Stanwell School is a co-educational
foundation status comprehensive schoolA comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. The term is commonly used in relation to the United Kingdom, where comprehensive schools were introduced in the late 1940s to the early 1970s. It corresponds broadly to the...
and
Sixth form collegeA sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 to 19 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A-levels...
located in
PenarthPenarth is a town and seaside resort in the Vale of Glamorgan , Wales 5.2 miles south west from the Welsh capital city of Cardiff and lying on the north shore of the Severn Estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay...
,
Vale of GlamorganThe Vale of Glamorgan is a county borough in Wales; an exceptionally rich agricultural area, it lies in in the southern part of Glamorgan, south Wales...
, Wales for children aged between eleven and eighteen. The school is located 5.2 miles (8.4 kilometres) south west from the Welsh
capital cityCapital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
of
CardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for many national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for Wales. According to recent estimates, the...
.
The school currently has approximately 1,600 pupils on the roll in years seven to thirteen with a thriving sixth form. The school benefits from excellent facilities, with all the school's buildings either newly built or recently refurbished.
Specialist teaching accommodation has been provided for science (featuring eleven modern laboratories), drama, music, media studies, P.E.
Stanwell School is a co-educational
foundation status comprehensive schoolA comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. The term is commonly used in relation to the United Kingdom, where comprehensive schools were introduced in the late 1940s to the early 1970s. It corresponds broadly to the...
and
Sixth form collegeA sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 to 19 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A-levels...
located in
PenarthPenarth is a town and seaside resort in the Vale of Glamorgan , Wales 5.2 miles south west from the Welsh capital city of Cardiff and lying on the north shore of the Severn Estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay...
,
Vale of GlamorganThe Vale of Glamorgan is a county borough in Wales; an exceptionally rich agricultural area, it lies in in the southern part of Glamorgan, south Wales...
, Wales for children aged between eleven and eighteen. The school is located 5.2 miles (8.4 kilometres) south west from the Welsh
capital cityCapital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
of
CardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for many national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for Wales. According to recent estimates, the...
.
The school currently has approximately 1,600 pupils on the roll in years seven to thirteen with a thriving sixth form. The school benefits from excellent facilities, with all the school's buildings either newly built or recently refurbished.
Specialist teaching accommodation has been provided for science (featuring eleven modern laboratories), drama, music, media studies, P.E. (including sports halls and a playing field), Information Technology, Art and Design Technology
Stanwell School was previously
Penarth County Grammar School prior to becoming a comprehensive.
A Victorian beginning
The school originally opened in 1897 as
Penarth Grammar School during the rapid Victorian expansion of the Penarth, Cogan,
LlandoughLlandough is a village in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.- Location :...
and
Dinas PowysDinas Powys is a large village and a community in the Vale of Glamorgan in South Wales. The village is 5.6 miles south-west of the centre of Cardiff and conveniently situated on the A4055 Cardiff to Barry main road...
areas following the building of Cardiff and Penarth docks to handle the burgeoning
South WalesSouth Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
coal trade. Between 1891 and 1901 the population of the town expanded from 12,000 to over 15,000 people and the need for a new school was paramount.
Unusually the school was established for both boys and girls at a time when most British grammar schools were single sex establishments and few girls were even expected to complete a grammar school education. However, within the school the sexes remained segregated during the working day with separate school entrances, classrooms, teaching staff and playground areas. The girls' curriculum included only reading, writing, arithmetic and sewing, but the boys instead studied the sciences, Latin and ancient Greek. All children left school at the age of fourteen until the educational reforms introduced by the Conservative government's Education Board President
Rab ButlerRichard Austen Butler, Baron Butler of Saffron Walden, KG CH DL PC , who invariably signed his name R. A. Butler and was familiarly known as Rab, was a British Conservative politician...
in his
Education Act 1944The Education Act 1944 changed the education system for secondary schools in England and Wales. This Act, commonly named after the Conservative politician R.A...
.
Initially the only buildings on the site were the original school building that still stands, facing onto Archer Road, the headmaster's private residence on the corner of Archer and Stanwell roads (later used as a home by the resident caretaker) and a small chapel building that was later converted into a physics laboratory during the 1940s.
In the early years the school roll was bolstered by the children from
Radyr and MorganstownRadyr is an outer suburb of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The suburb is situated in the west of the city, although it was originally a separate village, and is located around 5 miles north west of Cardiff city centre. The population was recorded at 4,658 according to the 2001 Census...
where there was no secondary school. The nine mile steam train journey to Penarth Grammar and
St Cyres Secondary ModernSt Cyres School is a co-educational foundation status comprehensive school and Sixth form college located in Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, 5.2 miles south west from the Welsh capital city of Cardiff...
was easier and quicker than the road journey to any closer Cardiff schools. The situation only changed in 1968 when Radyr's own secondary school was built and the direct rail link was removed by the
Beeching AxeThe Beeching Axe is an informal name for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard Beeching...
.
Into the 20th century
Penarth's town rugby pitch had been dug up and used for growing vegetables by local residents during First World War food shortages, so between 1919 and 1924 the traditional annual Good Friday rugby matches between
Penarth RFCPenarth Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club based since 1924 at The Athletic Field, Lavernock Road, in Penarth, in the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales.-Origins and early history:...
and the
BarbariansThe Barbarian Football Club, typically referred to as Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
were staged instead on the grammar school's playing field, when most of the town's population turned up to watch and cheer. In the autumn of 1924 the new Athletic Ground on Lavernock Road, a gift to the town by the
Earl of PlymouthRobert George Windsor-Clive, 1st Earl of Plymouth GBE, CB, PC , known as The Lord Windsor between 1869 and 1905, was a British nobleman and Conservative politician.-Background:...
, was opened and the Good Friday matches were moved to their new home the following year.
In the late 1950s the previously segregated sexes were combined into a co-educational school that was renamed as
Penarth County Grammar School but the increasing school population had far expanded beyond the available accommodation and a large number of temporary
portacabin buildings were added and increasingly built across the original playgrounds and playing fields. These temporary buildings included a gymnasium, chemistry and biology laboratories, domestic science (now food technology) kitchen, woodwork and metalwork shops, several ranges of classrooms and a toilet block. Originally planned to last no longer than ten years, many of the temporary buildings remained in use well into the 1980s and 1990s.
In 1971 the local authority funded the building of a new youth club on the school site, near the Stanwell Road side entrance, called
Penarth Youth Wing and the facility was utilised by the school during the day as additional accommodation for music and drama classes.
Recent developments
Entry to the school in the early years had been by Eleven plus examination with only those pupils that achieved the highest scores in the area's feeder schools being accepted. However in the late 1960s a Labour government led educational reform, through several ministerial directives and eventually the
Education Reform Act 1968, that was accepted and implemented by the education authority, scrapped the 11+ examination and with it the segregated
tripartiteThe Tripartite System was the system that flowed as an administrative arrangement from the Education Act 1944, and the Education Act 1947, for organising secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
strata of grammar, technical grammar and secondary modern schools. In 1970 the school became a co-educational comprehensive and renamed as
Stanwell Comprehensive School.
Between 1990 and 1998 Stanwell was a
grant maintained schoolGrant-maintained schools were state schools in England and Wales between 1988 and 1998 that had opted out of local government control, being funded directly by a grant from central government.-History:...
operating under direct government funding and effecting its own student selection process, outside the normal procedures of the local education authority. It was during this period of grant maintained status that the vast amount of cash investment was injected into providing new school buildings and the superb teaching environment that can be seen today.
The grant maintained system ceased in 1998 under the new Labour government and, renamed again as
Stanwell School, it now has
foundation statusIn England and Wales, a foundation school is a state-funded school in which the governing body has greater freedom in the running of the school than in community schools....
within the education authority but with autonomous
school governorsIn England, Wales and Northern Ireland, school governors are members of a school's Governing Body. In state schools they have responsibility for raising school standards through their three key roles of setting strategic direction, ensuring accountability and monitoring & evaluating school...
controlling admissions to the school, employing the school's staff and owning the school's estate.
Performing Arts
In recent years the school has hosted several dramatic and musical presentations including
Jesus Christ Superstar,
Alice In Wonderland and
Cabaret. The state of the art theatre and auditorium is equipped with a range of musical instruments such as modern keyboards, electric guitars, drums and piano's. The latest lighting systems are installed in the auditorium and other performance areas. The Drama department also took part in the
Royal National TheatreThe Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company....
Youth Connection where pupils in years 10-13 performed a newly commissioned production entitled
Success by playwright Nick Drake at the school, followed by a performance at the
Wales Millennium CentreWales Millennium Centre , which also has a nickname locally as the Armadillo, is an arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of the 26–28 November 2004 and phase 2 opened on 22...
on 9 April 2009. The 2009 annual Year Eight Musical was Fame Game. Other schools also perform in Stanwell such as Albert Primary School with their production of "Annie" in 2009.
The school today
Vision statement
An imaginative and inspired use has been made of the school's postcode "2XL" by the school's vision statement of "Learning to Excel". Stanwell school remains clearly focused on learning and excellence as defined by "improving on your previous best". Many aspects of the school's educational standards have been recognised nationally, through awards, as areas of good practice.
Catchment
Most pupils transfer at age eleven from one of the four main partner primary schools: Albert Road Primary, Evenlode Primary, Victoria Primary and Sully Primary. The first three schools being within a walking distance and designated buses transporting the pupils from nearby Sully. Pupils are drawn from the full range of abilities although the majority of pupils are of average ability and above. Only three pupils have statements of special educational needs (SEN) and a further 143 have been identified as having particular needs.
Addionally pupils come from a wide range of social circumstances. The school feels that half as are neither prosperous nor disadvantaged, with half equally divided between the other two extremes. Only six per cent of pupils are registered as entitled to free school meals, which is lower than both local and national averages. Few pupils come from ethnic heritages or have a language other than English as their first language. Very few (less than 1 percent) pupils speak Welsh as a first language or to an equivalent standard. Welsh is taught and examined as a second language only. No pupils currently receive support teaching in English as an additional language.
Results
Stanwell's 2008 A level results broke previous school records with 122 students achieving four A grades or better, with the top ninety students achieving five grade As or better. Half of Stanwell pupils achieved three A grades or better, with the average points score per pupil exceeding three A grades (81 points per student).
Sixth form and beyond
At sixteen years of age, most pupils choose to remain at the school to continue with their studies in the sixth form and the majority of these subsequently enter college or university higher education. There are currently around 300 pupils undergoing sixth form education.
Most recent ESTYN inspection
Estyn is the office of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales. The most recent ESTYN school inspection report records:
- There has been a considerable improvement on the results achieved at the time of the previous inspection.
- The school's success in GCSE examinations for grades A* to G is better than that achieved locally, nationally and in the unitary authority overall.
- In the KS3 national tests, success at level 6 and above exceeds national and local averages.
- The pupils' very good literacy and communication skills are used to very good effect in most subjects.
- Pupils use their very good information and communication technology skills advantageously in most subjects. They often choose to do so independently and appropriately.
- All pupils are challenged suitably and achieve very well in the majority of subjects.
- Based upon pupils' prior attainment, the school's results in external examinations exceed expectations at every level.
School badge
The school badge represents the coat of arms of
Robert Windsor-Clive, 1st Earl of PlymouthRobert George Windsor-Clive, 1st Earl of Plymouth GBE, CB, PC , known as The Lord Windsor between 1869 and 1905, was a British nobleman and Conservative politician.-Background:...
.
Notable alumni
- Sir Archibald Rowlands
Sir Archibald Rowlands GCB MBE was a British civil servant. After serving as private secretary to three Secretaries of State for War, he was Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Air Production during the Second World War...
GCBThe Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the medieval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
MBEThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions...
(26 December 1892 – 18 August 1953) was a British civil servant. After serving as private secretary to three Secretaries of State for WarThe position of Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, was a British cabinet-level position, first applied to Henry Dundas . In 1801 the post became that of Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. The position was re-instated in 1854...
, he was Permanent SecretaryThe Permanent Secretary, in most departments officially titled the Permanent Under-Secretary of State , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
to the Ministry of Air Production during the Second World War. He then worked in India and later acted as a special advisor to Muhammad Ali JinnahMuhammad Ali Jinnah Urdu: , a 20th century politician and statesman, is generally regarded as the founder of Pakistan. He served as leader of The Muslim League and Pakistan's first Governor-General. He is officially known in Pakistan as Quaid-i-Azam and Baba-e-Qaum...
, the Governor-General of PakistanThe Governor-General of Pakistan was the resident representative of King George VI in Pakistan from 1947 to 1952 and then Queen Elizabeth II from 1952 until 1956 when Pakistan was proclaimed a republic....
. Rowlands was born in Penarth and educated at Penarth Grammar School.
- Denys Graham (25 January 1895 – date of death unknown) – TV and film actor was born in Penarth and attended Penarth Grammar School. He has appeared in films such as Zulu
Zulu is a historical war film depicting the Battle of Rorke's Drift between the British Army and the Zulus in January 1879, during the Anglo-Zulu War.-Background:...
, The Dambusters and DunkirkDunkirk is a World War II film made in 1958, starring John Mills, Richard Attenborough and Bernard Lee.-Plot:The film relates the story of Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of surrounded English and French troops from the beaches of Dunkirk...
, also TV shows including AngelsAngels is a British television drama dealing with the subject of student nurses that was broadcast by the BBC between 1975 and 1983. The series' title derived from the name of the hospital where the series was set, St...
, LovejoyLovejoy is a TV series about the adventures of Lovejoy, a British antiques dealer based in East Anglia whose scruples are not always the highest. These were based on a series of picaresque novels by John Grant...
and Rumpole of the BaileyRumpole of the Bailey is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer, QC which starred Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, an aging London barrister who defends any and all clients...
.
- Richard William Leslie Wain
Richard William Leslie Wain VC was a Welsh recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:...
VCThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration which is, or has been, awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories. It takes precedence over all other orders, decorations and medals...
(5 December 1896 – 20 November 1917) – a Captain in the Tank CorpsTank Corps may refer to:* Royal Tank Regiment, originally called the Tank Corps* Tank Corps , a type of Red Army formation used up to World War II* United States Tank Corps a short-lived unit of the American Expeditionary Force...
was a recipient of the Victoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration which is, or has been, awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories. It takes precedence over all other orders, decorations and medals...
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and CommonwealthThe Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the Commonwealth and previously as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-three independent member states. Most of them were formerly part of the British Empire. They co-operate within a framework of common values...
forces, was born in Penarth and attended Penarth Grammar School.
- Samuel George Pearse
Samuel George Pearse VC, MM, was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Early life:...
VCThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration which is, or has been, awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories. It takes precedence over all other orders, decorations and medals...
, MMThe Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....
, (16 July 1897 – 29 August 1919) – a Sergeant in the Royal Fusiliers and a recipient of the Victoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration which is, or has been, awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories. It takes precedence over all other orders, decorations and medals...
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and CommonwealthThe Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the Commonwealth and previously as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-three independent member states. Most of them were formerly part of the British Empire. They co-operate within a framework of common values...
forces. Pearse was born in Penarth and educated at Penarth Grammar School before moving to Australia with his family in 1911 after leaving school.
- Sir Henry Lewis Guy
Sir Henry Lewis Guy CBE, FRS, was a leading British mechanical engineer, notable in particular for his work on steam turbine design.-Early life:Guy was born at Penarth, in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales in 1887...
CBE, FRS, (15 June 1887 – 20 July 20 1956) was a leading British mechanical engineer, notable in particular for his work on steam turbineA steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
design.
- John Smith MP
John William Patrick Smith is a Welsh Labour Party politician, and Member of Parliament for the Vale of Glamorgan.-Early life:...
(born 1951) – Labour party politician and Member of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a parliament. In many countries the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a unique title, such as senate, and thus also have unique titles for its members, such as senators. Members of...
for the Vale of GlamorganThe Vale of Glamorgan is a county borough in Wales; an exceptionally rich agricultural area, it lies in in the southern part of Glamorgan, south Wales...
was educated at Penarth County Grammar School. Member of the UK's Defence Select CommitteeThe Defence Select Committee is one of the Select Committees of the British House of Commons, having been established in 1979. It oversees the operations of the Ministry of Defence and its associated public bodies, including the armed forces.-Current members:...
during 2005.
- Colin McCormack
Colin McCormack was a professional British actor who enjoyed considerable success in classical stage performances and television shows over a career approaching fifty years from his debut as a child actor in a BBC TV's Dixon of Dock Green episode, a show he returned to twenty years later when he...
(December 1941 – 19 June 2004) – Actor and member of the Bristol Old VicThe Bristol Old Vic is a theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, King Street, in Bristol, England. The theatre complex includes the 1766 Theatre Royal, which claims to be the oldest continually-operating theatre in England, along with a 1970s studio theatre , offices and backstage facilities...
and the Royal Shakespeare CompanyThe Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company. Located primarily at Stratford-upon-Avon, with bases also in London and Newcastle upon Tyne, it is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly-funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal National Theatre.-The early...
, famous for his stage, television and film roles over fifty years including Macbeth (1988), The Tempest (1988), Two Gentlemen Of Verona (1999) and Julius Caesar (2002). He was also in the RSC's production of A Clockwork Orange (1990). His TV roles were numerous but included Dixon Of Dock Green (1955 and 1974), Z Cars (1966), Please, Sir (1970), The Sweeney (1975), The Good Life (1978), Yes Minister (1980), Martin Chuzzlewit (1994), Inspector Morse (1987), Casualty (2000) and Longitude (2000). He appeared in several films the latest ones being Let Him Have ItLet Him Have It is a 1991 British film set in 1952 and based on the true story of the case against Derek Bentley, who was hanged for murder under controversial circumstances. While Bentley did not directly play a role in the murder of PC Sidney Miles, he received the greater punishment than the...
(1991) and First KnightFirst Knight is a 1995 American romantic fantasy adventure film based on Arthurian legend, directed by Jerry Zucker. It stars Richard Gere as Lancelot, Julia Ormond as Guinevere, Sean Connery as King Arthur and Ben Cross as Malagant....
(1995). Colin will probably best be remembered by television audiences for his recurring role as Alan in the 1984 science fiction series ChockyChocky is a science fiction novel by John Wyndham, first published in 1968 by Michael Joseph.. The BBC produced a radio adaption by John Tydeman in 1967. In 1984 a children's television drama based on the novel was shown on ITV in the UK.-Plot summary:...
and his 1991 stint playing Kevin Masters in EastendersEastEnders is a long-running, popular and award-winning television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985...
. He also tutored at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and his students included Ewan McGregorEwan Gordon McGregor is a Scottish actor, singer, and adventurer who has had success in mainstream, indie and art house films...
, Alistair McGowanAlistair McGowan is an English impressionist, comedian and actor. McGowan is best known for his work with Ronni Ancona on The Big Impression , which spawned his culturally popular impressions of David Beckham, Sven-Göran Eriksson, Gary Lineker, Nicky Campbell, Richard Madeley, Tony Blair, Ross...
and Daniel CraigDaniel Wroughton Craig is an English actor and film producer. His early film roles included The Power of One, A Kid in King Arthur's Court and the television episodes Sharpe's Eagle, Zorro and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Daredevils of the Desert...
. Colin died of cancer aged 63. He was born in Penarth and attended Penarth Grammar School.
- Steve Parr (born 1952) – the multiple award winning record producer and sound engineer
Audio engineering is a part of audio science dealing with the recording and reproduction of sound through mechanical and electronic means. The field draws on many disciplines, including electrical engineering, acoustics, psychoacoustics, and music. Unlike acoustical engineering, audio...
, UK pioneer of 5:1 and 6:1 sound recordingSurround sound encompases a range of techniques for enriching the sound reproduction quality of an audio source with audio channels reproduced via additional, discrete speakers. The three-dimensional sphere of human hearing can be virtually achieved with audio channels above and below the listener...
and owner of successful recording studioA recording studio is a facility for sound recording. Ideally, the space is specially designed by an acoustician to achieve the desired acoustic properties...
s in London and Austin, TexasAustin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 15th-largest in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in the nation...
was born in Penarth and educated at Penarth County Grammar School. Originally the keyboard player with 1970s Penarth based Glamrock band "Ingroville" followed by a stint with Arista recording artistsArista Records is an American record label. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operates under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
"Burlesque", Steve has recently recorded the themes and soundtracks for TV programmes such as CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationCSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
, PrimevalPrimeval is a British science fiction television series.Primeval or primæval may also refer to:* Primeval , a 2007 film* Primeval , a score of music from the BBC TV series Doctor Who...
and films like St Trinian'sSt Trinian's, called St. Trinian's School For Bad Girls in the U.S., is the sixth in a long-running series of films based on the works of cartoonist Ronald Searle...
, Fade to BlackFade to Black is a 2006 thriller film directed by Oliver Parker and starring Danny Huston as Orson Welles.-Synopsis:The year is 1948. His Hollywood career deadlocked, Orson Welles is in need to get over his failed marriage to Rita Hayworth...
and over 300 similar projects. Steve is also the Vice Chairman of the Music Producers' Guild of the UK. In the popular music arena Steve has recorded artistes such as Natalie ImbrugliaNatalie Jane Imbruglia is an Australian singer-songwriter, model and actress.In the early 1990s, Imbruglia was known to audiences as Beth Brennan Willis in the popular Australian soap Neighbours. Three years after leaving the program, Imbruglia launched a singing career with the international...
, Bryan AdamsBryan Adams, OC, OBC is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter and photographer. Adams was first nominated at the 28th Grammy Awards for Reckless and "It's Only Love" and won the Grammy and in 1992 won the award for "Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media"...
, The WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend, vocalist Roger Daltrey, bassist John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They became known for energetic live performances including the pioneering spectacle of instrument destruction...
, Iron MaidenIron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in East London, formed in 1975. The band are directed by founder, bassist and songwriter Steve Harris...
and Super Furry AnimalsSuper Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band, with leanings towards psychedelic rock and electronic experimentation. Since their formation in Cardiff, Wales in 1993, the band has consisted of Gruff Rhys , Huw Bunford , Guto Pryce , Cian Ciaran and Dafydd Ieuan...
as well as acting as music director and senior sound engineer at the John LennonJohn Winston Ono Lennon, MBE was an English rock musician, singer-songwriter, author, and peace activist who gained worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles...
and Nelson Mandella tribute concerts.
- Jemma Griffiths
Jemma Griffiths , better known as Jem, is a Welsh singer-songwriter known for her eclectic musical stylings. Her debut album, Finally Woken, includes elements of rock, new wave-styled electronica and trip-hop...
(born 18 June 1975) – a singer-songwriter better known as Jem. She was born in Penarth where she attended Stanwell School and went on to attend Sussex University, obtaining a degree in law. Along with Guy Sigsworth, she wrote the song "Nothing Fails"Nothing Fails" is the third single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her 2003 studio album American Life. It was released by Maverick Records on November 21 2003. There was little promotion to accompany it and no music video was filmed. Its performance on the charts was lackluster...
", which was later reworked by MadonnaMadonna is an American recording artist, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, and raised in Rochester Hills, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977, for a career in modern dance...
and appeared on her 2003 American LifeAmerican Life is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on April 22, 2003 by Maverick Records. The RIAA certified it platinum on July 7, 2003, in recognition of one million shipments throughout the United States, where it has sold 674,000 copies...
album.
- Amanda Haswell – the Welsh Commonwealth
The Commonwealth Games is a multinational, multi-sport event. Held every four years, it involves the elite athletes of the Commonwealth of Nations. Attendance at the Commonwealth Games is typically around 5,000 athletes...
and British OlympicThe Olympic Games are a major international event of summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes compete in a wide variety of events. The Games are currently held every two years, with Summer and Winter Olympic Games alternating. Originally, the ancient Olympic Games were held in...
high diver in the 1960s was born in Penarth and attended Penarth Grammar School.
- Peter Philp
Denis Alfred Peter Philp , was a Welsh dramatist and antiques expert, best known for his television series, Collectors' Club....
(10 November 1920 – 5 February 2006) – a Welsh dramatist and antiques expert, best known for his television series, Collectors' Club.
See also