Celebrations as new £62.5m school in Abergavenny takes a step closer
Procured via the SEWSCAP framework, the £62.5 million project delivers a purpose-built, all-through school for Monmouthshire County Council.
It will bring together primary, secondary, and sixth form education on a single site and when complete will include 15,000 square metres of teaching space, wellbeing zones, sensory rooms, home economics areas, and dedicated Special Resource Base (SRB) spaces to support pupils with additional learning needs.
It will offer a 3G football pitch, a 2G hockey pitch, a cycle training zone and Multi-Use Games Area.
Constructed using a steel frame and incorporating GGBS cement to reduce embodied carbon, the school is the council's first designed to be Net Zero Carbon in operation.
The project team had a number of challenges to overcome including including managing high groundwater levels and working on a sloping site.
A key adaptation was made to the sheet piling design to preserve a 700-year-old oak tree, which is now a central feature of the landscape plan.
During the project Morgan Sindall created 60 new jobs for those not in education, employment or training or the long-term unemployed, while supporting 22 new apprentices.
The team engaged more than 9,323 pupils through STEM activities and donated more than 1,000 hours to school engagement programmes.
Robert Williams, area director for Morgan Sindall Construction in Wales, said: 'We're incredibly proud to have delivered this transformative project for Monmouthshire County Council and the local community. King Henry VIII 3-19 School represents not only a major investment in education but also in sustainable construction and inclusive design.
'This project is a testament to what can be achieved through early collaboration, intelligent planning, and a shared commitment to creating inspiring learning environments.
"I'd like to thank the client team at Monmouth, the consultants and our project team, supply chain, and all our partners for their hard work and dedication in bringing this vision to life.
"A fantastic project that has been not only a great delivery success but has also built some wonderful friendships and relationships along the way - a true collaboration with one shared goal."
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