PUPILS in Clyro let off balloons on Monday to mark their new school’s opening.
A ribbon was cut by Revd David Thomas before the pupils ran in to inspect the new premises. Clyro Church in Wales Primary School is the last of new five schools to open in the Gwernyfed cluster.
The others are in Llangorse, Hay, Talgarth and Llyswen. The project, jointly funded by the Welsh Government and Powys County Council with some money from the Church in Wales, cost £23 million.
Head teacher Sarah Groves said: “We have the most beautiful, amazing school. We have the most beautiful, amazing school, we love it, we couldn’t ask for anything more. We’re all extremely proud, thank you so so much. I couldn’t be happier – what an amazing learning environment for our children to work in, it’s truly extraordinary! Big thanks must go to the Powys Transformation team of Betsan Ifan, Ian Pilcher, Calvin Williams and Alan Hutchinson, who have worked so hard to get the school built, completed and furnished to such a high standard on time. A massive thank you also to the building contractors Willmott-Dixon and everyone in their team, especially Martin James, our site manager, who was with us every step of the way and ensured that it was built to the best standard, the best quality in order to provide us with the best!”
The school has been personalised with two mosaics outside and two murals inside. With help from the Co-Op’s Community Fund, the school paid for Rachel Shilston, a mosaic artist, to come in and work with every child to create a wall-mounted mosaic of their school logo and a circular mosaic circle, which is cemented into the ground, depicting all of the Christian values, which the children feel make Clyro School such a special place. Christina Watson painted the school logo and motto murals on the sky lanterns in The Street, inside the school. Clyro Parochial Church Council paid for piece of portland stone to be carved to commemorate the opening.