Cabinet has agreed the details of a £4.472 million programme of work across the Council’s school estate in 2025/26 – to carry out general works, repairs and maintenance, and ensure buildings remain safe, watertight and warm.
On Wednesday, March 19, Members approved next year’s Education and Inclusion Services Capital Programme – to ensure schools are maintained suitably for the safe use of pupils and staff. Funding of £4.472 million was recently allocated by Full Council for this purpose. Much of the programme will use the school summer holiday to ensure no disruption to pupils’ learning.
An officer report to Cabinet on Wednesday outlined how the funding could be allocated, and following Members’ approval it will now be delivered in the financial year starting April 1, 2025. Details of the funding are included below:
£4.472 million Education and Inclusion Services Capital Programme, 2025/26
Kitchen refurbishments (£160,000) – the earmarked funding will be used to deliver a kitchen upgrade at Park Lane Special School.
Window and door replacements (£100,000) – to be completed at Bodringallt Primary, Mountain Ash Comprehensive, and Penywaun Primary.
Essential works (£270,000) – to be delivered at Aberdare Park Primary (external decoration), Gwauncelyn Primary (replace swimming pool flooring), Park Lane Special School (external decoration), Capcoch Primary (outdoor learning area improvements), Ynysboeth Primary (external decoration), YGG Abercynon (external improvements), YGG Llwyncelyn (external improvements including drainage), and Ysgol Ty Coch (various internal and external works).
Toilet refurbishments (£235,000) – to be undertaken at Gwauncelyn Primary, Pontygwaith Primary, YGG Evan James, and YGG Llwyncelyn.
Compliance work (£1.689m) – funding for Abernant Primary (new hygiene room), Gwaunmiskin Primary (new sensory room), Llantrisant Primary (new sensory room), Maesgwyn Special School (new teaching block), Maesybryn Primary (classroom upgrade), Ysgol Garth Olwg (outdoor learning space), Ysgol Nant Gwyn (accessibility upgrade, changing rooms) and Ysgol Ty Coch (classroom upgrade). Various schools will also receive general accessibility improvements and classroom upgrades for Learning Support Classes.
Boiler replacements (£170,000) – these installations will be completed at Cwm Clydach Primary, Trehopcyn Primary (plant room upgrade) and Treorchy Comprehensive School (to a single teaching block).
Roof renewals (£555,000) – these works will take place at Ffynnon Taf Primary, Penpych Primary, Trehopcyn Primary, and YGG Evan James.
Electric rewiring (£263,000) will take place at four schools – Brynnau Primary, Dolau Primary, Porth Community School (external lighting), and Treorchy Comprehensive – while fire alarm upgrades (£65,000) will be completed at Mountain Ash Comprehensive and Treorchy Comprehensive.
Other funding areas include Education and Inclusion Condition Surveys and IT hardware/software licences. A full list of the funding allocations has been included in Appendices to Wednesday’s Cabinet report.
Councillor Rhys Lewis, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and the Welsh Language, said: “Important capital funding is allocated by the Council each year to maintain our school estate, as part of our wider School Modernisation Programme. The £4.472 million programme now agreed for 2025/26 will support our schools with effective maintenance, ensure buildings are fit-for-purpose, and reduce the risk of issues arising that require more significant expenditure and cause disruption to pupils’ education.
“Much of the work will range from upgrading indoor and outdoor learning areas, to replacing doors, windows, fire alarm systems and boilers. It’s also important to note some of the key allocations made for compliance works, which will deliver a £1m new teaching block at Maesgwyn Special School, to deliver a much-needed capacity increase for our Additional Learning Needs provision. Plus, new sensory rooms will be provided at Llantrisant Primary and Gwaunmeisgyn Primary, along with a new hygiene room at Abernant Primary.
“The general upgrades will ensure our schools are more modern, watertight and warm, contributing towards improved energy efficiency and the Council’s wider goals and commitments in relation to climate change. Another key aspect of the programme is utilising the local supply chain and construction industry to deliver the work, which will support locally-based businesses. Much of this work will now take place over the school holiday in summer 2025.
“The capital programme will complement our ongoing significant investment in new school facilities with Welsh Government. For the current academic year, a £79.9m investment was delivered across Greater Pontypridd, along with new schools for Pontyclun Primary, Penygawsi Primary, Llanilltud Faerdref Primary, and YGG Llyn y Forwyn. On Wednesday, Cabinet also considered a separate report outlining further exciting investment projects – these will be progressed over the next three years across Cymer, Llanhari, Dolau/Llanilid, Clydach Vale, Ynysybwl, Aberdare, Penrhys, Abernant and Glyn-coch.”
Posted on 26/03/2025