Abersychan School is a state-funded and non-selective

comprehensive school A comprehensive school typically describes a secondary school for pupils aged approximately 11–18, that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude, in contrast to a selective school system where admission is res ...

in the

Pontypool Pontypool ( cy, Pont-y-pŵl ) is a town and the administrative centre of the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales. It has a population of 28,970. Location It is situated on the Afon Lwyd ri ...

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...

Abersychan Abersychan is a town and community (Wales), community north of Pontypool in Torfaen, Wales, and lies within the boundaries of the Monmouthshire (historic), historic county of Monmouthshire and the Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county o ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

Admissions

Abersychan School has 920 pupils on roll. It serves the north of Torfaen including the communities of Blaenavon, Garndiffaith, Talywain, Abersychan, Pontnewynedd, Cwmffrwdoer, Trevethin, Penygarn and St Cadocs. The local diversity is exemplified by the fact that some areas qualify for Communities First status, while the northern half of the Afon Llwyd encompasses a World Heritage Site. The school supports a Special Needs Resources Base for pupils in Torfaen with MLD.

History

Comprehensive

The closure of Trevethin Community School in September 2007 has resulted in large numbers of pupils from its former catchment choosing Abersychan as their preferred school. The re-organisation of education in the north of the borough was supported by a capital investment in Abersychan School which has improved the teaching and learning facilities, most notably in the form of several classrooms, a sports laboratory, an ICT suite with a 60 PC capacity, an Art and Technology design area, a floodlit astro-turf and a sports field. In 2009 a multi-media learning plaza was opened. In January 2008, the school received a Welsh Secondary Schools Association award for its outstanding contribution to the transition of pupils from the Trevethin Community School to Abersychan School during the period 2006–2007.

Senior leadership team for 2020/2021

*Phillip Collins (Headteacher) *Keri Powell (Deputy Headteacher) *Anthony Ager (Assistant Headteacher - Curriculum and Standards) *Catherine Rumble (Assistant Headteacher - Inclusion and Wellbeing) *Daniel Mutlow (Assistant Headteacher - Teaching and Learning) *Belinda Edwards-Lloyd (Business and Facilities Manager)

Heads of year for 2020/2021

*Katie Harry (Head of Year 7) *Paul Loukisas (Head of Year 8) *Geraint Williams (Head of Year 9) *Bethan Jones (Head of Year 10) *Gareth Jenkins (Head of Year 11)

Heads of curriculum for 2020/2021

*Louise Brunton (Head of English and Literacy) *Daniel Evans (Head of Mathematics and Numeracy) *Charlotte O'Connell (Head of Science and Technology) *Rachel Jenkins (Head of Expressive Arts) *Paul Michael (Head of Health and Wellbeing) *Barrie Evans (Head of Humanities) *Michelle Wilkshire (Head of Languages) *Laura Entwistle (Head of Skills and Welsh Bacc)

Wellbeing support team for 2020/2021

*Catherine Rumble (assistant headteacher - Inclusion and Wellbeing) *Nicola Strachan (ALENCo) *Rob Barrowdale (wellbeing manager) *Kathryn Watkins (KS3 wellbeing support officer) *Emma Evans (KS4 wellbeing support officer) *Rachel Lewis (attendance and family engagement officer)

Sports

Teams from the school have won regional, national and UK competitions in Magistrates' Courts, Stock Market Challenge, Girls' Rugby, Design and Construction, and Dance.

Notable alumni

Abersychan Comprehensive School

* Ryan Doble - footballer * David Llewellyn - novelist * Mark Taylor -

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

player

Abersychan Grammar School

* Prof Geoffrey Arthur, professor of veterinary surgery from 1974 to 1979 at the

University of Bristol , mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'') , established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter , type ...

, and professor of veterinary obstetrics and diseases of reproduction from 1965 to 1973 at the

Royal Veterinary College , mottoeng = Confront disease at onset , established = (became a constituent part of University of London in 1949) , endowment = £10.5 million (2021) , budget = £106.0 million (20 ...

* Sarah Clark, Bishop of Jarrow in the Church of England *

Allen Forward Allen Forward (4 June 1921 – 1 January 1994) was a Welsh rugby union forward who favoured the position of flanker. Forward played club rugby for Pontypool and various Police teams. He played in six internationals for Wales and was part of the ...

- international rugby player *

Roy Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead, (11 November 1920 – 5 January 2003) was a British politician who served as President of the European Commission from 1977 to 1981. At various times a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Lab ...

- founder of Social Democrat Party, and Labour MP from 1950 to 1977 for Birmingham Stechford, and SDP MP from 1982 to 1987 for Glasgow Hillhead *

Rear-Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarded ...

Brinley Morgan CB, director from 1970 to 1975 of the

Naval Education Service __NOTOC__ The Naval Education Service was a branch of the United Kingdom, British Royal Navy which both provided education for naval personnel and ran schools for children of Royal Navy personnel. History It was originally known as the Department ...

* Robert Ryder, pathologist who found the link between

emphysema Emphysema, or pulmonary emphysema, is a lower respiratory tract disease, characterised by air-filled spaces ( pneumatoses) in the lungs, that can vary in size and may be very large. The spaces are caused by the breakdown of the walls of the alve ...

and

coal dust Coal dust is a fine powdered form of which is created by the crushing, grinding, or pulverizing of coal. Because of the brittle nature of coal, coal dust can be created during mining, transportation, or by mechanically handling coal. It is a form o ...

References

External links

Abersychan Comprehensive School

News items

Schoolgirl murdered in 2002
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ysgol Abersychan Secondary schools in Torfaen