Aberbargoed Council School opened on 2 October 1911. Built by Messrs. Williams and Sons of New Tredegar and Bargoed at a cost of £6,149, the school was designed by County Architect John Bain (Monmouthshire County Education Committee). The school was built as a necessity due to rapid population growth in the area, and the buildings were described as 'palatial and lavishly furnished' in comparison with previous board schools.

Situated off the main road from Aberbargoed to Pengam on land acquired from the Tredegar Estate, a description of the new school was given in the Bargoed Journal upon opening in October 1911:

The building is conveniently planned with a Central Hall 50ft. x 26ft. and eight class rooms accommodating 400 boys. The majority of the class rooms face the east and have the advantage of the heat of the morning sun without its disturbing effect on the pupils through the day. Head teachers and assistant teachers' rooms and stores are provided and two large cloak rooms. The corridors are all 8ft. wide. The whole of the rooms, etc., are splendidly lighted and cross ventilated. A manual instruction room with wood store 40ft. x 20ft. has been built in the playground for instruction in woodwork for the boys in this and adjoining schools. A large covered playground has also been provided. The whole of the large playground is tarpaved. The external walls are built of local stone faced with hammer dressed "shoddies", the dressings being of Blue Forest stone and the roofs overed with Blue Bangor slates. All the corridors, etc., are lined to a height of 4ft. with ivory white glazed bricks and the class rooms similarly treated with black board dad above for free arm drawing. The building is heated by open fireplaces and a low pressure heating apparatus installed by Mr. E. Perman, Newport.

The school first appears on OS 25-inch Third Edition (1915-20) in an 'E' ('finger') shaped plan which would become a popular design in the interwar years to accommodate 'open-air' principles, such as as Rhiwbeina (NPRN 800293) in Cardiff. Perhaps this was one of the earliest 'E' shaped schools in Wales, which allowed for cross ventilated classrooms? The school has since been demolished.

M. Powel, RCAHMW. February 2025.

Sources: OS Historic mapping; 'New School for Aberbargoed', Bargoed Journal, 5 October 1911, p.3.