Fitzalan High School

Fitzalan High School (Welsh: Ysgol Uwchradd Fitzalan) is an 11-19 mixed, large, co-educational, community comprehensive secondary school in Cardiff. The school is located in the suburb of Leckwith area (Canton electoral ward) of Cardiff, Wales. The school serves some areas which are economically disadvantaged. Over 40 different languages are spoken within the school community. There are currently (2010) 1,440 pupils on roll including 254 students in the sixth form.^[1]

The school's catchment area covers Canton, Butetown, Grangetown, Riverside. Principal feeder schools are Kitchener, Radnor, Lansdowne, Severn Road, Ninian Park Primary, St. Mary the Virgin, Grangetown and Mount Stuart.^[2]

History – the origins

Fitzalan High School can trace its links and origins to the late 19th century. Following the Elementary Education Act 1870, School Boards were established to provide education in areas where no such provision existed. Cardiff's first municipal secondary school was established in Adamsdown at Howard Gardens in 1884. The school was known as Howard Gardens School for Boys and later became Howardian High School and a Grammar School in 1941. Much of the school was subsequently destroyed by incendiary bombs in the Cardiff Blitz ^[3] during the night of 3–4 March 1941 in World War II. After the war the building was partially repaired.^[4]

Until 1951 technical education in Cardiff was confined to groups of pupils in Cathay’s and Howard Gardens High Schools for Boys. In that year another technical department was established at John Viriamu Jones Secondary Technical School (previously a Secondary Modern School) with an intake of three forms, under the Head Master Mr Fred Charles Oram B.A., B.Sc. The following year the school expanded to six forms. The school has been divided into 4 houses : 'Glyndwr', 'Dewi', 'Llewelyn', and 'Hywel'.

Fitzalan Technical High School (1953-1968) Howard Gardens

Motto: none School colours: Green blazer (badge top pocket) edged with silver and green whorled piping, and badged cap.
Badge: Four quarters, Top 'Welsh Dragon', 'Cardiff's three Chevrons', bottom initials 'F.T. H.S'

Organisation

Mr Oram retired in July 1952, and the school was opened as a new separate technical school in September 1953 in the old Howard Gardens School building (Howardian High School had relocated to Penylan in the Eastern suburbs) with around 200 boys under Mr Harold C Eyre B.A. the new Head Master. The school was officially named ‘Fitzalan Technical High School’ in December 1953. Admission was by Eleven plus exam, and the school was run on Grammar school lines with class forms streamed by ability, and divided into ‘houses’ with house captains. They were named after famous British technical pioneers in their fields: 'Stephenson' (George Stephenson), 'Priestley' (Joseph Priestley), 'Faraday' (Michael Faraday), and 'Scott' House (Robert Falcon Scott), (the Antarctic explorer who sailed from Cardiff in 1910). In 1959 Mr Leslie Philip Herbert, B.Sc. the much respected deputy Head (and Geography teacher, affectionately known as 'Pop' by pupils) suddenly died, and in 1960 a new ‘Herbert’ house was named in his memory. Most masters wore black gowns whilst in school on a daily basis although the ‘mortarboard’ academic cap had by this time disappeared. Corporal punishment was in force, and school prefects were selected from the senior boys to maintain discipline. In 1956, the Director of Education congratulated the school on achieving many passes at G.C.E. at the first time of entry in the schools short history. In December 1957 the Inaugural Meeting of an Old Boys Association was held at the School.^[5]

Competitive sports

Competition was encouraged and a school sports day held each summer term. The first School Sports day was held in the Castle Grounds at Blackweir Park and the Sports Cup was won by 'Scott House', and presented by the Headmasters wife. From 1958 this annual event was held at Maindy Centre Stadium. The school syllabus included rugby, cricket, swimming, tennis and athletics. Pontcanna Fields were used for House matches. Summer events included ‘Staff’ v ‘School’ matches in tennis and cricket. The first Staff XI v School XI cricket match was played at Sophia Gardens in July 1955. It was won by the Staff XI (Capt. Mr.Leslie Evans, B.Sc). The School XI team (Capt. G.Baynham, 4A) scored 42 all out. The Staff XI team scored 43 for 5 wickets. In July 1956 'School Colours' were awarded for the first time in rugby and cricket. In 1957 a swimming gala was held at the Guildhall Crescent Baths in the autumn term. At the same time the chairman of the parents association presented the school with a silver cup (to be known as the ‘Granville Davies Swimming Cup’) presented annually to the winning House at the Swimming Gala. In March 1960 the first ‘Old Boys rugby match took place against a School XV. The School XV had to wait until April 1964 to achieve its first win.^[5]

Arts and Educational visits

A St. David’s Day Eisteddfod was introduced in 1955 which became an annual event. The House Choir event was won by 'Faraday House' and the Trophy, for competition for the first time, by 'Scott House'. In March 1955 an exhibition of the work done for the Eisteddfod was held and some 200 parents came to see it. After this event a group of parents decided to form a ‘Parents Association’. In 1957 the first Annual Prize-Giving & Speech Day was held at the Reardon Smith Lecture Theatre in Cardiff, in the presence of the chairman of the city’s council who presented the prizes & certificates. To close the autumn term the school's annual 'Carol Service' was held in December at St.James’ Church ^[6] in Newport Road (closed in 2006), usually in the presence of parents and educational officials from the city. The school established many links with local business and industry as well as the armed forces. Regular educational visits were made to companies such as Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds (now GKN), and Nantgarw Colliery. Including Royal Naval ships visiting Cardiff docks and Army establishments.

Fitzalan High School (1964 - present) Lawrenny Avenue

Motto: ‘Veritas praevalebit’ (Latin for 'truth will prevail') School colours: Remained the same, although 'Jumpers' replaced 'Blazers' later
Badge: Essentially the same but with castle & wall replacing F.T.H.S. on bottom quarters

The Howard Gardens site was to be re-developed (now the campus of Cardiff Metropolitan University) and Fitzalan Technical High School acquired new premises on the present site in Lawrenny Avenue. It was opened on Tuesday 3 March 1964. Following the Education Reform Act of 1968 which replaced the existing tri-partite education system with Comprehensive education. In December 1967 the head master Harold C Eyre B.A. resigned after fifteen year with the school.

In January 1968 the school was renamed Fitzalan High School (dropping 'Technical') in its new form as a comprehensive school, under the new Headmaster Mr Peter L.Goble, M.A. It introduced a new school badge and motto ‘Veritas praevalebit’ (Latin for truth will prevail). The school became co-educational with around 400 boys and 150 girls, drawn from Ninian Park and Grangetown Schools.

Organisation and Communications

Before pupils join Fitzalan, profiles are produced using their primary schools information. Pupils are grouped according to their abilities and progress is reviewed each term. More able pupils are placed in an express set, receiving extension work and study Latin as an additional subject. Pupils with special educational needs receive specialist support in class to ensure that they can access the curriculum fully.^[7] The school has four Houses: DEWI, LLEWELLYN, GLYNDWR, and HYWEL.
The school has a website, and issues a regular newsletter on school activities. A School Council exists for pupils to raise any issues through this forum. It has many community links and local residents and interest groups, who are allowed to use the extensive facilities. The school has an established and published policy on 'anti-bullying' for all pupils. A Parent Teacher Association (PTA) was formed in 1978 called the ‘Friends of Fitzalan‛. It supports the school, raises funds, and helps organise social events. In 2007 the school embarked on a program to reduce its carbon footprint after an audit by the Carbon Trust. Steps taken included installing "eco-quiet" computers, one of which was to be powered by a demonstration wind turbine.^[8]

Fitzalan now has the highest ratio of interactive whiteboards to classrooms of any secondary school in Wales and is at the cutting edge of its use of ICT in education. The school was awarded the NAACE Mark for excellence in the use of ICT in November 2005. Six new thirty station ICT suites have been installed since 2006 with state-of-the-art computers and software.^[9]

Organised Sports and Arts

The school campus includes 2 gymnasia, a multi use dance studio, 2 indoor multi use halls, 2 fitness suites, a sports hall, a swimming pool, 4 grass football/ rugby pitches and an artificial cricket square. In addition daily access to the Gol Centre, comprising 12 five-a-side artificial football pitches, the Welsh International Athletics Stadium and artificial sports pitches. BTEC sport lessons take place in both school and in Cardiff City Football Club.

• In 1982, the school football team won the English Schools Football Association Cup, the first time that this cup had been taken out of England.^[10]

• Fitzalan has traditionally had a strong chess team, winning the Welsh Schools Championship in 1984 and 1985, and in 2001 and 2002.^[11]

• The school hall was used during filming for "School Reunion", an episode of the long-running British science fiction series Doctor Who, first aired on 29 April 2006.^[9] A BBC2 documentary called “Fitzalan — School of Dreams” was filmed in March 2006, showing how well pupils achieve at the school.^[9]

• The school transformed one of its gyms into a drama studio complete with brand new apparatus

Facilities

• A £300,000 refurbishment of the school's 20 metre swimming pool, and named the Peter Perkin’s Swimming Pool in memory of the former chair of governors. It was officially opened in March 2009. Facilities are also open to the local community after school hours. As part of the joint venture between the Sport Wales, Cardiff City Council’s Active Communities team and the school, a disused classroom has also been turned into a fitness suite and multi-gym facility.^[12]

• Fitzalan was the first school to install state-of-the-art 5-a-side astro pitches (identical to that of Real Madrid), in partnership with Gôl Football Centres, and a new £600,000 sports hall. The hall has many uses such as Cricket, Football, Basketball, Netball, Tennis, Badminton etc.

• Two new full-sized astro pitches were recently completed, and are located next to the Leckwith Athletic stadium.

• The school introduced a new 5x60 regime -a Sport Wales programme aimed at increasing the number of secondary age pupils taking part in sport or physical activity for 60 minutes, at least five times a week. Pupils of any age can take part after school. The activities include football, netball, basketball, cricket, hockey, dancing etc.

Head teachers

Mr Fred. C. Oram, B.A. BSc., Viriamu Jones Secondary Technical School, 1951-1953
Mr Harold C. Eyre, B.A., Fitzalan Technical High School, Howard Gardens, 1953-1963
Mr Harold C. Eyre, B.A., Fitzalan Technical High School, Leckwith, 1963-1967
Mr Peter L. Goble, M.A., Fitzalan High School, Leckwith, (as a Comprehensive), 1968-1983?

School inspections

Fitzalan High School is inspected every six years by the independent statutory body Estyn, as part of the Welsh national programme of school inspection, funded by the National Assembly for Wales.^[13]

Notes

References

• http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/GLA/Cardiff/Cardiffyes6.html Cardiff Yesterday,
• http://www.glamro.gov.uk Glamorgan Record Office: Howard Gardens and Howardian High Schools, 1885–1990, GB 0214 EHGSEC
• http://www.glamro.gov.uk Glamorgan Record Office: Fitzalan High School, Cardiff, records including log books, newsletters, photographs and records of predecessor schools: ESEC75
• Floreat Howardia : The story of the Howard Gardens Schools, Cardiff, 1885–1990, (1990) Tom J Foster, A. M. Doe, Ian L Myhre, Published, Friends of Howardian High School, ISBN 0-9516708-0-8

External links

• School website

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