Award Winners 2008
Infants Schools
MERTHYR TYDFIL
Title: "Super Sixties"
The ‘Swinging Super Sixties’, when the school and the Gurnos estate which surrounds the school were built, was the theme of this exciting project. Pupils were hugely enthusiastic and very proud of the work they had done.
Pupils looked at the types of houses in which many of the people of Merthyr lived prior to the sixties. They were mindful of post war problems and the shortage of housing and the need for developments of modern houses such as those at Gurnos.
Various former pupils returned to the school to talk about the school in the 60s. The current pupils were keen to find out what had changed in some 40 years and what remained the same. They compared lessons, games, the use of the Welsh language, clothes, school dinners etc.
From exploring life at the new school and in the new houses at Gurnos in the 60s with their newly acquired television sets, pupils went on to explore the new fashions of the day, the designs of Mary Quant, the arrival of tights, and the mini skirt. Pupils then made a study of music and the songs of the Beatles and the dances of the day like the ‘Twist’.
Grandparents and relatives were questioned about the recollections of the period and artefacts were collected.
Much cross-curricular work was developed and a fascinating display of the items gathered was mounted.
RHONDDA CYNON TAF
Title: "The Collectables Road Show"
One of the School Governors organised an ‘Antiques Road Show’ at the school. The aim was to involve the children and the local community. The pupils publicised the event by designing and posting leaflets in the local shops. The event was well supported and resulted in a wide variety of items brought for valuation. The pupils gave out questionnaires to all who attended to find out information about the items. An interesting display was mounted by the pupils recording the interesting and varied items brought for valuation. As a result of this, one item in particular caught their imagination. A certificate, awarded to a ‘Mr Turner’ was found by one of the parents in her attic. The certificate was awarded by the Carnegie Hero Trust for bravery. It was decided to investigate the meaning of the certificate. They found out that The Carnegie Trust was based in Scotland with links to the Carnegie Trust in The United States and e-mails, telephone calls and letters were sent to the Trust to gather information. Using the internet and local newspapers they found that Mr Turner helped by another man Mr Evans, had rescued a boy who had fallen down a crevice on the mountainside.
Local residents were asked if they had any information of the event and a local family came forward and brought the other certificate awarded to Mr Evans. Further investigations led to the discovery that Mr Evans’s great grandson is a pupil at the school.
A local historian and librarian brought in records of the rescue and the children performed a dramatic presentation of the event.
This was a project that linked the school and the community and caught the interest of the pupils and parents.
CEREDIGION
Title: "Mr Gwynne’s Vision"
Pupils and staff at Ciliau Aeron School are intensely proud of the fact that their village played such an important part in the development of the harbour at Aberaeron and of the beautiful town itself.
The harbour and the town were the vision of the Reverend Alban Thomas Jones Gwynne, his wife Susanna Maria, his son Colonel Gwynne and his grandson Captain Gwynne. The family lived at Ty Glyn Isaf, a mansion which is but a few minutes walk from the school.
To mark the 200th Anniversary, in 2007, of the establishing of the harbour and town of Aberaeron the whole school embarked on an ambitious project to research the history and background of the amazing story of the development of the town and harbour. The school was also linked closely with the official celebrations in the town itself.
Aberaeron is one of the few towns in Wales which has been planned in detail. Here you will see elegant houses. The Harbour Act of 1807 enabled the Reverend Gwynne and his family to build a new harbour and town. The new harbour made it possible for ships to sail in and out of the harbour with ease and for a ship building industry to flourish.
Pupils researched life in the area prior to 1807. By means of time lines and maps their knowledge and understanding was enhanced and they explored life in the town up to the present day. These are just some of the aspects studied in this comprehensive and outstanding project: ship building, names and designs of ships, the lives of some of the sailors associated with the town, Georgian architecture, reasons for the names of the Georgian houses in the town, the notable buildings in the town like the Victorian workhouse, the coming of the railway and the demise of the harbour, education, businesses etc. An excellent book, which includes photographs and poems written by the pupils, was produced. A staged musical was in the village hall and a highly praised large exhibition of the work was displayed in the school, in the village hall and in Lloyds Motors Aberaeron.
CAERPHILLY
Title: "Bedwas Colliery Then & Now - a documentary film"
The importance of the history of coal mining which has had a high profile in the recent
BBC Wales Coal House series was the stimulus for an investigation of a former local
colliery. The aim was to investigate the local coal story from the sources and then to
produce a documentary film.
The planning was meticulous and the pupils as ‘History Detectives’ formulated key questions they wanted to investigate. The research was thorough including invaluable interviews with a 91 year old miner and his son who also worked at the colliery. Having studies OS maps they visited the former colliery site guided by the old miner. They examined old photographs, census returns, read books, and searched the internet for information. The work was of a very high quality. Wider aspects of the study involved debate about the environmental impact of coal mining past, present and future.
The final documentary film revealed the quality of the planning, the rigour of the research,the care in storyboarding, filming and editing, the role of music from a composition by one of the pupils and the real importance of focussing on the human story. The pupils are confident presenters with impressive IT skills.
Their written work including poems, factual reports, and artefacts, art work and models were well displayed both in class and the corridor area.
This work has already been widely disseminated via the school’s web site, presented at an IT conference organised by the LEA; shown to younger pupils in neighbouring schools and at an ‘Open’ evening. A DVD is being sold to parents and the community.
RHONDDA CYNON TAF
Title: "Talking About My Generation"
Over 60 young people were engaged in this inter-generational community project exploring the issues of changing cultures which affected people in the musical culture, the fashions and the impact of national and international movements on people’s lives and attitudes at the time.
Talking to ‘older’ people about their social lives in the past was a vital part of the research which included not only the immediate families but also the recollections of the Tea Dance Group which meets at the school weekly. Further detailed research about social life was undertaken from books, photographs, listening to music and radio clips from the relevant eras.
This research work culminated in the production of a musical, ‘Talking About My Generation’ which was performed to 650 people over 2 evenings.
Young people were involved in all aspects of the musical both front and backstage including selecting artefacts to help period scheme setting and even to selling old fashioned sweets such as ‘love hearts’, ‘cherry lips’ to evoke memories.
This project produced excellent outcomes in terms of pupils’ understanding of social history and the attitudes and values of the recent past. It has developed pupils’ confidence and wide ranging skills through positive support of staff and Bigfoot Arts Education.
It has effectively contributed to pupils’ understanding of some of the ‘cultural’ movements which influenced their parents and grandparents during an amazing 30 years that saw a revolution in terms of lifestyles of young people.
The entire project has been widely acclaimed within the Rhondda community by parents and grandparents, senior citizens and the local AM and it evoked fond and sad memories of those eras.
A DVD of the performance was produced and has been sold to the community. The project was successful in obtaining lottery funding.
MONMOUTHSHIRE
Title: "The Newport Ship"
Pupils investigated the finding and dating of the 15th century ship’s hull found at Newport, and the various interpretations of its origins, function and reasons for its ending its life at Newport, together with its significance in the context both of the 15th century and of shipbuilding and seafaring. They also investigated the local campaign to ‘Save Our Ship’ and ensure its preservation and display locally.
Pupils used a wide range of sources, and created their own representations and interpretations, including models, visual displays and replica artefacts of a very high quality.
They were all engaged in the presentations and ready to discuss and defend their evaluations of sources and interpretations, speaking enthusiastically and showing a confident recall and application of their knowledge and understanding.
(Senior School)
SWANSEA
Title: "A History of the School"
The class of eleven pupils, with a variety of learning needs, had investigated the history of the school as part of activities to commemorate the retirement of the Headteacher.
As the investigation developed, it became clear that the school was much older than had been realised, and had its origins in the first institution to provide special education for children with hearing and speech problems. This had been established in Aberystwyth in the 1850s, before transferring to Swansea.
As part of their project, the pupils studied old photographs, census returns and other documents, visited the sites in Swansea where the school had been located, and interviewed former teachers and pupils. They had found out a great deal about the history of special education in Wales as well as the history of their own school.
They presented their findings in a range of media, including PowerPoint, drawings, models, written accounts and photographs. The exhibition is to be displayed in County Hall, and may form part of a university research project.
