A £13m school which is set to transform special education in Meirionnydd and Dwyfor is set to open its doors this autumn.

The new Ysgol Hafod Lon Newydd school in Penrhyndeudraeth aims to bolster the education and care prospects of local youngsters with special education needs, and also act as a Welsh medium centre of excellence for children in Gwynedd.

The multi-million pound project, jointly funded by the Welsh Government’s 21st Century School programme and Gwynedd Council, includes a 100 place Welsh language SEN school along with a six bedroom residential care unit, serving children in the area.

It will replace the existing Ysgol Hafod Lon in Y Ffôr and the Uned Ty Aran in Dolgellau.

The facility will include larger, more modern, classrooms and a six-bedroom residential unit.

Donna Roberts, head of Ysgol Hafod Lon, said: “The present facilities are completely unsuitable due to a lack of resources and room.

“The existing school caters to over 50 children despite being built to accommodate just 26, resulting in many children being taught in hallways and school entrances, which just isn’t acceptable.

“Its facilities are also very outdated, no longer meeting the needs of learners in the 21st century.”

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