Bridgend - Education

Education

Bridgend town has three comprehensive schools, Archbishop McGrath Catholic Comprehensive, Brynteg Comprehensive and Bryntirion Comprehensive. Brynteg generally serves the area east of the River Ogmore, while Bryntirion serves the areas west of the river. Brynteg is renowned for its rugby alumni, including J.P.R. Williams, Rob Howley, Gavin Henson, Mike Hall and Dafydd James with many talented athletes in other local schools joining Brynteg for the opportunities offered by playing for the school within the Welsh School Rugby Union leagues. The school has produced several Welsh rugby union internationals but prominent athletes in other sports have also attended, including top female cyclist Nicole Cooke. Bryntirion has also produced its fair share of sporting talent, notably Gareth Llewellyn and triathlete Marc Jenkins. Archbishop McGrath School covers the whole of the county, and moved to a new campus at Brackla in 2011.

There are at least nine primary, junior schools and infant schools in the town, though several of the junior and infant schools have merged to form single primary schools in recent years.

There are also 2 special educational needs schools; Heronsbridge School which is linked with Brynteg Comprehensive school and at the back of Bridgend College. It is for students of a Primary school age and Comprehensive school age with severe learning disabilities. Another school, Ysgol Bryn Castell, offers education for Key stage 1-4 students with moderate to severe learning disabilities and is linked with Bryntirion Comprehensive school and has also recently opened up a satellite unit at Cynffig Comprehensive school located a few miles west of Bridgend.

Bridgend College is the town's further education and higher education provider which primarily offers vocational courses and GCSEs. It attracts school-leavers from as far as Swansea and Cardiff. It offers a range of higher education courses such as PGCE, Higher National Certificate and Higher National Diploma in various subjects and masters programmes on its Queens Road campus on Bridgend Industrial Estate. These are mainly franchised from the University of Glamorgan and University of Wales, Newport. There is also the Pencoed Campus with a focus on Sport, Animal Care and Horticulture and Maesteg Campus that offers more community based programmes.

Bridgend College has its own residence for students aged 16+ with learning difficulties and physical disabilities who come to the college from all over Wales.