleased at the way that the Teaching Staff and Pupils at the School have coped during the difficult transition period when the new buildings where being built and existing building’s refurbished.
"Two of the three Roman Catholic secondary schools serving Cardiff have now been significantly improved with funding from the Welsh Assembly Government and the Archdiocese of Cardiff and Cardiff County Council. This is an excellent example of working together in the interests of educational excellence. The other School in Cardiff is Mary Immaculate RC High School in Ely.
"I am sure that the staff and pupils of St Illtyds High School will take great pride in their wonderful new buildings and I wish the school every success for the future."
The Most Revd. Peter Smith, Archbishop of Cardiff joined in the praise of the Teaching Staff, Pupils and school by saying " I am delighted to be here for the official opening of the new and refurbished buildings of St Illtyds.
"I am particularly grateful to the Welsh Assembly and Cardiff City Council in enabling us to complete this very necessary work. I’m sure that every pupil in the school, whether Catholic or not, will derive great benefit from the new facilities which will help to enhance the excellent education that they receive here. I know that everyone at St Illtyd’s is very proud of their new environment, which will enable the whole school community to develop even further the catholic ethos of the school.
"It is a fitting memorial to the vision of the De La Sale brothers who established the school almost a century ago".
Notes
The Voluntary Aided (VA) Schools Capital Grant Programme provides financial assistance for the establishment and capital maintenance of such schools in partnership with the school governors and the Local Education Authorities. There are 161 VA schools in Wales and the Department is currently supporting almost a hundred projects at various stages, through an annual budget of £9.5M.
Funding provided by the Assembly Government of £4m has met 85% of the cost of two new teaching blocks and the refurbishment of the dinning hall and the gym.
Other major projects supported through the programme includes Mary Immaculate Roman Catholic High School which was funded by the Assembly to the tune of £4,400,000 and opened in July 2002. The scheme enabled the school to move on to a single site and involved two phases of work with phase 1 providing a new technology area and sports hall plus improved playgrounds and parking. Phase 2 included a new teaching block, Chapel and library as well as major refurbishment works.
The Voluntary Aided Schools Capital Programme has also provided new premises for two primary schools in Cardiff, St Cuthberts Roman Catholic Primary School (£950,000) which opened in March 2002 and Llandaff City Church in Wales Infants School (£900,000) which opened in November 2003.
A major project currently under construction is St Joseph’s Roman Catholic High School, Newport, which is being completely rebuilt with funding of £12,000,000 from the Assembly Government. The new premise’s are due to be completed in September 2005.
16 December 2003