Ysgol Hafan y Môr and Tenby Church in Wales VC Primary School

As the bell sounds today (Friday) to signal the end of another school term in Tenby, the town is already looking forward to an exciting new era of education in the resort.

For in eight weeks time, a near £8.4 million investment in Tenby’s primary education finally reaches fruition with the opening of two new schools in the town’s Heywood Lane.

The current junior school will become a new Welsh medium Community Primary School, with a new English medium Voluntary Controlled primary school now nearing completion on the adjoining site.

The existing Tenby Inftants School is to be demolished as part of the scheme, and the land used to create a grassed sports pitch.

The total cost of the new developments has been shared between Pembrokeshire County Council and the Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools programme.

The two new schools will provide children in the area with the very best educational start in life.

“It also demonstates the investment which the county council is determined to continue to make into the education and future of our young people,” said a spokesperson for the authority.

The new-build English medium school has a capacity for 318 pupils.

Fronted by a car park and drop-off area, it features a two-classroom unit for children with special educational needs, a 30-place nursery classroom and 15 places in a mixed nursery/reception classroom. There is also provision for an early years’ playgroup.

It is the first school to be built in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park which meets the BREEAM standards for sustainable buildings.

The Welsh medium school (the old Junior School) has room for 210 pupils, and will also have a 30-place nursery classroom.

Both schools are due to open at the start of September and pupils attending the current infants or junior school will - subject to parental preference - transfer to either of the new schools. The catchment area will remain the same.