IT’S A new dawn for students at the former Pontllanfraith and Oakdale Comprehensive school sites.

The newly-amalgamated schools re-opened last week under the Islwyn High School banner, complete with new black and blue uniforms, a fresh crest and a different philosophy.

Head teacher Tim Williams said: “I’m thrilled with how the first week has gone, all the planning we have done over the past few years has worked and it’s been smooth with no real issues.

“It is very much an interim year in some aspects but we have been working hard to make sure that the transition is comfortable for staff and students.”

Islwyn High currently remains spread over the sites of the schools it has replaced, ahead of the completion of a new £24 million build on the former Oakdale Colliery nearby.

When complete, it will house up to 1,200 pupils across 60 classrooms.

It will also boast a 3G sports pitch, multi-use games area, eight science laboratories and a learning resource centre, and will form part of the 21st Century Schools project with match funding by the Welsh Government.

The purpose built site is set to be completed at the end of April, with students from tears seven to 10 set to move over permanently after the May half term.

The current Year 11s will take their exams at the old sites to avoid any disruption to their education.

Mr Williams added: “We are fortunate that we will have a couple of weeks, including the May half term break, to get into the new site and get it all set up for the children before the final part of the school year.

“We made a decision that it was best to leave Year 11 on the old sites as they sit their GCSEs as it can be a testing time for them and we don’t want to further disrupt them.”

The school has also decided against mixing students from the two locations for this academic year.

Equally all staff, apart from Mr Williams, only work on one of the two sites.

He added: “I am spending a lot of time each day going from one to the other and it means that this year I won’t be doing any direct teaching, but that will change once the move is over and we start our first full year over. It is something we are all now looking forward to.”