Lansdowne Primary School

Lansdowne Primary School (Welsh: Ysgol Gynradd Lansdowne) is a Victorian primary school that opened in 1898 in Canton, Cardiff, Wales.

History

The school was designed by architects Veall & Sant and opened in January 1898.[1]

During the First World War the school was commandeered and used as a military hospital, before reopening as a school again in 1918. The school was badly damaged by incendiary bombs during the Second World War, when a bombing raid hit Cardiff in January 1941.[1]

In the last 20 years the school has seen the fabric of the building being renovated with new double glazing on the first floor of the Juniors building In the mid 1990s a nursery school was added and about a year after the schools centenary year the overgrown and neglected nature garden was removed. On the cusp of the new Millennium the long-standing headmaster, Mr Davies retired and was presented with a wooden garden bench as a mark of gratitude from staff and pupils.

In 2001 Lansdowne School and School House were granted grade 2 Listing as historic buildings.[2]

Present day

There are currently 382 children attending the school from nearly 200 local families. 71% of the children attending the school are from the local area and within walking distance. Lansdowne also has a Nursery Unit.

In November 2007 Cardiff Council proposed to close Lansdowne Primary School to provide a new site for the local Welsh medium primary school, Ysgol Treganna. This proposal culminated in a campaign by parents and children, with two bus loads of protesters arriving outside the Senedd in March 2010 to petition Education Minister, Leighton Andrews, to reject the closure.[3][4]

On 17 January 2008 Lansdowne Primary celebrated its 110th Birthday. School pupils created a Victorian fair to mark the occasion.[1]

In November 2011 the school received the CILT Cymru Award for their foreign language teaching and international links.[5]

References
  1. Moira Sharkey Years rolled back to Victorian era, South Wales Echo, 17 January 2008. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  2. Lansdowne School, School House, Canton, British Listed Buildings database. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  3. Katie Norman Parents will fight on for Lansdowne primary school, South Wales Echo, 1 May 2009. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  4. Gareth Evans Senedd protest over Ysgol Treganna, South Wales Echo, 26 March 2010. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  5. Schools rewarded for their global teaching, South Wales Echo, 12 November 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
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