Croesyceiliog School

Croesyceiliog School
Address
Woodland Road Croesyceiliog, Cwmbran , Monmouthshire , NP44 2YB Wales
Information
Motto	Learning, tolerance, service
Established	3 February 1959
Founder	Colin Jones, Steven Leyshon
Local authority	Torfaen
Ofsted	Reports
Chair	Colin Crick
Headteacher	Sarah Logan
Staff	c. 300
Gender	Coeducational
Age	11 to 18
Enrollment	1747
Houses	Gwent, Powys, Morgannwg, Dyfed
Former name	Croesyceiliog Grammar School
Website	http://www.croesyceiliog.org.uk

Croesyceiliog School (Welsh: Ysgol Croes-y-ceiliog) is a state-funded secondary school in the Croesyceiliog district of Cwmbran, Torfaen in Wales. The school is widely referred to as Croesy Comp in the locality.

Admissions

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 1,647 pupils on roll, making it the largest school in Torfaen. It is situated in the parish of Llanyrafon, not far from the A4042 and the Afon Llwyd, on the opposite side of the road from Torfaen county hall and the headquarters of Gwent Police.

Most pupils come from the areas of Croesyceiliog, Llanyrafon and Pontnewydd; however the sixth form 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 of land; the average for schools is 18 acres. There is a river (the Afon Llwyd) on the bottom of the West playing fields. The school is surrounded by woods on all sides: Jim Crow Wood, Middle Wood & Turnpike Wood.

History

Foundation

The school was founded by the late Mr Colin L. 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. (Sexism was common).

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. 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.

Trivia

• In 2003 Mr Rodger Appleby gave up his job as Head of Music and became the musical director.
• In February 2005 Helene Mansfield (the headteacher at the time) was awarded an OBE.
• In the 2005 inspection Croesyceiliog School had the one of the best inspection rates in Torfaen.
• In November 2006 the police attended Croesyceiliog School to see if anyone was carrying drugs; no one was caught.
• In August 2006 Miss Carole Penny (a history teacher) retired. She had been one of the longest serving members of staff at the school
• In June 2006 Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott visited Croesyceiliog School.. He famously said "I've never seen a school in such a beautiful surrounding".
• In February 2007 Mr Stephen Roberts retired (Art Teacher). He had been one of the longest members of staff at the school.
• In May 2008 Mr Alessio Bernadelli (Head of Physics) was invited to meet Bill Gates.
• The 2009 teaching staff can be seen below on the link.
• On 9 October 2009, Miss Chris Armitt retired. She had been the longest member of staff throughout the school. She started at Croesyceiliog as a pupil on the day it opened, left school at 16 and, after a brief period working in Newport Library, came back to "Croesy School" as a P.A.
• Plans have been confirmed that in 2010, Crownbridge School will be relocating to one of Croesyceiliog's school fields. It is relocating because the present Crownbridge building is collapsing. Crownbridge has offered Croesyceiliog School £500,000 to move to their location, Croesyceiliog School accepted. The schools will be totally separate but both will be situated on the 42 acres of land. The whole project is expected to cost £8.7 million.
• 31 December 2009 - Mr A W Loose retired as the school's first Bursar having kept the school in credit since it took control of its own budget at the start of the 90s MrLoose was a Mathematics teacher before taking on the role of school Bursar. Mr Loose had been one of the longest serving members of staff.
• On 20 December 2009, Gemma Garn a member of staff of Croesyceiliog School went missing. She apparently drove her car to the seven bridge, and no one heard of anything since.. The news of her disappearance has featured all over the national news. However on the 8th of February 2010 Police found Gemmas body in the Vale of Glamorgan

School culture

The school has strong links with local community and has won several national awards for conservation and enhancing the campus and surrounding area.

The school's logo is a picture of a pair of cockerels (which are blue) facing one another, with the Torfaen logo in the centre.

The school aims to build an open and trusting environment where each pupil will learn to value truth and respect for others.

Life as a Pupil

• Morning registration starts at 8:50 until 09:10. On most days there is assembly.
• Period one starts at 09:10- until 10:10. Period two starts at 10:10, and finishes at 11:10.
• Break time is held at 11:10 and lasts until 11:25. Food/snacks may be purchased from various outlets around the school.
• Period three starts at 11:25 until 12:25.
• Lunch starts at 12:25-13:25 - A wide range of meals are available in the school restaurant and other locations.
• After Lunch time it's Afternoon registration, 13:25-13:30.
• Afternoon registration leads straight into period 4 lasting for an hour (13:30-14:30).
• Period 5 starts at 14:30 and finishes at 15:30 (end of the day).

Registration is by electronic means and registers using Bromcoms are normally called every lesson throughout every day. "Merits" can be given to pupils for a range of good attributes and tallied. These lists are printed and sent to pupils' homes by post. Recently the Bromcom systems have been experiencing several technical faults. These are often responsible for pupils being marked absent.

Pupils are also put into a "House". There are four houses that compete at different events to win, for example at Sports Day. The houses are called Gwent, Powys, Morgannwg and Dyfed. The sports the houses play are Rugby, Football, Netball, Hockey, Tennis, Athletics, Cricket, Dodgeball, javelin, shot put etc.

There are a lot of 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.

Buildings

View from the south Building

• 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: (There are two floors here known as F floor and G floor). Subjects taught here are French, German, Spanish, Italian, Greek, 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 along side the West hall.
• The new Fitness Suite is situated along side the West boys and girls gym.
• The youth club demountable 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 doesn't work) is just on the outside of the East building, the East car Park and the West Building. It was commonly used for a teacher's smoking area but has since been locked, and used for storage.

List of Head Teachers

• Mr Granville.Ivor. Pomeroy (M.A and B.A)
  • Head Teacher: 1957-1970: Born in 1916. Mr Pomeroy was the dual headmaster with Mr Summers, but Pomeroy was head of the comprehensive school. Pomeroy's wife used to be Head of English. Pomeroy left to be head teacher of Caerleon school. Pomeroy started there in 1970 until 1980. Pomeroy specialised in English. (Deceased)

• Dr Donald.John.B. Summers (C.B.E. and M.A)
  • 1959-1975: Born in October 1909 Summers was the first and last Head teacher of the Grammar school. (He died in 1999 at the age of 90). Summers attended Oxford University where he studied Chemistry he did well enough, and completed later completed his PHD. He was known for wearing the traditional Head Master's gown. (Deceased)

• Mr Mike.J. Pugh (M.A)
  • 1975-1991: The first Headteacher of the unified school. Pughs son is a known rugby player. Pugh too specialised in English. Pugh is in his early seventies. Pugh is now on the Board of Governors for Caerleon School.

• Mrs Helene Mansfield (OBE and MA). Mansfield was born in Britanny. She studied languages for her research year at Downing College, Cambridge University, there she met her husband (who now lectures in Cardiff University). Mansfield has since joined the General Teaching Council for Wales.

• Mrs Sarah Jane Logan
  • 2009–present: Logan was previously Deputy Head Teacher of Bassaleg school. Logan specialised in English

Notable alumni

• Nick Ramsay, the Conservative AM since 2007 for Monmouthshire
• Jessica Morden, Labour MP since 2005 for Newport East.

Croesyceiliog Grammar School

• Rt Rev Gregory Cameron, Bishop of St Asaph since 2009.
• Green Gartside, the primary force behind Scritti Politti the famous 1980's band.
• Denise Kingsmill, Baroness Kingsmill

Croesyceiliog Secondary Modern School

• Terry Morgan CBE, Chairman since 2009 of Crossrail, and Chief Executive from 2002-9 of Tube Lines
• Ben Sainsbury BA Hons, PUA and one man think tank
• Simon Abdo, Best known for his appearances as the Pianist ((Ὀλύμπια - Penis; Modern Greek:) on the short lived Ronnie Corbett CBBC kids show- Grimuses
• Dan Yeo-Smith, entrepreneur and non-closer
• Luke Roberts, aspiring actor. Can be seen in the up and coming film "Man who walks up stairs in an old building in Bristol hung over". Tipped to be the next Love Actually

External links

• School student page & department websites
• School administrative homepage
• EduBase