Olchfa School (Welsh: Ysgol Gyfun yr Olchfa) is the largest secondary school in Swansea, South Wales, with approximately 1,900 pupils, including a sixth form of over 400 students.[1] Situated in Sketty Park to the west of Sketty, it provides secondary education for GCSE and A-Level qualifications. In 2024, it was named one of the top 100 state secondary schools in the UK.[2] Olchfa (part of the Sketty Swansea suburb) means 'washing place' in the English language.
Around 12% of pupils have a special educational need and 1.7% have a statement of special educational needs. Both of these figures are below the Welsh averages of 21.5% and 2% respectively. Nearly a quarter of pupils come from an ethnic minority background and just over 20% speak English as an additional language.[1]
The headteacher is Julian Kennedy, who has been in post since 2023. The Welsh Government has selected the school as a Pioneer School to participate in the development of its curriculum.[3]
Academic performance
In its most recent Estyn inspection in 2018, Olchfa School received the highest possible judgement, 'Excellent' in all five inspection areas.[1] In the same year, the school reported a GCSE pass rate of 85% (based on 5 GCSEs at grades A*-C), placing it among the top five schools in Wales, and top three for the percentage of A*-A grades.[4] It ranked 74th in the UK in 2018, based on combined A-level (A*-B) and GCSE (A*-C) performance.[5] In 2023, 33.7% of A-level results at Olchfa were awarded A*-A grades.[6] The school was named the second-best state secondary in Wales by the Sunday Times Parent Power Guide in 2023, 2024 and 2025.[7][8][9]
Facilities
The school consists of several sections — the main building, a south block, two purpose-built assembly halls, and a professionally equipped Theatre Hall that also serves as a third assembly venue when required. Additional facilities include a P.E. department with multiple indoor sports halls, a dedicated maths and science block, an on-site swimming pool, and a range of outdoor pitches for Tennis, Rugby, Football, Netball, Basketball and Cricket. A £1.6 million investment is currently underway to develop a full-size, all-weather 3G pitch.[10] There is also an on-site specialist facility supporting the needs of hearing-impaired pupils.
This article's list of alumni may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability policy. Please improve this article by removing names that do not have independent reliable sources showing they merit inclusion in this article and are alumni, or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriate citations.(October 2024) ( Learn how and when to remove this message )
Sports
Daniel Alfei, Welsh U21 International and former Swansea City footballer.
Simon Davey, former Swansea City footballer and football manager
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