Bulldozers move in as demolition starts at former Daniel James school

Contractors started moving onto the site this week to begin tearing down the long‑disused buildings, Swansea Council has confirmed. The neighbouring former Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Tirdeunaw will also be demolished as part of the same programme.

The council said the clearance is being jointly funded with the Welsh Government, with Tom Prichard Contracting Ltd appointed to carry out the work. According to the authority, the demolition phase is expected to take around six months.

History of the Mynydd‑bach school site

Mynyddbach Multilateral School
Opened in 1957 as a prominent all‑girls secondary school, providing single‑sex education for more than 50 years.

Merger in 2001
The school merged with the all‑boys Penlan Comprehensive to form the mixed‑sex Daniel James Community School.

Closure of Daniel James
Daniel James Community School was placed in special measures in 2010 and closed in 2012, leaving the site largely vacant until the current redevelopment work.

Site earmarked for future Bishop Vaughan rebuild

Swansea Council said the cleared land is planned to become the future home of a new Bishop Vaughan Catholic School under the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning programme. The council stated that the project has been agreed “in principle” but still requires further approvals before construction can begin.

The authority added that Bishop Vaughan will continue operating at its current site “without any disruption” to pupils or staff until a new building is ready.

“A big step forward” — Cabinet Member

Cllr Robert Smith, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, said the demolition marks progress in the wider school investment programme.

“The demolition of these empty, outdated buildings that are no longer fit for purpose is a big step forward for our future plans for Bishop Vaughan,” he said.

“Working with colleagues in Welsh Government, we are seeing record investment in our school buildings in Swansea. More than £400m is earmarked for the next phase of investment to create state‑of‑the‑art facilities at many of our schools and to give pupils the best possible support to reach their full potential.”

The council clarified that the £400m refers to investment across multiple schools, not this single project.

What happens next?

Once demolition is complete, the council says the site will be prepared for the next stage of planning and approvals before any construction work begins.

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Council-backed plans for major investment in two Swansea secondary schools move forward

Swansea Council’s Cabinet is being asked to approve the next phase of work, which would see outdated classrooms and facilities at Gowerton School replaced, alongside refurbishment and upgrades to other areas of the site. The improvements aim to deliver significantly enhanced spaces for learning, sport, recreation and wider community use.

Cabinet members are also considering funding for the detailed design and pre-construction phase, with contractors expected to work closely with pupils, staff, governors and the wider community to shape the final plans.

Separately, the Council is progressing plans for a brand new Bishop Vaughan Catholic School, to be built on the site of the former Daniel James Community School in Mynyddbach. Existing buildings on the site — including those previously occupied by YGG Tirdeunaw — would be demolished next year, with construction of the new school potentially completed within five years.

The new Bishop Vaughan campus would offer state-of-the-art facilities and vocational learning opportunities for both pupils and the wider community. Pupils and staff will remain at the current site throughout the build, with no disruption to learning.

Cabinet members are also being asked to approve a land swap with the Archdiocese of Cardiff-Menevia, alongside potential changes to lease arrangements associated with the site.

Robert Smith, Cabinet Member for Education, said: “In Swansea we are seeing record investment in our school buildings with more than £400m earmarked to create state-of-the-art facilities to give pupils the best possible support to reach their full potential.

“Many of our secondary schools have already benefitted from investment and I’m pleased that our plans for Gowerton and Bishop Vaughan are progressing, as is investment at Ysgol Gyfun Bryn Tawe. Thousands more pupils will benefit from these latest projects for many years to come.”

Both projects are part of the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme, and will be built to net zero operational carbon targets. Contractors will be expected to create work and apprenticeship opportunities, and source materials and services locally under the council’s Beyond Bricks and Mortar policy.

#BeyondBricksAndMortar #BishopVaughanCatholicSchool #CllrRobertSmith #DanielJamesCommunitySchool #GowertonComprehensiveSchool #Mynyddbach #netZero #newSchool #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil #YGGTirdeunaw

Work on new Bishop Vaughan school could start early next year

The new 1,400-pupil school, including a 200-strong sixth form would be built on the former Daniel James School site in Penderry.

The proposals are at an advanced stage and, subject to planning permission, work demolishing the old Daniel James Community School could begin early in 2026.

Robert Smith, Cabinet Member for Education, said: “This is very good news for pupils of Bishop Vaughan Catholic School who will get a 21st Century state-of-the-art replacement school.

“The outline proposals for the future of Bishop Vaughan were agreed last year, as part of our ambitious £400m schools’ investment programme in new and improved school buildings across Swansea.

“The new programme brings to almost £1bn the amount of spending or money Swansea Council has committed to improving our schools so future generations of our children can benefit.”

He said: “The current Bishop Vaughan Catholic School is in need of significant investment and, following discussion with the school and diocese, the preferred option is a new build on the site of the former Daniel James School in Mynyddbach.

“We are now following through on that with the first phase being to issue a contract for the demolition of the buildings on the current Daniel James Community School site.

“The new build project remains in the very early stages of feasibility design, working closely with stakeholders. The design will provide a fully accessible school environment and aims to provide a sustainable net-zero operational carbon facility with an emphasis on biodiversity and promotion of well-being. 

“The project further seeks to provide an environment that enhances existing, and promotes further community and wider use.

The latest proposals for the new school are still subject to further discussions with Welsh Government, the Archdiocese of Cardiff-Menevia – which provides a network of Catholic schools – and formal approval from Swansea Council’s Cabinet.

Designs for the new school would also be subject to planning permission.

The tender period for the demolition phase is due to commence shortly and work is anticipated to commence the early part of 2026.

The former Daniel James school has been a magnet for antisocial behaviour in recent years, with firefighters called to suspected arson at the building just last month.

The council’s wider £400m programme for new and upgraded schools includes further investment in improvements at both primary and secondary schools.

Andrew Scott Ltd has recently been appointed to carry out the pre-construction phase design for Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bryn Tawe to improve facilities and increase capacity at the Welsh-medium secondary school.

The pre-construction phase design for Gowerton School is currently out to tender and further secondary schools  have already been identified for investment,  there is the potential for new projects at Olchfa and Bishop Gore in the future, depending on funding and individual business case approval.

The programme also includes new school builds on Local Development Plan (LDP) strategic sites in Garden Village, Penllergaer and Cefngyfelach.

Investment will  be prioritised for those schools that currently have the greatest condition and suitability needs and these could include Clydach, Dunvant, Blaenymaes, Portmead, Brynhyfryd and St Joseph’s Cathedral Catholic primary schools, as well as YGG Bryn y Mor and Christchurch Church in Wales Primary School.

The contract for the pre-construction phase design for the new build special school at Mynydd Garnllwyd Road which will replace Ysgol Crug Glas and Ysgol Pen-y-Bryn with bigger and better facilities, and that will be named Ysgol Calon Lȃn, is due to be let very shortly.

All proposals would be dependent on the level of funding available from Welsh Government and each one would be subject to individual business cases as well as further Cabinet reports and, if necessary, consultation.

Cllr Smith, said: “We want our young people to learn in modern and welcoming environments by continuing to upgrade our school buildings in the largest ever school investment programme Swansea has seen.

“Over the last decade or so we’ve built seven new schools, carried out major upgrades at seven others with a further three major projects currently in progress.”

“Our proposals have prioritised the current condition of facilities, suitability and sustainability issues as well as our commitment to grow the number of pupils in Swansea who learn through the medium of Welsh.”

#BishopVaughanCatholicSchool #DanielJamesCommunitySchool #education #newSchool #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil

Firefighters called to suspected arson at former school

Firefighters from Morriston and Port Talbot were called to a fire on the second floor of the former Daniel James Community School near Penlan on Wednesday evening (23 April).

A spokesperson for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: “At 7.34pm on Wednesday, April 23, the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service crews from Morriston and Port Talbot Fire Stations were called to an incident at the former Daniel James Community School in Tirdeunaw in Swansea.

“Crews responded to a fire within a three-storey building measuring approximately 60 metres by 70 metres, the fire was located on the property’s second floor. Crews utilised two breathing apparatus sets, two water jets, one seven-metre-ladder, small gear and a turntable ladder appliance used for thermal scanning to monitor and extinguish the fire. 

“It is believed that this fire was started deliberately.”

The school has been largely empty since it was closed in 2012 due to falling grades and dwindling pupil numbers.

Residents have complained about the empty building becoming a magnet for antisocial behaviour in recent years.

The building is set to be demolished, with the site earmarked for a new school to be built to replace the existing Bishop Vaughan Catholic School.

Reacting to the fire on social media, Joanne De Valda said: “I drove past about 7.30ish, there were about 5 boys climbing over the railings onto Heol Ddu with hoods and scarves over their faces!”

Local resident Emily Renshaw said: “Five young boys ran in front of my mother’s car jumping the fence. One wearing a navy zip up jacket, one in all black and one in white and she didn’t catch the other two – all had hoods up. It’s getting ridiculous. If these are your children have a word!

“There’s police there every day kicking people out. Kids these days are out of control and you don’t know what they are going to do next.”

Fellow resident Yasmin GR added: “It’s such a waste of resources, perhaps the police should give the parents of those kids the bill for their time being there or charge and prosecute the teens.”

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service say they have three separate schemes to work with children and young people who play with fire. Referrals are received from parents and guardians, Firefighters and partner agencies. These are assessed so that a suitable programme can be allocated.

The fire service said that working with firesetting behaviour has proved to be effective and feedback received is very positive with only a small percent needing to be referred onto another programme.

A spokesperson from South Wales Police said: “Officers attended the former Daniel James Community School on Heol Ddu Tirdeunaw, Morriston, Swansea at around 8:30pm on Wednesday April 23 following a report of a fire within the building.

“The fire is believed to have been set deliberately.

“Anyone who has information regarding those responsible for setting the fire, please contact 101, quoting occurrence number 2500127632.”

#Arson #BishopVaughanCatholicSchool #DanielJamesCommunitySchool #featured #fire #MidAndWestWalesFireAndRescueService #Penlan #Swansea