Olchfa School ( cy, Ysgol Gyfun yr Olchfa) is the largest secondary school in
Swansea, South
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 ...
, with approximately 1,700 pupils, including 357 in the Sixth Form.
Situated in Sketty Park to the west of
Sketty
The suburban district of Sketty ( cy, Sgeti) is about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of the Swansea city centre on Gower Road. It falls within the Sketty council ward of Swansea. It is also a community.
Description
The area approximates to the Vivi ...
, it provides secondary education for
GCSE and
A-Level qualifications. Olchfa (part of the Sketty Swansea suburb) means 'washing place' in the English language.
Around 12% of pupils have a special educational need and 1.7% have a statement of special educational needs. Both of these figures are below the Welsh averages of 21.5% and 2% respectively. Nearly a quarter of pupils come from an ethnic minority background and just over 20% speak English as an additional language.
Academic performance
In its most recent
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 ...
inspection in 2018, Olchfa School received the highest possible judgement, 'Excellent' in all five inspection areas.
In the same year, the school reported a
GCSE pass rate of 83% (based on 5 GCSEs, grades A*-C), placing it in the top six schools in Wales.
Facilities
The school consists of different sections - the main building, a south block, P.E. department as well as a maths and science block. The school also consists of smaller demountable classrooms throughout the plot that teach a variety of subjects. There is also an on-site specialist facility supporting the needs of hearing impaired pupils.
Notable former pupils
Sports
*
Daniel Alfei, Welsh U21 International and former Swansea City footballer.
*
Simon Davey, former Swansea City footballer and football manager
*
Aaron Lewis
Aaron Lewis (born April 13, 1972) is an American musician who is best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and founding member of the nu metal band Staind, with whom he released seven studio albums. Since 2010, he has pursued a solo ca ...
, Welsh U21 International and Newport County footballer
*
Mark Harris, Welsh International and Cardiff City footballer
*
David Hemp
David Lloyd Hemp (born 8 November 1970) is a former Bermudian cricketer. He is a left-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-pace bowler, who has played domestic cricket for Glamorgan, Free State, and Warwickshire. David has a younger brother, ...
, Bermudan International Cricketer
*
Charles Lowen, English International Cricketer
*
Richie Rees
Richie Rees (born 21 May 1983) is a former Wales international professional rugby union player. He played as a scrum-half. He is now the attack coach for Cardiff Rugby.
Club
Rees started his rugby career at Dunvant RFC. He then played for the ...
, Rugby Player
*
Ellie Simmonds OBE,
Paralympian Gold Medalist Swimmer
Harrison Walsh F64 Discus Commonwealth and European bronze medalist
*
Other
*
Richard Barrett, Composer
*
*
Russell T Davies
Stephen Russell Davies (born 27 April 1963), better known as Russell T Davies, is a Welsh screenwriter and television producer whose works include ''Queer as Folk'', '' The Second Coming'', ''Casanova'', the 2005 revival of the BBC One scien ...
, Television Writer
*
Sir Andrew Dilnot, Economist
*
Joe Dunthorne, poet and author
"Shooting of movie adaptation surreal experience for writer"
"This is South Wales", 20 November 2009, accessed 24 August 2011.
* Liz Fuller, Presenter, Actress and Model
* Stephen Harris, rock musician with stage name "Kid Chaos"
* Georgia Henshaw
Georgia Henshaw (born 11 July 1993) is a Welsh actress best known for her roles on British television. Among her leading roles have been those of Rosie, a member of "The Ace Gang" in '' Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging'', and as JJ's love in ...
, Actress
* Nerys Jefford, High Court judge
* Andrew Jones, Film producer
* Heather Nicholson, animal rights activist
References
External links
School website
{{Authority control
Secondary schools in Swansea
1969 establishments in Wales