7. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the investment the Welsh Government is making in school buildings in Islwyn? OAQ(5)0119(EDU)

Band A of the twenty-first century schools and education programme will see investment of over £56 million in schools in the Caerphilly county borough over the five-year period ending in 2019. Of this, over £28 million will have been spent in the Islwyn constituency.

Thank you. Diolch. The headteacher of Islwyn High School, Tim Williams, has just recently been handed the keys to the £25.5 million-worth of new Islwyn High, built on the site of the former Oakdale colliery. The school has impressive features, modern teaching spaces, state-of-the-art technology workshops, fit-for-purpose science labs and IT suites, spread across three floors. Cabinet Secretary, what transformative impact will this massive injection of investment from the Welsh Labour Government have on the educational outcomes for future generations of Islwyn children?

Well, Presiding Officer, the Member is right: this significant investment has indeed provided the learners at Islwyn High with what is a state-of-the-art school building. The new learning environment provides pupils with the best facilities, affording them the best opportunity to maximise their potential. For the teachers in the school, it provides the platform for them to drive forward improved educational outcomes. I understand that pupils will move into the school at the beginning of July, and I am looking forward to having the opportunity to see for myself the difference that that new school building will make to the learning opportunities of that community.