St Alban's RC High School, Torfaen

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St Alban's RC High School (Welsh: Ysgol Uwchradd Catholig Sain Alban) is a selective and Roman Catholic secondary school in the town of Pontypool, Torfaen. It provides education for 11-16 year olds in a religious environment but has an 'open-door' sixth form (although external applicants are required to attend an interview).

The school is housed mainly in a nineteenth century manor-house that was the seat of the esteemed and rich Hanbury family until 1914. The most famous resident is probably Mr. John Hanbury who controlled much of the industry in Pontypool. The school also has a number of 1960s buildings that make up the main hall and canteen, science labs, drama rooms, English and mathematics departments as well as the school's library.

The school was due for closure in the mid-1990s due to falling pupil numbers; however, in 2002 the school was rated eighth best in Wales and today continues its prestigious academic record.

Although ostensibly a Roman Catholic school, St. Alban's is largely ecumenical with lower school pupils coming from a variety of faith backgrounds. As the school's sixth form is secular in orientation, the school does lose some of its Catholic ethos. Although the school's religious education is strictly Roman Catholic dominated (even at sixth form level), 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.

The school is locally renowned for its theatrical performances that are well received by local papers^{[citation needed]}. Recent triumphs include 'Jesus Christ Superstar', 'Les Miserables' and 'Sweet Charity'. The school has hoped in recent years to expand upon its theatrical success by building a new auditorium and drama facilities, however, funding has not come through and the school still has to rely on its current equipment.

There has also been controversy in recent years surrounding the school's policy on a secular sixth form. With the filling of the nearby Pontypool campus of Coleg Gwent, many students from surrounding schools (that do not have sixth forms) such as Abersychan Comprehensive School and West Monmouth School, have applied to enter St. Alban's for their A-levels. Although this provides invaluable funding for the school, many staff feel the school has lost its previous 'personal' touch. Indeed, in the last ten years the school's sixth form has expanded from just 90 pupils to nearly 300, with the school's overall population rising from 650 in the early 1990s to 1,250 today.

According to the latest inspection report by Estyn, 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.

The school's present head teacher is Mr. Michael Coady.

The school's website is http://www.stalbans-pontypool.org.uk