THE new £28 million Newport school is one step closer to completion following its 'topping out' ceremony.

Mayor Noel Trigg marked the completion of the main building of Newport High School at Bettws Lane by hoisting a Christmas tree onto the roof and screwing a wall panel into place.

The building is set to open in October next year and will replace the old Bettws High School. It will initially accommodate 1,100 pupils with potential for more in the future.

The school will have a 25 metre, four-lane swimming pool and other leisure facilities which will be available for the local community.

The school is set to promote green initiatives including rainwater harvesting, natural ventilation, thermal storage, and solar hot water systems with the council aiming to achieve a BREEAM 'excellent' rating for environmental achievement.

The main contractors, Leadbitter, have also pledged their commitment to contributing to local training and employment including placements for trainee apprenticeships all from the Newport area.

Councillor David Hando, cabinet member for young people’s services, said: “This is another significant milestone on our journey to provide the children of Bettws with a first class learning environment to help them reach their full potential."

  • BREEAM stands for: Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method and is used by the Government as the benchmark to measure the environmental performance of buildings.