Prior to 1878, when the Briery Hill Schools were built, schools existed at Pontygof, Victoria and Ebbw Vale .The Ebbw Vale Schools were known as the Forge Schools  and were the predecessors of the Briery Hill Schools. They were situated on a site between the northern end of Holland Street and the building now known as the G.P.O. Postal Sorting Office.

The Ebbw Vale Forge School provide education for children living in Pond Row, Armoury Row, School Row, Forge Row, and Church Row-now replaced by Holland Street, Alexander Street, Church Street and Church        Crescent. In addition the settlement of Briery Hill known to Welsh speaking  natives as  Twyn Dryseog . The English translation  for Twyn is     
Tump or mound, hence the traditional  nickname for the area.

The Ebbw Vale Forge schools had been built and managed by the Ebbw Vale Company, owners of the iron work and forges. They provided very bad accommodation.

An Education Act of 1870 enabled Elementary Schools to be set up throughout England and Wales by locally elected  Church School Boards. Ebbw Vale had developed within the boundaries of four churches. So it's schools came under four different school boards-Aberystruth, Bedwellry,Llangattock and
Llangynidir. The last two lay to  the North of the valley and were still  rural to
A certain extent. Aberystruth, bedweelliy church lay to the east and went of the river Ebbw.