THE NEW state-of-the-art Penarth Learning Community school site has won a ‘Building Excellence’ award for its innovative approach to design that helps facilitate inclusive education.

The £48 million Penarth Learning Community, which was designed by HLM Architects and constructed by Bouygues UK, was named winner of the New Education Building category at the 10th annual Vale of Glamorgan Building Excellence Awards 2015.

Organised by the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s Building Control Group, the awards celebrate excellent building standards as well as outstanding environmental, communication and accessibility features.

Winners of these awards go through to the LABC Cymru South Wales Building Excellence Awards, which will take place in April and, if successful, will be entered into the national LABC Grand Finals in London.

Penarth Learning Community was built on the site of St Cyres Secondary School and sees pupils from St Cyres with Erw’r Delyn, Ashgrove and Ysgol Maes Dyfan special schools coming together in a central learning hub, the largest of its kind in Wales.

Through use of an innovative and inclusive design style, Penarth Learning Community encourages full inclusivity between pupils at both the mainstream St Cyres school and Ysgol y Deri special education needs school. The design of the school allows pupils to interact and learn together by using a central set of shared facilities with adjoining specialist facilities to meet the needs of pupils with specific disabilities.

Gareth Woodfin, lead architect at HLM on the Penarth Learning Community, said: “We are delighted that the Penarth Learning Community has been recognised for Building Excellence by the Vale of Glamorgan Council.

“The project brought with it a number of architectural challenges as it involved bringing together several different schools, each with their own approach, to create one site that is inclusive of all pupils, irrespective of disability.

“It has been highly rewarding to meet the challenges this project presented and to contribute towards enhancing the educational experiences of current and future pupils at the school.”

The design includes a detached respite unit with accommodation for pupils and carers, plus a hydrotherapy pool and physiotherapy suites. These facilities are also accessible to pupils, families and carers within the community.

Pupils at the school also benefit from access to iPads and wireless internet, a modern gym and sports hall, an all-weather third generation (3G) pitch, an allotment and wildlife gardens, outside teaching spaces and a Learning Resource Centre