This month marked a significant milestone for education in Cardiff, as Western Learning Federation welcomed pupils to the brand-new Riverbank School and Woodlands High School at the state-of-the-art Fairwater Community Campus.
Delivered by BESL, the brand-new schools have been designed around the needs of learners with Additional Learning Needs (ALN), providing modern, purpose-built environments where children and young people can learn, grow and thrive.
Both schools offer access to learning and wellbeing zones, an immersion room, learning resource centres, music and drama spaces, sensory movement and rebound therapy provision, staff wellness areas, family rooms and specialist therapy environments as well as a vocational enterprise hub known as the Pontio, helping pupils develop valuable life and employment skills.
Woodlands High School now benefits from a range of specialist facilities including a gym, activity studio, esports room and dedicated sixth form facilities. At Riverbank School, pupils can access a role play cabin, designed to meet a wide range of learning and developmental needs.
Relocating from their former sites in Ely, the development significantly increases specialist provision in Cardiff, with Woodlands expanding from 140 to 240 places and Riverbank from 70 to 112 places, helping to meet growing demand for ALN support across the city.
The completion of the schools, part of the Western Learning Federation, marks the final phase of the landmark Fairwater Community Campus development, a major investment in inclusive education and the largest project delivered through Cardiff Council and Welsh Government's Sustainable Communities for Learning programme.
Wayne Murphy, Executive Headteacher at Western Learning Federation said:
The move into our new buildings represents an exciting new chapter for Riverbank School and Woodlands High School as part of the Western Learning Federation. Fairwater Community Campus has been designed to create inspiring opportunities for our learners, with learning environments that support the development and application of skills through engaging experiences.
Alongside outstanding specialist facilities and integrated support services, the campus will enable us to deliver an inclusive, exciting and skills-focused curriculum while maintaining the unique identity and ethos of each school.
Fairwater Community Campus is a landmark development transforming education in Cardiff, bringing together Cantonian High School, Woodlands High School and Riverbank School on a single, stateβofβtheβart site. While the schools share the campus, they operate as separate entities, each retaining its own identity, leadership and governing body to serve their distinct pupil cohorts. Cantonian High School provides mainstream secondary and post 16 education and Riverbank and Woodlands, as part of the Western Learning Federation, deliver specialist provision for pupils with Additional Learning Needs.
The campus features a range of facilities, including a community cafΓ©, family and meeting spaces and a climbing wall. A dedicated multi-agency hub also brings health and education professionals together on site, making support more accessible for learners and their families.
Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Sarah Merry, said:
Today is a landmark moment for Cardiff as we welcome pupils into these exceptional new schools for the very first time. Riverbank School and Woodlands High School provide inspiring, purpose-built environments where children and young people can learn, develop confidence and achieve their potential.
Expanding our specialist provision is one of the key priorities in our ambition to create an education system that is inclusive, equitable and responsive to the needs of our growing city, helping ensure every child receives the opportunities they deserve.Fairwater Community Campus is a transformational investment in Cardiff's future. It brings together outstanding facilities, specialist expertise and community resources in one place, creating opportunities that will benefit learners, families and communities for generations to come.
Sustainability has been embedded throughout the development. The campus will be a Net Zero Carbon and BREEAM Excellent facility, creating environmentally responsible learning environments while providing outdoor growing areas and opportunities for pupils to engage with sustainability as part of their education.