Islwyn High School
Catchment Area, Reviews and Key Information

Secondary
PUPILS
1055
AGES
Not Available
GENDER
Not Available
TYPE
Secondary (ages 11-16)
SCHOOL GUIDE RATING
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Can I Get My Child Into This School?

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This pupil heat map shows where pupils currently attending the school live.
The concentration of pupils shows likelihood of admission based on distance criteria

Source: All attending pupils Pupil Level Annual School Census
01443 815588

This School Guide heat map has been plotted using official pupil data taken from the Pupil Level Annual School Census collected by the Welsh Government. The data tells us where pupils lived at the time of the last Pupil Census.

Our heat maps use groups of postcodes, not individual postcodes, and have naturally soft edges. All pupils are included in the mapping (i.e. children with siblings already at the school, high priority pupils and selective and/or religious admissions) but we may have removed statistical ‘outliers’ with more remote postcodes that do not reflect majority admissions.

For some schools, the heat map may be a useful indicator of the catchment area but our heat maps are not the same as catchment area maps. Catchment area maps, published by the school or local authority, are based on geographical admissions criteria and show actual cut-off distances and pre-defined catchment areas for a single admission year.

This information is provided as a guide only. The areas from which pupils are admitted to a school can change from year to year to reflect the number of siblings and pupils admitted under high priority admissions criteria.

3 steps to help parents gather catchment information for a school:

  1. Look at our school catchment area guide for more information on heat maps. They give a useful indicator of the general areas that admit pupils to the school. This visualisation is based on all attending pupils present at the time of the annual School Census.
  2. Use the link to the Local Authority Contact (above) to find catchment area information based on a single admission year. This is very important if you are considering applying to a school.
  3. On each school page, use the link to visit the school website and find information on individual school admissions criteria. Geographical criteria are only applied after pupils have been admitted on higher priority criteria such as Looked After Children, SEN, siblings, etc.

How Does The School Perform?

Adequate
NATIONAL AVG. 2.17
Estyn grade
(01/10/2018)
Full Report - All Reports
351.0
GCSE average points
score (capped 9)
NATIONAL AVERAGE 358.1



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How School Guide Rates Secondary Schools

For secondary schools in Wales, schools are rated on key performance indicators for pupils up to the age of 16 (GCSE only) due to the fact the government did not publish A level data for the last academic year.
Waterloo
Oakdale
Blackwood
NP12 0NU
01495 233600

School Description

Islwyn High School is an English-medium, mixed 11-16 comprehensive school situated in the town of Oakdale, near Blackwood. The school was opened in September 2016 following the amalgamation of Oakdale and Pontllanfraith Comprehensive Schools. The school serves a wide geographical area that includes both Pontllanfraith and Oakdale. The catchment area also extends east to Trinant, to Bryn in the west and south to Ynysddu, Cwmfelinfach and Wattsville. Islwyn High School works in partnership with three other schools and the local further education college to provide post 16 education for their pupils. There are 1,154 pupils on roll, including 53 pupils in the secondary special resource base. Around 19% of pupils are eligible for free school meals. This figure is above the Welsh average of 16.4% for secondary schools. Around 18% of pupils live in the 20% most deprived areas of Wales. Around 25% of pupils have additional learning needs, and just over 7% have a statement of special educational needs. Both of these figures are above the Welsh averages of 22.9% and 2.2% respectively. Almost all pupils are from a white, British background. Very few speak English as an additional language. Very few pupils speak Welsh as a first language. The current headteacher took up his post in 2016. The current leadership team includes two deputy headteachers, three assistant headteachers and the business manager. Further information is available from the Welsh Government My Local School website at the link below. http://mylocalschool.wales.gov.uk/Schools/SchoolSearch?lang=en 1 A report on Islwyn High School October 2018 Summary Over the last two years, senior leaders have successfully managed the challenging task of transferring the school from two separate sites into one new school building. This has been undertaken well ensuring minimal disruption to teaching and learning in the school. The headteacher has a clear vision for the school where innovative teaching and learning experiences challenge pupils to become happy, healthy and confident learners. However, the school has not maintained consistently high outcomes at key stage 4 and attendance requires improvement. Most teachers develop positive working relationships with pupils and manage their behaviour well. This is having a beneficial impact on pupils’ engagement in their learning. Many pupils make suitable progress in their learning. Overall, pupils make sound progress in developing their literacy, numeracy and ICT skills. In the secondary special resource base (SSRB) classes, teachers deliver highly effective lessons that engage and challenge pupils. These teachers adapt their teaching methods skilfully to meet the diverse needs of pupils. Many pupils in the SSRB make effective progress in lessons in line with their ability. Overall, Islwyn High School has a supportive ethos that promotes the wellbeing of pupils appropriately. Many pupils feel safe in school and demonstrate positive behaviour in lessons. Most pupils are respectful towards one another and to visitors. This contributes to a calm environment across the school. Inspection area Judgement Standards Adequate and needs improvement Wellbeing and attitudes to learning Adequate and needs improvement Teaching and learning experiences Good Care, support and guidance Adequate and needs improvement Leadership and management Adequate and needs improvement 2 A report on Islwyn High School October 2018 Recommendations R1 Raise standards, particularly at key stage 4 R2 Improve attendance R3 Address the safeguarding concerns identified during the inspection R4 Improve the quality of self-evaluation and improvement planning What happens next The school will draw up an action plan to show how it is going to address the recommendations. Estyn will review the school’s progress.

Islwyn High School Parent Reviews



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