Monmouthshire County Council celebrated the official opening of the award winning Monmouth Comprehensive School building on Friday 21st June. The Lord Lieutenant, Brigadier Robert Aitken CBE along with the Head Boy and Head Girl of the school unveiled a commemorative plaque to mark the occasion. The event was attended by Councillors, governors, staff, students and parents who all witnessed the opening of the largest civic building to be built in Monmouthshire.

The building was a collaboration between Monmouthshire County Council and Welsh Government along with BDP Architects and Interserve who delivered the outstanding building.

The building has already been recognised internationally and has won two awards within the last month, Digital Innovation Award at the Constructing Excellence in Wales Award and the prestigious ‘Project of the Year’ Award at the 2019 Wales Education Building Awards.

Award judges said that this project; “Provides great value for money, is a very well designed school with a variety of learning areas which supports many different ways of working and it also creates a sense of community.”

The awards recognise the state of the art building and design. A massive investment in technology and creative use of light and space provides a mature learning environment, more akin to a university campus or office environment in the world of work. The building provides endless opportunities and teaching and learning at the School has been enhanced immeasurably.

The construction of the building saw a significant investment within the local economy with 80% of the construction costs being spent on sub-contractors within a 25-mile radius of the school site, while apprenticeships were also offered and taken up.

The new facilities provide pupils with an innovative and digitally rich teaching and learning environment with the flexibility to meet the changing needs of the Welsh education system now and into the future. It boasts state of the art AV systems, activity studios, dance and performance spaces, a sports hall and presentation hubs.

The building enhances the school’s ability to achieve its vision of ‘Learning to lead our lives’.