PLANS are in the pipeline to build a £740,000 extension at Cenarth Primary School.

The school has been awarded an additional £370,500 to create a childcare facility, including Cylch Meithrin provision, a wraparound service for three-four-year-olds, and a new after school club.

This follows an allocation of £369,500, awarded in February 2019.

The plan was revealed by deputy Health and Social Services Minister Julie Morgan as part of a capital funding package of £7.7 million announced by Welsh Government to help ensure parents throughout Wales can access the childcare offer.

She said: “Enhancing childcare provision across Wales is a major priority for Welsh Government. Today’s announcement supports our commitment to reducing the financial burden on families and removing barriers to parents either taking up or returning to work if they wish.

“This additional funding will ensure improved facilities as well as the creation of new childcare settings, directly benefiting parents and their children.

“We know that the cost of childcare is a major concern for working parents so I am very pleased that so many children and their families have already benefited from the offer.”

Welsh Government’s offer provides 30 hours a week of funded early education and childcare for three and four-year-olds for up to 48 weeks of the year. It is now fully rolled-out and available to parents across the whole of Wales, a year earlier than scheduled.

The new funding includes £6.5 million for 12 individual projects across Wales, including Cenarth, helping them to establish new childcare settings or refurbish existing facilities to meet the required standards.

The package also includes an additional £1.2 million for the Small Grant Schemes administered by local authorities due to increased demand from childcare providers. These schemes enable providers to access up to £10,000 of capital funding for building adaptations to better enable them to deliver the childcare offer.

A spokesman for Ceredigion County Council said: “The authority is planning to build an extension to Cenarth Primary school to facilitate a Cylch Meithrin and wrap around provision.

“The project will be funded through the Childcare Capital Grant scheme which is 100 per cent funded by Welsh Government.”