Whitchurch High School
Encyclopedia
Whitchurch High School is a large, co-educational, comprehensive
secondary school
in the suburb of Whitchurch
in Cardiff
, Wales
. It is considered to be one of the better secondary schools in Cardiff, and was described in its 2009 Estyn report as a 'good school' which is 'moving forward from strength to strength'.
report) with 2400 pupils.
In accordance with the three tier system
of comprehensive education, it is divided between two sites, known as Upper
and Lower. The Lower School site houses Years 7 to 9, with the Upper School providing facilities for years 10 and 11. The Upper School site also includes the Sixth Form Centre.
The school's Leadership Team is composed of the headteacher, two deputy headteachers and nine assistant headteachers. The current headteacher is Mr Huw Jones-Williams, who took over from Gareth Mathewson OBE in September 2008. He was Head of Fitzalan High School and a former Deputy Head at Whitchurch.
. The former, based on Penlline Road, became the Upper School site, and the former, on Glan-y-Nant Terrace, the lower school. Like its predecessors, the school was co-educational and catered for a broad catchment area centred on the suburbs of Whitchurch, Rhiwbina and Tongwynlais in the northern part of Cardiff. The comprehensive school was initially run by Cardiff County Borough until the local government reform of 1974, which included Whitchurch in the new county of South Glamorgan
. In 1996, the school reverted to Cardiff County Council, which became a unitary authority. As of September 2011, the school has been granted foundation status by the Welsh Assembly, following controversy over the local authority's proposals to reduce the school's intake.
The school's badge is a white church tower on a blue background with the surround 'Album Monasterium'. This is not the school's motto, but is rather the latin translation of the School's name.
courses. It is also one of the only secondary instititutions in Wales to offer the International Baccalaureate.
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...
secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in the suburb of Whitchurch
Whitchurch, Cardiff
Whitchurch is a suburb in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It is approximately 3 miles north of the centre of the city on the A470 road and A4054 road. Its estimated population as of 2004 was 15,649. It falls within the Whitchurch & Tongwynlais ward.-History:Whitchurch draws its name from...
in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, 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...
. It is considered to be one of the better secondary schools in Cardiff, and was described in its 2009 Estyn report as a 'good school' which is 'moving forward from strength to strength'.
Organisation & Structure
The school is currently the largest in Wales, the largest in Britain and the second largest in Europe (according to the school's last EstynEstyn
Estyn is the education and training inspectorate for Wales. Its name comes from the Welsh language verb meaning "to extend". Its mission is to achieve excellence for all in learning in Wales by providing an independent, high quality inspection and advice service to the Welsh Assembly Government and...
report) with 2400 pupils.
In accordance with the three tier system
Three-tier education
Three-tier education refers to those structures of schooling, which exist in some parts of England, where pupils are taught in three distinct school types. A similar experiment was also trialled in Scotland....
of comprehensive education, it is divided between two sites, known as Upper
Upper school
Upper Schools tend to be schools within secondary education. Outside England, the term normally refers to a section of a larger school. There is some variation in the use of the term in England.-State Maintained Schools:...
and Lower. The Lower School site houses Years 7 to 9, with the Upper School providing facilities for years 10 and 11. The Upper School site also includes the Sixth Form Centre.
The school's Leadership Team is composed of the headteacher, two deputy headteachers and nine assistant headteachers. The current headteacher is Mr Huw Jones-Williams, who took over from Gareth Mathewson OBE in September 2008. He was Head of Fitzalan High School and a former Deputy Head at Whitchurch.
History
Whitchurch High School came into being in 1970, following the Education Reform Act of 1968 which replaced the existing tri-partite education system with Comprehensive education. The new comprehensive school was created through a merger of the well etsablished Whitchurch Grammar School, and Whitchurch County Secondary School, a secondary modern schoolSecondary 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...
. The former, based on Penlline Road, became the Upper School site, and the former, on Glan-y-Nant Terrace, the lower school. Like its predecessors, the school was co-educational and catered for a broad catchment area centred on the suburbs of Whitchurch, Rhiwbina and Tongwynlais in the northern part of Cardiff. The comprehensive school was initially run by Cardiff County Borough until the local government reform of 1974, which included Whitchurch in the new county of South Glamorgan
South Glamorgan
South Glamorgan is a preserved county of Wales.It was originally formed in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, as a county council area...
. In 1996, the school reverted to Cardiff County Council, which became a unitary authority. As of September 2011, the school has been granted foundation status by the Welsh Assembly, following controversy over the local authority's proposals to reduce the school's intake.
The school's badge is a white church tower on a blue background with the surround 'Album Monasterium'. This is not the school's motto, but is rather the latin translation of the School's name.
Curriculum
In the Sixth Form the school offers AS/A2 levels, a few stages of the Welsh Baccalaureate, and some vocationalVocational education
Vocational education or vocational education and training is an education that prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, and totally related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation...
courses. It is also one of the only secondary instititutions in Wales to offer the International Baccalaureate.
Facilities
The school has a tradition in sport, music, drama and politics, with facilities such as:- A large, floodlit astroturf pitch on the lower school site used mainly for hockey and football (1997)
- A sports recreational hall, located on the lower school site, opened by HRH The Duke of York, Prince AndrewPrince Andrew, Duke of YorkPrince Andrew, Duke of York KG GCVO , is the second son, and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
. (2004) - A sports recreational hall with a fitness suite, changing rooms and classrooms located on the upper school site. (2006)
- The school has 10 floodlit, five a side football pitches with clubhouse and parking located on the lower school site. The facility is run by the private company Powerleague, and is available for community use outside of school hours. (2007)
- Extensive, well drained playing fields on both the upper and lower school sites which are used for home matches by the schools rugby teams.
- Traditional school gyms with climbing equipment, ropes, gymnastic apparatus and crash mats on both the upper and lower school sites.
- The Dutch Barn, formerly a derelict gym on the lower school site, has been converted into a hall used for school assemblies, art exhibitions and the annual Matthew Pasley and Richard Fice Memorial Concerts. (2002)
- A purpose built music block on the lower school site (2009)
- A dedicated drama studio.
- A large vertical climbing wall and horizontal bouldering wall (2011)
Notable former pupils of Whitchurch High School
- Gareth BaleGareth BaleGareth Frank Bale is a Welsh footballer who plays for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and the Wales national team. Bale began his professional career with Southampton in 2005 and was transferred to Tottenham two years later...
, football player and WalesWales national football teamThe Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
international - Geraint ThomasGeraint ThomasGeraint Howell Thomas, MBE is a Welsh professional racing cyclist who rides for the UCI ProTour team . A track cycling world champion and Olympic gold medalist in the team pursuit, Thomas has also enjoyed success on the road, winning the Junior Paris-Roubaix in 2004, the British National...
, cyclist, OlympicCycling at the 2008 Summer OlympicsCycling competitions at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics were held from August 9 to August 23 at the Laoshan Velodrome , Laoshan Mountain Bike Course, Laoshan BMX Field and the Beijing Cycling Road Course...
gold medallist - Sam WarburtonSam WarburtonSam Kennedy-Warburton , commonly known as Sam Warburton, is a Welsh rugby union player. Warburton plays regional rugby for the Cardiff Blues and was first capped for Wales in 2009...
, rugby player and WalesWales national rugby union teamThe Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
international - Ben SladeBen SladeBen Slade - full name Benjamin Rory Slade - was a lead presenter of the cult BBC Network children's magazine programme, Why Don't You? He joined the series in 1988 as a member of the Cardiff presenting team wearing his trademark flat cap...
, former BBC Children's television presenter and (in 2007) the youngest secondary school Headteacher in the UK - Niall Allen, singer with Britain's favourite choir, Only Men Aloud, winner of BBC's Last Choir Standing.
Whitchurch Grammar School
- John BridgemanJohn BridgemanJohn Bridgeman may refer to:*John Bridgeman , of Prinknash, Chief Justice of Chester*John Bridgeman , English Bishop of Chester*Sir John Bridgeman, 2nd Baronet *John Bridgeman John Bridgeman may refer to:*John Bridgeman (judge) (died 1638), of Prinknash, Chief Justice of Chester*John Bridgeman...
CBE, Director-General from 1995-2000 of the Office of Fair TradingOffice of Fair TradingThe Office of Fair Trading is a not-for-profit and non-ministerial government department of the United Kingdom, established by the Fair Trading Act 1973, which enforces both consumer protection and competition law, acting as the UK's economic regulator... - Andrew Davies (writer)Andrew Davies (writer)Andrew Wynford Davies is a British author and screenwriter. He was made a Fellow of BAFTA in 2002.-Education and early career:...
, renowned TV scriptwriter, known for most of the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's best costume dramaCostume dramaA costume drama or period drama is a period piece in which elaborate costumes, sets and properties are featured in order to capture the ambiance of a particular era.The term is usually used in the context of film and television...
s - Elizabeth HorrocksElizabeth HorrocksElizabeth Horrocks is an author and winner of the BBC Mastermind. Her fantasy trilogy comprises The Edge of Doom, The Dark Space and The New Found Land....
, Author and winner of the BBC Mastermind Programme in 1974 - Gwilym JonesGwilym JonesGwilym Hayden Jones is a British Conservative politician. At the 1983 general election, he was elected as Member of Parliament for Cardiff North, retained his seat until the 1997 election, when was defeated by Labour's Julie Morgan...
, Conservative MP from 1983-97 for Cardiff NorthCardiff North (UK Parliament constituency)Cardiff North is aborough constituency in the city of Cardiff. It returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.... - Howard Jones (musician)Howard Jones (musician)Howard Jones is a musician, singer and songwriter. According to the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums, "Jones is an accomplished singer-songwriter who was a regular chart visitor in the mid 1980s with his brand of synthpop. Jones, who was equally popular in the U.S., appeared at Live...
- Maggie Jones, Baroness Jones of WhitchurchMaggie Jones, Baroness Jones of WhitchurchMargaret Beryl Jones, Baroness Jones of Whitchurch is a British trade union official and Labour politician. She was Chair of the Labour Party from 2000 to 2001....
, politician - Prof Rhys Jones (archaeologist)
- Alun John, award winning journalist, launch Picture Editor, The Independent
- Rhodri MorganRhodri MorganHywel Rhodri Morgan is a Welsh Labour politician who, as First Secretary for Wales, and subsequently First Minister, was leader of the Welsh Assembly Government from 2000 to 2009. A former leader of Welsh Labour, he was the Assembly Member for Cardiff West from 1999 to 2011...
, First Minister for WalesFirst Minister for WalesThe First Minister of Wales is the leader of the Welsh Government, Wales' devolved administration, which was established in 1999. The First Minister is responsible for the exercise of functions by the Cabinet of the Welsh Government; policy development and coordination; relationships with the...
from 2001-9, and Labour MP from 1987-2001 for Cardiff WestCardiff West (UK Parliament constituency)Cardiff West is a borough constituency in the city of Cardiff. It returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system... - Dale Owen, architect
- Sir Malcolm PillMalcolm PillSir Malcolm Thomas Pill is the longest-serving Lord Justice of Appeal, and the most senior member of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales who does not head a division of that court or of the High Court....
, judge - Prof John Rees, Professor of Medical Education from 2006 at King's College London School of Medicine and DentistryKing's College London School of Medicine and DentistryKing's College London School of Medicine is the medical school of King's College London, and one of the United Hospitals...
- Warrant Officer Lyndsay MorganLyndsay MorganWarrant Officer Lyndsay Hugh Morgan MBE was the Chief of the Air Staff's Warrant Officer, the senior Other Ranks in the Royal Air Force, from 2006 to 2009.-Early life:He was born in Cardiff, Wales and attended Whitchurch Grammar School.-Military career:...
, Chief of the Air Staff's Warrant OfficerChief of the Air Staff's Warrant OfficerThe Chief of the Air Staff's Warrant Officer is the senior warrant officer of the Royal Air Force. The person holding this appointment advises the Chief of the Air Staff on matters concerning airmen and airwoman of the RAF. The post was created in 1998.-List Chief of the Air Staff's Warrant...
from 2006 to 2009
See also
- Sir John Talbot's Technology College - also known as Whitchurch Grammar School, and the Whitchurch High School for Girls is now a junior school.
External links
- The School's Website School website
- EduBase
- Estyn's Most Recent Report http://www.estyn.gov.uk/english/provider/6814050/