Ferndale Community School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Ferndale Community School is a mixed English-medium 11-16 school maintained by Rhondda Cynon Taf local authority. There are currently 579 pupils on roll, which represents a decrease of nearly 100 pupils since the last inspection in November 2010.

The school's sixth form closed at the end of the 2016-2017 academic year. Most pupils come from the Rhondda Fach valley. Around 35% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is significantly higher than the national average of 17%.

Over 60% of pupils live in the 20% most deprived areas in Wales. Nearly all pupils speak English as their first language and come from a white, British background. Only a very few pupils are fluent in Welsh.

The school takes pupils fr...om the full ability range. Around a third of pupils have a special educational need, which is higher than the national average of 21.5%.

Just over 2% of pupils have a statement of special educational needs, slightly above the Welsh average of 2%. The school hosts a special needs unit which supports key stage 3 and key stage 4 pupils from across the local authority with complex needs. The school is currently a pioneer school and is working with Welsh Government and other schools to take forward developments relating to professional learning.

The headteacher has been in post since February 2017. The senior leadership team consists of a deputy headteacher and two assistant headteachers. They are currently supported by a third assistant headteacher, acting in a temporary capacity to facilitate the school's work as a pioneer school, and three temporary associate assistant headteachers.