West Monmouth School
Encyclopedia
West Monmouth School is a state-funded and non-selective secondary school in Pontypool
, Torfaen
, south Wales
.
for the foundation of a grammar school in Monmouth
. An accumulation of funds by the end of the nineteenth century encouraged Monmouth School
to build a sister school to serve western Monmouthshire
.
was chosen after land of 6 acres (24,281.2 m²) was donated by local landowner John Hanbury
. In 1896 the foundation stone of balls sack
.
The school recently went through a six million pound overhaul that has seen numerous changes. The school now boasts state-of-the-art performing arts facilities including an auditorium housed in the Haberdashers' Building. The special educational needs department has been expanded and there is a new cafeteria.
's motto Serve & Obey but has also adopted an unofficial motto of Today's Challenges for Tomorrow's Opportunities. The school is committed to providing quality education for all.
to have an AstroTurf
football pitch which comes complete with floodlights. There is also a top-of-the-range performing arts centre and two large gymnasia. There are five IT suites and a comprehensive technology centre. The school also boasts a running track, tennis courts and the large Albion rugby fields nearby. The school has been extended once again; the old dining hall has been converted into classrooms and a new cafeteria built on the west side of the site. This is due to the amalgamation of Trevethin Community School
which closed in 2007.
Public Life
Sporting
West Monmouth School, West Monmouth Boys' School and in later years West Monmouth Grammar School. Today the school is often referred to (incorrectly) as West Monmouth Comprehensive School. Internally the school use the shorthand names West Mon or WMS. There is at least one plaque in the school that refers to it as Jones' West Monmouthshire School. The official name, however, is West Monmouth School.
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....
, 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:...
, south 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...
.
Admissions
Pupils who attend the school generally live in the Pontypool area. The school offers education for 11-to-16-year-olds, and around 920 pupils are currently enrolled there as of September 2010.Foundation
The school owes its existence to the charitable donations of William Jones, who died in 1615. He bequeathed money to the Worshipful Company of HaberdashersWorshipful Company of Haberdashers
The Worshipful Company of Haberdashers is one of the senior Livery Companies of the City of London. The organisation, following on from the Mercers' Company, another Livery Company connected with clothing and haberdashery, received a Royal Charter in 1448...
for the foundation of a grammar school in Monmouth
Monmouth
Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....
. An accumulation of funds by the end of the nineteenth century encouraged Monmouth School
Monmouth School
Monmouth School is an HMC boys' boarding and day school in Monmouth, Monmouthshire in south east Wales. It was founded in 1614 by William Jones. It is run as a trust, the William Jones's Schools Foundation, by the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, one of the Livery Companies...
to build a sister school to serve western Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
.
Grammar school
After much discussion and debate the town of PontypoolPontypool
Pontypool is a town of approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales....
was chosen after land of 6 acres (24,281.2 m²) was donated by local landowner John Hanbury
John Hanbury
John Hanbury was one of a dynasty of ironmasters responsible for the industrialisation and urbanisation of the eastern valley through which runs the Afon Llwyd in Monmouthshire around Pontypool....
. In 1896 the foundation stone of balls sack
Comprehensive
In 1982 the school lost its grammar school status to become a comprehensive school when amalgamated with the three local secondary modern schools at Twmpath, Trevethin and the Wern. A new block (known simply as 'New Block') was constructed and now houses the mathematics, technology and some humanities classrooms. A new music and performing arts centre was built on the site of the old swimming pool in 2001 which gave the school some of the best facilities in TorfaenTorfaen
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:...
.
Expansion and changes of school buildings
The school's original building with its tall spires and grand entrance became too small for the school numbers. By 1934 a new 'Science Block' building had been added at a cost of £20,000 and contained extra classrooms and modern laboratories.The school recently went through a six million pound overhaul that has seen numerous changes. The school now boasts state-of-the-art performing arts facilities including an auditorium housed in the Haberdashers' Building. The special educational needs department has been expanded and there is a new cafeteria.
Ethos
The school has maintained the Worshipful Company of HaberdashersWorshipful Company of Haberdashers
The Worshipful Company of Haberdashers is one of the senior Livery Companies of the City of London. The organisation, following on from the Mercers' Company, another Livery Company connected with clothing and haberdashery, received a Royal Charter in 1448...
's motto Serve & Obey but has also adopted an unofficial motto of Today's Challenges for Tomorrow's Opportunities. The school is committed to providing quality education for all.
Facilities
West Mon is the only school in TorfaenTorfaen
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:...
to have an AstroTurf
AstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
football pitch which comes complete with floodlights. There is also a top-of-the-range performing arts centre and two large gymnasia. There are five IT suites and a comprehensive technology centre. The school also boasts a running track, tennis courts and the large Albion rugby fields nearby. The school has been extended once again; the old dining hall has been converted into classrooms and a new cafeteria built on the west side of the site. This is due to the amalgamation of Trevethin Community School
Trevethin Community School
Trevethin Community School was a non-selective state secondary school in the Pontypool suburb of Penygarn, Wales.The school—established in 1982 as Trevethin Comprehensive School—was originally housed on two sites, the former Pontypool Girls' Grammar School building and the former Trevethin...
which closed in 2007.
Notable former pupils
Arts and Entertainment- Sir Anthony HopkinsAnthony HopkinsSir Philip Anthony Hopkins, KBE , best known as Anthony Hopkins, is a Welsh actor of film, stage and television...
- actor
Public Life
- Ronald Bridle - civil engineer and Chief Highway Engineer from 1975–80
- Air MarshalAir MarshalAir marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir Ivor Broom CB CBE DSO DFC - Station Commander of RAF BruggenRAF BruggenThe former Royal Air Force Station Brüggen, more commonly known as RAF Brüggen, in Germany was a major station of the Royal Air Force until 15 June 2001. It was situated next to the village of Elmpt, approximately west of Düsseldorf near the German-Netherlands border. The base was named after...
from 1962-4, AOCAir Officer CommandingAir Officer Commanding is a title given in the air forces of Commonwealth nations to an air officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, an air vice marshal might be the AOC 38 Group...
of No. 11 Group RAFNo. 11 Group RAFNo. 11 Group was a group in the Royal Air Force for various periods in the 20th century, finally disbanding in 1996. Its most famous service was during 1940 when it defended London and the south-east against the attacks of the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain.-First World War:No. 11 Group was...
from 1970-2, and Controller from 1974-7 of National Air Traffic ServicesNational Air Traffic ServicesNATS Ltd. is the main air navigation service provider in the United Kingdom. It provides en-route air traffic control services to flights within the UK Flight Information Regions and the Shanwick Oceanic Control Area, and provides air traffic control services to fifteen UK airports and Gibraltar...
(NATS) - John Bryant - Chief Executive of Corus GroupCorus GroupTata Steel Europe is a multinational steel-making company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the second-largest steel-maker in Europe and is a subsidiary of Tata Steel of India, one of the ten largest steel producers in the world.Corus Group was formed through the merger of Koninklijke...
plc from 1999–2000 - Ivor Bulmer-ThomasIvor Bulmer-ThomasIvor Bulmer-Thomas CBE FSA, originally Ivor Thomas was a British journalist and author who served eight years as a Member of Parliament...
CBE - Labour (then Conservative for two years) MP for KeighleyKeighley (UK Parliament constituency)Keighley is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
from 1942–50 - David James - Vice-Chancellor from 1952-65 of the University of SouthamptonUniversity of SouthamptonThe University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
- Alun Gwynne Jones, Baron Chalfont of LlantarnamLlantarnamLlantarnam is a community and suburb of Cwmbran in the county borough of Torfaen in southeast Wales.Llantarnam Abbey is a Cistercian abbey founded in 1179 as a daughter house of Strata Florida Abbey...
in the County of Monmouthshire OBE MC - former Foreign Office minister from 1964–70, and Chairman of the Radio Authority from 1991-4 - Noel Debroy JonesNoel Debroy JonesNoel Debroy Jones CB was an Anglican bishop. He was the Bishop of Sodor and Man in the Church of England.Jones was born in Wales and educated at St David's College, Lampeter. He studied for ordination at Wells Theological College and then held curacies at St James' Tredegar and St Mark's...
- Bishop of Sodor and ManBishop of Sodor and ManThe Bishop of Sodor and Man is the Ordinary of the Diocese of Sodor and Man in the Province of York in the Church of England. The diocese covers the Isle of Man. The see is in the town of Peel where the bishop's seat is located at the Cathedral Church of St German, elevated to cathedral status on 1...
from 1989–2003 - Prof Frank Llewellyn-Jones CBE - physicist who studied electrical conductance (ionizationIonizationIonization is the process of converting an atom or molecule into an ion by adding or removing charged particles such as electrons or other ions. This is often confused with dissociation. A substance may dissociate without necessarily producing ions. As an example, the molecules of table sugar...
) in gases and spark ignition, Professor of Physics from 1945-65 at University College, SwanseaSwansea UniversitySwansea University is a university located in Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom. Swansea University was chartered as University College of Swansea in 1920, as the fourth college of the University of Wales. In 1996, it changed its name to the University of Wales Swansea following structural changes...
and Vice-Chancellor of the University of WalesUniversity of WalesThe University of Wales was a confederal university founded in 1893. It had accredited institutions throughout Wales, and formerly accredited courses in Britain and abroad, with over 100,000 students, but in October 2011, after a number of scandals, it withdrew all accreditation, and it was...
from 1969–71 - The Rt. Hon. Paul Murphy - Labour MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for TorfaenTorfaen (UK Parliament constituency)Torfaen is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It returns one Member of Parliament , elected by the first past the post system.-Boundaries:...
since 1987 - Rhys ProbertRhys ProbertRhys Probert was born 28 May 1921, the son of the Reverend Thomas and Margaret Jane Probert. He was educated firstly at Jones' West Monmouth School, then at St Catharine's College, Cambridge. He died of pancreatic cancer in 1980....
CB - Director from 1973-80 of the Royal Aircraft EstablishmentRoyal Aircraft EstablishmentThe Royal Aircraft Establishment , was a British research establishment, known by several different names during its history, that eventually came under the aegis of the UK Ministry of Defence , before finally losing its identity in mergers with other institutions.The first site was at Farnborough... - Edwin StevensEdwin StevensEdwin Stevens CBE was a Welsh inventor who designed the world's first wearable electronic hearing aid. He was also a philanthropist, becoming a major benefactor to the Royal Society of Medicine, and to Jesus College, Oxford, at which he had studied between 1927 and 1929.-Life:Stevens was born at...
CBE - inventor of hearing aids
Sporting
- Terry CobnerTerry CobnerTerence "Terry" John Cobner is a former Welsh international rugby union player and British Lion. He was born in Blaenavon, Monmouthshire and currently lives in Pontypool.- Welsh international and British Lion :...
- Wales international rugby union player - Ken Jones - Wales international rugby union player
- Bryn MeredithBryn MeredithBrinley "Bryn" Victor Meredith was a rugby union international. Meredith was a mobile hooker, he was selected 34 times for Wales between 1954 and 1962, but missed 2 matches for health and family bereavement reasons....
- Wales international rugby union player - Graham PriceGraham PriceGraham Price MBE is a former Welsh rugby union player who won 41 caps for as a prop forward.- Education :...
- Wales international rugby union player - Iestyn ThomasIestyn ThomasIestyn Thomas is a Welsh rugby union footballer, who currently plays as a prop for the Scarlets in the RaboDirect Pro12.- Club career :...
- Wales international rugby union player
Etymology
The school has been known by a variety of names over the last 100 years. Originally conceived as Jones' West Monmouth School it has also been known as Haberdashers'Worshipful Company of Haberdashers
The Worshipful Company of Haberdashers is one of the senior Livery Companies of the City of London. The organisation, following on from the Mercers' Company, another Livery Company connected with clothing and haberdashery, received a Royal Charter in 1448...
West Monmouth School, West Monmouth Boys' School and in later years West Monmouth Grammar School. Today the school is often referred to (incorrectly) as West Monmouth Comprehensive School. Internally the school use the shorthand names West Mon or WMS. There is at least one plaque in the school that refers to it as Jones' West Monmouthshire School. The official name, however, is West Monmouth School.
See also
- Monmouth SchoolMonmouth SchoolMonmouth School is an HMC boys' boarding and day school in Monmouth, Monmouthshire in south east Wales. It was founded in 1614 by William Jones. It is run as a trust, the William Jones's Schools Foundation, by the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, one of the Livery Companies...
- independent school, previously known as Monmouth Grammar School