Ysgol Bryn Alyn

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Ysgol Bryn Alyn is one of the major secondary schools in the authority of Wrexham, UK. Its catchment area includes its local primary schools within Gwersyllt, but also other villages such as near by Summerhill and those further a field: Tanyfron, Bradley, Brymbo, Brynteg and Southsea.

The most recent headteacher was Mr. Roger J. Davies who occupied the position between 2000 and 2006. There is one deputy headteacher and two assistant headteachers as part of senior management.

The school started life in 1958, as a 16-classroom Secondary Modern School. However, it was extended in the summer of 1972 to accommodate over thirty classrooms, and converted to a Comprehensive school. To this day, there are around 40 teaching classrooms and employs around 50-60 full and part time teaching staff.

Its major competitors in the area include the two superschools Rhosnesni High and Ysgol Clywedog, which were the result of a merger between three schools, and two larger schools built between them. The former St. David's School in Rhosnesni has become Rhosnesni High, and Ysgol Bryn Offa has become Ysgol Clywedog. The third school, The Groves, has been discontinued and the school buildings are presently being used to house St. Joseph's RC school (see: Wrexham). Other competing schools in the area include Darland High School and Ysgol Grango.

At Key Stage 3, students at Ysgol Bryn Alyn are taught all the mandatory subjects required by the Welsh National Curriculum. At the end of Key Stage 3 candidates will sit their SATs exams at levels 5 to 7 in English, Mathematics and Science. At Key Stage 4 (GCSE), students select subject they wish to subscribe to, alongside mandatory English, English Literature Mathematics, Double Science, Welsh Short Course and RS Short Course. Non-exam subjects are Physical Education and PSE. Students are also allowed to select up to four of the following GCSE subjects:

From 2006, the school will also offer BTEC courses, such as "Travel and Tourism".

There are also other subjects which can be mixed with GCSE subjects, but a GCSE is not obtained at the end of these courses:

Working with the Community
Landscape Gardening
Life Skills
Communication

The school underwent a full Estyn inspection in early May[1], and results are expected in late July. It is hoped the report is pleasant and shows a positive ethos to the school community, and would be an improvement of the previous inspection six years ago. The school was previously a large underacheiver, but since the introduction of new schemes of work and new staff, that perception has been largely reversed, and is proved by massive support raised for charities and funds such as the the money that was raised for BBC Children in Need.

Awards donated to the school include The Basic Skills Quality Mark, Investor In People, CEG Quality Award, Healty Schools Award, Barclays New Futures and Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Award for Young People.

[edit] Organisation and School Day

Each student is supplied with a Personal Organiser'. These are hardback books with useful information and plenty of diary space to record homework deadlines, write comments and record "merits". These are given to each pupil for free at the start of each year, but replacements cost 2.00 GBP.

The school day in its current form was launched in September 2002. It previously consisted of five one-hour lessons, and ending the day at 3:30pm. At present, there are six 50-minute lessons and school ends at 3:20pm.

8:47: Warning Bell
8:50: Registration
8:55: Period 1
9:45: Period 2
10:35: Break
10:50: Period 3
11:40: Period 4
12:30: Lunch
1:12: Warning Bell
1:15: Registration/Assembly
1:40: Period 5
2:30: Period 6
3:20: Close

Most notably, the lunch period has been slashed as an attempt to prevent anti-social behaviour in the local community. However, as of September 2005, only older pupils in years 10 and 11 are allowed to leave the school site at lunchtime, when provided with parent's permission which is shown in the form of a pass for the rest of the school year. There are regular checks made on the streets made by senior management