Brynteg School


Brynteg School is one of the largest secondary schools in Wales. It is located on Ewenny Road in the town of Bridgend, Wales. This school is one of seven comprehensive schools that serve the town, but the school mainly receives pupils from the Brackla, Litchard and Town Centre areas.

History

Brynteg, whilst not becoming a Comprehensive School until 1971 can trace its roots and history back to 1896.

Bridgend Intermediate School (1896-1935)

The Bridgend Intermediate School in Morfa Street was opened on 21 September 1896. The Boy’s section of the school was opened by South Glamorganshire MP Arthur J Willimas while the Girl’s section was opened by Lady Rachel Wyndham-Quinn, daughter of Lord Dynraven, who had donated land for the school. The school’s fees were £1 5s per term in addition to stationary costs of 1s 18d per term plus text books which pupils were charged a 25% discount.
By 1904 the school had exceeded its planned capacity of 120. In 1907 there were 276 pupils. Over the coming years various extensions and alterations were made to the school and individual classrooms to help accommodate growing pupil numbers. Pupil numbers reached 500 by 1931.

Single sex education (1935-1971)

As pupil numbers continued to grow a new 15 acre site was identified off Ewweny Road and a new school was built and opened in 1935 at the cost of £25,000. The school was built on the site of Brynteg House. The official opening ceremony of the new school took place on 26 September 1935 and was attended by Oliver Stanley President of the Board of Education.
Girls meanwhile continued to be taught at the original site where their numbers increased from 260 in 1935 to 360 in 1946 under their headmistress Miss E N Evans. The School eventually became The Girls Grammar School

Heolgam County Secondary School (1948-1971)

A mile away from the new boys' school, Heolgam County Secondary School opened in July 1948 with 250 pupils and 12 staff. When the school opened The Glamorgan Gazette described it as having
Heolgam expanded rapidly and an additional five classrooms were built in 1954.
The school continued until its closure on 31 August 1971.
Head Teachers
The merger of Bridgend Boy’s Grammar School and Heolgam Secondary School took place on 1 September 1971 and Brynteg Comprehensive School was formed, with Heolgam serving as the lower school the old boy’s grammar school serving as the upper school. Pupils travelled between the two sites using local roads and footpaths, until the construction of an internal footpath in the early 1990s.

Admissions

Brynteg is one of the largest schools in South Wales with 1,584 students at its last inspection in December 2016.
The student body is divided into five year groups plus two sixth form years.
DatePupil NumbersStaff
19711,26663
19751,32475
19851,73097
19981,812
September 20032,068115 + 12 = FTE of 120.7
September 20091,960105 + 24 = FTE of 118.3
December 20161,584

Facilities

The school is located on Ewenny Road close to the roundabout with the A48, opposite the Heronsbridge School which shares some architectural qualities with the Upper School. Brynteg has two rugby pitches, a cricket field, a gravel hockey pitch, tennis courts and a large indoor sports hall. In recent years, the school saw the construction of a new 13 room Maths Block, a ten room Science Block and a 12 room Foreign Language Block all built between Lower and Upper School.
Between 2003 and 2009 a further eight classrooms were built: a four-room Art Block a four-room English block.
Recent Estyn reports have criticised the school for a reliance on temporary classrooms with 17 in 2009, down from 23 in 2003.
In September 2019 the school reorganised with the former lower school site becoming the Languages, Literacy and Communication Centre, while the former upper school site became the Humanities Centre. Mathematics and Sciences remain taught in their own buildings.
The former Modern Languages block was converted into Pupil Well-being and Reception Centre which houses the main school reception, The Headteacher, The Pupil Support Team, the school nurse, careers advisor and the school counsellor.

List of Headteachers

Brynteg has also been affiliated with its strong rugby alumni. Several Welsh Welsh and British Lions players, have attended the school and played for the school team.

Academic performance

In regards to examination performance records, the school is also favourable academically with 75% of GCSE students achieving 5 A*–C grades in their examinations.
Brynteg is also a venue for the Welsh Baccaulaureate, a new qualification offered to Welsh students studying at GCSE, A2 and AS Level.

Traditions

The school motto is in Welsh A fo ben bid bont which translates as "To be a leader, be a bridge". Traditionally, Year 8 write and hold the school's harvest assembly in October.
The school holds a Remembrance Day service on or as close to 11 November every year during which the names of 87 former pupils who died in conflicts are read out.

Feeder schools

Politics

Journalism