Ysgol Calon Cymru

Ysgol Calon Cymru (meaning 'Heart of Wales School') is a bilingual secondary comprehensive school with campuses in Builth Wells and Llandrindod Wells, Powys, mid Wales. It replaced Builth Wells High School and Llandrindod High School and opened at the former schools' sites in September 2018.

Ysgol Calon Cymru
Location
Llandrindod Wells
(52.2436°N 3.3845°W / 52.2436; -3.3845 (Ysgol Calon Cymru, Llandrindod Wells Campus))
Builth Wells
(52.1509°N 3.4074°W / 52.1509; -3.4074 (Ysgol Calon Cymru, Builth Wells Campus))

Wales
Information
Former namesBuilth Wells High School
Llandrindod High School
TypeComprehensive
MottoThe School at the Heart of Wales
(Yr Ysgol yng Nghanol Cymru)
EstablishedSeptember 2018 (September 2018)
Local authorityPowys County Council
Head teacherRichard Jones
GenderMixed
Age11 to 18[1]
LanguageEnglish or Welsh
Color(s)   Red and Navy
Last InspectionOctober 2022
Websitewww.ysgolcalon.cymru

History

Builth Wells High School and Llandrindod High School

Ysgol Calon Cymru was created as a new school on the sites of the former high schools of Builth Wells and Llandrindod Wells in Powys.

Ysgol Calon Cymru

A decision to replace Builth Wells High School and Llandrindod High School was made by Powys County Council in September 2016 and confirmed in February 2017, despite the council receiving more than 1,700 letters of objection.[2] Llandrindod High School, with 600 pupils, had been put into special measures in 2014 by the school inspection body, Estyn,[3] but by the end of the 2017/18 academic year 74% of pupils attained at least five A*-C grades at GCSE.[4] Builth Wells High School had seen 66% of its pupils attain at least five A*-C grades at GCSE in the 2016/17 year.[5] £3.6 million was used in 2018 from the Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools programme to improve the school facilities at the Llandrindod High School site.[6]

In February 2018 the new name for the school, Ysgol Calon Cymru, was announced, following consultation with staff and pupils at the secondary schools and their feeder primary schools.[7] The new Ysgol Calon Cymru opened on the sites of its two predecessor secondary schools in September 2018, providing English-medium education on both sites and Welsh-medium education at the Builth Wells site.[6]

Leadership team

In late 2017 the governors announced their appointment of Mrs Ionwen Spowage, former Head Teacher of Builth Wells High School to be that of Ysgol Calon Cymru, commencing inceptive work in January 2018. The full leadership team was agreed and announced shortly thereafter.[8]

At the beginning of 2019, the original headteacher announced that she was to become Head of Ysgol Bro Dinefwr in Carmarthenshire with effect from Easter.[9] Governors selected Mr Steve Patten and Mr Lee Powell as the acting Heads pending their formal decision of the permanent-contract replacement.

In December 2019, the governors announced that Mr Richard Jones would take up post as Headteacher from January 2020. Chair of Governors Sharon Hammond said Mr Jones would bring “invaluable knowledge and experience” to the school.[10] Mrs Janet Waldron would also join the school as Executive Leader on a two-year contract.[11]

Facilities

Ysgol Calon Cymru consists of two campuses, one located in Builth Wells and one located in Llandrindod Wells. In 2022, the school opened a new Sixth Form Centre and Community Hub in Llandrindod Wells on the site of the town's former Youth Centre and Scout Hall. The building is located within the school grounds close to the main campus and, in addition to being a centre for the school's Sixth Form, has also continued to be used by local community groups such as Scouts, Guides, Brownies and Rainbows and the Llandrindod Youth Club. Upon the centre's opening, Ysgol Calon Cymru headteacher Richard Jones said that Ysgol Calon Cymru "is very proud of its community links and we hope that this facility will strengthen them further."[12]

Extracurricular

Sport

Ysgol Calon Cymru has a strong sports department, and offers extracurricular activities in athletics, basketball, football, netball, rugby and squash. The school and its predecessors have produced multiple athletes who have represented Wales, including football international Alice Evans[13] and rugby union international Dan Lydiate.[14] In November 2022, Ysgol Calon Cymru's U18 rugby team reached the final of the Welsh Schools Rugby Union Vase, with the final due to take place at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff in March 2023.[15]

Notable former pupils
Welsh rugby international Dan Lydiate attended Ysgol Calon Cymru when it was known as Llandrindod High School

The following notable people were educated at Ysgol Calon Cymru (or its predecessors Builth Wells High School and Llandrindod High School):

References
  1. "Students". Ysgol Calon Cymru. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  2. Twm Owen (28 February 2017). "Closure of Llandrindod and Builth Wells high schools confirmed". The Brecon & Radnor Express. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  3. "Llandrindod High School in special measures after Estyn inspection". BBC News. 9 December 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  4. Josie Le Vay (24 August 2018). "Llandrindod High School: 74% of students achieve grades A* - C". Powys County Times. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  5. Elgan Hearn (25 August 2017). "Powys GCSE pupils are above the national average". Powys County Times. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  6. Anwen Parry (6 September 2018). "Ysgol Calon Cymru: Hundreds of pupils start back at Powys' newest school". Powys County Times. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  7. Twm Owen (5 February 2018). "Name for new school for Llandrindod and Builth Wells revealed". The Brecon & Radnor Express. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  8. "Ysgol Calon Cymru". Powys County Council. 27 February 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  9. "Departing headteacher warns of challenges for mid Powys high school". Powys County Times. 12 April 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  10. "New school leader pledges to 'be the best'". County Times. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  11. "Executive Leader appointed for Ysgol Calon Cymru". Powys County Council. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  12. "Teenagers make the move from Llandrindod Wells campus to new sixth form hub". County Times. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  13. "From Powys to Sardinia – futsal star living the dream after signing with Italian side". County Times. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  14. "Welsh rugby star Dan Lydiate lends support to threatened Llanbister Primary School". County Times. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  15. "Ysgol Calon Cymru heading for rugby final at the Principality Stadium | brecon-radnor.co.uk". Brecon & Radnor Express. 2 December 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
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