A CEREMONY to celebrate the progress of the building of the new secondary school in Caldicot was held last week.

The new school building is scheduled for completion in autumn 2017, with the overall campus set to be finished for early 2018.

The construction is part of Monmouthshire County Council's £81m investment, with the Welsh Government, into the 21st Century Schools programme for the county.

Interserve, the construction company in charge of the new build, showed several distinguished guests around the site.

The school's head teacher Susan Gwyer-Roberts was joined by colleagues at the school and Peter Nurcombe, the chairman of governors.

"Looking around this site makes me think what a magical think to happen for our community," Mr Nurcombe said. "I look at it and I see prosperity.

"You can see how just how big it's going to be, and you can see the steel on show is British steel.

"It will be a great opportunity for all of the future children in the area."

County council chairman Jim Higginson, council leader Peter Fox and cabinet member for Education and Learning Liz Hacket Pain were also joined by Caldicot town mayor David Evans and John Griffiths AM at the site.

Cllr Hacket-Pain reserved praise for Interserve's use of both British steel and local sub-contractors for the building work.

She said: "When you see it being built, you see that hope for the future of our young people. This investment is for them.

"It's such a great thing for the community of Caldicot.

"Mrs Gwyer-Roberts must be the envy of every headteacher in the country.