Mynyddbach County Secondary School for Girls was built to the designs of H. T. Wykes and opened in June 1959. The school was designed as an upper and lower school, inked by a main entrance hall and large and small halls. The two halls were separated by a sliding folding partition an were capable of being thrown into one to provide a large meeting area. The middle school was later added, and linked with the existing buildings. The school was constructed with a steel frame and castellated beams carrying the floor loads. Windows and quickly-erected wall cladding, therefore, replaced load-bearing walls. In addition to being functional, this system gave the feeling of lightness associated with contemporary designs. Reflecting the new education system propelled by the 1944 Butler Education Act, Mynyddbach School included 19 classrooms, 5 laboratories, 4 domestic science rooms, 2 needlework rooms, 2 craft rooms, 2 art rooms, 2 libraries, and 2 gymnasia, together with an admin section and medical inspection room. Playing fields were sited to the north and west sides of the building, adjoining the common.

The all girls school closed in 2001 and a newly formed mixed-sex Daniel James Community School opened on the eastern part of the site before closing in 2012, whilst Welsh-medium Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Tirdeunaw occupied the western part of the site until relocation to a new build school next to Ysgol Gyfun Bryntawe in November 2021.

Meilyr Powel, RCAHMW. November 2021.

Sources:

Edward Holland and Julian Holder, Advice to Inform Post-war Listing in Wales: Report for Cadw, March 2019, p.43; 'Mynyddbach County Secondary School to be opened on 16 June 1959'. TC 227/2/8 West Glamorgan Archives.