School experiments with new building

Penarth special school Ysgol y Deri expanding with new building and 150 extra places

A special needs school in Penarth is set to expand with a new building and 150 extra places for pupils.

The new building for Ysgol y Deri will be built south of Penarth, on land at Lower Cosmeston Farm, and is due to be completed by September next year.

A major housing development is also planned for the farm, with hundreds of new houses and flats.

Vale of Glamorgan council’s cabinet signed off plans to appoint a contractor to design the new school building, during a meeting on Monday, April 11.

A cabinet report said: “The scheme will address the fast-growing demand for complex pupil placements at Ysgol y Deri and avoid costly out-of-county placements.”

A second tender will be made later in the year when the council chooses a contractor to build the new school building. The whole expansion is expected to cost £12.1 million, with the Welsh Government funding £8,850,000 and the council funding the remaining costs.

The school’s main building is off Sully Road, about two and a half miles away from where the new site will be. It was originally constructed with space for 205 pupils, but now has many more than that attending. It shares a site alongside St Cyres Comprehensive School, and there is little space nearby to expand.

Demand is expected to grow at Ysgol y Deri, with projections of 351 pupils on the roll by 2023.

The new building will likely include a sports hall, therapy rooms and breakout areas, as well as classrooms and offices, and outdoor play areas.