THE head teacher of Cwmcarn High School has said she and staff “cannot wait” to get back to their original school site after months of travelling to Ebbw Vale.

The school, which has been closed since October 2012 over asbestos fears and removal, will re-open on January 6, now asbestos removal and remediation works have been completed.

Originally due to re-open in 2013, plans were put on hold after a contractor working on site, 26-year-old James Paul of Abertillery, was electrocuted and died.

Earlier this year hundreds of people attended protests urging Caerphilly council to re-open Cwmcarn High School, pupils were temporarily moved to the former Coleg Gwent campus in Ebbw Vale.

On the school website head teacher Jacqui Peplinski said it will be “business as usual” when the new term starts.

Term ended a week early for younger pupils in order to give staff time to move back to the Cwmcarn site.

Last week Year 11 pupils returned to Cwmcarn for three days and were “very positive” about the opportunity, said Mrs Peplinski, while Year 7 visited on Thursday.

“It was lovely to observe the learners’ excitement as they walked around the school after 13 months and familiarised themselves with the environment,” she wrote.

A joint service at the Zion Chapel will be organised to celebrate the return of staff and pupils.

On January 6, the school day will begin at 8.40am and pupils will be expected to attend registration in their form room.

“We cannot wait to return to business as usual,” said Mrs Peplinski. “The school will return to the timetable that we operated before we left in November 2012.”

At 11am there will be an official opening of the school and senior members of the council will be in attendance.

Gary Thomas, chairman of governors, said earlier this month: “Stability is important for both staff and pupils, hence this is a significant step towards having everybody back on campus in the New Year. It is good to be back on the green, green grass of home.”