Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni
Encyclopedia
Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni is a Welsh-medium
school situated in the village of Fleur-de-Lys
in the Rhymney Valley
. Cwm Rhymni was founded in 1981 with little more than 100 pupils and as of 2007 this number has grown to over 1,000.
The school's motto is 'Tua'r Goleuni' (Towards the Light) and its badge is a dragon
on its hind-legs. The school is traditionally represented by the colours red and black.
Cwm Rhymni was originally situated on two sites, a Lower school for years 7 and 8 and an Upper school for years 9 to 13, situated in Aberbargoed
and Bargoed
respectively. By the late 1990s these buildings were in very poor condition, and after a long struggle the school was finally granted permission to build a new state of the art one-site building in Fleur-de-lys
, which opened in 2002. The new building was funded through PFI
. The original Headmaster of Cwm Rhymni was Mr Huw Thomas, who was succeeded by Mr Hefin Mathias in 1995. Mr Mathias was in turn succeeded upon his retirement in 2008 by Mr Owain ap Dafydd.
Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni has a strong reputation in relation to sports, especially in rugby
and athletics. The school has also faired very well down the years in the Urdd Eisteddfod.
Cwm Rhymni has a very large catchment area
stretching from Rhymney
near the top of the valley to Caerphilly
. The breadth of the catchment area is reflected by the names of the three main corridors in the school; Ebwy
, Sirhywi
and Rhymni
; three adjoining South Wales Valleys
that all feed some pupils into Cwm Rhymni. Prior to the establishment of Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw
in 1988, Cwm Rhymni's catchment area also included the whole of the county of Gwent
and pupils attended the school from as far afield as Newport
and Chepstow
.
The school's four houses are named after Welsh
saint
s: Mabon
(house colour: yellow), Cadog
(green), Tudful
(purple) and Sannan (blue). Tudful was a later addition to the original three houses as the school's numbers grew in the early 1990s. In 2009, a new house, Ilan, was also created in addition to the previous four houses because of the growing number of students. Currently, only the new year 7 students are in this house, but it's expected that it will expand to include the rest of the student body in the new school year. Also, because of the growing number of pupils staying on for Sixth Form, a new house, Sannan-Tudful, was created to deal with the increase.
The school also has recently received excellent ratings from the May 2010 Estyn Report, grading mostly the highest level (Level 1) to the main subjects inspected, and above all straight Level 1's in the "Key Question" section. Estyn Report May 2010
Head teacher Owain ap Dafydd responded to the news by saying: “We are absolutely determined to maintain and build further upon these excellent standards while planning for the future of this school.” Caerphilly Observer The school's councillor Phil Bevan, chair of Governors, remarked similarly to the results, stating that the inspection clarified what he had always held to be true about the quality of Cwm Rhymni, in a national context : “I am absolutely delighted with this outstanding report. I have always believed that Cwm Rhymni is one of the best schools in Wales and this report proves it. To get these grades I think you need to have something special and credit needs to be given to the whole school community for this fantastic achievement.” Caerphilly Observer [2
, Pontypool. With this parrtnership more courses are made available in both schools. This type of programme has been tried in many schools before but the main difference with partneriaeth 6 is that the teachers travel between the schools or teach via conference link. Currently the school is trying to expand this partnership to include Ysgol Gyfun Rhydywaun
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
school situated in the village of Fleur-de-Lys
Pengam
Pengam is a former coal community in the Rhymney Valley, Caerphilly county borough, in Wales. As of 2001, it has a population of 3,842.-Location and population:...
in the Rhymney Valley
Rhymney Valley
The Rhymney Valley is a valley encompassing the villages of Abertysswg, Fochriw, Pontlottyn, Tirphil, New Tredegar, Aberbargoed, Rhymney, and Ystrad Mynach, and the towns of Bargoed and Caerphilly, in south-east Wales, formerly famous for its coal mining and iron industries.-Geography:Created as a...
. Cwm Rhymni was founded in 1981 with little more than 100 pupils and as of 2007 this number has grown to over 1,000.
The school's motto is 'Tua'r Goleuni' (Towards the Light) and its badge is a dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
on its hind-legs. The school is traditionally represented by the colours red and black.
History
Aberbargoed
Aberbargoed is a small town in the Welsh county borough of Caerphilly, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, south Wales. Aberbargoed once contained the largest ever colliery waste tip in Europe, although this has now been reclaimed and turned into a country park.- Mining :Coal mining...
and Bargoed
Bargoed
Bargoed is a town in the Rhymney Valley, Wales, one of the South Wales Valleys. It lies on the Rhymney River in the county borough of Caerphilly and straddles ancient boundary of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire. 'Greater Bargoed', as defined by the local authority Caerphilly County Borough Council,...
respectively. By the late 1990s these buildings were in very poor condition, and after a long struggle the school was finally granted permission to build a new state of the art one-site building in Fleur-de-lys
Pengam
Pengam is a former coal community in the Rhymney Valley, Caerphilly county borough, in Wales. As of 2001, it has a population of 3,842.-Location and population:...
, which opened in 2002. The new building was funded through PFI
Private Finance Initiative
The private finance initiative is a way of creating "public–private partnerships" by funding public infrastructure projects with private capital...
. The original Headmaster of Cwm Rhymni was Mr Huw Thomas, who was succeeded by Mr Hefin Mathias in 1995. Mr Mathias was in turn succeeded upon his retirement in 2008 by Mr Owain ap Dafydd.
Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni has a strong reputation in relation to sports, especially in rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
and athletics. The school has also faired very well down the years in the Urdd Eisteddfod.
Cwm Rhymni has a very large catchment area
Catchment area (human geography)
In human geography, a catchment area is the area and population from which a city or individual service attracts visitors or customers. For example, a school catchment area is the geographic area from which students are eligible to attend a local school...
stretching from Rhymney
Rhymney
Rhymney is a town and a community located in the county borough of Caerphilly in south-east Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. Along with the villages of Pontlottyn, Fochriw, Abertysswg, Deri and New Tredegar, Rhymney is designated as the 'Upper Rhymney Valley' by the local...
near the top of the valley to Caerphilly
Caerphilly
Caerphilly is a town in the county borough of Caerphilly, south Wales, located at the southern end of the Rhymney Valley, with a population of approximately 31,000. It is a commuter town of Cardiff and Newport, which are located some 7.5 miles and 12 miles away, respectively...
. The breadth of the catchment area is reflected by the names of the three main corridors in the school; Ebwy
Ebbw River
The Ebbw River is a river in South Wales.The main Ebbw River is formed by the confluence of the two minor Ebbw rivers, Ebbw Fach, and Ebbw Fawr ....
, Sirhywi
Sirhowy Valley
The Sirhowy Valley is an industrialised valley in the eastern part of the Valleys region of South Wales. It is named from the Sirhowy River which runs through it. Its upper reaches are occupied by the town of Tredegar within the unitary area of Blaenau Gwent...
and Rhymni
Rhymney Valley
The Rhymney Valley is a valley encompassing the villages of Abertysswg, Fochriw, Pontlottyn, Tirphil, New Tredegar, Aberbargoed, Rhymney, and Ystrad Mynach, and the towns of Bargoed and Caerphilly, in south-east Wales, formerly famous for its coal mining and iron industries.-Geography:Created as a...
; three adjoining South Wales Valleys
South Wales Valleys
The South Wales Valleys are a number of industrialised valleys in South Wales, stretching from eastern Carmarthenshire in the west to western Monmouthshire in the east and from the Heads of the Valleys in the north to the lower-lying, pastoral country of the Vale of Glamorgan and the coastal plain...
that all feed some pupils into Cwm Rhymni. Prior to the establishment of Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw
Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw
' is a Welsh-medium comprehensive school located in Trevethin, Pontypool in Torfaen, Wales and named for Saint Gwynllyw.- History :The school was founded in 1988 as the first Welsh-medium school in the former Gwent LEA area and is housed in accommodation previously used for Trevethin Comprehensive...
in 1988, Cwm Rhymni's catchment area also included the whole of the county of Gwent
Gwent (county)
Gwent is a preserved county and a former local government county in south-east Wales. It was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, and was named after the ancient Kingdom of Gwent....
and pupils attended the school from as far afield as Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
and Chepstow
Chepstow
Chepstow is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the River Wye, close to its confluence with the River Severn, and close to the western end of the Severn Bridge on the M48 motorway...
.
The school's four houses are named after Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s: Mabon
Mabon ap Modron
Mabon ap Modron is a prominent figure from Welsh literature and mythology, the son of Modron and a member of Arthur's warband. Both he and his mother were likely deities in origin, descending from a divine mother–son pair. His name is related to the Romano-British god Maponos, whose name means...
(house colour: yellow), Cadog
Cadoc
Saint Cadoc , Abbot of Llancarfan, was one of the 6th century British Christian saints. His vita twice mentions King Arthur. The Abbey of Llancarfan, near Cowbridge in Glamorganshire, which he founded circa 518, became famous as a centre of learning...
(green), Tudful
Tydfil
Saint Tydfil , Standard Welsh Tudful, was a 5th century female saint associated with Merthyr Tydfil in Glamorgan, south Wales....
(purple) and Sannan (blue). Tudful was a later addition to the original three houses as the school's numbers grew in the early 1990s. In 2009, a new house, Ilan, was also created in addition to the previous four houses because of the growing number of students. Currently, only the new year 7 students are in this house, but it's expected that it will expand to include the rest of the student body in the new school year. Also, because of the growing number of pupils staying on for Sixth Form, a new house, Sannan-Tudful, was created to deal with the increase.
The school also has recently received excellent ratings from the May 2010 Estyn Report, grading mostly the highest level (Level 1) to the main subjects inspected, and above all straight Level 1's in the "Key Question" section. Estyn Report May 2010
Head teacher Owain ap Dafydd responded to the news by saying: “We are absolutely determined to maintain and build further upon these excellent standards while planning for the future of this school.” Caerphilly Observer The school's councillor Phil Bevan, chair of Governors, remarked similarly to the results, stating that the inspection clarified what he had always held to be true about the quality of Cwm Rhymni, in a national context : “I am absolutely delighted with this outstanding report. I have always believed that Cwm Rhymni is one of the best schools in Wales and this report proves it. To get these grades I think you need to have something special and credit needs to be given to the whole school community for this fantastic achievement.” Caerphilly Observer [2
Partneriaeth 6
Cwm Rhymni currently has a partnership with Ysgol Gyfun GwynllywYsgol Gyfun Gwynllyw
' is a Welsh-medium comprehensive school located in Trevethin, Pontypool in Torfaen, Wales and named for Saint Gwynllyw.- History :The school was founded in 1988 as the first Welsh-medium school in the former Gwent LEA area and is housed in accommodation previously used for Trevethin Comprehensive...
, Pontypool. With this parrtnership more courses are made available in both schools. This type of programme has been tried in many schools before but the main difference with partneriaeth 6 is that the teachers travel between the schools or teach via conference link. Currently the school is trying to expand this partnership to include Ysgol Gyfun Rhydywaun
Ysgol Gyfun Rhydywaun
Ysgol Gyfun Rhydywaun is a Welsh Medium comprehensive school in the Cynon Valley in the village of Penywaun, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.The school was established in 1995...
Notable former pupils
- Adam Thomas, Drummer of Exit_international.
- Aled JamesAled JamesAled James is rugby league player-coach for the South Wales Scorpions in the Championship 1. He previously played for the Crusaders in the European Super League...
, Wales Rugby League International and Head Coach of South Wales ScorpionsSouth Wales ScorpionsSouth Wales Scorpions Rugby League Football Club is a professional rugby league club formed in 2009, based in Neath, Wales. They are owned by a consortium of South Wales businessmen, led by Phil Davies... - Aled Phillips, Lead-singer of Kids in Glass HousesKids in Glass HousesKids in Glass Houses are a Welsh rock band from Cardiff, and are considered a significant part of the Cardiff music scene. The band's name is inspired by the lyrics "not throwing stones at you anymore" from Glassjaw song "Tip Your Bartender". The band achieved success on the strength of the singles...
- Huw Euron, Pobol y CwmPobol y CwmPobol y Cwm is a Welsh-language television soap opera which has been produced by the BBC since October 1974. The longest-running television soap opera produced by the BBC, Pobol y Cwm was originally transmitted on BBC Wales television and later transferred to the Welsh-language station S4C when it...
Actor - Aaron RamseyAaron RamseyAaron James Ramsey is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for the premier league club Arsenal and is the captain of the Wales national football team...
, Arsenal and Wales Footballer - Rhys Shorney, Rugby Union Player, Welsh Premier League record try scorer in one match http://www.blackandambers.co.uk/Personnel.aspx?pr=167965
- Cerith Hynam, BBC WalesBBC WalesBBC Cymru Wales is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages.Outside...
Producer - Radio Feynman, Welsh-language Rock band
- Alun Shurmmer, BBC WalesBBC WalesBBC Cymru Wales is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages.Outside...
Head of Communications - Natasha Harding, Women's Footballer
- Jobe Bruzas, ITV presenter
- Matthew PewtnerMatthew PewtnerMatthew Pewtner is a Welsh rugby union player for Newport RFC and the Newport Gwent Dragons regional team. A winger, he has represented Wales at Under-20 level....
, Welsh rugby union player for Newport RFC and the Newport Gwent DragonsNewport Gwent DragonsNewport Gwent Dragons are one of the four professional Rugby Union regional teams in Wales. They are jointly owned by Newport RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union and play all their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the Heineken Cup... - Steffan Jones (rugby player)Steffan Jones (rugby player)Steffan Jones is a Welsh rugby union player for Cross Keys RFC and the Newport Gwent Dragons regional team. He previously played for Bargoed RFC and Cardiff RFC. A fly-half, Jones made his debut for Newport Gwent Dragons against Gloucester 4 November 2010...
, Welsh rugby union player for the Newport Gwent DragonsNewport Gwent DragonsNewport Gwent Dragons are one of the four professional Rugby Union regional teams in Wales. They are jointly owned by Newport RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union and play all their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the Heineken Cup... - Rosalind RichardsRosalind RichardsRosalind Richards is a Welsh television actress of mixed race best known for playing the character of Kim on Pobol y Cwm. She appeared in Dau Dy a Ni, playing the character of Tiwtor, and in stage performances of Butterfly Kiss and A Small Family Business.Richards grew up in the Rhymney Valley and...
, Pobol y CwmPobol y CwmPobol y Cwm is a Welsh-language television soap opera which has been produced by the BBC since October 1974. The longest-running television soap opera produced by the BBC, Pobol y Cwm was originally transmitted on BBC Wales television and later transferred to the Welsh-language station S4C when it...
Actress - Brennig Clifford and Aled Clifford, Lead singer and drummer of Henry's Funeral Shoe
- Wyn Roberts, Welsh International Athlete, Rugby Union Player
- Gareth Lloyd , Hungarian Rugby International
- Morgan Hopkins, actor and presenter on S4CS4CS4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
. One of the 1981 intake - Rhiannon Yates: Welsh 100m and Long Jumper; Welsh U20 Indoor Long Jump Record Holder; Celtic Cup 60m Champion; Multiple British University Championships Medal Holder; GB Athlete At the Gothenburg (Sweden) Grand Prix 2010 - Bronze