St Alban's RC High School (Welsh: ''Ysgol Uwchradd Catholig Sain Alban'') is a
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
secondary school in
Pontypool,
Torfaen
Torfaen (; cy, Torfaen ) is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. Torfaen is bordered by the county of Monmouthshire to the east, the city of Newport to the south, and the county boroughs of Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent to the south-w ...
,
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
. The school provides education from ages 11-16. The school is situated in Park House, the former home of the
Hanbury family in
Pontypool Park.
Park House
Built in the late seventeenth century by local ironmaster, Major John Hanbury, the house is in a style popularised by the architect
Inigo Jones.
In 1923 the Hanbury family sold the property to the Sisters of the Order of the Holy Ghost. It was initially reopened as a girls' day and boarding school. In 1963, control of the school was passed to the
Archdiocese of Cardiff
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cardiff ( la, Archidioecesis Cardiffensis; cy, Archesgobaeth Caerdydd) is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church which covers the south-east portion of Wales and the county of Herefordshire in ...
to become St Alban’s RC High School.
In March 2023 - St Albans R.C. High School have opened the doors to its newly refurbished library, thanks to a £1.2 million grant from the Welsh Government.
2008 Estyn report
According to the Autumn 2008 report by
Estyn
Estyn is the education and training inspectorate for Wales. Its name comes from the Welsh language verb ''estyn'' meaning "to reach (out), stretch or extend". Its function is to provide an independent inspection and advice service on quality ...
, the school has a
GCSE pass rate of 75% (based on 5 GCSEs, grades A-C) which puts it in equal 17th place in
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
and within the top 10% of secondary schools in
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
. The inspection concluded that:
''St Alban’s Roman Catholic High School is a very successful school with many outstanding features. Its Christian values pervade its work and are important to all members of the school community.''
[http://www.torfaen.gov.uk/en/SchoolsDirectory/Schools/St-Albans-RC-High-School.aspx St Albans R.C. High School]
Former students
*
Gareth Maule – Rugby player -
Llanelli Scarlets
The Scarlets () are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams and are based in Llanelli, Wales. Their home ground is the Parc y Scarlets stadium. They play in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup (which ...
*
Lloyd Burns
Lloyd Burns (born 9 December 1984, Panteg) is a former Wales international rugby union player. Burns played in the hooker position and played his club rugby for Newport Gwent Dragons having made his debut in the 2008–09 season. He previously ...
– Rugby player -
Newport Gwent Dragons
*
Nick Thomas-Symonds
Nicklaus Thomas-Symonds (born 26 May 1980) is a British academic, barrister and politician who has been Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade since 2021. A member of the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party, he has been Member of Parlia ...
- British Labour Party Politician, barrister and academic - MP for
Torfaen
Torfaen (; cy, Torfaen ) is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. Torfaen is bordered by the county of Monmouthshire to the east, the city of Newport to the south, and the county boroughs of Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent to the south-w ...
, May 2015 – Present
*
Kevin Owen - British TV News Anchor - former Senior News Anchor at RT International, Moscow 2006–2022, ex-Sky News, BBC World Service, HTV Wales and West, and BBC Wales.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Alban's Rc High School, Torfaen
Secondary schools in Torfaen
Catholic secondary schools in the Archdiocese of Cardiff
Educational institutions established in 1924
1924 establishments in Wales
Pontypool