Cutting-edge school for pupils with additional learning needs opens in Wales

A new school for pupils with additional learning needs (ALN) has been opened by the Welsh government this week.

The cutting-edge facility is located in Penrhyndeudraeth, Ysgol Hafod Lon, and has been established to serve the needs of ALN students based in the Dwyfor Meirionydd area of Gwynedd. The school has capacity to teach 100 pupils and boasts a number of ultra-modern additions to deliver the highest standards of education and care.

These include a hydrotherapy pool, sensory rooms, a rebound therapy room, a multisensory external environment and an all-weather play area, as well as a six-bed residential unit to provide vital respite opportunities for pupils and their parents.

Construction of the school cost £13 million, with Gwynedd County Council receiving £6.5 million of this total through the 21st Century Schools and Education Programme, an educational infrastructure scheme run jointly by the Welsh government, the Welsh Local Government Association and local authorities.

This programme represents the single largest investment in Welsh schools and colleges since the 1960s and is set to see £1.4 billion being spent over the first five years in order to improve the quality of educational facilities across the country, ensuring that more Welsh students have access to modern equipment and provisions to meet their individual needs.

Lifelong learning and Welsh language minister Alun Davies was present to officially open the school, saying: "It is a privilege to see first hand the fantastic setting which has been created here, and the difference it is making to both pupils and staff.

"I'm sure this inspiring environment together with the huge commitment shown by staff here will give pupils every opportunity to reach their potential."