As the Headteacher of Mountain Ash Comprehensive School, I am delighted to welcome all visitors to our new website where you will find informative and helpful information about our school.
Whether you are a current parent/carer, visitor or a prospective parent/carer we hope that our website will help you to find the relevant information that you need as well as giving you a flavour of the opportunities and experiences that learners have at our school. We are committed to providing a wide range of exciting learning opportunities for our learners; academic, sporting, creative, vocational and offering different avenues to develop personal responsibility and leadership skills.
We are proud of the excellent pastoral care and support that we offer at our school. All that we do at the school is guided by the principle that every child is an individual. We pride ourselves on knowing the strengths, interests, needs and aspirations of our pupils, in order to support and develop each and every one of them to reach their potential. This is underpinned by our school motto – “Every Child Will Succeed”.
Thank you for visiting our website and showing and interest in our school. If you are unable to find the information that you are looking for, please contact the school and we will be delighted to help you.
Samantha Evans, Headteacher
The school was originally founded as Mountain Ash County School and was established in 1907. It was later to become Mountain Ash Grammar School until 1966 when it became a comprehensive. From 1966 onwards the school has been known as Mountain Ash Comprehensive School.
Mountain Ash Comprehensive School is situated in the beautiful grounds of Dyffryn House (please see the photograph above), which had belonged to Lord Aberdare. Dyffryn House was sold to the Glamorgan Education Authority in 1926 to provide a new site for the education of children in Mountain Ash and the surrounding villages at the lower end of the Cynon Valley.
Dyffryn House was originally the home of Henry Austin Bruce, 1st Baron Aberdare (1815-1895). It was a fine late 19th century creation and was built in mock-Elizabethan style. It was a 2-storey construction with attics, ornate tall chimneys, gable timber finials, fretted eaves boards, a pyramid roofed tower and half-timbering.
From 1926 Dyffryn House was used to deliver lessons at the current school site. However, in 1983 the building was declared unsafe for continued use as a school. This was following a structural investigation by Mid Glamorgan Education Authority. Dyffryn House was eventually demolished, despite being a Grade II listed building that many people locally campaigned to save. The current school and its buildings were developed from 1983 onwards.
I have been a resident of Mountain Ash for the last five years and have a keen interest in educational trends and supporting our local community.
As a school governor I believe it is of the utmost importance to act as a critical friend to the school, providing support and challenge to ensure the best possible outcomes for all students here in Mountain Ash.
Professionally I work as Lecturer at Cardiff University hence why I have a strong interest in education and a commitment to improving the school environment, educational standards, and the overall wellbeing of pupils.
As Chair of Governors, I feel my role is to encourage the Governing Body to gather and use a wide range of information to monitoring and evaluate progress in achieving the objectives in our School Improvement Plan, in order to challenge and support the leadership team of the school.
For a substantial part of my career I worked directly with, and for, children and young people, both as a teacher and a youth worker. Over the years, at differing times, I have been both a parent and a community governor at five separate schools in the Cynon Valley. When I was appointed as a community governor at Mountain Ash Comprehensive School it was like coming home as MACS is my old school.
As school governors we’re a diverse group but we’re all united behind the same aim: that is, to support and challenge the school to provide the best quality education to all its pupils.
Pupils are the users, or consumers of the education provided by the school and parents and guardians are the school’s customers. You chose this school for your sons and daughters to attend and you trust the school to help your children gain the skills and knowledge they will need to make the best of their lives. Qualifications are important – everyone understands that – but it’s also important that the school turns out articulate, confident and well-rounded individuals well prepared and ready to take the next step in their journeys.
As governors, we understand this. It’s why we do what we do. We listen to pupils and staff, and we take account of their views and opinions. We scrutinise the various policies and improvement plans that the school uses to guide its’ work with pupils. It’s great when we can see that things are going well, but we’re not afraid to point out where we think that improvements are necessary. Then we check that those improvements are being implemented. There’s much more, of course, but that’s a snapshot of what we do. It’s a real privilege being a school governor and Vice Chair of the Governing Body at MACS.
Governors work with the Headteacher and staff to ensure that schools provide successful teaching and learning for young people and that the school is always striving to improve.
You will be expected to serve on one or more sub-committees e.g. curriculum, finance, personnel, premises, pupil discipline, complaints.
Remember, you will be part of a team, the role is very demanding but you will not be alone and you should receive support from your fellow Governors and the Headteacher of the school.
The Local Education Authority provides training for all new and experienced Governors on a variety of areas of Governors’ work as well as a support helpline in the School and Governor Unit at RCT.
If you require further information or have any queries, please call Mr G Higgins, Clerk to the Governors, on 01443 479199.
The composition of the Governing Body is made up from six categories of Governor: Headteacher, Teachers, Support Staff, Community, LEA and Parent. Should there be any vacancies below, please contact Mr G Higgins, Clerk to the Governors, on 01443 479199 to enquire about applying.
Samantha Evans
Chris Badman
Nicola Bevan
Gemma Phillips
Andrew Flaherty
Andrew James
Gareth Newton (Vice Chair)
Gareth Thomas (Chair)
Katrina Williams
Alison Carter
Helen O’Sullivan
Scott Treeby
Kimberley Loyns
Vacancy x1
Leah Jervis
Jonathan Jones
Claire Lewis
Isaac Mensah
Emma Rasmussen
Alison Beasley
