First School Campus to be delivered by WEPCo in Wales

Robertson Group is set to deliver the first School in Wales through WEPCo (Welsh Education Partnership Company) utilising the Welsh Government’s Mutual Investment Model (MIM) following financial close.

Robertson Construction North West is the chosen build partner for the Mynydd Isa Campus, while Robertson Facilities Management will deliver the hard FM services upon completion of the build in early November 2024.

The new two-storey Campus, to be built on the site of existing Argoed High School in Mynydd Isa, will provide a 3 to 16 educational programme for Flintshire.  With a gross Internal floor area of
10, 507m², the primary and high school will remain as separate schools operating from a single building with some shared facilities.

Outdoor facilities are intended to meet the needs of nursery, primary and high school pupils which will have 43, 600 and 700 places respectively, with both the primary and high schools having specially resourced provision facilities for speech and language, and the high school will further benefit from a 20 place Social Communication resourced provision.

Works to deliver the Campus are already underway.

The school will be BREEAM excellent and will be net zero carbon in operation.

Flintshire’s Leader and Cabinet Member for Education and Youth, Councillor Ian Roberts, said: “This much needed modernisation of the school and the new build will be of a high standard and will provide modern, first-class facilities and the best learning opportunities for our children.

“The Council remains committed to investing in the future of our children and young people. We continue to work to provide a high-quality sustainable education for all our learners.  It’s great to see the building of this exciting project moving forward.”

Elliot Robertson, Chief Executive Officer, Robertson Group, said: “Flintshire County Council residents will benefit greatly from the new Campus which will see an increase in continuity and progression for learners from age 3 to 16.  Our Construction North West and Facilities Management teams have been working tirelessly with WEPCo to reach financial close and activity on the site will begin in earnest in the coming weeks.  Robertson is proud to be the contractor of choice for both the build and on-going FM hard services provision.

“Throughout the build, we will also be working closely with the local community to deliver added social value which will benefit Flintshire and its residents during the build and post completion.  As a business we have been working hard to reduce our environmental impacts across all of our operations and we will be doing all that we can to reduce and limit embodied cardon during construction.”

Christian Stanbury, Chief Executive Officer, WEPCo, commented: “This is the first WEPCo project to reach financial close and to commence on site.  This project will set a benchmark for the future delivery of education facilities in Wales and is set to bring more than just academic attainment to Flintshire.

“We are pleased to have Robertson Construction North West as part of our strong team which has the capabilities to create a truly wonderful learning space that will bring additional long-term benefits through its net zero operation capabilities.  Mynydd Isa Campus heralds a welcome change to the Welsh education portfolio, and we look forward to continuing working closely with the entire team to make years of preparation and planning a reality.”

Councillor Mared Eastwood, Chair of the Council and local ward member, said: “I’m thrilled that Flintshire has been chosen for such a pathfinder school, which will be built to such a high specification and be carbon neutral in both construction and operation.  It will be a superb education facility for children from the ages 3-16 years.  A great deal of thought and work has gone into the design of the school and I look forward to seeing the completed project.”

 Councillor Hilary McGuill, local ward member, said: “The new Argoed campus will secure a first-class environment to deliver education to children from Mynydd Isa, Bryn y Baal New Brighton and surrounding villages for 50 years to come.”

The Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles said: “I want all young people to have high aspirations for their education.

“As the first WEPCo project to reach financial close and to commence on site, I am pleased that the Mynydd Isa Campus will support many pupils with high quality facilities. It is fantastic to see this sustainable project, with the needs of pupils at its heart.”

The new Campus is scheduled to be ready for occupation early November 2024, with demolition of the old high school and formation of the new games’ pitches completed by September 2025.