Traethmelyn Primary School was the sixth school to be constructed on the Sandfield Estate since the start of its development in 1948, and the fourth primary school. The new prefabricated school contained separate infants and junior schools, and was designed by County Architect E. A. E. Evans and built by the Direct Labour Building Section of the County Architect's Department. The school was officially opened on Tuesday 1 October 1963 and was built in two stages at a cost of more than £75,000. The first stage was completed in 1961. The school was unique in that it could be taken down and re-built on another site if necessary, at the time being the largest school of this type to be built in Glamorgan. Accommodation was for 560 pupils (320 juniors and 240 infants), comprising of fourteen classrooms, assembly halls, kitchen, medical inspection room, head teacher's and staff rooms, cloakrooms and stores. The building was clad in cedar boarding on a timber frame, and the roofs partly monopitch. Separate tarpaved play courts allowed for the separation of juniors and infants during break time. The heating system was an electrical 'Nighstor' system, an innovative method at the time which also proved economically more efficient than gas and oil boilers.

Following storm damage in 1992 the school was demolished and moved from its site on Strauss Road, Port Talbot to newly adapted premises on Southdown View. The school was closed in 2015/16 as part of plans to merge schools for Ysgol Bae Baglan.

M. Powel, RCAHMW. June 2024.

Sources: 'Revolutionary new school opened at Sandfields', Port Talbot Guardian, 4 October 1963, p.1; 10th Annual Report of the County Architect for the year ending 31 March 1962, p.14; 12th Annual Report of the County Architect for the year ending 31 March 1963, pp.16-18. 'The new schools in Port Talbot which are 'transforming options' available to pupils', WalesOnline, 3 January 2019