Important work to improve the outdoor areas at Pontyclun Primary School is now complete, with the new facilities available for staff and pupils. This is part of the major investment that saw a first-class school building open earlier this year, thanks to significant funding from the Council and Welsh Government.
Construction of the new school was completed in March 2025, providing a new two-storey building with a capacity for 480 pupils, plus nursery places. The Pontyclun school is now benefitting from a state-of-the-art learning environment which is arranged through a central heart-space, classrooms for Nursery through to Year 6, a main hall, and several supporting areas.
The building is designed to achieve Net Zero carbon in operation, conforming to both the Council and Welsh Government’s Climate Change commitments.
Contractor Morgan Sindall has since been focusing on the development’s second phase, to greatly improve external areas of the site. Having made good progress over the summer months, the works were recently completed with all outdoor areas handed over to the school on Tuesday, September 9.
Phase two has removed all temporary accommodation and demolished the remaining older buildings on site. This has greatly opened up the site and provided a large open area in which a two-court Multi Use Games Area has been built – along with hard and soft play spaces, an outdoor classroom, seating areas, a car park for staff and visitors, and ‘trim trail’ play equipment for the pupils.
This major investment for the community is jointly funded by the Council and Welsh Government via the Mutual Investment Model, which is the revenue funding stream of the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme.
Councillor Rhys Lewis, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and the Welsh Language, said: “I’m very pleased that phase two of the Pontyclun Primary School investment is now complete, delivering much-improved outdoor spaces that complement the excellent new school building that pupils and staff have been enjoying since March. The external spaces offer better outdoor play and learning opportunities – a key feature of our new build schools, ensuring we cater for the entire Curriculum for Wales.
“We continue to welcome invaluable support from Welsh Government, to bring modern education facilities to even more of our communities. In 2024/25, the Pontyclun project was delivered alongside new buildings for Penygawsi Primary, Llanilltud Faerdref Primary, and YGG Llyn y Forwyn – plus a £79.9 million investment across four secondary schools in Greater Pontypridd.
“Looking forward, work is ongoing to build a primary school and community hub for Glyn-coch via Welsh Government’s Sustainable Schools Challenge Funding, plus a new 3-19 ALN school in Clydach Vale – part of the next tranche of planned capital investment with Welsh Government via the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme. These future projects represent a funding commitment of £414 million in our schools over the next nine years.
“I’d like to thank everyone for making the investment at Pontyclun Primary School possible – from our pupils and staff members who helped school life to continue as normal during the construction phase, and our contractor for delivering this impressive development. I look forward to visiting the school soon, to celebrate this successful project that the community can be proud of.”
Posted on 11/09/2025