The designated catchment area of the school was made up of the communities served principally by Ysgol y Graig Primary in Merthyr Tydfil and Penderyn and Hirwaun Primary Schools in Rhondda Cynon Taff, and is an area which suffers a high degree of economic deprivation.

This works school was paid for by Rose Mary Crawshay, wife of the Cyfartha Ironmaster at a time when Merthyr Tydfil was arguably the Iron capital of the world.

Split over 3 distinct areas, Upper, Middle and Lower School, with a collection of "temporary" class rooms, some of which dated back to the 1960s.

The main building constructed during the 1960s over two floors, consisted of the old headmaster's office and administration area and housed subjects such business studies and computers as well as the new sixth form common room and toilet block.

A unique feature of this collection of buildings was ceiling mounted radiators, which often bemused and what would today be called a cavity wall construction.

The Crawshay family funded the construction of the larger of the two in 1861 which housed canteen and old sixth form common room, the CDT and Home Economics Departments.

A two story stone building housing the woodwork and later art department sits below the school hall and is believed to be the older of the two.

Following the end of this preliminary consultation, the Local Authority together with the National Council for Education and Training and other partner bodies decided to establish, with funding from the Learning Challenge Fund, a Project Management Team to further develop and move forward the options outlined in the review.

In the case of staff, governors and parents at Vaynor and Penderyn, meetings were held at the school for each group in turn on 27 January 2004.

With the exception of one member of staff all those who were present at the meetings held at Pen y Dre and Bishop Hedley voted in favour of the proposal.