FUNDING for two new secondary schools in Caldicot and Monmouth was formally approved this week.

This means pupils should be in their new classrooms by 2017, backed by Monmouthshire’s £80m educational investment programme - funded 50 per cent by Welsh Government and 50 per cent by the county council.

Sarah McGuinness, chief officer for children and young people, commented: “This really is an exciting time for the whole of Monmouthshire. This programme delivers not only modern teaching and learning environments for our students but provides a civic asset that can benefit the whole community it serves in many ways”.

This is the first of two stages in Monmouthshire’s 21st Century Schools strategy, with the development of two other secondary schools in Chepstow and Abergavenny pivotal to the next round of government funding for 21st Century Schools programmed for 2018.

As part of the first round of approved 21st Century Schools funding, a new primary school for Raglan will be opened in the 2015-16 academic year and the council has made a financial commitment to the new Welsh-medium secondary provision located at Newport’s Duffryn High School. Designs for the new secondary schools can be viewed in County Hall in Usk and it is planned to establish further exhibitions and digital media links throughout the county in the near future.

Headteacher of Caldicot, Susan Gwyer-Roberts said: “This will allow us to develop even further enhanced learning opportunities for our pupils while promoting the vision and national priorities for education in Wales.”

Tim Bird, deputy headteacher at Monmouth Comprehensive also commented: “We are delighted that the Welsh Government is investing in the future of young people in Monmouth and its surrounding area for generations to come. As a community we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to design learning environments that match the aspirations and abilities of our inspiring young people.”