Being in an ‘end of life’ Victorian building has put “immense pressure” on staff at a Cardiff primary school, according to a city council official. Members of Cardiff Council’s children and young people scrutiny committee heard at a meeting on Tuesday, January 13 how the local authority plans to relocate Lansdowne Primary School.
The Grade II listed buildings that make up the Norfolk Street school have come to an ‘end of life’ stage, according to the council, and the current plan is to move it to the north of where Fitzalan High School used to be. At the moment, the school is considered to be safe. For more Cardiff news, sign up to our newsletter here.
However the council’s programme director for school organisation, Richard Portas, told scrutiny committee members: “The existing buildings have had an immense pressure on the school leadership team, the headteacher… but also the rest of the leadership team and staff as well.
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“They have had to spend a lot of their time reacting to building issues that we have been supporting them with and [the council’s] teams have had… almost a daily presence at the school trying to support the school to manage the building condition issues that we have got. A lot of that has taken time away from diaries for the day-to-day teaching and learning which is obviously what they are there for.”
There is no medium to long-term solution in place for the school at the moment, but council officials stressed the need to secure a temporary home for it as soon as possible, with the council’s director of education and lifelong learning, Melanie Godfrey, describing the situation as an “emergency”. Cardiff Council cabinet members will be asked at a meeting on Thursday, January 23, to authorise funds to secure portable units which will accommodate school children and staff on the new site.
Mr Portas said staff and pupils are likely to be moved during the October 2025 half term. He also said that a cabinet report on a medium to long-term solution for Lansdowne Primary School could be brought forward for a decision any time between six months to a year from now.
Cardiff Council’s cabinet member for education, Cllr Sarah Merry, said the school had to close four times over the past year in order for work to be carried out on it. Issues with the building that needed addressing include roof and ceiling leaks, water damage to electrics, unsafe windows, failing stonework, drainage problems, and rainwater damage.
Once the school is vacated, should cabinet agree to the proposed move, the buildings will be secured and maintained. The new Landsdowne Primary School classrooms will be supported by new office spaces and refurbished hall, dining, nursery and reception facilities. Existing car parking on site will also be utilised.