WORK has begun on a new £5.3 million Welsh-medium school in Blaina.

The new 360 pupil school, which will be called Ysgol Gymraeg Nantyglo, is currently under construction at the Rising Sun Industrial Estate, Blaina, and will replace the existing Ysgol Gymraeg Brynmawr when it opens in early 2010.

Once completed the school, which is joint funded by the council and the Assembly, will have 13 classrooms, two IT suites, a school hall, playing fields and covered outdoor learning areas.

It will also be one of the first in Wales to be designed and built to the latest environment and energy efficiency standards and will include eco-friendly features such as solar hot water panels and energy saving controls.

Once these features have been installed the school will meet the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) excellent standards for energy efficiency and environmental performance.

Blaenau Gwent council leader, Cllr Des Hillman, joined pupils from the school for a ground breaking celebration on Wednesday (DEC 9).

He said: “We are investing in the schools that our children and teachers in Blaenau Gwent deserve - the hallmark of our school building projects is quality and sustainability.

“On this site we will see a new building with a bold and modern design to meet the growing demand for Welsh medium primary school education in local communities.”

Rosemary Williams, headteacher at Ysgol Gymraeg Brynmawr, said everyone was excited to see the new school project take shape.

She said: “Everyone has worked so hard to reach the high standard of education and learning that we offer and now, in just over a year’s time, we will be moving into our new school and looking forward to an even better future for our children.”