Ysgol Bryn Elian  Ysgol Bryn Elian is an 11–18 bilingual co-educational Comprehensive school on Windsor Drive in Old Colwyn. Along with Eirias High School and Coleg Llandrillo Cymru (which is sixth-form-level only) it serves the state secondary education sector in the Colwyn Bay area. The school has been in existence since the 1970s, when it was initially created as a Secondary modern school to accept those unable to get into the town's Grammar school, Eirias High School. In the mid-seventies, the Secretary of State for Education ordered both schools to become comprehensives. Ysgol Bryn Elian's history prior to 1988 was largely uneventful, in that its performance was considered satisfactory to good in the inspections by Estyn. In 1988, following the retirement of the incumbent headteacher and the secondment of a Deputy, the school underwent significant change, however, occasioned, in large part, by the appointment of a new Head teacher (James Whippe) with significant inner-city education experience, gained in both London and Liverpool, and a temporary, later to be made permanent, Deputy. The school in 2006 had a visit from (BBC Radio 1) and also (ordinary boys). And also in 2007 were visited by late singer (Lil Chris) . The School recently won the Wales Quality Award "Prize for Learning". To date they are the only school in Wales to do so. The school has played host to the band the Ordinary Boys on the first day of BBC Radio 1's Star Pupil competition in early 2007 and has also seen the likes of Lil' Chris and European Gold and Olympic Silver Medallist, Campbell Walsh making appearances. They have a successful music department, achieving many prizes in the Urdd Eisteddfod and producing high quality musicals. In 2009 they gained 1st place in the county round, progressing to the national finals in Cardiff and have won the Learner's Cerdd Dant Party Competition nationally for 4 years running. Their D of E programme is widely considered to be one of the best in the area due the sheer number of participants who achieve Bronze Silver and Gold, amounting to more than produced by the rest of the county. Estyn commented: "One way in which the school’s values are exemplified is through the provision of a wide range of extra-curricular activities such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, whereby the school enables a very large number of students to participate in the Award.