Lynne Neagle, Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Education, meets pupils at Ysgol Craig y Don primary school

A £20m capital fund will help to create inclusive learning environments at hundreds of schools across Wales.

The cash will support the creation of quiet or sensory areas, upgrade facilities to improve accessibility, and enable schools and other settings to purchase new equipment.

Last year the funding supported 249 schools in Wales to improve their facilities to support learners with additional learning needs (ALN).

In Conwy, nearly £700,000 has already helped transform schools over the past year, including new specialist facilities at Ysgol Craig y Don, a primary school in Llandudno which has new changing facilities and accessible toilets, changing beds for learners who need assistance with personal care, and a sensory garden and outdoor play area.

Meeting learners and staff on a visit to see the new facilities at Ysgol Craig y Don, Lynne Neagle, Cabinet Secretary for Education, said: “Every child deserves the best-possible start in education.

“I’m so pleased to see the impact the new facilities here at Ysgol Craig y Don are having on not just learners with additional learning needs, but also the whole school community.

“The £20m I’m announcing today will make a real difference to thousands of pupils with additional learning needs up and down the country, making sure they have the facilities they need to reach their full potential.”

The £20m will be distributed via local authorities to support mainstream settings.

Over £80m has been provided to the sector over the last three years to transform learning spaces for learners with ALN.

This is in addition to the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme, which is investing £750m over the next nine years to improve existing facilities and create new specialist provision for ALN learners.