A SCHOOL marked a special milestone with a visit from First Minister Carwyn Jones.

Mr Jones visited Ysgol Glan Clwyd in St Asaph on Thursday to see the results of a £16.7 million project and to declare new school buildings official open.

The first phase, which involved creating a brand new building, opened to pupils in January 2017 and refurbishments works, to the former school buildings, was completed at the end of last year.

Mr Jones said: "The excellent new resources will make a real difference to staff and pupils. This of course will continue with £2.3bn already announced for the next stage of the programme."

Bethan Cartwright, headteacher, added: "The new extension has provided much needed educational space and there is such a modern feel to our new learning environment.

"It’s been great to see this development grow from the foundations into this fantastic facility."

The project was jointly funded by Denbighshire County Council and the Welsh Government through its 21st Century Schools and Education Capital Programme.

Cllr Huw Hilditch-Roberts, Denbighshire’s Cabinet Lead Member for Children, Young People, Education and the Welsh Language, added: "Ysgol Glan Clwyd is down in the history books as being the first Welsh medium secondary school in the whole of Wales and over the years, the school has gone from strength to strength. "Such is the success that demand far exceeded space in the former school and there was a desperate need for additional accommodation, to cope with that demand.

"The extension and refurbishment of Ysgol Glan Clwyd is one of our flagship projects."

Former headteacher Meurig Rees, who taught at the school from 1993 to 2010, said: "A school is more than a building, it's the teachers, the pupils and the activities that occur in it.

"The new building is fantastic and we fought long and hard for this and it's nice to see it come to fruition."