The 21st Century Schools and Education Programme aims to transform the learning experience of pupils, ensuring they are taught in classrooms with the technologies and facilities needed to deliver a 21st Century curriculum. These projects have been match funded by the Welsh Government through its 21st Century Schools and Education Programme.
The new £7.2m community primary school being built off Glanaman Road in the heart of Cwmaman will welcome pupils from Glynhafod Junior School and Cwmaman Infants’ School, currently on two separate sites. The wider development includes a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA), staff car park, on-site pupil drop-off area, grass sports pitches, external pupil spaces, and a dedicated community room.
A £1.9m investment will see improvements to the school’s junior section, including extensive remodelling and refurbishment to deliver improvements to the late Victorian-era and 1960s buildings, while the MUGA will be upgraded. External works include new roof coverings, stone cleaning, repairs, a new entrance with disabled access and a new walkway. Internal works include electrical and mechanical works, a new commercial kitchen, ceiling and floor finishes, and a change of layout.
Ferndale Community School will benefit from two new ICT suites designed to 21st Century Schools standards, while a new Design and Technology Room will be provided. An existing Science laboratory will be refurbished, while an additional classroom will be created utilising existing space within the school. Classrooms within the main building will be converted to Additional Learning Needs (ALN) rooms in order to accommodate pupils with ALN, while the school’s toilet areas will be improved and remodelled, together with a new roof to the school’s kitchen.
Porth County Comprehensive School, Llwyncelyn Infants’, Porth Infants’ and Porth Junior School will become a 3-16 school, at the existing comprehensive site. The primary element will be a new-build, while the secondary building is being refurbished and redecorated. Parking and traffic arrangements on site will be significantly improved to ease congestion.
A £44m investment will provide state-of-the-art education and leisure facilities. Tonyrefail Comprehensive and Tonyrefail Primary will become a 3-19 school, on the current secondary site. New 21st Century primary and secondary buildings are being constructed while the existing Grade-II Listed Victorian building is being sympathetically remodelled. Modern glass walkways will link the Listed building with the new secondary building. Tonyrefail Leisure Centre has received new parking, a 3G sports pitch and on-site classrooms. An additional exciting project, joint funded by the Welsh Government, is the new Flying Start and pre/after school club facility, being developed as part of the primary element
Treorchy Comprehensive School is being redeveloped with new sixth form facilities delivered alongside a brand new three-storey science block. The old science block will be completely remodelled and developed into general classrooms, while a new music department will be created which will include recording facilities with specialist equipment, and a number of practice/rehearsal rooms Existing buildings are also being refurbished to provide 21st Century facilities for all pupils. The school is already benefitting from two new MUGAs delivered as part of this investment, and a third will be completed and handed over to the school next year. Sixth form pupils are already enjoying refurbished classrooms and seminar rooms while the Council is investing in a new coffee shop and dining facilities over the summer holiday.
Classrooms in the current YGG Llwyncelyn building will be refurbished, providing 21st Century facilities including interactive boards, new furniture and lighting upgrades. One newly-refurbished classroom will be used by Cylch Meithrin Porth, to provide early years Welsh medium education on site. Meanwhile, pupil toilets at Llwyncelyn Infants’ School will be replaced and improved, while some off road parking will be provided.
Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Tonyrefail will relocate to the current Tonyrefail Primary School building, which is being refurbished. It will provide additional capacity to support the Welsh Government’s Cymraeg 2050 strategy. New on-site parking provision will be introduced.
Tonypandy Community College, Penygraig Infants’, Penygraig Junior School, Tonypandy Primary and Ysgol yr Eos will become a 3-16 school on the college site. The primary element will be a new-build, and the existing school will be remodelled. The development includes new science, art, ICT and technology rooms, two MUGAs, a 3G sports pitch and improved site entry and exit points. A Flying Start facility at the school has been completed ahead of programme, funded in partnership with the Welsh Government.
Tai Centre, Penygraig
Pupils will move from their existing school site into the Ysgol Yr Eos Primary building, which will be vacated when existing pupils move to the new 3-16 school at the Tonypandy college site from September.
Sixth Forms at Ferndale Community School, Porth County Community School and Tonypandy Community College are set to close with pupils transferring to two larger, more sustainable, Sixth Forms in Treorchy Comprehensive School and Tonyrefail Comprehensive School (which is set to become a 3 – 19 school). Programmed to be opened by 2018, these two larger, more sustainable, Sixth Forms will improve the quality of provision and educational outcomes of pupils.
The exciting redevelopment of Y Pant School saw pupils moving into their fantastic new facilities in January 2017. With support from the Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools Programme, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has been able to invest £24.1million to improve the learning environment and facilities available to pupils, staff and the wider community at Y Pant. The new facilities include brand new science, art, food technology and design technology teaching spaces; impressive ICT classrooms, a lecture theatre, modern dining facilities, a new library, a wonderful main hall, fantastic sixth form facilities, a floodlit 3G pitch and Multi Use Games Area (MUGA).
The final phase of the project has seen the demolition of the old accommodation and removal of mobile classrooms. The creation of more outdoor play spaces, comprising two grass pitches for football and rugby continues