Hawarden High School

Hawarden High School is an English language medium high school in Hawarden, Flintshire, Wales. It is part of the Flintshire LEA.[1] The school traces its history back to 1606 when a single-classroom grammar school was established with £300 left by a local resident named George Ledsham.

Hawarden High School
Welsh Name: Ysgol Uwchradd Penarlâg
Address
The Highway Hawarden , Flintshire , CH5 3DN Wales
Information
Type	Secondary School
Established	1606 (1606)
Local authority	Flintshire LEA
Headteacher	Mr S. Budgen
Gender	Mixed
Age	11 to 18
Enrolment	Approx 1250
Houses	Deiniol,Ledsham,Glynne and Gladstone
Colour(s)	Black uniform
Founder	George Ledsham
Website	http://www.hawardenhigh.org.uk/

The school's main entrance

In 1998, the school completed a £4m extension which provided a new school hall, a sports centre extension, expansion of the Technology department and a new drama studio, as well as numerous other improvements. The extension was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in March 1998, on her visit to Flintshire.

In 2007, the school's headmaster, Mr M.C. Powell retired after over 25 years of teaching; his role was taken over by Mr R.J. Davies, who previously held the role of Headteacher at a secondary school in Wrexham. The school retained a rating of "Good" in its 2009 Estyn inspection with "Excellent" prospects for future improvement.[2] Mr P. Ellis became the Acting Headteacher following the departure of Mr. Davies to an advisory post with Welsh Government. Ellis then became Headteacher for two years, and was followed by Mr S. Budgen.

In 2009, the school launched an investigation after a digitally manipulated video of its teachers dancing circulated online.[3]

In 2015, Christine King, a senior teacher with 14 years at the school, was issued with a prohibition order by the General Teaching Council for Wales after being found guilty of 11 allegations amounting to serious professional incompetence.[4]

The school currently holds a house system, started in 2015, containing four houses named after important local people; Gladstone, Glynne, the aforementioned Ledsham, and Deiniol.

In 2017, Raphaëlle P. Soffe, a Sixth Form student at the school, was admitted into Harvard University on a fully-funded scholarship. She was the first in the school's history to study at the prestigious college.[5]

In September 2018, the school faced media criticism for removing students with hair shorter than 0.65 centimetres from classes.[6][7][8]

In October 2018, supply teacher Sian Mcllgagga arrived to teach at the school as a supply teacher while under the influence of alcohol. Later that day she was caught driving while intoxicated by North Wales Police, for which she was fined £440 and banned from driving for 18 months. A misconduct hearing in nearby Ewloe took place in October 2019 where Mcllgagga was banned from teaching for two years.[9]

In August 2019, headteacher Mr S. Budgen said the A-Level results achieved that month were the best in the school's history, with the school ranked in the top 25% nationally.[10]

In November 2019, the school was awarded a National Quality Award or NQA by the Healthy Schools Scheme, following a visit conducted in September. The scheme is a national initiative funded by Public Health Wales which recognises a school's commitment to health and wellbeing.[11][12][13]

£55,000 of funding to boost capacity at the school has been offered by property developer Eccleston Homes as part of a bid to demolish the nearby Colettine Poor Claire monastery and build 15 detached homes on the site. The proposal came after a significant number of nuns relocated to Nottingham.[14] In March 2020, the developer started an appeal to the Welsh Government planning inspectorate after Flintshire County Council refused planning permission.[15]