Oakdale Comprehensive School is a comprehensive school

Comprehensive school

A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...

 located in the village of Oakdale

Oakdale, Caerphilly

Oakdale is a large village in Caerphilly county borough, Wales, 9½ miles north of Caerphilly itself, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire...

 in Caerphilly county

Caerphilly (county borough)

Caerphilly is a county borough in southern Wales, straddling the ancient county boundary between Glamorgan and Monmouthshire.Its main town is Caerphilly, and also the largest...

 Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

. It has a total enrollment of about 800 pupils aged 11 to 16. Sixth-form provision is at Coleg Gwent

Coleg Gwent

Coleg Gwent is Wales' largest further education college.It has more than 35,000 students ranging from secondary school leavers to mature students...

 in Crosskeys

Crosskeys

Crosskeys is a small village in Caerphilly county borough in Wales.- Location :Crosskeys is seven miles north west of Newport, just past Risca off the A467 road. Located near to the confluence of the Ebbw River and the Sirhowy River, it was originally called Pont-y-cymer...

 and Ystrad Mynach College

Ystrad Mynach College

Ystrad Mynach College is a college of further education based in Ystrad Mynach in Caerphilly county borough, Wales. It has over 13,000 students ranging from school leavers to adult mature students...

.

The school opened in 1968 as a Secondary Modern School catering for 350 pupils.

Information Technology

Information technology

Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...

 training at Oakdale Comprehensive was commended by the Secretary of State for Wales

Secretary of State for Wales

The Secretary of State for Wales is the head of the Wales Office within the British cabinet. He or she is responsible for ensuring Welsh interests are taken into account by the government, representing the government within Wales and overseeing the passing of legislation which is only for Wales...

, Paul Murphy at Welsh questions in the House of Commons in March 2009.

Notable former pupils

• Joe Calzaghe
  Joe Calzaghe
  Joseph William Calzaghe, CBE, MBE is a Welsh former professional boxer. He is the former WBO, WBA, WBC, IBF, The Ring & British super middleweight champion and The Ring light heavyweight champion....
  
   - World super-middleweight boxing champion
• Nicky Wire
  Nicky Wire
  Nicholas Allen Jones, known as Nicky Wire, is the lyricist, bassist and occasional vocalist with the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.-Early life:...
  
  , James Dean Bradfield
  James Dean Bradfield
  James Dean Bradfield is the lead guitarist and vocalist for the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.- Early life :...
  
  , Sean Moore
  Sean Moore (musician)
  Sean Anthony Moore is the writer, drummer/percussionist and sometime trumpet player of the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.-Early years:...
  
   and Richey James Edwards
  Richey James Edwards
  Richard James Edwards was a Welsh musician who was rhythm guitarist and lyricist of the alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. He was known for his politicized and intellectual songwriting which, combined with an enigmatic and eloquent character, has assured him cult status...
  
   - of the rock band Manic Street Preachers
  Manic Street Preachers
  Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
  
  
• Matthew Watkins - Newport Gwent Dragons
  Newport Gwent Dragons
  Newport Gwent Dragons are one of the four professional Rugby Union regional teams in Wales. They are jointly owned by Newport RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union and play all their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the Heineken Cup...
  
   and Wales
  Wales national rugby union team
  The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
  
   centre
• Steve Strange
  Steve Strange
  Steve Strange , is a Welsh pop singer, best known as the lead singer and frontman of the 1980s pop group Visage...
  
   - Singer
• Patrick Jones
  Patrick Jones
  Patrick Jones is a Welsh poet, playwright and filmmaker. His work is often in collaboration with the rock band Manic Street Preachers; his brother, Nicky Wire, is their bassist.-Biography:...
  
  - Poet

External links

• Estyn school report 2008