THE new Llanfoist Primary School is officially ready to open for the start of the school year as the contractors recently handed over the keys to the head teacher.

The school staff are now moving all their equipment into the new building which can accommodate 210 pupils and will provide them with state of the art facilities.

It will be a far cry from the old building which still had outdoor toilets and a staff room with no heating.

The new building is in an idyllic location and the glass-fronted classrooms give the pupils a wonderful view of the surrounding hills and trees and open out to create outdoor learning zones under canopy.

The school boasts a range of eco-friendly features including collecting rainwater to flush the toilets, solar panels on the roof and intelligent motion sensor lighting which turn off when they are not needed. 

In addition, all the wood used in the construction of the school by Willmott Dixon was sourced from sustainable forests and the rubber based material laid on the school roof is from a recycled source.

 The constructors who helped build the school, Willmott Dixon, have been working closely with the staff and pupils from the school, providing regular tours and helping them to bury a time capsule in the grounds of the new school.

The pupils have also been involved in choosing the colour scheme for the classrooms and the new library through their school council.

Andy Jones Willmott Dixon construction manager for Llanfoist Primary School, said, "Everything has been completed to schedule. We had a bit of a problem with the weather but we managed to overcome that and it has gone really well.

"The teachers and children have been up to the site on a regular basis and you can see that they are really excited and looking forward to getting in there."

 The new school was constructed in a year by Willmott Dixon at a cost of £3m. The contract forms part of a single source framework agreement currently in place with Monmouthshire County Council.

 Brian Drysdale, managing director of Willmott Dixon Construction, added, "It has been fantastic to work on a project which makes so many people so happy. The construction workers have been overwhelmed by the reaction of the children and their teachers who are thrilled with the new school.

"I'm pleased to say that the new school lives up to their expectations and we are glad to be able to provide them all with 21st Century facilities which will go on to benefit the pupils for years to come."