Treorchy Comprehensive
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Treorchy Comprehensive School is a provider of English secondary education in the upper Rhondda Fawr valley, South Wales. The school is situated on the southern side of the valley, and is 500metres in length from its main gate (Chepstow Road, Cwmparc) to its rear gate (Tylecoch Bridge, Treorchy).
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[edit] History
Formerly the site of the Tylecoch colliery, Treorchy Comprehensive was opened to the full public in the early 1970s, forcing the closure of Pentre Grammar School. The school has expanded over the last decade, incorporating a Sixth Form complex, a Drama and Music studio, and a Religious Education and Law block. The school's original buildings still stand, but the pond that used to be a centrepiece of the school has been filled in with concrete, to create more area for pupils. In 2006, the "Red Ash" athletics field was replaced by an Astroturf sports field, and each department had upgraded from chalkboards to the Smart Board brand of Interactive whiteboards. The school also invested in a high power broadband network, and high speed computers, to cover its vast range of blocks that are situated along 400 of the 500metre campus.
[edit] Facilities
- 6 I.T. Suites
- 6 Woodwork workshops.
- 1 Drama Suite
- 2 Music Suites
- 4 Home Economics Suites
- 8 Science Laboratories
- 1 Indoor Sports Area (The Dutch Barn)
- 1 25mx10mx2m Swimming Pool
- 2 Libraries
- 3 Canteens
- 1 6th form block
- 1 All weather sports pitch
[edit] Courses
Treorchy Comprehensive follows the basic English S.A.T. and GCSE Curriculum. It offers French and Spanish as modern foreign languages, and Welsh as is a compulsory subject for all pre-A level students.
[edit] Key Stage 3
There is a maximum of 16 subjects studied by an average Key Stage 3 student. These are:
- English Language (Block 9)
- Mathematics (Block 2)
- General Sciences (Block 3)
- Welsh (Block 1)
- French/Spanish (Block 8)
- Geography (Block 1)
- History (Block 10)
- Art (Block 5)
- Design and Technology (Block 4)
- Information Technology (Block 8)
- Home Economics (Block 10)
- Drama (Block 11)
- Music (Block 10/11)
- Physical Education (Block 12/14)
- Personal and Social Health Education (Block 7/10)
- Religious Education (Block 7)
[edit] GCSE/GNVQ/BTEC
At Key Stage 4, students are offered to choose their own courses, which will be cut to 10 different courses per fortnight (This school works on a two week timetable). The subjects at GCSE/GNVQ/BTEC include those at Key Stage 3, albeit at a higher level, and also:
- Double Award Science
- GNVQ Science
- Health And Social Studies
- Leisure and Tourism
- Religious Studies (Indepth course)
- Media Studies
- Business And Communications Studies
- Resistant Materials (Woodwork/Metalwork)
- BTEC Sport
- English Literature (Compulsory)
[edit] A.S./A-2 A-Level Courses
Again, at A-level students are offered a range of courses to choose from. This range expands much more on the previous two key stages, and adds new subjects also. The student may choose a maximum of 5 (although the school strongly advises against this as it has a heavy workload), or a minimum of 2 courses. The school is one of the few in the Rhondda that does not need pupils to travel to other schools to receive an A-level course. The new courses on offer at A-Level, in Treorchy, include:
Politics
[edit] Extra-Curricular Activities
The school and its staff are firm believers in Extra-curricular activity, and therefore, the school itself offers a wide variety of clubs and activities for pupils. These range from Orchestra to Rugby. The activities include:
[edit] The Arts
- Drama Club
- Brass Band
- School Choir
- School Orchestra
[edit] Sports
[edit] Sixth Form Activities
- Sign Language
- Reading Support
- Buddy Program
[edit] School-wide
- Student Council
- Conservation Club
[edit] Results
Every year, Treorchy Comprehensive School's students take part in their GCSE/GNVQ/BTEC and A-Level exams. The average A-C pass rate is in the high percentages (75% upwards, increasing every year), for GCSE.
[edit] Alumni
- Jayne Ludlow - Professional Football Player for Wales and Arsenal's Ladies teams
- Ian Watkins - West End Performer, and former member of the pop band Steps
- Andrew Bishop - Professional Rugby Union Player (1996 - 2003)
