Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf
Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf is a Welsh-medium coeducational secondary school in Llandaff North, a district in the north of Cardiff, Wales and is the largest of its kind in the country. The name 'Glantaf' means 'The bank of the river Taf' in Welsh. Of the three Welsh-medium secondary schools serving Cardiff, it was the first to be established (the others being Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Plasmawr and Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Edern). Although all students speak Welsh and normally have received Welsh-language primary education, 68% (as of 2005) come from homes where Welsh is not the first language.[2]
Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf | |
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Main entrance to reception | |
Address | |
Bridge Road , CF14 2JL | |
Information | |
Type | State school |
Motto | 'Coron Gwlad Ei Mamiaith' ('A Country's Crown is Her Mother Tongue') |
Established | 1978 |
Department for Education URN | 401885 Tables |
Head Teacher | Mr. Matthew Evans |
Gender | Both |
Age | 11 to 18 |
Enrolment | 1,323 (2012)[1] |
Houses | Dewi, Dyfrig, Illtud, Teilo |
Colour(s) | Light and dark blue |
Website | http://www.glantaf.cymru |
History
Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf was founded in 1978, initially sharing premises with the English-language Glantaf High School, before expanding to occupy the entire building. Its first Headmaster was Mr. J E Malcom Thomas, who was succeeded upon his retirement in 1995 by Mr. Huw S Thomas, and then by Headmistress Mrs. Rhiannon Lloyd from Rhydywaun School. In early 2010, the Board of Governors announced that from September 2010 the former Head of Rhydywaun School would take over from Mrs Rhiannon Lloyd. From September 2010 Mr Alun Davies was Headmaster prior to Mr. Mathew Evans joining the school in September 2020 as Headteacher from Ysgol Gymraeg Ystalyfera Bro Dur.[3]
Pupil numbers at the school increased into four figures during the mid-1980s, necessitating the annexing of the buildings of the old Waterhall School in Fairwater to form the Ysgol Isaf (Lower School), which housed the First and Second forms (later Years 7 and 8) of the school from 1986. This split-site arrangement continued until the opening of Cardiff's second Welsh-medium Comprehensive School, Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Plasmawr, in 1998, from which point the Llandaff North site again housed the entirety of Glantaf's pupils.
Welsh-medium education
Education in Wales differs in certain respects from the systems used elsewhere in the United Kingdom. Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf is a Welsh-medium school, which means that all lessons except English Language and Literature should take place in the Welsh language. The social use of Welsh is also highly encouraged, in order to ensure the pupils' fluency in the language. Ysgol Glantaf presents VIth form students for the Welsh Baccalaureate examination.
Ethos
The school's motto is Coron Gwlad Ei Mamiaith, which translates to 'A Country's Crown is Her Mother Tongue'. The school colours are light and dark blue.
Houses
The school's four houses are named after Welsh saints: Dewi (house colour: yellow), Dyfrig (green), Illtud (red) and Teilo (blue). The four houses annually compete in the "Gŵyl Glantaf" (Glantaf Festival), in which there is a day of sports and a day of singing, playing instruments, reciting and numerous other events in the theme of the Eisteddfod.
Results
In 2008, 76% of pupils at GCSE (or equivalent) (ages 15 to 16) year achieved 5 or more A* - C grades at GCSE,[4] and 76% of pupils at A/AS level (or equivalent) (ages 17 to 18) achieved two or more A - C grades.[4]
Notable former pupils
- Arts & Media
- Gareth Bonello, musician
- Huw Bunford, musician, member of Super Furry Animals
- Siân Grigg, BAFTA winner and Oscar nominated Hollywood make up artist
- Ioan Gruffudd, actor
- Gethin Jones, television presenter and former Blue Peter presenter
- Paul Carey Jones, opera singer
- Llwyd Owen, Welsh-language author
- Owen Powell, musician, former member of Catatonia
- Matthew Pritchard, television presenter
- Guto Pryce, musician, member of the Super Furry Animals
- Iwan Rheon, actor
- Matthew Rhys, actor
- Gwenno Saunders, musician, former member of The Pipettes
- Huw Stephens, radio presenter and DJ
- Ceiri Torjussen, film score composer and orchestrator
- Jeremy Huw Williams, opera singer
- Dyfed Wyn-Evans, opera singer
- Sport
- Owain Doull, racing cyclist, member of the gold medal-winning team pursuit squad at the 2016 Summer Olympics[5]
- Ioan Lloyd, Rugby Union, Bristol Bears & Wales u20
- Seb Davies, Rugby Union, Cardiff Blues & Wales
- Tom Isaacs, Rugby Union, Ospreys & Cardiff Blues, Rugby Sevens, Wales[6]
- Darius Jokarzadeh, Olympic weightlifter, represented Wales at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.[7]
- Max Llewellyn Rugby Union, Cardiff Blues & Wales u20
- Rhys Patchell, Rugby Union, Scarlets & Wales[6]
- Jamie Roberts, Rugby Union player, Cardiff Blues & Wales[6]
- Jamie Robinson, Rugby Union player, Cardiff Blues & Wales
- Nicky Robinson, Rugby Union player, Cardiff Blues & Wales
- Lee Thomas, Rugby Union player, Cardiff Blues[6]
- Politics
- Eluned Morgan, Member of the Senedd, Welsh Government Minister for International Relations and the Welsh Language.
- Other
- Ffion Hague, broadcaster and author, wife of Lord William Hague
See also
- Emyr Currie-Jones, Chairman of the Education Committee of Cardiff City Council, promoted the foundation of the school
References
- 'Your Local School'. Retrieved 26 July 2013
- 2005 inspection
- "Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf web site". Archived from the original on 19 June 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
- http://www.npd-wales.gov.uk/pagecontent/shared/PublicDocs/681/SEC/6814071E.pdf%5B%5D
- "Cymro Cymraeg Euraidd y Gemau Olympaidd" [Golden Welsh Speaker at Olympic Games]. bbc.co.uk (in Welsh). 13 August 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
- "Stars are on opposite sides of the fence". South Wales Echo. 24 April 2012.
- "Weighlifting: Darius Jokarzadeh confident he can realise Olympic dream". Wales Online. 2 May 2012.
External links
- Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf web site (in Welsh)
- 2005 inspection report (.pdf)