Welcome to Bishop Hedley Catholic High School

Bishop Hedley Catholic High School was established in 1967 after local people had campaigned and raised money to provide for pupils of the Roman Catholic faith in the Heads of the Valley area. At present 82% of pupils are Roman Catholic and 18% who seek a Christian education. The vast majority of pupils transfer from our partner primary schools which serve the parishes of Merthyr, Aberdare, Hirwaun, Merthyr Vale, Gurnos, Dowlais, Tredegar, Rhymney, Brynmawr and Ebbw Vale.

The school, named after Dr John Hedley, Bishop of Newport and Menevia, is situated in the parish of St Illtyd’s, Dowlais. St Illtyd’s Church was the first Catholic Church to be built in the Valleys since the Reformation and was opened by Bishop Hedley, thus it seemed appropriate that the school be dedicated to him. Bishop Hedley fought for the cause of Catholic education and was noted for insisting that religious education was more than simply learning Church teaching, but should prepare a child for life.

Today, Bishop Hedley Catholic High School is a community which serves pupils from all corners of the globe, from Portugal, Poland, the Philippines, Brazil and Angola as well as the locality. It is a vibrant community and, as a Catholic school, Bishop Hedley is a believing community, taking Christ as its model, where pupils are presented with a Christian witness to Gospel values, to be challenged to love others and to accept Christ into their lives, creating a school where all are treated in a Christian way while they develop socially, morally and academically.

The qualities to be nurtured in Bishop Hedley are those of an inclusive community, family spirit, good relationships, recognising the dignity of each, pupil and staff, as being created in God’s image, displaying care, compassion, and forgiveness, based on the vision of Christ. As such, Bishop Hedley Catholic High School believes in reaching out to the community, working in partnership with the family, the parish and the wider community.

All this is encapsulated in our school motto is ‘Duw A Digon’, or 'God is enough'.