Most pupils came from the town of Aberdare, with some travelling from Glynneath, Treorchy and Mountain Ash.

In 2007, the school attracted media coverage across Britain after it excluded a student, Sarita Watkins-Singh, for wearing a kara, a bangle that symbolised her Sikh faith.

[5] In July 2008, Watkins-Singh won her case when the high court determined that the school was guilty of indirect discrimination.

[7] The construction of the new £50m campus began on the Michael Sobell Sports Centre site in 2013 with the intentions of creating a unified education, leisure and community hub.

In July 2015, the 1.16 hectares (2.9 acres) school site was sold at auction for £415,000, four times the guide price.