Welsh Government funding is to be made available for the construction of a replacement primary school in Raglan. 

Monmouthshire County Council and the Welsh Government will bear an equal share of the cost of the £4.5m building which will be constructed under the council's 21st Century School programme. 

The funding is being made available a year before the 21st Century Schools programme is due to start and reflects the council's track record in delivering the UK's most modern primary schools. 

It will offer local youngsters a standard of facilities similar to those enjoyed at the UK's most modern primary school, Caldicot's Dewstow Primary School which opened last autumn.

 It is anticipated that building work will start on the new school next summer and it will open in late 2015.

According to MCC, the current Raglan school 'suffers poor energy and high maintenance levels with limitations over access, comfort levels, light levels and ventilation and this is reflected in the county's condition survey records which indicate it is among six primary schools that fall into the lowest category'. 

Of these six schools Raglan is the only one with separate junior and infant blocks, which conflicts with the county's aim of bringing together all children at primary level under one roof.

Monmouthshire's cabinet member for Children and Young People, County Councillor Liz Hacket Pain said, "This is indeed good news for the people of Raglan.  I'm delighted and I'm sure that the whole village will look forward to following those other communities in Monmouthshire which have benefitted from a new school."

Jeremy Piper, Headteacher of Raglan Primary School was ecstatic. 

He said: "We're delighted that the new school has received the go-ahead and we're so happy for the children, parents and staff".