The space available will only permit us to outline the history of the Schools. A School was
held in the vestry of St. Fagan’s church from 1853 until the church was burnt down in January
1856. It was then moved to two cottages in Union Street until the school house was built in
1857, mainly through the generosity of the Baroness Windsor on land given by herself, the
Right Hon. William Pitt, Earl Amherst and John Drummond, Esq. A bazaar was held at the
Temperance Hall, Aberdare, on August 4th and 5th 1859, at which over £400 was raised. The
school was opened by the Dean of St. David’s on July 6th 1858. The infants department was
added in 1867 and enlarged in 1879.
In 1895 there were 134 Boys, 109 Girls and 124 Infants attending the school.
A considerable sum of money was raised in 1904 to bring the building up to the standard
required by the new Education Act and the school extensively altered and renovated in 1932
through the devotion and enthusiasm of the Revd. E. W. Hughes. The former St. Winifred’s
church was adapted as an infants department in 1935.
1954 finds us still waiting for the development plan for this area to be approved and the future status of the school is still in the balance. It is our hope and desire that the school shall
remain an “Aided School”. It ought to be made clear however, that even ifit becomes a
“Controlled” school, it remains a church school at which the religious training which it’s
founders intended should be given to all the children can still be given to church children.
