The Council and Welsh Government will deliver a new English Medium primary school and community hub for Glyn-coch, with sustainability and green technologies at the heart of this exciting project’s design.
Providing a new school for the community is a long-established goal for the Council, and in 2023 the project was announced as one of only three successful proposals in Wales to receive 100% grant funding (up to £15 million) from Welsh Government’s Sustainable Schools Challenge.
It was chosen for its demonstration of innovative and collaborative design, and its aim to become a truly sustainable school.
Site activity to begin in Glyn-coch towards delivery of new school (March 2025)
The school will welcome pupils from Cefn Primary and Craig yr Hesg Primary, serving their combined catchment area. It will be built on the current Craig yr Hesg Primary site and its adjacent land. The English Medium school will include a nursery and Learning Support Classes, with a Welsh Medium childcare facility also accommodated within the building.
In January 2025, the project was granted full planning consent to demolish the existing building, and construct a two-storey replacement primary school with community facilities, a 43-space car park with EV charging bays, two Multi Use Games Areas, a grass sports pitch, and an improved access off Cefn Lane.
The development will achieve ‘Net Zero’ carbon in operation, as well as exceeding current Welsh Government targets for reductions in embodied carbon within the construction itself, all of which contribute to the climate change goals and commitments of the Council and Welsh Government. The project is also targeting Passivhaus Standard, Building With Nature accreditation, and the WELL Building Standard – which focuses on creating healthy environments for building users to support wellbeing.
Key construction milestone for school and community hub in Glyn-coch (January 2026)
By the end of January 2026, the works had progressed to the highest point of the development – and a ‘topping out’ ceremony was held on the roof of the new building.
The event was attended by Rhondda Cynon Taf Council Cabinet Member, Cllr Rhys Lewis, along with the new school’s headteacher, Sarah Haggett. Pupils from Craig yr Hesg and Cefn Primary schools also joined in the celebrations, with everyone signing a section of the school’s timber frame to mark the occasion! Some photos from the visit can be found below: