Christ College Brecon A GSG School
- Christ College Brecon
Brecon
Powys
LD3 8AF - Head: Gareth Pearson
- T 01874 615440
- F 01874 615475
- E admissions@christcollegebrecon.com
- W www.christcollegebrecon.com
- An independent school for boys and girls aged from 4 to 18.
- Boarding: Yes
- Local authority: Powys
- Pupils: 380; sixth formers: 119
- Religion: Church of Wales
- Fees: Day £10,758 - £23,878; Boarding £26,942 - £44,391 pa
- Open days: October, March and May
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
What The Good Schools Guide says..
‘Full-on!’ say students, who looked absolutely shattered when we visited just before half-term – but they’d have it no other way. As befits a school located in a national park, there’s no shortage of outdoor pursuits including DofE (note: no silver) and CCF (compulsory in years 9 and 10), although the real jewel in the crown is the Saturday morning programme that includes everything from mountain biking, canoeing and hill running through to academic and art-based pursuits back indoors (but fear not if you’re put off because your child already has busy weekends – the head is very flexible around this). The academic year is bookended with adventure…
What the school says...
Nestled within the peaceful surroundings of the Brecon Beacons, Christ College Brecon is an independent school, providing an all-round education for pupils aged 4-18, and boarding from age 10. We offer a comprehensive education that encompasses academic excellence and a wide range of co-curricular activities, designed to unlock your child’s potential while they make lifelong memories.
Our school motto, ‘believe to achieve’, underscores our belief that individuals achieve when they believe in themselves. This principle of self-belief is the foundation to our approach to wellbeing in the school. We aim to instil confidence in our pupils alongside a willingness to embrace new experiences and challenges. Our dedicated teachers are committed to nurturing more than just academic success. They actively support our pupils' character development, encouraging them to set and achieve their goals while growing into confident and accomplished individuals.
Our curriculum is carefully structured to provide a balance of subjects and to allow individuals to play to their academic strengths. The emphasis is on first class teaching, provided in well-resourced departments with small class sizes (our average teacher ratio is 1:9), allowing plenty of individual attention for pupils.
Homework (‘prep’) in houses ensures that academic disciplines are learned right from the start, and help is available for those who need it. Each pupil has an individual tutor, who monitors their academic progress and the suitability of the pupil’s academic and co-curricular programme whilst keeping in close touch with parents.
We make the most of our beautiful 40-acre site in the heart of the Brecon Beacons National Park, allowing pupils to learn beyond the confines of the classroom. Pupils can participate in outdoor activities, including team sports, adventure pursuits, and leadership initiatives, which are all firmly embedded into their weekly routines. Through adventure and adventurous learning, our pupils learn directly about the environment, each other and themselves.
Our Combined Cadet Force and Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme is long established, alongside these, pupils in year 9 also take part in the Beacon Course.
The Beacon Course adventure programme is a series of progressive and challenging outdoor activities aimed at encouraging our pupils’ physical, spiritual, social and moral development. We believe that building self-reliance and self-confidence are fundamental to our pupils’ preparation for life, during and post education.
At Christ College Brecon, pupils are encouraged to engage in a diverse range of co-curricular activities alongside their academic pursuits. This balanced approach provides students with the diversity and freedom to thrive – they learn teamwork, collaboration and foster a sense of belonging. Belonging, or ‘school connectedness’, is a crucial element in nurturing a positive outlook among our students in our care.
We offer a variety of co-curricular activities, including mountain biking, climbing, horse-riding and paddle boarding. Additionally, we provide activities such as master chef, robotics, and debating, ensuring there's something for everyone.
A visit to Christ College is an essential part of the process by which prospective pupils and their families decide on the most suitable school. ...Read more
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Other features
All-through school (for example 3-18 years). - An all-through school covers junior and senior education. It may start at 3 or 4, or later, and continue through to 16 or 18. Some all-through schools set exams at 11 or 13 that pupils must pass to move on.
Sports
Fencing
Shooting
What The Good Schools Guide says
The head
Since 2017, Gareth Pearson BEng. Attended his local state school in Wareham, Dorset, then read mechanical engineering at Loughborough before joining the Royal Marines as an officer for eight years, getting a taste for teaching when he helped fellow soldiers get their maths GCSE. Did teacher training (maths) on the job at Millfield, thence to Wellington as housemaster, followed by Lord Wandsworth College as senior deputy before coming here. His friends teased him that he must have got the gig on the back of his good Welsh name. ‘But my wife is Welsh, plus I’m a rugby coach and referee,’ he counters.
‘I was expecting the hard sell when we first met him,’ admits one parent, ‘but the first thing he said was, “Tell me all about your daughter.”’...
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Special Education Needs
We have a highly qualified and experienced additional learning needs coordinator. Timetabled lessons for learning support are provided to those pupils with appropriate need with emphasis placed on teaching pupils strategies for managing in the classroom and achieving across the curriculum. Further support is offered to all pupils focusing on study skills, time management and organisation of self and work.
Who came from where
| School | Year | Places | Scholarships | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moor Park | 2024 | 1 | 1 | 1 Art Scholarship |
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