St. Alban's R.C. High School
Encyclopedia
St. Alban's Roman Catholic (RC) High School (Welsh: Ysgol Uwchradd Catholig Sain Alban) is a selective and Roman Catholic secondary school
in Pontypool
, Torfaen
, Wales
. It provides education for 11 to 18-year-olds in a religious environment. Most pupils come from Roman Catholic families though a significant minority comes from other Christian denominations. The school aims to assist pupils in their faith journey as well as in their academic and social development. It is situated in the historical former home of Charles Hanbury-Tracy.
. There is a strict policy of male-only altar server
s who are discerning their vocation to the priesthood. Although the school's sixth form is currently secular in orientation, the interviews for September 2012 intake and re-admission will include proof of devotion and mandatory enrolment in the scapular of Our Lady of Carmel. The school has lost some of its Catholic ethos, but this is to be addressed when re-opened and new staff are appointed. The school's religious education is strictly Roman Catholic dominated. The school has recently discussed plans to drop the Catholic overtones and become a fully fledged ecumenical school. This has caused great controversy with the local Catholic population of Torfaen
.
performances that are well received by the press and quite often assisted by past and present students. The school hoped to expand upon its theatrical success by building a new auditorium
and drama
facilities, however, funding has been withheld until the future of the school is certain.
qualifications.
, the school has a GCSE pass rate of 73% (based on 5 GCSEs, grades A-C) which puts it in equal 17th place in Wales
with Cwmtawe Comprehensive School
in Pontardawe
, or within the top 10% of secondary schools in Wales
. It is also the best performing secondary school in Torfaen
.
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in Pontypool
Pontypool
Pontypool is a town of approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales....
, Torfaen
Torfaen
Torfaen is a county borough in Wales within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It was originally formed in 1974 as a district of the county of Gwent and in 1996 it was reconstituted as a unitary authority.-Education:...
, 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 provides education for 11 to 18-year-olds in a religious environment. Most pupils come from Roman Catholic families though a significant minority comes from other Christian denominations. The school aims to assist pupils in their faith journey as well as in their academic and social development. It is situated in the historical former home of Charles Hanbury-Tracy.
Catchment
St Albans is a traditional Roman Catholic; many students privately attend the Tridentine Latin MassTridentine Mass
The Tridentine Mass is the form of the Roman Rite Mass contained in the typical editions of the Roman Missal that were published from 1570 to 1962. It was the most widely celebrated Mass liturgy in the world until the introduction of the Mass of Paul VI in December 1969...
. There is a strict policy of male-only altar server
Altar server
An altar server is a lay assistant to a member of the clergy during a Christian religious service. An altar server attends to supporting tasks at the altar such as fetching and carrying, ringing the altar bell and so on....
s who are discerning their vocation to the priesthood. Although the school's sixth form is currently secular in orientation, the interviews for September 2012 intake and re-admission will include proof of devotion and mandatory enrolment in the scapular of Our Lady of Carmel. The school has lost some of its Catholic ethos, but this is to be addressed when re-opened and new staff are appointed. The school's religious education is strictly Roman Catholic dominated. The school has recently discussed plans to drop the Catholic overtones and become a fully fledged ecumenical school. This has caused great controversy with the local Catholic population of Torfaen
Torfaen
Torfaen is a county borough in Wales within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It was originally formed in 1974 as a district of the county of Gwent and in 1996 it was reconstituted as a unitary authority.-Education:...
.
Performing arts
The school is locally renowned for its theatrical, musical theatreMusical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
performances that are well received by the press and quite often assisted by past and present students. The school hoped to expand upon its theatrical success by building a new auditorium
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
and drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
facilities, however, funding has been withheld until the future of the school is certain.
Sixth form
The sixth form consists of roughly 200 pupils studying for A-Level and AS-LevelAS-level
AS-level is an abbreviation that can stand for:*Advanced Subsidiary level, the first part of the current A Level qualification*Advanced Supplementary level, an old qualification which was part of the UK Advanced level system prior to 2000....
qualifications.
Estyn report
According to the latest inspection report by EstynEstyn
Estyn is the education and training inspectorate for Wales. Its name comes from the Welsh language verb meaning "to extend". Its mission is to achieve excellence for all in learning in Wales by providing an independent, high quality inspection and advice service to the Welsh Assembly Government and...
, the school has a GCSE pass rate of 73% (based on 5 GCSEs, grades A-C) which puts it in equal 17th place in 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...
with Cwmtawe Comprehensive School
Cwmtawe Comprehensive School
Cwmtawe Community School is a modern, English-medium education comprehensive school situated in Pontardawe, South Wales....
in Pontardawe
Pontardawe
Pontardawe is a town of some 5,000 inhabitants in the Swansea Valley in south Wales...
, or within the top 10% of secondary schools in 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 is also the best performing secondary school in Torfaen
Torfaen
Torfaen is a county borough in Wales within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It was originally formed in 1974 as a district of the county of Gwent and in 1996 it was reconstituted as a unitary authority.-Education:...
.
Former students
- Gareth MauleGareth MauleGareth Maule is a Welsh rugby union player currently playing at Centre for the Scarlets. He attended New College School Cardiff and St Albans RC High School....
– Rugby player - Llanelli Scarlets