- Croesyceiliog School
-
Croesyceiliog School 
Motto Learning, Respect, Ambition Established 3 February 1959 Headteacher Sarah Logan Chair Colin Crick Founders Colin Jones, Steven Leyshon Location Woodland Road
Croesyceiliog, Cwmbran
Monmouthshire
NP44 2YBLocal authority Torfaen DfE number ???/4051 DfE URN 401853 Ofsted Reports Staff c. 300 Students 1747 Gender Coeducational Ages 11–18 Colours Blue & Yellow Former name Croesyceiliog Grammar School & Secondary Modern Website Croesyceiliog School Croesyceiliog School (Welsh: Ysgol Croes-y-ceiliog) 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.
Contents
Setting
The school is set on a large and spacious site that borders Woodland Road Park. 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 (170,000 m2) of land; the average for schools is 18 acres (73,000 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.[1]
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.
History
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 schools 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.
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 School. 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.[2] In June 2006 Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott visited Croesyceiliog School.[3] 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.[4] On the 8th of February 2010 police found Gemma's body in the Vale of Glamorgan[5]
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 (170,000 m2) of land. The whole project is expected to cost £8.7 million, and is due to be completed and opened by September 2012.[6]
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.[7]
- 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
See also: Category:People educated at Croesyceiliog School- Nick Ramsay, the Conservative AM since 2007 for Monmouth[8]
- Jessica Morden, Labour MP since 2005 for Newport East.[citation needed]
- Mark Hale, Wales and Great Britain, Weightlifting.[citation needed]
Croesyceiliog Grammar School
See also: Category:People educated at Croesyceiliog Grammar School- Rt Rev Gregory Cameron, Bishop of St Asaph since 2009.[citation needed]
- Green Gartside, the primary force[citation needed] behind Scritti Politti the famous 1980s band.[citation needed]
- Denise Kingsmill, Baroness Kingsmill[citation needed]
References
External links
Categories:- Secondary schools in Wales
- Schools in Torfaen
- Educational institutions established in 1959
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
