Pontyclun Council School was built to the designs of County Architect D. Pugh Jones in 1924-25, formally opening on 31 August 1925. The existing main school building of Pontyclun Primary School first appears on OS 25-inch Fourth Edition (1928-1943), although a previous school building appears on OS 25-inch Third Edition (1911-1939) but no longer extant by the Fourth Edition. An August 2023 (Level II) Buildings Survey by Gwent Glamorgan Archaeological Trust summarised the school building: 'The single storey E-shaped structure, built in the 1920s, was provisioned with six independent classrooms in the northwest and southeast wings and with up to two or possibly three additional classrooms, or a large hall space depending on the use of partitions, in the southwest. All classrooms were accessed from a common U-shaped corridor, including in the central wing the staff and administration rooms. Pupils’ WC
facilities were provided in the north part of the central wing and independent of the main circulation corridor. In addition to the classrooms and accessed externally was a basement/boiler room directly under the classroom in the southwest corner. Distinctive original features included open fireplaces in some classrooms and the use of slate panels fixed to the classroom walls serving as blackboards. Interestingly, there was no direct provision for any school canteen nor were any storage rooms positively identified.'

In 2016 the school had 529 pupils on roll between the ages of 3 and 11. As part of Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme (formerly the 21st Century Schools and Colleges Programme, prior to January 24, 2022), a new school building for Pontyclun is to be built on the existing school site. As part of the phased development of the site, new temporary accommodation will be placed on the site in early 2023 to enable the main new build construction works to commence. The main construction works will replace the current buildings at the school – including temporary classrooms – with a two-storey new build, which will target Net Zero Carbon in operation. The development, to be completed by early 2025 by Morgan Sindall Construction, will accommodate 480 pupils plus 60 nursery places.

M. Powel, RCAHMW. March 2023. Updated August 2023.

Sources: 'New School at Pontyclun: Opening Ceremony', Western Mail, 1 September 1925, p.10; OS Historic maps; 'Pontyclun Primary School, Estyn Report. April 2016; 'Pontyclun Primary School', rctcbc.co.uk; 'Pontyclun Primary School, Pontyclun, Rhondda Cynon Taf', Level II Historic Building Survey, GGAT report no. 2023/028, August 2023.