The major investment in Llanilltud Faerdref Primary School in Church Village is now fully-delivered, with improvements to all outdoor spaces completed – to complement the brand new main building that opened earlier this year.
Pupils and staff have been enjoying their first-class new building since April 2024, after it was delivered jointly by the Council and Welsh Government in a multi-million pound investment. The single-storey building contains modern facilities throughout, and includes classrooms for nursery and reception age groups, three infant and four junior classrooms, and many supporting spaces.
Since the new building opened, contractor Morgan Sindall turned its attention to the planned second phase of work – to demolish the former school building and, in its place, develop the external areas of the site for future use by the school. This programme was completed on schedule by Friday, October 18.
A two-court Multi Use Games Area has been delivered, along with playing fields that include a football pitch and sprint track, and a new car park with EV charging points. Other completed external areas have provided pupils with extra grassed play spaces, and a ‘trim trail’ with wooden play equipment.
These new facilities are in addition to the outdoor areas completed when the new main building opened in April – including an entrance plaza with covered cycle storage, an outdoor classroom, and hard landscaped play areas.
When the new school building opened in April, this investment in Llanilltud Faerdref Primary School represented the first new school in Wales to be delivered via Welsh Government’s Mutual Investment Model (MIM) – the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme’s revenue funding stream.
Councillor Rhys Lewis, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and the Welsh Language, said: “The excellent outdoor areas at Llanilltud Faerdref Primary School are now complete, bringing to an end the construction phase of this fantastic investment in education facilities that will serve Church Village for generations to come. Pupils and staff have been enjoying their state-of-the-art school building for many months, and it is now complemented by first-class external facilities to help the school deliver the Curriculum for Wales.
“Our very strong track record of delivering new school facilities across the County Borough, in partnership with Welsh Government, has continued in recent months. Brand new schools were completed in Cilfynydd, Hawthorn and Rhydyfelin, in a £79.9m investment across Greater Pontypridd – as Ysgol Bro Taf, Ysgol Afon Wen and Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Awel Taf opened in time for the 2024/25 academic year. They followed a significant investment at Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive School in Beddau, completed earlier this year.
“Meanwhile, Penygawsi Primary School in Llantrisant received its brand new building under the MIM investment programme during July 2024, and a similar scheme for Pontyclun Primary School is progressing towards its delivery by spring 2025. Finally, Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Llyn y Forwyn in Ferndale will also receive a new school site later this year, with works progressing well.
“The investment for Llanilltud Faerdref Primary School is aimed at improving education outcomes and helping young people enjoy their learning. Outdoor learning and play are important aspects of the school day, and I’m pleased the new external spaces can now be enjoyed by the pupils. It’s fantastic that more and more young people across Rhondda Cynon Taf are benefitting from 21st Century facilities – and we’ll keep exploring new opportunities to secure further investment in even more communities, when they arise in the future.”
To complement the school investment, extra Welsh Government funding has been utilised by the Council’s Highways team to deliver Safe Routes in the Community works locally. Various improvements have been made to junctions and pedestrian routes that are popular with families travelling to Llanilltud Faerdref Primary School, to encourage safe walking and cycling to school.
