THE Welsh Government minister for education, Kirsty Williams, officially opened a new-look Penygarn Community Primary School on Wednesday.

The £4m project transformed classrooms and the condition of the school and saw the community facilities relocated into the extended Flying Start building on the school site.

The school is now home to a 469-place primary school with 65 full-time nursery places.

The project included the refurbishment and extension of the junior block, which included new classrooms, a new hall, and library/IT facilities.

New LED interactive teaching screens and heating and security systems have been installed throughout the school.

Ms Williams said: “It was a pleasure to officially open the new Penygarn Community Primary School, and to see the fantastic new facilities the school has to offer.

“Through our 21st Century Schools and Education Programme we have invested £1.4 billion in our schools and colleges to ensure that they are well-designed, safe, and energy efficient; ensuring that they are able to meet the needs of learners, teachers and the wider community.

“The fantastic new facilities at Penygarn gives pupils the opportunity to learn in a modern environment which is truly befitting of the 21st Century.”

The 21st Century Schools programme is run by the Welsh Government, the Welsh Local Government Association and councils to bring schools in Wales up to date with current educational needs.

The project at Penygarn Community Primary school follows similar transformations at Garnteg Primary School and Cwmffrwdoer Primary School, which received £2.4 and £3.1 million respectively in funding.

The upgrades at both schools were completed in February.

The leader of Torfaen council, Cllr Anthony Hunt, said: “It is wonderful to see the children loving learning and clearly thriving in these fantastic new facilities. Working with Welsh Government we are delivering facilities that are providing pupils with inspiration and raising their aspirations.”

Cllr David Yeowell, executive member for education, said: “The complete transformation of this school is wonderful to witness. The school was generally in a poor condition but it’s now vibrant and oozing with optimism. We now also have a school which is a real community school with Crownbridge pupils and Flying Start on site.

“With Welsh Government funding, Torfaen’s 21st Century Schools programme is a staggering £280 million and we have already delivered over £90 million of that investment in Band A and will deliver a further £46 million of investment by 2024.”