Dwr-y-Felin Comprehensive School

We are a very successful and well established secondary school serving the centre of Neath and outlying areas. We have a strong tradition of academic excellence coupled with a desire to ensure that all our pupils reach their full potential. The school is very popular and we have large numbers of pupils who chose to join us in preference to their catchment school. Our school motto “Nid da lle gellir gwell” meaning “it is not good if it is not your best”, encapsulates our focus. We pride ourselves on being a caring school, as recognised by Estyn inspections, and strive to ensure that the learning opportunities available to pupils enable them to move on to post 16 education and employment with good, relevant qualifications and the skills necessary to take their place in adult society.

Children are happy at the school and enjoy their time with us. Our shared vision and aims includes attaining the highest possible outcomes for all our children, where inclusion of all learners is a central goal. We seek to provide all our learners with the best possible start to life and we will aim to act as a conduit for the necessary support services wherever possible.

We embrace the principles of 'Every Child Matters' and extended services and will work towards these goals. Personal, Social, Health Education and Citizenship (PSHE & C) will be at the heart of our school. Children will thrive in a secure and caring atmosphere where high standards of behaviour, social manners and academic achievement are paramount. We will try to ensure that all our children leave school with a positive disposition for learning so that they will become life long learners. We will maintain a broad and balanced curriculum and will always be keen to enrich this curriculum further.

Dŵr y Felin has an excellent reputation for both its academic excellence and for its sporting and cultural prowess. Our aim is to ensure that each individual pupil is given every opportunity to reach their full potential. We have high expectations of all our pupils and will support each individual child as they strive for success in life. Although academic achievement is our main priority, we also provide a range of sporting, musical and cultural activities in addition to the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. These activities are designed to develop in our pupils a range of essential skills to enable them to take their place in society and to make the most of their future lives.

We pride ourselves on the development of a disciplined, productive and caring environment. Our pupils are expected to behave well and show positive attitudes to their work. We believe that children are far happier if they work in a caring, secure and pleasant environment where they feel valued as individuals. When pupils leave us after their time at Dŵr y Felin School, we take a lot of pleasure in reflecting on what they have achieved. We are very conscious that their successes mean a great deal in laying the foundations for a rich and fulfilling life. The school is determined in its aims of maximising achievement, realising individual potential and preparing young people for a challenging and exciting future.

Our work is founded on the comprehensive ideal - a belief that all children are of equal value and that it is our task to help develop the abilities and talents that all undoubtedly have. The particular strengths children have obviously vary from one individual to another. We recognise this and provide a range of curricular and extra-curricular programmes to meet the needs of all within a diverse population. Our size means we can offer many different courses as part of the taught curriculum and also a wide variety of clubs, teams and societies. We expect the highest achievement from our students as a consequence and will settle for nothing less. We celebrate achievement in all its forms and from pupils of all levels of ability.