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Aberdare Community School (Welsh: Ysgol Gymunedol Aberdâr) is a secondary school located in Aberdare, Wales. The school was formed in September 2014 as part of a merger between Aberdare High School, Aberdare Girls' School, and Blaengwawr Comprehensive School. It was announced in 2012 that Aberdare High School, Aberdare Girls' School, and Blaengwawr Comprehensive School would merge to form a new 'super school. The construction of the new £50m campuses began on the Michael Sobell Sports Centre site in 2013 to create a unified education, leisure, and community hub. After several delays, the intended September 2014 opening date of the new 1,600 pupil building was pushed back to April 2015 with the formation of Aberdare Community School still set for September 2014. Blaengwawr Comprehensive, Aberdare High, and Aberdare Girls' schools were closed at the end of the Summer Term 2014. Aberdare Community School's building contains state-of-the-art facilities, providing pupils with access to high-tech equipment, creating for them opportunities to refine their talents. The building cost around £50 million to build, though the running track is still under construction due to issues with demolishing the Sobell Sports Centre. The school is built attached to the new Aberdare Public Swimming Pool, helping pupils access the public facilities available. Aberdare Community School is a caring and generous community. Laughter is never far from the surface and friendships abound. The pupils are encouraged to develop a strong spirit of philanthropy and to engage with those around them who are less privileged than themselves. The school itself has links with groups at home and abroad who benefit from our support. We are proud of our school, and education at Aberdare Community School is an extraordinary preparation for life. Here at Aberdare Community School, we believe in the importance of educating our pupils to fulfill their potential, giving them the skills and confidence to take their place with pride in a modern and fast-moving world. The academic heart of Aberdare Community School is characterized by warm relationships between staff and pupils, the sheer joy we all take in learning, and the encouragement everyone is given to dig deeper, to explore ideas, to challenge preconceptions, and to develop fresh ideas. Learning here is not just about passing exams. It is about a love of academic pursuits, it is about inspiration and imagination. We believe that true potential can only be unlocked when given the freedom to grow. Our rules are few and relationships are relaxed, yet respectful. Our pupils are encouraged to develop their passions and interests. Our curriculum is broad with plenty of opportunities for individual research, discussion, and debate. Music and drama are open to all and are performed to an exceptionally high standard. Our studios and workshops are a hub of creative energy. Sport is played with enthusiasm and distinction and broad opportunities of all sorts are magnified many times over in the clubs and societies on offer. Success here is not merely a collective measure. What matters to us is the happiness and achievements of each pupil according to their hopes and aspirations. Our pupils are encouraged and nurtured to take ownership of their lives, embrace opportunity and grow in resilience and self-reliance. Aberdare Community School is a caring and generous community. Our pupils are encouraged to develop a strong spirit of philanthropy and to engage with those around them who are less privileged than themselves. The school itself has links with charities and organizations at home and abroad which benefit from our support. View full school