A competition was run to design a Newport Comprehensive School in 1968, and was won by Eldred Evans and David Shalev, of Foster Associates. A report on the winning design explained that the building was organised in three tiers, each around a house system with the lower school to the south, then the middle school, then the specialist teaching block and subject rooms to the north, all running parallel to each other. The halls and library/sixth form complexes were placed to the east and west of these tiers respectively.

The circulation within each of the main tiers was arranged on a gridiron pattern on two levels using both covered and open walkways, while covered walkways linked east-west to the library and hall complexes and north-south to the other tiers. Some covered walkways end in open teaching terraces allowing for outdoor lessons. Further covered north-south walkways linked pupils from the school bus dropping area to the main school. Each house was comprised of three south facing teaching areas,that could be flexibly arranged according to need, an activity room and a house dining room. these rooms were arranged around a central, partially covered, courtyard, into which the classes could overspill. The design was intended to encourage a flexibility of space use.

The school was finally built in 1972, but closed and was demolished in 2009.

S Fielding RCAHMW March 2019