Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni is a bilingual community comprehensive school for pupils aged 11 to 18 years old located in Llangefni, Anglesey. Pupils come from the town of Llangefni and the surrounding villages and rural areas. The school opened in 1953 and currently has 719 students on roll.

History Llangefni County School opened in 1897 but was superseded by Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni, County Secondary School.Archive jisc, JISC Archives, retrieved 21 April 2023

The title ‘County School’ already existed and was used by the school prior to the Education Act 1944. However, the Act insisted on the term being used for all LEA maintained primary and secondary schools.

In 1947 the school was inspected and the HMI report was not favorable. The report stated that ‘there is nothing in this school on which the eye can alight with pleasure’, The school site had been significantly affected by a fire in 1939, but despite the fact that the science laboratories and the domestic science room had been destroyed, the plans to re-build the school (submitted in 1939) had been deferred as a consequence of the war and the lack of money, labour, and materials.

Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni was built due to Anglesey’s prominent role as a pioneer of comprehensive schooling. Construction began in 1950 and was completed by 1953. The school first opened its doors in 1953 to all the children of secondary school age in the catchment area with a then capacity of 842.

School Ethos "Gorau Cynnydd Cadw Moes" translates to 'Courtesy paves the way to success'. Inclusion, a Welsh ethos, diversity, equality, respect and empathy are the values upheld at the school.School ethos from the prospectus School website, retrieved 22 April 2024

School site The school is located on a single campus.

There is a leisure centre neighbouring the school to the left called Plas Arthur and to the right of the school is Canolfan Addysg y Bont, a school for young people with special educational needs. The school shares some facilities with both establishments.

Facilities A School hall with sound and vision equipment. An outdoor steel dining canopy. A covered space outside where students can sit to eat during their lunch period. A school canteen with indoor dining facilities. A covered Multi-Use Games Area. Used for a variety of different sporting activities. A large floodlit 3G artificial turf sports pitch. (Shared with Plas Arthur leisure centre) 2 traditional school gyms with climbing equipment, ropes, gymnastic apparatus and crash mats. Playing fields used for rugby, football, and athletics. Fenced outdoor tennis courts. 5 full ICT suites used by various departments. 2 Design & Technology multi use workshops. 1 Food Technology home economics suite facilitating catering and textile technology lessons. 1 Music room. 8 Science labs. A video conferencing room used for meetings and for pupils to follow curriculum courses offered off site. The Noddfa support centre. A unit set up for pupils with emotional needs to receive purposeful interventions and support. A sixth form common room. A school garden. The garden spans over an acre of land and is set out in specific zones: a growing zone, sensory garden zone, meadow zone, wildlife zone and micro forest where over 500 trees have been planted by the pupils.

Curriculum Pupils currently follow the Curriculum for Wales (2022–present) from year 7 through 8.

The school offers a variety of subjects at GCSE and at AS/A2 levels, the Welsh Baccalaureate, and some vocational courses. The school also offers additional subjects taught at other sites through the local educational consortium.

+ Subjects offered at Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni in Key stage 4 Courses taught at the school Local educational consortium courses Art and Design Construction Level 1 Business Studies Construction Level 2 Computer Science Public Services Level 2 Design and Technology Automotive Engineering Level 1 Digital Technology Vehicle Technology Level 2 Drama Engineering Level 1 English Engineering Level 2 Financial Literacy Hair and Beauty Level 1 Food and Nutrition Hair Dressing Level 2 French Geography Health and Social Care History MathematicsMathematics Numeracy Music Physical Education Religious Studies Science Triple Science Welsh Welsh Baccalaureate

+ Subjects offered at Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni in the Sixth form Courses taught at the school Local educational consortium courses Art and Design Built Environment Biology Business Studies Chemistry Design and Technology Computer Science Drama Digital Technology French English Literature Further Pure Mathematics Financial Studies Geography History German Mathematics Health and Social Medical Science Law Physics Mechanical Engineering Physical EducationMedia - Games Design Welsh Music Welsh Baccalaureate Politics and Government Tourism Welsh Second Language

School houses The school's four houses annually compete in the school sports day and school Eisteddfod. Each student and member of staff is placed in a school house.

+ School Houses House Name House Colour Mona Menai Aethwy Celyn

Extra-curricular activities The school offers a range of extra-curricular activities including but not limited to Team and individual sports, 5x60, Duke of Edinburgh Award, Charity work, Book club, Chess club, Lego club, F1 in Schools team, Games and socialising club, Instrumental lessons and drama.

During the summer term year 7 pupils enjoy the "Crafnant Experience" where they take part in outdoor activities such as kayaking, mountain biking, rock climbing and an adventure trail before camping overnight.School Extra-curricular activities from the prospectus School website, retrieved 22 April 2024

School catchment area The school serves a central area of Anglesey that includes Bodorgan, Bodffordd, Gaerwen, Llanbedrgoch, Llangefni, Llangristiolus, Talwrn and Dwyran.

The following is a list of primary schools that fall within the boundary of Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni's catchment area.Anglesey Council, Anglesey Council website, retrieved 24 April 2023

Ysgol Gymuned Bodffordd Ysgol Esceifiog (Gaerwen) Ysgol Gynradd Llanbedrgoch Ysgol y Graig, Llangefni Ysgol Henblas Ysgol Talwrn Ysgol Corn Hir, Llangefni Ysgol Santes Dwynwen

The school also accepts pupils from outside of the catchment area providing numbers do not exceed the admission limit.

Notable alumni

Naomi Watts - Hollywood actress and Oscar nominee Naomi Watts, The Daily post, retrieved 24 April 2023 Gwyn Hughes Jones - Opera Tenor Gwyn Hughes Jones, The Daily post, retrieved 24 April 2023 Hywel Gwynfryn - TV and radio personality Hywel Gwynfryn, Good Reads, retrieved 24 April 2023 Hugh Griffith - Oscar-winning actor Huw Griffith, nettv4v, retrieved 24 April 2023 Gabriel Fielding - English novelist Gabriel Fielding , Gabriel Fielding website, retrieved 24 April 2023 Osian Roberts - Welsh football coach and former player Osian Roberts, Facebook page, retrieved 24 April 2023 Wilfred Mitford Davies - Welsh artist and publisher Wilfred Mitford Davies, Biography Wales, retrieved 24 April 2023 Meinir Gwilym - Welsh-language pop and folk singer Meinir Gwilym, The Daily post, retrieved 24 April 2023 Jac Jones - Welsh children's book illustrator.Jac Jones, Anglesey Telegraph, retrieved 24 April 2023 - Pioneer of Welsh-language television.Owen Roberts, The Independent, retrieved 20 April 2023 - Welsh painter and educator.Wilf Roberts, BBC, retrieved 20 April 2023 Harri Pritchard-Jones - English-born Welsh language author, critic, and psychiatrist.Harri Pritchard-Jones, The Guardian, retrieved 20 April 2023 Rhiannon Ifans - Welsh academic specialising in English, Medieval and Welsh literature.Rhiannon Ifans, The Eisteddfod, retrieved 24 April 2023

Notable staff members

Sonia Edwards - Bilingual novelist, taught Welsh at the school.Sonia Edwards, Parthian books, retrieved 5 March 2015 Gerald Morgan - Historian and Welsh author, served as headteacher from 1966 until 1973.Gerald Morgan, gwales, retrieved 20 March 2023 George Fisher (dramatist) - Dramatist, head of mathematics and deputy headmaster at the school.George Fisher, blondes fine art, retrieved 20 April 2023 Ernest Zobole - Welsh painter and art teacher, taught art at the school from 1953 to 1958.Ernest Zobole, blondes fine art, retrieved 20 April 2023 Gwilym Prichard - Landscape artist, taught craft at the school from 1954 until 1965.Gwilym Pritchard, blondes fine art, retrieved 20 April 2023 Rachel Barrett - Welsh suffragette and newspaper editor, taught science at the school.Rachel Barrett, Narberth Museum , retrieved 20 April 2023

Former headteachers Name Years Clive Thomas 2013-2019 Haydn Davies 2003-2013 Huw Roberts 1982-2003 Gerald Morgan 1966-1973 E. D. Davies ?-1966 Samuel James Evans S James Evans, Biography Wales, retrieved 25 April 2023 1897-1935

Filming Location Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni has been the filming location for Welsh soap opera Rownd a Rownd for a number of years. Scenes requiring a school setting for the fictional 'Ysgol Glanrafon' secondary school are filmed at the school.Ailddechrau ffilmio Rownd a Rownd ar ôl toriad, BBC, retrieved 22 April 2024

Welsh language Welsh Government defines the school as a bilingual secondary school Category 2B, which means that, at least 80% of subjects (excluding Welsh and English) are taught through the medium of Welsh but are also taught through the medium of English. However, the majority are taught through the medium of Welsh. Approximately 87% of pupils study Welsh as a first language.

As of January 2023, 78.5% of the school's pupils spoke Welsh at home.

See also :Category:People educated at Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni

References

External links