Islwyn High School, Blackwood
Islwyn High School is a secondary school for pupils in Blackwood.
- Estyn
- Not in follow-up
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Islwyn High School in detail
School in Wales
Islwyn High School is an English-medium school in Wales. Welsh schools are inspected by Estyn rather than Ofsted, and its latest report is published on Estyn's website.
It had 1065 pupils in the 2025/26 school census.
21% of pupils are eligible for free school meals (three-year average).
Of its pupils, 10% have additional learning needs (25% in 2020/21); and 5% are from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.
Year groups range from 198 pupils (Year 11) to 222 (Year 8).
Its delegated budget for 2026-27 works out at £7,361 per pupil, against £5,422 in 2021-22. It carried forward £921k of reserves at the end of 2024-25.
What Estyn said
Estyn's most recent full inspection report on Islwyn High School dates from 2018.
Next scheduled Estyn inspection or visit: 12 October 2026 (Core).
Read the full Estyn report (school website)
Source: © Crown copyright, Estyn: "Inspection report Islwyn High School 2018 (English only)". Quoted under Estyn's re-use terms.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Islwyn High School are Blackwood Comprehensive School (0.9 miles), Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni (1.7 miles), The Lewis School (1.8 miles) and Newbridge School (1.9 miles).
Blackwood Comprehensive SchoolYsgol Gyfun Cwm RhymniThe Lewis SchoolNewbridge School
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Newbridge Rail Station, about 1.8 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Underwood Avenue (opposite), 100 metres away.
Sources: Welsh Government school data and StatsWales (OGL); Estyn; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASInspection
Schools in Wales are inspected by Estyn, not Ofsted. Read Islwyn High School's Estyn reports.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Special Measures
Keep up with Islwyn High School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Islwyn High School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Islwyn High School is in Caerphilly; for families living there:
Apply to Caerphilly for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 3 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Caerphilly is 8 (the median across 85 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Questions parents ask about Islwyn High School
What is the catchment area for Islwyn High School?
In Wales catchment areas are set by the local authority, so Islwyn High School has a defined catchment published by Caerphilly. Living in it does not guarantee a place - when the school is oversubscribed Caerphilly applies the published criteria, which usually put looked-after children first, then siblings, then distance - but it normally carries priority.
How do I apply to Islwyn High School?
Apply through Caerphilly, naming Islwyn High School on your application. Welsh admission deadlines are set by each local authority rather than nationally, so check Caerphilly's admissions pages for this year's closing date.
How many road collisions happen near Islwyn High School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 3 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Caerphilly is 8 (the median across 85 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Islwyn High School?
Islwyn High School is at Penmaen Road, Oakdale, Blackwood, NP12 0DT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)