Bridgetown College is a secondary school in Bridgetown, County Wexford, Ireland. It is a co-educational school managed by the Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Board.
| Bridgetown College | |
|---|---|
 Entrance courtyard at Bridgetown College | |
| Location | |
 | |
Ireland | |
| Coordinates | 52°13′44″N 6°33′00″W / 52.2288°N 6.5499°W |
| Information | |
| Principal | Adrian Power[1] |
| Teaching staff | c. 70[2] (2024) |
| Enrolment | 604[1] (2024) |
| Colour(s) | Red, White |
| Newspaper | The Bridge |
| Website | www |
History edit
After the enactment of the Vocational Education Act in 1930, an experimental vocational school was established in rented accommodation in Bridgetown village.[3] Enrolment slowly increased and it was not until the 1960s that the need for a proper post-primary school in the area was accepted, and in October 1965, 44 students and five teachers moved from the rented accommodation into a new purpose-built school.[3]
The numbers continued to increase and by 1976, when students sat for the Leaving Certificate for the first time, enrolment stood at 329. To cope with the increasing numbers, a new building was officially opened by the Minister for Education Mary O'Rourke on 12 October 1984. By 2024, the school had 604 students.[1]
In December 2003, Bridgetown College celebrated its 50th anniversary.[4]
A building extension, completed in Summer 2007, had a floor area of 1,800 square metres (19,000 sq ft) and provided eight classrooms, a new art room, a science laboratory, a tiered demonstration room, a technology room, a senior engineering room, a general purpose and dining area, a new staff room, a new administration area and extra toilet and cloakroom facilities. An extension to the gymnasium was also completed in 2007.[5]
Courses edit
The school offers the Junior Certificate, Transition Year, Leaving Certificate, Leaving Certificate Applied, and the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme.[6]
Alumni edit
- Greg McGrath (b. 1997) - rugby union player[7]
References edit
- ^ a b c "Department of Education and Skills - Directory Page - Bridgetown College". gov.ie. Department of Education. 22 January 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
- ^ "Our Teaching Staff". bridgetowncollege.ie. Bridgetown College. Archived from the original on 26 January 2024.
- ^ a b "About Us - Our History". bridgetowncollege.ie. Bridgetown College. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
- ^ "50th Anniversary". homepage.tinet.ie. Bridgetown College. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ "Bridgetown college is €4.7m bigger and better". Wexford People. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
- ^ "The Curriculum". bridgetowncollege.ie. Bridgetown College. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ "McGrath on right track for Blues joy". The Herald. Retrieved 29 January 2024.