Dwr-y-Felin Comprehensive School
| Motto | Nid da lle gellir gwell / It is not good if it is not your best |
|---|---|
| Established | 1973 |
| Headteacher | Mrs. S.E. Handley |
| Location |
Dwr-y-Felin Road Neath West Glamorgan SA10 7RE Wales  Coordinates: 51°39′57″N 3°48′48″W / 51.66583°N 3.81324°W |
| Local authority | Neath Port Talbot |
| Students | c.1100 |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Former name | Neath Grammar School |
| Website | Dwr-y-Felin Comprehensive School |
Dwr-y-Felin Comprehensive School (in Welsh: Ysgol Gyfun Dŵr-y-Felin) is a comprehensive school in the town of Neath in South Wales.
Admissions
The school is for ages 11-16. It is situated off the A474 next to Neath Port Talbot College (former Neath College before 1996) and close to the former Nidum Roman fort.
History
Former schools
The former schools were Neath Grammar School for Boys and Rhydhir Secondary Modern School in Neath Abbey. Neath Girls' Grammar School was on Cadoxton Road (A4230). Neath Grammar School was noted for producing many well-known rugby players and for its music (choirs). Rhydhir has now been replaced by state-of-the-art teaching facilities on the upper school site, making Dwr-y-felin a single site school, with over 1100 pupils. The site amalgamation took place on 6 September 2012.
Comprehensive
The school opened its doors for the first time in September 1973 following the ending of grammar school education in the Neath area. The Upper School is housed on Dwr-y-Felin Road in the buildings of the former grammar school adjacent to Neath Port Talbot College, while the Lower School is situated on the campus of the former secondary modern school in Longford, Neath Abbey now it is all located on a singular site on the upper school site with an extra building having been built costing the school 9.7 million pounds.
Headmasters
The inaugural Headmaster was Dr R.J. Graham (previously the Headmaster of Neath Grammar School for Boys), who left around 1987-89. Mr N. Stacey was appointed Headmaster in September 2002. 2012 brought a new Head Teacher to Dwr-y-felin as Mr. Stacey made his sad departure, when Mrs S.E. Handley, a previous history teacher and assistant head took over the role.
Notable former pupils
Neath Grammar School for Boys
- Gordon Back, international piano accompanist, Artistic Director of the Menuhin Competition
- Stephen Baines, former Chief Executive of the International Rugby Board (IRB)
- Prof Hugh Bevan, Professor of Law from 1969-89 at the University of Hull
- John Bevan - Wales international rugby player and coach
- Kevin Bowring- rugby player and Wales international coach
- Dr Peter Castaldi, Chief Medical Officer since 2004 of Scottish Equitable
- Cynog Dafis, Plaid Cymru MP from 1992-2000 for Ceredigion (Ceredigion and Pembroke North from 1992-7)
- Sir Cliff Darby, CBE, OBE Professor of Geography, University College of London and Fellow of Kings College, Cambridge
- Sir Rhys Davies QC, Recorder of Manchester.
- John Leighton Williams QC, Deputy High Court Judge.
- Dennis Gethin, Cambridge Rugby Blue (Selwyn), President since 2008 of the Welsh Rugby Union
- Brian Rees FRCS consultant surgeon, Cambridge Rugby Blue (Christ's) and Wales International Rugby Player.
- Tim Glover, rugby journalist
- Arthur Hickman, Wales International Rugby Player, later league professional
- Clem Hunkin, Aeronautical Engineer, and one of the top intelligence letter coders in Stalag Luft III 1940-45 (the "Great Escape" POW camp for captured RAF officers)
- Wynne Hooper, professional footballer with Newport County
- Air Vice-Marshal Edgar James CBE DFC AFC, Station Commander from 1961-2 of RAF Leeming, and Commander from February - September 1966 of British Forces, Zambia
- T. G. H. James CBE – Egyptologist, Editor from 1960-70 of the Journal of Egyptian Archaeology
- Roy John - Wales international rugby player
- Prof Emrys Jones, Goldsmiths’ Professor of English Literature from 1984-98 at the University of Oxford
- Dr David (Dai) Rayner Jones, President, Christ's College, Cambridge
- Rayner Jones, Headmaster 1958-1970, formerly Chairman, International Rugby Football Board (1964)
- Prof Royston Jones, Professor of Spanish from 1973-4 at the University of Cambridge
- Stuart Kale, international opera singer
- Anthony Robert Lewis (Tony Lewis) CBE DL– Cambridge Rugby and Cricket Blues (Christ's), England and Glamorgan cricket captain, President MCC, writer and broadcaster.
- Courtney Meredith - Wales international rugby player
- Prof Ian Michael, King Alfonso XIII Professor of Spanish Studies from 1982-2003 at the University of Oxford, and Professor of Spanish from 1971-82 at the University of Southampton
- Sir David Nicholas CBE, Editor and Chief Executive from 1977-89 of ITN
- Clive Norling - international rugby union referee
- Harry Parr-Davies - songwriter and composer[1]
- Colin Parsons, Chief Executive from 1997-8 of Taylor Woodrow, and President from 1998-2000 of the London Chamber of Commerce & Industry
- David (Dai) Richards - Wales international rugby player
- Michael Roberts, Conservative MP from 1970-4 for Cardiff North, and from 1974-83 for Cardiff North West
- Brian Thomas - Cambridge Rugby Blue (Christ's) and Wales international rugby player
- Gwyn Thomas - cricketer
- Andrew Vicari – artist
- Cyril Walters - England test cricketer and captain
- Kenneth Young CBE, Chairman from 1992-6 of the Student Loans Company, and from 1999-2001 of the Further Education Funding Council for Wales
Dwr-y-Felin Comprehensive School
Gareth Lloyd Evans, international playboy and waratah RFC Australia
- Chris Bromham, stuntman
- Stuart Willson - Operational Manager at Gwalia Housing Group, Swansea. left 1982
- Katherine Jenkins – singer
- Paul James - Wales international rugby player, Ospreys
- David Melding, Conservative AM for South Wales Central
- Craig Mitchell- Wales and Ospreys rugby player
- David Pickering - Wales international rugby player and current chairman Welsh Rugby Union
- James Reynolds - Rugby player Neath RFC, Cambridge University Rugby Blue
- Jonathan Spratt - Wales international rugby player, Ospreys
- Neil Thompson, General Manager since 2010 of Entertainment and Devices Division, Microsoft
- Jonathan Williams - Entrepreneur in Adult Work
- Ashley Beck - Wales International and Ospreys rugby player
- Rebecca Craven - Actress