Gowerton School is a public secondary school located in the heart of Gowerton village, near Swansea, United Kingdom.
The school opened on 5 October 1896 in Talbot Street as a co-educational Intermediate school under the Welsh Intermediate Education Act 1889. It was known locally as Gowerton County School.
In May, 1940 the Talbot Street school became a boys' grammar school when a girls' grammar school opened on Cecil Road.
The school in its present form was created in 1973 from the merger of Gowerton Girls' Grammar School and Gowerton Boys' Grammar School. The Upper School was at Cecil Road and the Middle School was on Talbot Road. In 1987 the school was centralised on the Cecil Road (former girls' school) site.
Gowerton School today serves pupils from the north and west of the Gower peninsula and from the Swansea suburbs of Gowerton, Waunarlwydd and Dunvant from age 11 to 18, with a successful sixth form specialising in A level and Welsh Baccalaureate courses.
ESTYN inspections in 1994, 2000, 2005 and 2011 have been consistently good. The 2011 inspection report under the new Welsh inspection framework noted the school's outstanding ethos, inspiring leadership, good performance and excellent prospects, with high academic expectations and achievements, excellent care for pupil welfare and sector leading use of ICT in teaching.
In July 2013, parents supported boys wearing skirts as they had not been permitted to wear school shorts or to roll their trousers up during particularly hot summer weather.
The school is based in a central position of Gowerton, quite a large village. Opposite the school is Ysgol Gyfun Gŵyr, a Welsh speaking school.
The school is large compared to other secondary schools in the UK. It has three main blocks, two demountable blocks and an additional block.
'A' block houses the main entrance/reception, office, main hall, canteen, gymnasium and the English and modern foreign language departments.'B' block houses mathematics, design and technology, religious education and the new STF unit. It also houses the main literacy block for those pupils with problems with literacy. It also houses the pupil support offices and it also used to house the main sixth form department, however, this was dropped in favor of a new Technology room. Plans are in place for a new sixth form department'C' block houses the arts and humanities departments.'D' block houses the Welsh language department and also houses the school nurse's room. There is also a drama room, sports hall with male and female changing rooms, weights room and a Business Studies / Psychology room.'E' block houses Welsh, religious education and mathematics.'F' block is only used for science and is the newest buildingIn addition to the main blocks there is also the tennis courts, two playing fields and a redgra adjacent to F Block and C Block.
Nia Griffith, Recently appointed as Shadow Secretary of State for Wales by Jeremy Corbyn, Labour MP since 2005 for Llanelli (Head of Languages from 1986–92)Anne Ellis, [MBE] President of the Hockey Wales Board (Head of Girls PE until 1995)Huw Irranca-Davies, Labour MP since 2002 for OgmoreTracy Edwards MBE, yachtswomanSteve Lovell (Welsh footballer)Andy Williams, rugby playerDan Biggar, Wales International rugby playerLiam Williams, Wales International rugby playerProf Sir Granville Beynon CBE, Professor of Physics from 1958-91 at Aberystwyth University, and President from 1972-5 of the International Union of Radio Science (URSI)John William Bowen CBE, Labour MP from 1929-31 for Crewe, and Chairman from 1949-52 of London County CouncilWillie Davies Rugby union & Rugby LeagueHaydn Tanner Rugby Union cousin to Willie DaviesOnllwyn Brace (D O Brace), rugby playerSir Alun Talfan Davies QC, judge and publisherIfor Davies, Labour MP from 1959-82 for GowerPaul Davies, General Manager since 1985 of St John's, Smith SquareDr John Evans, Head of Music Programming from 2000-6 at BBC Radio 3Roy Evans OBE, General Secretary from 1985-93 of the Iron and Steel Trades ConfederationGwyn Francis, rugby playerNorman Gale (rugby player)Prof Bryan Grenfell OBE, Professor of Population Biology from 2002-4 at the University of CambridgeClive Griffiths, rugby playerDennis Grove, Chairman from 1985-93 of North West WaterHis Honour Judge Rowe Harding DL, rugby union player, captained Wales from 1924-8; a barrister and judge, naturalist and philanthropistEdwina Hart MBE, Labour Welsh Assembly Member for Gower since 1999; Welsh Government ministerWing Commander Frederick Higginson OBE DFC DFM, WW2 Battle of Britain AceProf Alun Hoddinott CBE, composer, Professor of Music from 1967-87 at Cardiff UniversityDr Ivor Jenkins CBE, metallurgist, President of the Institute of Metals (became the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining in 2002) from 1968-9, and of the Institute of Metallurgists from 1965-6Karl Jenkins CBE, composerLewis Jones, rugby playerByron Lewis, Lord Lieutenant of West Glamorgan since 2008Sir Ieuan Maddock CB OBE, Director from 1976 of the National Physical Laboratory, Chief Scientist from 1971-4 at the DTI and the Department of Industry from 1974-7, and Principal from 1979-82 of St Edmund Hall, OxfordSir John Maddox, Editor from 1966–73 and 1980-5 of NatureRt Rev Alan Morgan, Bishop of Sherwood from 1989–2006Dennis O'Neill CBE, tenorJohn Owen CMG OBE, Governor of the Cayman Islands from 1995-9John Pook, poetThomas Rees CBE, Director of Education for Swansea from 1908–43Gareth Roberts, rugby union playerCeri Richards CBE, artistDon Shepherd, cricketerH Paul Simons, AM (Order of Australia medal), former CEO, Woolworths Ltd 1987-95 (Australia's largest Supermarket retailer), Australian Business Leader of the Year & other awardsPeter Stead, historianProf Beverley Smith, Sir John Williams Professor of Welsh History from 1985-96 at the Aberystwyth UniversityJohn Sparkes, comedy writerHaydn Tanner, international rugby union player for WalesBleddyn Taylor, rugby playerGwyn Thomas (footballer)Mark Thomas, violinist, film and television composer and 2011 Emmy Award nomineeProf Wynn Thomas OBE, Professor of English since 1994 at Swansea UniversityVery Rev Rhys Derrick Chamberlain Walters OBE, Dean of Liverpool from 1983–99Prof David Williams, Professor of Mathematical Statistics from 1985-92 at the University of Cambridge, and Director of the University's Statistical Laboratory from 1987–91Henry Byron Davies, Member of Parliament for Gower, elected 7 May 2015