Croesyceiliog School
Encyclopedia
Croesyceiliog School is a state-funded secondary school and campus in the Croesyceiliog
district of Cwmbran
, Torfaen
in Wales
. The school is widely referred to as Croesy Comp in the locality.
. The school is coeducational and provides education for 11–18 year olds. There are currently 1,747 pupils on roll, making it the largest school in Torfaen. It is situated in the parish of Llanyrafon
, with the A4042
and headquarters of Gwent Police
to the east, and the Afon Llwyd
to the west.
Most pupils come from the areas of Croesyceiliog
, Llanyrafon
and Pontnewydd
; however the sixth form college attracts students from as far as parts of Newport
and Pontypool
.
The school grounds also hosts a local youth centre. The school is situated on 42 acres (169,968.1 m²) of land; the average for schools is 18 acres (72,843.5 m²). There is a river (the Afon Llwyd
) at the end of the West Fields. The school is surrounded by woods on all sides: Jim Crow Wood, Middle Wood & Turnpike Wood.
From September 2011, there will be a new logo to represent Croesyceiliog School. A yellow shield consisting of 4 quarters will include a crucifix, cockerel, acorn and the Cwmbran Crow. In addition, the school's moto has been altered, and is now, Learning, Respect, Ambition.
The site originally housed separate grammar and secondary modern school
s on the same campus but has since been converted into a standard comprehensive school
. The West Building being the grammar school
, and the East Building being the traditional secondary school. For those attending the East Building (Ordinary Comprehensive school) they were not allowed to mix with the students that attended the then grammar school (the West building).
When the grammar school was in place, the genders were separated - the girls and boys were made to use different staircases.
. He retired in 1980.
The school was known as Croesyceiliog Comprehensive School until the late 1990s when it dropped the comprehensive from its title, bringing it into line with other schools in the county borough (although there are still numerous examples of schools in the area that have kept comprehensive or high in their titles).
A new head-mistress was appointed to start in September 2009, following the retirement of Helene Mansfield OBE, who held the role since 1991. Mrs Sarah Logan was previously deputy head in Bassaleg Comprehensive School, Newport. Her arrival coincides with the arrival in 2008 of a new deputy head Mr Hutt and Mr T Davies who started in September 2009, also as a deputy head.
In the 2005 inspection Croesyceiliog School had one of the best inspection rates in Torfaen. In June 2006 Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott
visited Croesyceiliog School. On 20 December 2009, Gemma Garn a member of staff of Croesyceiliog School went missing. The news of her disappearance has featured on the national news. On the 8th of February 2010 police found Gemma's body in the Vale of Glamorgan
In 2010, work had begun on the South Fields for the construction of Crownbridge School, an education centre aimed at children aged 11–19 with learning or physical disabilities. The previous Crownbridge School, situated on Greenhill Road in Sebastapol, has fallen into disrepair and is due to be demolished. The schools will be totally separate but both will be situated on the 42 acres (169,968.1 m²) of land. The whole project is expected to cost £8.7 million, and is due to be completed and opened by September 2012.
The current Senior Leadership Team consists of Mrs Logan (Headteacher) Mr Davies (Deputy Headteacher) Mr Hutt (Deputy Headteacher) Miss Harris (Assistant Headteacher) Miss Smith (assistant headteacher) and Mr McCool (assistant headteacher).
The Sixth Form 'Heads' Team for 2011-2012 is:
Alexander Davis - Head Boy, Lowri Sira-Parfitt - Head Girl, David Rossiter and Joshua Jones - Deputy Head Boys, Olivia Thatcher and Lauren Kinsey - Deputy Head Girls
There are after school activities available for pupils. Most lunch times and usually after school the Fitness Suite is available for pupils to use; chess club runs one lunch time per week. It is also possible to complete the Duke of Edinburgh award in school, as well as many more awards.
In 2010, the government set up a new initiative whereby teachers can no longer cover lessons, an activity week had been introduced to cancel the overheads created by employing cover supervisors. All pupils are off timetable for a week in early July and all departments put on a selection of events to entertain and engage pupils. Most noticeable, the PE department had to create new ideas after the expensive (due to the need for cover-supervisors) House Matches (A regular summer feature for decades) were abolished, as well as the Houses themselves, along with the tennis tournament.
Croesyceiliog
Croesyceiliog is a suburb of Cwmbran in the county borough of Torfaen, south Wales, United Kingdom.- Housing :Croesyceiliog is primarily a residential district and contains a wide variety of housing from Victorian terraces and even older Welsh cottages to property built between 1930 and 1970 and...
district of Cwmbran
Cwmbran
Cwmbrân is a new town in Wales. Today forming part of the county borough of Torfaen and lying within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, Cwmbrân was established in 1949 to provide new employment opportunities in the south eastern portion of the South Wales Coalfield. Cwmbrân means Crow...
, Torfaen
Torfaen
Torfaen is a county borough in Wales within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It was originally formed in 1974 as a district of the county of Gwent and in 1996 it was reconstituted as a unitary authority.-Education:...
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. The school is widely referred to as Croesy Comp in the locality.
Setting
The school is set on a large and spacious site that borders Woodland Road ParkWoodland Road Park
Woodland Road Park is situated at the end of Cwmbran's Central Recreation Grounds in the district of Croesyceiliog, Torfaen in Wales....
. The school is coeducational and provides education for 11–18 year olds. There are currently 1,747 pupils on roll, making it the largest school in Torfaen. It is situated in the parish of Llanyrafon
Llanyrafon
Llanyrafon , formerly spelled Llanyravon, is a community and suburb of Cwmbran in the county borough of Torfaen within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, South Wales...
, with the A4042
A4042 road
The A4042 is a trunk road that runs from Abergavenny to Newport in the United Kingdom.It begins on junction of the A40 and A465 south of Abergavenny and then travels southwards towards Little Mill north of Pontypool. This section is a single carriageway and is notoriously winding and undulating...
and headquarters of Gwent Police
Gwent Police
Gwent Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the local authority areas of Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen in southeast Wales....
to the east, and the Afon Llwyd
Afon Llwyd
The Afon Lwyd is a small river in south Wales which flows from its source north of Blaenavon, through Abersychan, Pontypool and Cwmbran before flowing into the River Usk at Caerleon, which subsequently flows into the Bristol Channel in Newport. The name is Welsh, meaning "Grey River".Historically...
to the west.
Most pupils come from the areas of Croesyceiliog
Croesyceiliog
Croesyceiliog is a suburb of Cwmbran in the county borough of Torfaen, south Wales, United Kingdom.- Housing :Croesyceiliog is primarily a residential district and contains a wide variety of housing from Victorian terraces and even older Welsh cottages to property built between 1930 and 1970 and...
, Llanyrafon
Llanyrafon
Llanyrafon , formerly spelled Llanyravon, is a community and suburb of Cwmbran in the county borough of Torfaen within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, South Wales...
and Pontnewydd
Pontnewydd
Pontnewydd is a suburb of Cwmbran in the county borough of Torfaen, south-east Wales.Beginning in the late 19th/early 20th century, as a small village in the locality of Llanfrechfa Upper, Pontnewydd has grown rapidly since the start of the Cwmbran New Town development in 1949. Locally, it is...
; however the sixth form college attracts students from as far as parts of Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
and Pontypool
Pontypool
Pontypool is a town of approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales....
.
The school grounds also hosts a local youth centre. The school is situated on 42 acres (169,968.1 m²) of land; the average for schools is 18 acres (72,843.5 m²). There is a river (the Afon Llwyd
Afon Llwyd
The Afon Lwyd is a small river in south Wales which flows from its source north of Blaenavon, through Abersychan, Pontypool and Cwmbran before flowing into the River Usk at Caerleon, which subsequently flows into the Bristol Channel in Newport. The name is Welsh, meaning "Grey River".Historically...
) at the end of the West Fields. The school is surrounded by woods on all sides: Jim Crow Wood, Middle Wood & Turnpike Wood.
From September 2011, there will be a new logo to represent Croesyceiliog School. A yellow shield consisting of 4 quarters will include a crucifix, cockerel, acorn and the Cwmbran Crow. In addition, the school's moto has been altered, and is now, Learning, Respect, Ambition.
Foundation
The school was founded by the late Colin Jones who was the county architect, and Steven Leyshon. Colin Jones died before the West Building had been completed. When the school was established it cost £250,000. Today it would cost around £43 million.The site originally housed separate grammar and secondary modern school
Secondary modern school
A secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed in most of the United Kingdom from 1944 until the early 1970s, under the Tripartite System, and was designed for the majority of pupils - those who do not achieve scores in the top 25% of the eleven plus examination...
s on the same campus but has since been converted into a standard comprehensive school
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
. The West Building being the grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
, and the East Building being the traditional secondary school. For those attending the East Building (Ordinary Comprehensive school) they were not allowed to mix with the students that attended the then grammar school (the West building).
When the grammar school was in place, the genders were separated - the girls and boys were made to use different staircases.
Comprehensive
When the schools combined, there was only need for one headteacher. The question was whether to keep Mr Pomeroy or Mr Summers. There was an interview and Summers was given the job. Mr Pomeroy left in 1970, and became the first headteacher of Caerleon Comprehensive SchoolCaerleon Comprehensive School
Caerleon Comprehensive School is a state-run school situated in Caerleon on the outskirts of Newport, South Wales.-Identity:There are approximately 1600-1700 pupils on roll at the school at any one time, including a sizable sixth form of around 300 pupils...
. He retired in 1980.
The school was known as Croesyceiliog Comprehensive School until the late 1990s when it dropped the comprehensive from its title, bringing it into line with other schools in the county borough (although there are still numerous examples of schools in the area that have kept comprehensive or high in their titles).
A new head-mistress was appointed to start in September 2009, following the retirement of Helene Mansfield OBE, who held the role since 1991. Mrs Sarah Logan was previously deputy head in Bassaleg Comprehensive School, Newport. Her arrival coincides with the arrival in 2008 of a new deputy head Mr Hutt and Mr T Davies who started in September 2009, also as a deputy head.
In the 2005 inspection Croesyceiliog School had one of the best inspection rates in Torfaen. In June 2006 Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott
John Prescott
John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott is a British politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he represented Hull East as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1970 to 2010...
visited Croesyceiliog School. On 20 December 2009, Gemma Garn a member of staff of Croesyceiliog School went missing. The news of her disappearance has featured on the national news. On the 8th of February 2010 police found Gemma's body in the Vale of Glamorgan
In 2010, work had begun on the South Fields for the construction of Crownbridge School, an education centre aimed at children aged 11–19 with learning or physical disabilities. The previous Crownbridge School, situated on Greenhill Road in Sebastapol, has fallen into disrepair and is due to be demolished. The schools will be totally separate but both will be situated on the 42 acres (169,968.1 m²) of land. The whole project is expected to cost £8.7 million, and is due to be completed and opened by September 2012.
The current Senior Leadership Team consists of Mrs Logan (Headteacher) Mr Davies (Deputy Headteacher) Mr Hutt (Deputy Headteacher) Miss Harris (Assistant Headteacher) Miss Smith (assistant headteacher) and Mr McCool (assistant headteacher).
The Sixth Form 'Heads' Team for 2011-2012 is:
Alexander Davis - Head Boy, Lowri Sira-Parfitt - Head Girl, David Rossiter and Joshua Jones - Deputy Head Boys, Olivia Thatcher and Lauren Kinsey - Deputy Head Girls
Student life
Registration is by electronic means and registers using LISOL on the computer. Registers are called every lesson throughout every day. The new LISOL system is a tailored system and tracks each pupil throughout each day.There are after school activities available for pupils. Most lunch times and usually after school the Fitness Suite is available for pupils to use; chess club runs one lunch time per week. It is also possible to complete the Duke of Edinburgh award in school, as well as many more awards.
In 2010, the government set up a new initiative whereby teachers can no longer cover lessons, an activity week had been introduced to cancel the overheads created by employing cover supervisors. All pupils are off timetable for a week in early July and all departments put on a selection of events to entertain and engage pupils. Most noticeable, the PE department had to create new ideas after the expensive (due to the need for cover-supervisors) House Matches (A regular summer feature for decades) were abolished, as well as the Houses themselves, along with the tennis tournament.
Buildings
- East Building: (There are three floors here known as K Floor, L floor and M floor. Subjects taught there are English, Maths, Further Maths, Maths Statistics, Maths Mechanics, Biology, Physics, Music.
- West Building: (There are four floors here known as A floor, B floor, C floor and D floor). Subjects taught here are Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History, Geography, Re, Politics, Citizenship, I.T., Drama, Geology, Business Studies, Word Processing, PSE, Economics, CISCO and IT Essentials, Philosophy.
- Sixth Form Block (South Building): (There are two floors here known as F floor and G floor). Subjects taught here are French, German, Spanish, Italian, Greek, Psychology, Sociology and Geography.
- West Boys Gym: PE and Games.
- West Girls Gym: PE and Games.
- East Boys Gym: PE and Games.
- East Girls Gym: PE and Games.
- Development Block: (There are two floors here known as H floor and J floor). Technology, Art, Graphics, Electronics.
- Demountables: Welsh, Law, Food Technology, Hair dressing and Media Studies.
- The main cafeteria is situated alongside the West hall.
- The new Fitness Suite is situated alongside the West boys and girls gym.
- The Youth Club for Croesyceilog and the surrounding area is located at the top of the East Field.
- The Library can be found on B floor in the West Building. The school archives are located here.
- The Clock Tower (the clock no longer works) is situated between both the West and East areas of the school.
Notable former pupils
- Nick RamsayNick RamsayNick Ramsay is a British Conservative politician who has been a Member of the Welsh Assembly since 2007. He currently represents the constituency of Monmouth.-Early life:...
, the Conservative AM since 2007 for MonmouthMonmouth (National Assembly for Wales constituency)Monmouth is a constituency of the National Assembly for Wales. It elects one Assembly Member by the first past the post method of election. Also, however, it is one of eight constituencies in the South Wales East electoral region, which elects four additional members, in addition to eight... - Jessica MordenJessica MordenJessica Elizabeth Morden is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Newport East since 2005.-Background:...
, Labour MP since 2005 for Newport EastNewport East (UK Parliament constituency)Newport East is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament using the first-past-the-post voting system.-Boundaries:...
. - Mark HaleMark HaleMark Hale is an American linguistics professor now teaching at Concordia University in Montreal. He studies the methodology of historical linguistics and Austronesian linguistics....
, Wales and Great Britain, Weightlifting.
Croesyceiliog Grammar School
- Rt Rev Gregory CameronGregory CameronGregory Cameron is Bishop of the Diocese of St Asaph in Wales, having been elected on 5 January 2009 and confirmed as Bishop on 16 March 2009.-Life and career:...
, Bishop of St AsaphBishop of St AsaphThe Bishop of St Asaph heads the Church in Wales diocese of St Asaph.The diocese covers the counties of Conwy and Flintshire, Wrexham county borough, the eastern part of Merioneth in Gwynedd and part of northern Powys. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of St Asaph in the town of...
since 2009. - Green GartsideGreen GartsideGreen Gartside , is a British musician, and the frontman of the band Scritti Politti....
, the primary force behind Scritti PolittiScritti PolittiScritti Politti are a British band, originally formed in 1977 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. Although there have been various changes to the line-up, Cardiff-born singer-songwriter Green Gartside was the founding member of the band and the only member to have remained throughout the group's...
the famous 1980s band. - Denise Kingsmill, Baroness KingsmillDenise Kingsmill, Baroness KingsmillDenise Patricia Byrne Kingsmill, Baroness Kingsmill CBE is a British Labour peer. She was appointed as a life peer in 2006 after an early legal career as a solicitor in employment law. She was born in New Zealand and emigrated to Wales during her childhood. She studied at Croesyceiliog School...