The future is exciting for Ysgol Gwynllyw. As of September 2022 it will become the first Welsh medium all-age school in the area and the first all-age school in Torfaen.

Name of headteacher and how long in role

Miss Helen Rogers (acting headteacher) since June 2021

Number of pupils and what age range

750 pupils between the ages of 11 and 18.

Number of staff

Teachers - 55. Teaching assistants - 12. Non teaching staff - 10

Tell us a bit about the school

Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw is a Welsh-medium comprehensive school located in Trevethin and is named after Saint Gwynllyw.

The school was founded in 1988 as the first Welsh-medium comprehensive school in the former Gwent LEA area and is housed in accommodation previously used for Trevethin Comprehensive School.

For its first three years Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw was housed in the old Abercarn Infant School house but soon outgrew the building.

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As one of the fastest growing schools in Wales, bigger premises were needed and the old Trevethin upper school was suggested by the education authority.

Pupils at the school are taught completely in Welsh and come from a range of Welsh-language feeder schools. The aim is to immerse pupils in Welsh and to enable them to be educated entirely in it as their native language. However the majority of our pupils come from non Welsh speaking homes.

The ethos at Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw is a special one and the staff uphold high values in order to convey this ethos to pupils as a foundation for their personal development. "Welshness" or Cymreictod as it is affectionately called in the Welsh language, is an essential element which is incorporated in every aspect of school life, and which is the main reason for our existence.

Our motto is "Un tîm un teulu" which translates to "One team one family". We are an inclusive school with a caring environment all built around the Welsh language and culture.

If relevant, what are your exam results like and what percentage of pupils go on to university?

Last year 82 per cent of our Year 13 pupils went on to university. Over the last two years three of our students have go to either Oxford or Cambridge.

What sorts of things do your pupils get up to in the average school week?

Written by our head girl Maisy Evans: During a week at school, we attend our lessons which are on a two-week timetable. I study Mathematics, Biology and Chemistry. These lessons are all delivered through the medium of Welsh from Monday to Friday. Form time has a purpose each day. Mondays have a focus on wellbeing; we're given the opportunity to check in with our form tutors and raise any questions or concerns. In Sixth Form, we consider Tuesdays our fun days where we partake in a relaxed activity like a quiz or a fundraiser. Throughout the rest of the week, in addition to lessons, we often have talks with Universities and other establishments to learn more about our career prospects. The Sixth Form common room has a pool table so when we are not in lessons (at break, dinner), we often conduct pool tournaments which we see as a great way to release some steam and have fun.

Tell us about your extra curricular activities?

Outside of Covid times we offered a full range of extra curricular activities such as lunchtime and after school clubs, various female and male sports teams. Our pupils regularly compete in local and National eisteddfods. Last year Kayley Sydenham won the award for Prifardd in the Urdd National Eisteddfod. Before Covid we visited Glan Llyn and Tresaith for residential trips annually with various year groups and we also offered trips abroad which included activities such as skiing.

Any famous former pupils?

Steffan Lewis - MS for South Wales East; Aimee-Ffion Edwards - actress; Cerys Hale - Wales Women rugby international; Aneurin Owen - rugby player for The Dragons and member of the Welsh Squad; Jamie Routley - artist; and Lloyd Lewis - Welsh 7's squad / presenter for S4C

Do you have a PTA and how do they get involved with the school?

Cyfeillion Gwynllyw - They have a social media group and help raise money to enhance the learning experiences of our pupils.

What's the highlight of the school year for you - and for the pupils?

Every day!

Who is your chairman of governors and how does the board of governors get involved with the school?

Our chair of governors is Betsan O'Connor. Our board of governors play an full active role within the school. They are a key part of any major decision and meet regularly with various members of staff.

What does the future hold for your school?

The future is exciting for us at Ysgol Gwynllyw. As of September 2022 we're opening as an all-age school, the first Welsh medium all-age school in the area and the first all-age school in Torfaen.

We will begin with nursery and reception classes and will increase by one year group every year. We have a new building for our primary-aged pupils, which will be ready for visitors by March 2022. Our secondary phase areas will also be updated over the coming years so that we have modern facilities that will enhance the learning experiences of our pupils.

How was it during the pandemic?

We had to completely change our method of delivery however our key teaching and learning principles remained. Lessons were a mixture of synchronous and asynchronous, we also held regular well-being sessions with our pupils. Our staff were amazing in the way they adapted to online teaching and the wellbeing of pupils and staff was our main priority throughout the pandemic. Our pupils also stepped up to the challenge of the pandemic as they too had to learn new ways of learning.

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