Award Winners 2009

This project was inspired by the freezing cold early months of 2009. During the cold spell the thick iron pipes which bring water to Maerdy were completely frozen and metres of pipes were cracked. As a result there was no water in the village and the school was closed. This news hit the headlines in the local press and received coverage on television.

On return to school the children were eager to share their stories of the incident. This led to further discussion about the time a hole was discovered in the dam above the village. The children were encouraged to find out what had happened and how a farmer and his horse called Sali really saved the village.

Their investigations began with preparing questions to interview local residents about the incident. The local librarian brought old newspapers into school and the children were fascinated by the story of how the farmer and his horse discovered the hole in the dam. The children researched old newspapers, the internet and visited the area around the reservoirs.

The whole school took part in a dramatic presentation of their research and presented it to parents, adult helpers and the judges. A local musician Hawys James wrote a song about the incident and performed with the children. The children displayed their findings using a variety of media: models, stories, related artefacts and project books. The school is the heart of the community and its people rallied round to share what they knew about the incident. Visitors to the school shared their memories and the work is to be displayed in the local library.

Cwrt Rawlin School is quite a new school on the outskirts of Caerphilly and although the mighty and splendid Caerphilly castle is visible from the school, nearly everything which surrounds the school has been built very recently. The school feels it is important to connect the pupils with the past of the area, St Martin’s is the local parish church and some of the parents and staff were married at this church so it would have been very much a focal point.

In order to find out more about the church, Years 1 and 2 pupils visited the church; parents were sent letters and e-mails asking for information and pupils visited the library in Caerphilly. The aim was to set the story of the 19th and 20th history of the church against a backdrop of events in Caerphilly itself. A story of the church was complied from newspaper articles. Pupils discovered there had been a fire at the church and many records and the organ itself had been destroyed. They discovered the involvement of the various gentry families in the life of the church. Of much interest to pupils was the Royal visit of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra to Caerphilly and to open Queen Alexandra Dock in Cardiff.

Based on all this information a play / musical was written by the staff and performed by pupils, in costume, at the school. Displays were made of the cuttings from newspapers, photographs found at the library, photographs sent in by families of weddings and Christenings at St Martin’s Church and work done by the children.

This was a whole school approach involving an investigation into music, especially bands, throughout the history of the Rhondda from the time of the first fife and drum band to the present day and the school’s own brass band. The pupils were made aware of how the Rhondda grew into an industrial valley as a result of the growth of the population and the need for housing, education and of course the facilities for spiritual and recreational interests. So the establishment of musical groups began.

Each year group researched various aspects of the project.
Nursery/Reception: Welsh songs and puppets portraying the pre-coal valley days.
Yr 1: Designed musical instruments. Yr 2: History of jazz bands. Yr 3: Designed Coat of Arms for the bands. Yrs 4/5: A time line of events and a Powerpoint presentation of life as a Victorian in South Wales. Yr 6: Photographic evidence of Cwmparc around the time of the introduction of brass bands.

The quality of the research was outstanding and the pupils showed a clear understanding of their findings. The quality and variety of their presentations was faultless. The judges were entertained by a programme of musical entertainment performed by each year group. There were Jazz bands with marching displays, songs with the use of puppets and dramatic activities and sketches written and performed by the pupils.

The climax of the programme was a performance by the school’s brass band. The pupils gave a superb performance and played with accuracy and enjoyment. The pupils are very fortunate to have the experience of being trained and conducted by a local 87 year old musician who comes, voluntarily, into school daily to train them. His enthusiasm and encouragement has given these pupils a wonderful opportunity to develop their musical skills.

During their research the pupils were invited to work alongside the Parc and Dare band to research its origins. The joint work will be collated and used to produce a book which will be published at the end of the year. Local residents are to be invited to see the performance and view the displays. Local press coverage has stimulated a great deal of local interest in the project.

The project was undertaken by 60 pupils who followed wide ranging and original
investigations of the locality. Particularly impressive was the study of primary resources which included census returns, the tithe map and its accompanying apportionment, marriage certificates, wills, estate maps, newspapers, crime and punishment files, prints, graveyard monuments, photographs and trade directories.

Their presentation included wall displays, a booklet of slides and the confident use of Powerpoint to deliver their findings. They advanced their own interpretations of the new evidence, such as the impact of The Rebecca Riots at St. Clears. Aspects of their work were frequently related to the wider world.

Pupils’ awareness of the history of their locality and the wider world was greatly enhanced as a result of this project. The work is to be presented to Laugharne Corporation for display at a proposed Heritage Centre in the village.

The project presented by the Sixth Formers at Tonypandy Community College was developed from a Young Roots Grant which is part of the Heritage Lottery Fund. Its theme is centred on the riots which took place in Tonypandy in the year 1910 and is closely linked to the Powerhouse of the then working colliery.

The students, in their submission, presented a DVD, an information pack and large
displays of relevant material. The DVD is particularly impressive and highly professional. It develops this important piece of history using still photographs that are cleverly merged to present a moving picture of a dramatic event of the time. The commentary is appropriate with a haunting musical background which sets the scene effectively. The students have successfully managed to attract a number of important people to add their comments to this vivid story: these include Lord Kinnock, Chris Bryant MP and professors Dai Smith and Chris Williams. It was a pleasure to interview the students who clearly demonstrated their knowledge and enthusiasm for the study.

The DVD, itself, could be used successfully as a fine example of students’ work and also to promote the work for the restoration of the Powerhouse Building. Rhodri Morgan, the First Minister of The Welsh Assembly was most impressed when he attended the public launch of the project.

The W H Crawford Community Film Project invited the pupils of Ysgol Brynhyfryd to contrast the life of modern-day teenagers in Ruthin, with the lives of local teenagers in the 1940s and 50s. They used original cine films as a stimulus to their own video diary and prepared, produced and recorded a TV-style discussion programme.

This is primarily a media project wholly organised by the pupils as part of their Level 3 ‘Working With Others’ key skills project for the Welsh Baccalaureate qualification. The final film will use footage from the original cine films, their own video diaries and their TV discussion programme and will be shown at a world premier in Ruthin on July 1 2009.

Pupils used original cine film footage to explore how teenagers spend their leisure time in 1940s and 50s. This then led to an oral history exercise as they interviewed older residents who had featured in the original films. They then used their own video diaries to compare and contrast teenage life during the last sixty years.

Pupils were aware that the original film portrayed a ‘rosy’ rural idyll that does not
necessarily resonate with the recollections of the older residents. They explored themes such as work, education, transport, consumerism and popular culture. The attraction of the bright lights of Liverpool linked both generations. They were able to identify the differences and similarities.

The W H Crawford Community Film Project was established in 2005 and has involved local primary schools and Ysgol Brynhyfryd. Pupils have had the support of the Clwydian Range AONB Sustainable Development Fund, Cadwyn Clwyd and Film Agency Wales. The world premier of the completed programme will be held on July 1 and invitations have been sent to: local schools, residents and community representatives. The press release prepared by the pupils has been used by the local press. Radio Wales interviewed participants and Sioe Gelf intend to film a seven minute item for a forthcoming programme.

The project was undertaken by 12 pupils with a range of disabilities. Visits were made to a number of churches and chapels in the Morriston area. Famous people and events associated with them were also studied.

A very wide range of sources were used, including family Bibles, census materials, photographs, prints and clothing. Pupils showed understanding of the reasons for and consequences of events, such as the translation of the Bible into the Welsh language.

The display of work was comprehensive and of a very high standard. It was accompanied by a spoken commentary and will be the focus of an open morning, when members of the churches visited will be invited to view the work. It will then be displayed in two local chapels.

The project richly enhanced the pupils’ knowledge and understanding, not only of the local religious heritage, but of a wider world heritage. Links with the locality were a very strong feature of the project.

A celebration of the 900th Anniversary of Haverfordwest was used as the stimulus for this very impressive whole school local history project. The display outcomes using many different media filled all classrooms and corridor display space.

Pupils used the internet, the services of the county library service and Record Office to help them find out about the area’s past. Visits which provided rich experiences were made to the castle, the monastic remains, to the towns Georgian and Victorian buildings with particularly interest in the churches and chapels.

The local Mayor visited the school to be interviewed by the pupils about her role and the official clothes and insignia she wore. A wide variety of media were used by the pupils to present their work e.g. using sign language, models, art, PowerPoint presentations. Computer programmes were used with models created by the students to make an animated film.

The over-all impact of the whole school project in motivating and engaging pupils’ interests was outstanding.