2024-09-30-accounts - Welsh Heritage Schools Initiative

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WELSH HERITAGE SCHOOLS INITIATIVE is pleased to be celebrating 32 years since our first competition and awards ceremony were organised.

The objectives established all those years ago by a committee chaired by our Life President, Lady Trotman Dickenson, still hold good. We wish to encourage young people in primary, secondary, special schools and alternative provision settings, sixth forms and colleges to take an interest in Welsh heritage, to appreciate the contribution made to it by their families and communities, to help to preserve it and to contribute to it themselves.

This year has again seen a record number of entries for the competition and our assessors have been able to visit schools to meet the pupils and students and view the outcomes of their work. They have welcomed this opportunity and have been impressed by the quality of submissions, the enthusiasm of the participants and the support given by teachers.

We have great pleasure in being able to hold our ceremony this year at the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, welcoming our sponsors, teachers, pupils and students to celebrate the successful projects that have been created.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

The competition would not have taken place and continued without the support of sponsors. From our first competition The Hodge Foundation has been a major sponsor and in recent years there has been significant support from Admiral Group plc. through its charitable foundation, Moondance. An annual grant from Cadw is particularly important as it helps fund the administrative costs that WHSI incur in organising the annual competition and Awards Ceremony.

Valuable support has been received from a range of other sponsors – Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales, the People’s Collection Wales, the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, the National Library of Wales, a number of county and local history societies, other voluntary and national organisations and generous individuals.

This year we are pleased to be supported by two new sponsors, the Cambrian Archaeological Association and CISP Multimedia-Amlgyfrwng.

OTHER ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The trustees of the Welsh Heritage Schools Initiative wish to thank and express their gratitude to many people, companies and organisations that have helped in various ways, other than making generous financial contributions. Committee members and judges give freely of their time to work for the Initiative on a voluntary basis, to attend meetings, assess the work of schools and support the award ceremony.

We would like to thank the Welsh Government agencies – DYSG and Hwb which have supported the Initiative through the distribution of our promotional material.

We greatly appreciate the work of Catrin Stevens (translation) and Mr. David Rees, Seer Design Services who manages our website and produces our leaflets, certificates and awards brochure.

A Message from the Chair

Taking over this year from our former Chair, Angharad Williams, has been a significant challenge because I had some pretty big shoes to fill. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Angharad for her continued hard work and support – Diolch.

Having met our judges this year on Zoom and Teams each one mentioned what a pleasure it was to visit schools to assess some amazing projects. Thank you to all the schools that participated this year and welcomed our judges. It was a privilege to meet enthusiastic learners who were eager and proud to discuss their projects and showcase their work. From the youngest to the eldest, it is encouraging to see such passion in exploring their cynefin, discovering more about Welsh history, and taking pride in their heritage.

Once again this year, we have seen a large number of schools competing, with even more participation from secondary schools. Another positive development is the overall increase in the standard of submissions, making it particularly challenging for the judges to choose a winner, as evidenced by the number of schools placed in the top category. This bodes well for fostering a deeper understanding of Welsh heritage among learners. Personally, I am especially pleased to see schools developing projects on Welsh women and Black, Asian, and ethnic minority history. These elements are integral to our collective story, and I hope that in the future, learners in Wales will leave school with a richer knowledge of Welsh history, surpassing their current understanding of American and Nazi German history.

As in previous years, I am sure the WHSI EUSTORY prize winners, selected to join other young Europeans at a summit in Latvia this autumn, will be excellent ambassadors for Wales.

The Welsh Heritage Schools Initiative is sincerely thankful to all our loyal sponsors for their generosity over the years, including the Moondance and Hodge Foundations for their additional support this year. Thank you to our new sponsors this year CISP Multimedia. We are grateful to Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru – National Library of Wales for enabling us to hold our Awards Ceremony at Aberystwyth. Given Aberystwyth's central location, it has been wonderful this year to host a single awards ceremony that is truly national to celebrate the outstanding work taking place in schools across Wales.

Finally, I would like to personally thank all the judges involved with the Initiative. Their dedication and enthusiasm have ensured the competition's success once again this year. The smooth operation each year is due to the quiet work of Trustees Alison Denton and Stuart Broomfield. Alison will be stepping down this year but will thankfully take on the vacant secretary role. I’d also like to thank the committed committee members for their continued and unwavering support, all of which I have greatly appreciated.

DIOLCH yn fawr iawn, i chi gyd.

Dr Huw Griffiths

Chair, Welsh Heritage Initiative Committee

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THANKS TO TEACHERS AND PUPILS

Each year, the Welsh Heritage Schools Initiative Committee invites infant, primary, secondary schools, special education and alternative provision, Sixth Form and Further Education Colleges to undertake heritage projects and to submit them for the nationwide heritage competition.

These projects require research, collection of materials, analysis and evaluation. They may result in booklets, exhibitions, drama performances, films, animations and presentations using digital technology.

Young peoples’ work is assessed, taking into account the appropriate level of literacy, numeracy and information technology skills. Pupils are encouraged to involve their community and people of different generations in their projects, and to disseminate their findings.

We would like to thank teachers and their pupils for participating in the Initiative and for submitting projects of a very high standard.

AWARDS CEREMONY AT THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF WALES, ABERYSTWYTH

We would like to thank Dr. Rhodri Llwyd Morgan, National Library of Wales Chief Executive, for allowing us the use of the Library as the venue for our 2024 awards ceremony. We are very grateful to Rhian Gibson, Director of Communications, Engagement and Partnership for the generous support, and to Owen Llywelyn, Rhodri Morgan and Owain Dafydd for their advice and help with the arrangements.

Thank you to all the staff at the National Library of Wales for their help to ensure we have a successful day of celebration.

‘IN CHARACTER’

Many thanks to Eleri Twynog Davies of ‘In Character’ for arranging the living history shows as part of our presentation ceremonies and to the actors Kimberley Abodunrin and Ffion Glyn.

Thanks also go to David Rees, Seer Design Services, who produced the PowerPoint presentations for the ceremonies.

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SPONSORS, PRIZES AND GRANTS

Moondance Foundation (Admiral Group plc) £18,000 (£15,000 prizes + £3000 administration) Hodge Foundation £15,000 People’s Collection Wales £1,000 National Library of Wales £750 Cadw £500 and a trophy Paul Frame award for a project with a scientific theme £500 Women’s Archive Wales £300 Catherine and Daniel Phillips Memorial Prize £250 Glamorgan History Society, Patricia Moore Memorial Prize £250 Friends of Carmarthenshire Museum £250 Merthyr Tydfil & District Historical Society £250 Cambrian Archaeological Association £250 Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe £250 Expenses towards a visit to the House of Lords Mewn Cymeriad In Character A dramatic presentation by a historical character Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society £200 Llantrisant & District History Society £200 (Trefor Rees & Eric Griffith Memorial Prize) Soroptimist International Barry & District £200 Royal Commission on the Ancient Workshop on historical archives and Historical Monuments of Wales Books Council of Wales A visit by an author CISP Multimedia- Amlgyfrwng Animation workshop Shields Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales Presented to best entry in each category Grants & Sponsorship in Kind CADW £2,000 Seer Design IT Support

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MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE WELSH HERITAGE SCHOOLS INITIATIVE TRUST

Lady Trotman-Dickenson MBE Honorary Life President David Maddox OBE Honorary Life Vice-President

Dr. Huw Griffiths (Chair and Trustee)

Geraint Bevan

Senior Lecturer, Trinity St. David

Senior Lecturer, Trinity St. David Associate Challenge Adviser (ERW), (Rtd) Aled Rumble (Vice Chair) Ann Dorsett Curriculum for Wales advisory teacher for Museum Officer (Rtd) Ceredigion Eleri Evans Dr. Stuart Broomfield (Trustee) Head of Learning and Interpretation Treasurer Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales. Former Education Adviser Jan Dennis Alison Denton (Trustee) Former Primary School Teacher Cwmlai Schools Liaison Secretary Primary School Angharad Williams Martin Williams Former Public Engagement Manager, Assistant Head, King Henry VIII School, Royal Commission on the Ancient and Abergavenny Historical Monuments of Wales Carole Bryan-Jones Catrin Stevens Teacher of History and Politics, Former Head of History Trinity St. John’s College College Carmarthen David Thomas Jeanne Evans Head of Public Services Former Deputy Headteacher, Royal Commission on the Ancient and St. Cenydd Comprehensive, Caerphilly Historical Monuments of Wales Scott Harper Rhodri Morgan Retired Headteacher Education Services Manager National Ben Price Library of Wales Learning, Participation and Interpretation Sandra Elson Officer at Big Pit National Coal Museum Social Media Officer Dr Elin Jones Former Head of History Education Consultant and broadcaster Rhian Dafydd Ladan Harper Former Headteacher Awards Booklet editor | Retired Headteacher Amy Williams Heather Lewis Education and Learning Manager Retired Headteacher The Royal Mint Museum Mark Williams Christopher Davies Programme Leader PGCE Secondary, Service Manager for Curriculum for Wales Cardiff School of Education and Social and Professional Learning Policy Powys County Council Nia Williams David Stacey, Director of Learning and Engagement, Senior Lecturer Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales Trinity St. David

CO-OPTED JUDGES

We would like to thank the co-opted judges for their help:

Carla Price, formerly of Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales; Lowri Ifor, Learning Manager, National Slate Museum: Owain Dafydd, National Library of Wales; Susan Mason, Cadw; Adele Thackray, Cadw; Tim Hill, Cadw; Bethan Hopkins-Williams, Public Engagement Officer, RCAHMW

Award Winners 2024 Foundation Phase

Hodge Foundation Prize: £800

MAERDY COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL Rhondda Cynon Taf

Title: Somewhere Only We Know

This project grew from a conversation with visitors to the area who were looking for the site of the old colliery and realised that there was nothing to mark the site. It became apparent that there were aspects of local history and heritage that were in danger of being forgotten. ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ became the hook for children to explore their locality, as they discovered hidden stories and information about local people and places. They followed their own interests, utilised a range of skills and became proud advocates for their local heritage. The project culminated in a celebratory community performance where the children shared their discoveries through song, spoken word and art.

Hodge Foundation

Prize: £300

Soroptimists International Barry and District Prize: £200

COGAN PRIMARY SCHOOL Vale of Glamorgan

Title: The Journey of the Pamir and Passat into Penarth Dock in 1949

This project grew from an investigation into how the locality changed over time, particularly Penarth Marnia. A newspaper article was discovered which talked about the journey of the Pamir and Passat ships from Australia to Penarth. The account of the Pamir eventually being taken to Barry docks and the discovery of the rats eating the grain onboard inspired a range of innovative and exciting work such as research, chronology, songwriting, model making, painting and literacy. The project has been shared widely both within the school and the wider community and will over the summer holidays be showcased in a local gallery.

Hodge Foundation Prize: £350

LLANDYSILIO CHURCH IN WALES PRIMARY SCHOOL Powys

Title: Wales is a Force

This project was based on the focus ‘Wales is a force.’ Through authentic and purposeful learning experiences, learners were motivated, inspired, and engaged in their learning. As part of the project, learners worked together to create and perform an impressive dance to represent issues in their local area. The learners spoke enthusiastically about their work and performed their dance in the school’s Eisteddfod, enhancing their understanding of Welsh culture and traditions.

Award Winners 2024 Primary and Junior Schools

People’s Collection Wales: Digital Excellence Award Prize: £500

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £300

DARRAN PARK PRIMARY Rhondda Cynon Taf

Title: The working world - From the past to the present to future aspirations

The overarching theme, ‘The Working World and Jobs’ was researched through the lens of history but also engaged pupils in discussions about their futures. It proved to be an excellent whole school enquiry project focused on the Ferndale community and Wales.

Visits to museums, religious buildings, local farms, and wind farms made a lasting impression on pupils and generated much discussion as they compared work past and present. Individual class topics included transport, powering the Valleys, tourism, and the changing roles of women.

Older children took the challenging topic of ‘From Troubled times to New Beginnings’. They explored history and stories linked to the Jewish community in Wales and visited the Cardiff Reform Synagogue and a Cardiff Mosque.

Cadw

Prize: £500 plus the Cadw trophy Hodge Foundation Prize: £300

YSGOL FRONCYSYLLTE Wrexham

Title: The Tailor’s Journey

This was a very comprehensive project which used an original and refreshing approach. It used the focus of a quilt created in the 19th century to study the significance of local and wider Welsh heritage. They spoke to curators at St Fagans, where the quilt was part of the collections and followed the thread through to contemporary local and world-renowned designers and artists, such as Beyonce. They employed several skills to research and understand the quilt, including the significance of represented images. They were inspired to create their own fashions and catwalk show and investigated the concerns around sustainability in the textile and fashion industry. They also involved the local community, creating their own films and museum and curating an open day. The central feature of this project was the creation of their own quilt which illustrated what was important to them and their community.

Hodge Foundation Prize: £550 Hodge Catherine and Daniel Phillips Memorial Prize Prize: £250

YSGOL GYNRADD GYMRAEG BRONLLWYN Rhondda Cynon Taf Title: The Age of Coal

Year 3 pupils studied and gained a thorough understanding about the history of coal-mining in the Rhondda Valley up until the present day. They were knowledgeable about children in the mines, the hardships of women in the miners’ homes, the local Cambrian colliery disaster, the 1984 miners strike and personalities such as David Davies, Llandinam, the Marquis of Bute and Elizabeth Andrews.

They had examined old photographs, looked at written and oral testimony, census data and old maps. They visited the local Rhondda Heritage Park.

They presented their knowledge via a drama made up of small sketches and song.

Hodge Foundation Prize: £600

Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society Prize: £200

CAE’R FELIN COMMUNITY SCHOOL Carmarthenshire

Title: The Wonders of our Cynefin

An ambitious and creative project that offered a range of purposeful and engaging experiences for leaners to explore their Cynefin. Learners showed a strong understanding of their village history ranging over 800 years whilst developing various skills such as research, chronology, and interpretation. The use of digital skills was a particular strength. Learners worked with multiple external partners to present their findings in various creative ways ranging from podcasts, poetry, songs, artwork to name a few. This project was done in partnership with 5 other similar schools across the county and an event has been planned to share each other’s heritage as part of a wider project.

Hodge Foundation Prize: £800

CLYRO CHURCH IN WALES PRIMARY SCHOOL Powys

Title: Wales on our doorstep –

developing a sense of Cynefin and belonging

The whole-school project focused on developing a sense of belonging and Cynefin through exploring Welsh heritage, culture, and links with the local area. Learners were at the heart of all decision making and enquiries, strengthened by strong collaboration with people in the community, including Hay Castle. Learners were enthusiastic, inspired and engaged in all aspects of this project, and enjoyed sharing their learning with parents and the community. As a result of a high standard project, learners developed an in-depth knowledge and understanding of historical influences, explored how their community has changed over time, leading to feeling a sense of pride and empowerment to make a real difference to others in their community and beyond.

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £600

Llantrisant and District History Society Prize: £200

CWMLAI PRIMARY SCHOOL Rhondda Cynon Taff

Title: Cwmlai Cynefin

The project was to explore the meaning of Cynefin at Cwmlai Primary and explore local history putting it into the context of wider Welsh history. A school wide project which included every year group with each tackling a different topic and aspect of local history. The areas of research were very much pupil-lead which resulted in a sense of ownership and enthusiasm from pupils. The project was multi-faceted and cross-curricular with many different skills on display. Work was presented via classroom displays showing artwork, model making, poetry and creative writing. Pupils also produced digital content including videos and websites. Year 6 presented a mathematics project studying the history of the Eisteddfod and created charts and graphs looking at the financial successes of historic Eisteddfods. The school worked with outside experts including a traditional dance teacher, local visual artists, and a historical musical instrument expert. The project was then presented in a school assembly with all the years taking part. Information was presented through storytelling, original song writing, dance, filmmaking and drama performance.

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £800

GARNDOLBENMAEN PRIMARY SCHOOL Gwynedd

Title: Quarries

This was an ambitious and creative project about the slate quarries of North Wales. To recreate the journeys made by the village’s quarrymen, pupils walked to Gorseddau Quarry, as well as visiting sites such as Ffestiniog Railway and Llechwedd Quarry to learn more about the industry. Pupils scripted, performed, filmed, and edited several scenes to tell the story of the Penrhyn Quarry Strike, and participated in a Caban Eisteddfod, made their own red soap and wore period dress during a ‘Quarry Day’. Their research into other world heritage sites was interesting, and the range of extended writing and artwork based on the subject was of a very high standard and showed strong understanding.

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £800

YSGOL GOLWG Y CWM Powys

Title: Ystradgynlais and its Multi-cultural History

This was an amazing, far-reaching, and ambitious project that looked at the multicultural history of Ystradgynlais. The project started with a walking tour around the village with the learners researching the various histories of the shops and cafes. Further research was done back at school to look at modern immigration to Ystradgynlais from Syria and the historical immigration of Jewish refugees during the Second World War. The children used a wide variety of different ICT skills to retell the multicultural history of Ystradgynlais through digital storytelling. The learners used Video/Animation and AI to tell the story of how one of the school's pupils managed to escape the war in Syria. Excellent use of Coding, Minecraft and Adobe Express was made by the learners to bring the story of artist Joseph Herman and Conti's Italian Cafe to life.

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £500

Women’s Archive Wales

Prize: £300

YSGOL WIRFODDOL PENBOYR Carmarthenshire

Title: Wales – The World’s Most Literate Nation

Pupils worked with several local experts to explore the impact that the Rev Griffith Jones had on promoting education in Wales through the establishment of circulating schools. They raised a number of pertinent historical questions and used the county museum and the National Library to come to sound conclusions. A few historical sites were visited including the nearby birthplace of Griffith Jones. They shared their findings through the school eisteddfod and with the wider community through a church service and a pilgrimage to St David’s cathedral where they sang their newly composed school song. They used ICT to great effect to share their findings and analysis data relating to the 6,580 schools that Griffith Jones and Madam Bevan established in the mid-18th century.

Hodge Foundation Prize: £800

PENGEULAN PRIMARY SCHOOL Rhondda Cynon Taf

Title: ‘Penrhiwceiber Re-Told’

Pengeulan pupils have made a significant contribution to the ‘Valleys Re-Told’ community project. Their research reflected on the life of this former coal community with particular attention to the transformative years of the 1980s with the Miners’ Strike of 1984 followed by the colliery closure in 1985. Pupils were knowledgeable and confident about sharing the outcomes of their studies.

A Museum officer at the centre of the community initiative wrote: The Pengeulan pupils showed ‘so much enthusiasm, creativity, insight, and passion for their own local history, in their classrooms. Witnessing how they had shown their learning through Science and Technology, Expressive Arts, Maths, Languages including Cymraeg, Humanities, and Numeracy and Literacy was an outstanding example of the definition of Cynefin’.

Hodge Foundation Prize: £800

ST JOSEPH’S CATHEDRAL PRIMARY SCHOOL Swansea

Title: What history lays near our school in Swansea city?

Pupils were a pilot class that took part in the YERN (Young Educational Researchers Network) project with Dr Russell Griggs of Swansea University. The school had identified that the children were being asked to research regularly without being taught these skills. The school has a diverse cultural intake which is celebrated in the school while at the same time celebrating the fact that pupils are citizens of Swansea and Wales. The project focused on significant heritage issues in Wales as pupils learnt about different landmarks in their locality and made comparisons past to present. The confident use of relevant terminology by the pupils and their digital skills were particularly impressive.

Hodge Foundation Prize: £800

YNYSFACH PRIMARY SCHOOL Neath Port Talbot

Title: Resolven Remembered: The Story of Our Village

This project, which involved the whole school as well as the wider community, is a fantastic example of engaging children with the history and heritage of their local community. Each group looked at a different aspect of the idea of change, with a whole school exhibition which shared the work with parents and the wider community. Use of IT, links with expressive arts and one eye on the future were all stand-out features. Reaching out to the community to identify the houses that WW1 soldiers lived in was a lovely idea that could be picked up by other schools. The passion and enthusiasm for the project was clear to see, and everyone had learned something new about their local community.

Cambrian Archaeological Association Prize: £250

Moondance Foundation Prize: £250

YSGOL GYMRAEG ABERYSTWYTH Ceredigion

Title: Prysurdeb Pendinas - The Hustle and Bustle of Pendinas Year 3 Ysgol Gymraeg Aberystwyth have been learning about the Celts by studying one of the largest hill forts in Wales, Pendinas – which can be seen from the school yard. The learners have taken part in several activities including looking at Celtic patterns, learning about weaving and dyeing wool, and copying Mary Lloyd Jones’ patterns. There was a trip to Pendinas in the company of archaeologists from the Royal Commission, a whole day celebrating the Celts, working with the author Haf Llywelyn and much more. The learners have created a website displaying all the work they did during the project.

Hodge Foundation

Prize: £300

Books Council of Wales

Prize: A visit from an Author

BAGLAN PRIMARY SCHOOL Neath Port Talbot

Title: Castle on the Hill

This was a whole school initiative, exploring medieval castles and intriguingly Baglan’s own castle Plas Baglan and Neath castle nearby. The enquiry informed the variety of crosscurricular work undertaken by each age group and this was exhibited in a large display which the pupils were keen to introduce and discuss in detail. The wide range of activities illustrated the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of their local and Welsh heritage. The scheme of work had also been shared with the local community through an all-school production showcasing oral presentations, singing, dancing and roleplay.

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £500

BIRCHGROVE PRIMARY SCHOOL Cardiff

Title: Heath GI Project

Following discussions with Heath Residents Association and the Heath Park Community Halls members, staff created a project which focused upon the impact of war upon the local area. Pupils researched the impact of GIs upon the community when they were stationed with families and billeted at Heath Park. Whilst considering the theme ‘Heroes and Villains’ the pupils also researched the involvement of the school in World War One, based upon the school memorial plaque which names the ex-pupils and staff killed in WWI. Year 6 pupils were able to examine original documents belonging to local residents who recorded an interview for pupils. They used primary and secondary sources including interviews with members of the local community, artefacts in the form of documents such as ration books, census records and photographs.

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £500

BLESSED WILLIAM DAVIES CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL Conwy

Title: Llandudno Heritage in 5

‘Llandudno Heritage in 5’ was a project which included the whole school. The children looked at Llandudno’s connections with ‘Alice in Wonderland’, the importance of the Great Orme, the origin of the ‘Llandudno goats’, the history of mining and the tale of the ‘coblynnau’, and the life story of Blessed William Davies, the school’s namesake. They completed creative tasks such as feeding descriptions to an AI engine to create images of coblynnau, looking for goats on ‘goat watch’, and creating chronological maps of Blessed William Davies’ life. The children were confident and knowledgeable about this wide range of topics and had obviously enjoyed the work.

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £500

YSGOL BRO IDRIS Gwynedd

Title: Ysgol Bro Idris in its community

The project started by studying their school’s history before focusing on exploring their locality and its unique history.

The enthusiastic learners developed various skills and gained knowledge and information through a range of cross-curricular activities and experiences, including role play during their Victorian school day and visiting sites with local historians. The visits inspired various creative work, such as artwork in the styles of Cefyn Burgess and Iwan Bala. The work discussed with pupils included aspects of children’s histories, the Welsh language, and local industries.

Learners enjoyed sharing their work through the project website, which will be used for future projects, an exhibition, the school’s radio, social media, and the local paper.

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £500

YSGOL BRO TAWE Powys

Title: Developing a sense of belonging

The project focused on Welsh culture and heritage, relating to Welsh people migrating to Patagonia in 1865 to protect their native Welsh culture and language, which they considered to be threatened in their native Wales. Learners were inspired, motivated, and highly engaged in this project and developed an excellent knowledge and understanding of historical events. A range of rich and purposeful learning experiences were provided to enhance creativity, innovation, and curiosity which led to an array of excellent work being produced.

Glamorgan History Society

Prize: £250

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £250

BRYN CELYN PRIMARY SCHOOL Cardiff

Title: A Wales of Vibrant Culture and Thriving Welsh Language

This multi- faceted project brought the whole school together to explore A Wales of Vibrant Culture and Thriving Welsh Language through different lenses; looking at what Wales is and what it and local communities have to offer, and what this means to the pupils and wider school family that come from diverse backgrounds. It enabled authentic experiences with a variety of creatives and through visits to different landmarks. Looking at poets and poetry styles, dragons, stained glass, Aberfan, Prince’s, Saints, foods, mining, castles, famous people, flags, language, songs and stories, maps, and geographical features, with survey and digital skills and more in an integrated way, that led to fantastic artworks, an Eisteddfod, and an all-years exhibition that parents could get involved with.

Hodge Foundation Prize: £500

YSGOL GYMRAEG CAERFFILI Caerphilly

Title: Hanes Castell Caerffili - The History of Caerphilly Castle

This project investigated the history of Caerffili Castle through STEM activities. The pupils also considered some aspects of the castle's influence on the life of their community today. They used a range of resources with an emphasis on co-operation and overcoming challenges. Y 2 and 3 shared their knowledge with the pupils of Ysgol Rhyd y Pennau, Aberystwyth. The whole school contributed to a bilingual video presenting the work and a drama prepared by the pupils which is available on the school's website.

Hodge Foundation Prize: £500

CREUNANT PRIMARY SCHOOL Neath Port Talbot

Title: Changing Times: Crynant

This project introduced the pupils to Crynant’s heritage through an examination of its long history (from the Bronze Age to the present); its community buildings – church, chapels, farmhouses, shops, pubs, and collieries; local legends; Welsh-language placenames, etc. These were explored through a variety of historical sources, researched with confidence, and interpreted through oral presentation, model-making, clay sculptures and an exhibition of work completed. The two outstanding activities were the visit to the 100year-old Italian village sweet shop and the children’s practical contribution to the new stained-glass window in Saron Chapel. The pupils demonstrated an enhanced appreciation and pride in their Cynefin.

Hodge Foundation Prize: £500

CROSS ASH PRIMARY SCHOOL Monmouthshire

Title: Cynefin: KS2 Home is where the heart is; KS1 There’s no place like home.

A whole school project that focussed on pupils’ wider sense of their place in Wales and Welsh identity. The outcomes were far reaching, including a wider understanding of recent events such as Tryweryn and the long and complex history of the Eisteddfod and the Castles that the school uses as House names. Participation in Welsh Cultural life and learning that this exists were also valuable outcomes. Along the way many other aspects of Cynefin, such as bird habitats in the school grounds were included in the project.

Hodge Foundation Prize: £500

CRYMLYN PRIMARY SCHOOL Neath Port Talbot

Title: Movement

This Year Three project focused on the Tennant canal that runs through the Crymlyn Bog. Today the site is important because of the rare wildlife that is found there. In the past the canal was used to move pottery, coal, gunpowder and copper between Neath and Swansea. Pupils looked at the advantage of canals over roads at the time and how locks were used. They visited the canal on several occasions and used a range of maps, diagrams, pictures, and internet research to help find out what life was like when the Tennant canal was first used. This information was used to create animations showcasing their research.

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £500

CWMAFAN PRIMARY SCHOOL Neath Port Talbot

Title: Cwmafan Through My Eyes

It was a pleasure to visit Cwmafan Primary School, which was so welcoming, and whose children were so genuinely proud of their hometown. The school, without doubt, played an active part in a variety of community events and celebrations and I’m sure, from my discussion with year 6 that their input with continue.

Their project included looking at the reasons for the growth of their village, the improvement in water conditions, Richard Burton and the annual run, the children themselves competing in y Mini Miler, the planting of trees and flowers in the Orchard, for which they decorated bird boxes, litter picks, forming a mini police group, alongside a visiting police officer, in the school to discourage antisocial behaviour, the reasons behind road names and the local park and so much more.

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £500

FOCHRIW PRIMARY SCHOOL Caerphilly

Title: Ffos-y-Frân

Fochriw Primary School’s project ‘Ffos-y-Fran’ focused on the village of Fochriw’s relationship with local open-cast coal mine, Ffos-y-Fran, exploring the community’s historic links with coal mining and drawing comparisons with the recent closure of Ffos-y-Fran.

The project explored the themes of environmental impact of mining, industrial communities, and coal mining in Wales. Fochriw Primary produced a fantastic project that successfully engaged pupils and their families with issues currently affecting their community and provided the opportunity for pupils to find out more about the history of coal mining in South Wales

Hodge Foundation Prize: £500

GARNTEG PRIMARY SCHOOL Torfaen

Title: Our Culture through Sculpture

A whole school project that focused on many aspects of Welsh Culture and History. Inheritance was a very important part and the pupils understood how that shaped Wales today and their part in Welsh Society. Pupils taught and encouraged other pupils in their endeavours and their pride in their work was evident, there was an infectious enthusiasm to show and explain the many facets of their work. The pupils were confident and creative; oracy was excellent, and the pupils obviously understood their place in their community and the community's place in Wales.

Paul Frame Prize for best Project with a Science Theme Prize: £500

GELLI PRIMARY SCHOOL Rhondda Cynon Taf

Title: How can we keep our hillsides healthy?

A very interesting project. Pupils used their own experiences and interviewed older members of the community to learn about flooding in the past decades. They used scientific skills to undertake thorough investigations into the weather and what causes rain and how to build effective flood defences. Newsround bulletins placed on the school’s website gave parents and other stakeholders the opportunity to view the project.

Hodge Foundation

Prize: £300

Mewn Cymeriad/In Character Prize: A dramatic presentation by a historical character

GOWERTON PRIMARY SCHOOL Swansea

Title: Project Cynefin

This interesting project sprang from an Erasmus visit to Sicily and encouraged Gowerton Primary School to research buildings, places, and events in their village.

The local history society worked closely with every year group to produce and install 16 audio descriptions, accessed by QR codes on panels.

A visit to Big Pit allowed pupils to develop a stronger understanding of their industrial past and to talk accurately about events such as the Elba Colliery disaster.

The Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan and the Lord Mayor of Swansea visited the school and other local organisations when their project was formally launched last year.

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £300

Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments

of Wales

Prize: Workshop on historical archives

YSGOL GYNRADD LLANILAR Ceredigion

Title: The Mines

The project started after the learners watched a news program about the Aberfan Disaster and wanted to learn more about it. The project was developed to look at the coal industry in general in Wales. The learners had the opportunity to learn more about the experience of children in the mines and the miners’ strikes. The learners have been busy creating a newspaper report, creating videos, creative dancing, artwork, and STEM work among other things around the subject. The learners have published a website showcasing their work.

Hodge Foundation Prize: £500

LLANILLTUD FAEDREF PRIMARY SCHOOL Rhondda Cynon Taf

Title: Past Foundations, Future Horizons

– Llanilltud Faedref Primary School’s Journey

Given that the current school is shortly to be demolished and replaced by a new school, the focus of this project was to record for posterity evidence of the story Llanilltud Faedref Primary School over the last fifty years. This included the collection and recording of memories of former pupils. The project extended into the past, beyond 1974, when a Victorian school had preceded the school in the village. Some pupils discovered the remains of the old school whilst others, who were studying Victorian times, found out about life in school at that time.

Pupils were aware of the different types of historical evidence available to them. Most of their outcomes were presented via varied use of ICT which was a strength of the project.

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £500

RHIGOS PRIMARY SCHOOL Rhondda Cynon Taf

Title: Our Cynefin

The ‘Our cynefin’ project has given pupils a deeper understanding of their local community and Welsh identity. Pupils spoke knowledgeably about the changes to their community from the days of coal to newer forms of energy generation by wind farms and solar panels.

Their understanding of their history benefited from talking to local people and from visits to both local historical buildings and to National Museums. The pupils’ research was celebrated with parents and the community in an Eisteddfod and the project has successfully gained a place at the Urdd National Eisteddfod representing the Cynon, Rhondda and Merthyr regions as Welsh learners.

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £300

CISP Multimedia

Prize: Animation workshop

St JOSEPH’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL Swansea

Title: Cynefin: This is home

The year six class started their studies with a journey up the river Tawe to see their community from the water. They passed many historical landmarks that contributed significantly to the change and growth of their valley. They identified specific groups of people that came to Swansea over time and were able to identify major contributions that migrants have made in the past and more recently. Pupils effectively used photographs, census data, maps and created family questionnaires to help them explain why people wanted to move to Swansea. They explored and researched historical events and helped to script a play that they performed at the Pontardawe Arts Centre.

Hodge Foundation Prize: £500

SKETTY PRIMARY SCHOOL Swansea

Title: The Battle of Swansea

The focus of the project was The Battle of Swansea and its wider impact. It began when pupils were given a photograph of the 1969 Springboks team, followed by one of today’s team, to make their own deductions about who they were. They studied copies of hate mail sent to Lord Hain and wrote journalistic accounts and letters. Visiting artists and a speaker helped pupils produce their own protest posters. A visit by Lord Hain gave them an opportunity to ask their own questions. Pupils were enthused by the project and spoke knowledgeably about the issues raised.

Moondance Foundation Prize: £500

TREF-Y-RHYG PRIMARY SCHOOL Rhondda Cynon Taf

Title: What is the Eisteddfod and why are the arts important in Wales?

A whole school project based around the history and the competitions of the Eisteddfod. Pupils have performed in the local cluster Eisteddfod and won prizes. Most outcomes related to the expressive arts – recitals, script writing, singing, dancing and art and were all related to Welsh culture and legends. Years 5 and 6 have investigated the origins of the Eisteddfod, its revival in the nineteenth century and the stories of the Bardic Chair and Hedd Wyn.

Classrooms indicate an immersion in the project that was undertaken with enthusiasm.

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £350

YSGOL BODHYFRYD Wrexham

Title: Cynefin

Ysgol Bodhyfryd learnt about their ‘cynefin’ by getting to know the members of ‘Bom Dia’, who support Portuguese-speaking residents of Wrexham. They worked with the group to learn about their lives, share experiences and create a special piece of fabric art to be exhibited in the National Library of Wales. They also learnt about the similarities between ‘dawnsio gwerin’ and folk dances from other countries and documented their ideas about their cynefin in poems and songs created in workshops with experts.

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £350

YSGOL GYMUNEDOL CEI NEWYDD Ceredigion

Title: New Quay War Memorial - Cofeb Rhyfel Cei Newydd The learners had created a spreadsheet about the 81 people from New Quay who were killed in the world wars as a starting point for learning about the wars more widely. The data helped learners discover that most of the people killed in the wars were enlisted with the Navy, due to New Quay being a seaside town. There was a trip to the Royal Welsh Regimental Museum, Brecon and In Character performed a play about the Second World War.

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £350

CWMCLYDACH PRIMARY SCHOOL Rhondda Cynon Taf

Title: How have children’s rights changed from past to present? A school assembly with representatives from the Children’s Commissioner for Wales was the starting point for a project about pupils’ rights. The CRC Rights of the child project was linked to a humanities cross curricular topic which explored how pupils’ lives had changed over the past 150 years.

Pupils showed a strong interest in the ‘Then’ and ‘Now’ project approach and spoke excitably and knowledgeably about the strict discipline in Victorian schools, the lives of children working in the mines and home life of girls and young women.

Hodge Foundation Prize: £350

CWMNEDD PRIMARY SCHOOL Neath Port Talbot

Title: Our Lamb and Flag Emblem

The project, based on the lamb and flag logo, allowed learners from across the school to explore the local history and heritage of their area. All the learners were involved, with a range of outcomes which helped link across both sites of the school. The use of the local environment, including visits to local sites, and the use of IT were strengths. Learners spoke with enthusiasm about working with local musicians to collaboratively write and perform a song about significant ‘wonders’ of their local area.

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £350

HENGOED PRIMARY SCHOOL Caerphilly

Title: Hengoed Heritage Trail

This project researched the lives of some notable individuals in the locality as identified by the local community. Pupils were able to interview some of these notabilities or those who knew them. They conducted some of their interviews online, and used a digital storytelling platform created specifically for the project. Their findings were recorded in a variety of media, culminating in a "Hengoed Primary Trail Plaque" which is displayed prominently in the community.

Moondance Foundation Prize: £350

HOLT COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL Wrexham

Title: Farewell Father Tudor

The project in this small school was focused on history and heritage through the work of Father Tudor, who is about to retire. The project viewed the local and wider history through a living person, with whom they had a close relationship and through the significance of that person and the role he played within their school and their local community. They understood the broader history as reflected within their community and what it meant to them. The children presented their work in a very enthusiastic and knowledgeable manner.

Friends of Carmarthenshire Museum

Prize: £250

Hodge Foundation Prize: £100

JOHNSTOWN PRIMARY SCHOOL Carmarthenshire

Title: What does Johnstown, Carmarthen offer the world?

In this whole school project, the pupils discovered the history of Johnstown. Local historians and a group of former pupils visited the school. Pupils visited the local library and museum as well as Big Pit and Castell Henllys. Each year group was given a different era to explore and used historical publications and online resources and looked at the school museum’s artefacts. Their classroom exhibitions with written work, maps, art, and craft work showed detailed knowledge of their themes.

Hodge Foundation Prize: £350

LIBANUS PRIMARY SCHOOL Caerphilly

Title: How Do We Belong?

The theme was "belonging”, based on work done at the beginning of the academic year on belonging to the school community. Pupils had then considered how they belonged to a wider community, and aspects of Welsh history were considered, such as the coal mines and the Welsh Settlement in Patagonia. Myrddin ap Dafydd's book was used, and a live interview was held with the author. The climax of the project was a presentation to the whole school and a display of banners created by the pupils.

National Library of Wales

Prize: £350

YSGOL PLASCRUG Ceredigion

Title: Cynefin Aberystwyth

Year 5 pupils spoke with pride about how their Cynefin, Aberystwyth, had developed from an iron age hillfort to a popular seaside university town. Another strand of their research had focused on their school and how its ethnic diversity reflected the recent history of Aberystwyth as a multi-cultural town. Twinning with a school from the Swansea area gave pupils an opportunity to share experiences, whilst also learning more about life in a different part of Wales.

Hodge Foundation

Prize: £350

TY’N Y WERN PRIMARY SCHOOL Caerphilly

Title: Stepping through Wales

Each class chose a building from a different period and from a different part of Wales, including Caerffili Castle, Big Pit and Bryn yr Eryr. They investigated the nature and purpose of the buildings, and the way of life of the people who lived and worked there, using mathematical and digital skills. They presented their findings in a range of media, including work inspired by the castle art of Paul Klee.

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £350

YSGOL GYMRAEG YSTALYFERA Neath Port Talbot

Title: Our Community’s Identity

This project arose out of the pupils’ realisation that Ystalyfera’s identity as a Welsh-speaking community was deteriorating. They discovered this through questionnaire research in the community. As a result, they decided to establish a Caffi Cymraeg as an attractive venue for the community to socialise in Welsh. Research skills were learned through Swansea University’s YERN (Young Educational Research Network) project. Part of the research involved looking at the place of Welsh in the past. The project has enhanced the pupils’ pride in their community’s heritage.

Hodge Foundation

Prize: £250

ABERDARE TOWN CHURCH IN WALES PRIMARY SCHOOL Rhondda Cynon Taf

Title: What Makes Us Welsh?

Pupils across the school were inspired by books including the Mabinogion to further research their Welsh heritage of songs and myths using photographs, local buildings, and testimonies from visitors to their school. They produced artwork of dragon eyes, made sculptures, wrote their own myths, and depicted industrial heritage through felting, poetry, and models. They went on visits and sang with local choirs.

Hodge Foundation

Prize: £250

BLESSED CARLO ACUTIS R.C. PRIMARY SCHOOL Merthyr Tydfil

Title: Multicultural Merthyr

The whole school investigated ‘Multicultural Merthyr’, celebrating the diverse cultural backgrounds of the school community, and finding out about the impact of these cultures on Merthyr. Pupils met community members, visited the local library, and listened to a local historian. They investigated census material, wrote poetry, and made mood boards. The project brought the school campuses together in a joint endeavour.

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £250

YSGOL CARREG HIR Neath Port Talbot

Title: Voices of Briton Ferry

This project aimed at promoting generational understanding and knowledge of the heritage of Briton Ferry through collaboration between Year 5 pupils and the older members of the Friends of Jersey Park. They had developed an oral history project through which the pupils had learned important interviewing, communication, and technical skills essential for conducting such a project.

Hodge Foundation Prize: £250

YSGOL MORFA RHIANEDD Conwy

Title: Celebrating Morfa Rhianedd

As Ysgol Morfa Rhianedd was celebrating its 60th birthday, pupils studied the 1960s and how the school had changed over the decades. They had the chance to question former students, to look at old maps and photos, and to design and organise their own ‘Morfa Hafanaidd’ festival to celebrate this special occasion.

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £250

YSGOL PENRHYN-COCH Ceredigion

Title: Betty Campbell

The project had created a positive impression on the pupils, with all of them being able to refer to the good things that Betty Campbell has taught us about equality and hard work. Pupils were aware of her background, and the history of multi-ethnic communities in Wales. It was evident that pupils understood the prejudice and unfairness faced by Betty Campbell and how she overcame these obstacles.

Hodge Foundation Prize: £250

ST GABRIEL & ST RAPHAEL RC PRIMARY SCHOOL Rhondda Cynon Taf

Title: Wales through a digital lens

Through this project learners integrated digital media into the curriculum through the exploration of various facets of Wales. Emphasising Welsh authors, myths, and legends, the project encouraged a cross-curricular understanding and the application of digital skills to create diverse digital media outputs, such as films promoting Wales.

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £250

TREHOPCYN PRIMARY SCHOOL Rhondda Cynon Taff

Title: Morfydd Owen-A Local Legend; a celebration of Welsh culture

The school explored the life of ‘local legend’ musician and composer Morfydd Owen. The school learned about her life and work and explored the time period to discover how life had changed since the early 1900’s and to use this as a jumping off point to explore local history.

Hodge Foundation

Prize: £250

YSGOL Y WAUN AND YSGOL GWERNYMYNYDD Wrexham

Title: Be bold, be curious and be proud of your heritage

This was a joint Federation project between two schools. The project involved looking at the heritage of the two schools through Owain Glyndwr, Welsh Not and Tryweryn, using Mantle of the Expert to explore through a variety of media. The children researched the different aspects and created films e.g., re-enacting battles and a Victorian classroom, as well as a protest against the flooding of the reservoir. They used several skills to display what they had learnt: Films, film editing, IT written evidence composition and script writing.

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £250

WAUNFAWR PRIMARY SCHOOL Caerphilly

Title: The Living Museum

A whole school project that looked at history in the decades from the 60’s to the present day. The focus was primarily on fashion, changes in technology and music. The outcome was a series of six-minute oral performances by each year group which were presented to parents and the wider community over two days.

The learning focus of the project to improve pupil’s oracy, self-confidence and creative skills was successfully achieved.

Welsh Heritage Schools Initiative Certificate

BRYNMENYN PRIMARY SCHOOL Bridgend

Title: Roots To Boots

A project on the past, present and future of Welsh rugby had a focus on fitness and diet. The pupils spoke enthusiastically.

Welsh Heritage Schools Initiative Certificate

DERI PRIMARY SCHOOL Caerphilly

Title: South Pole Expeditions: Past and Present

This project focused on comparing a modern expedition to Antarctica to that of Ernest Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Deri Primary School’s History Club researched the history of the Endurance crew’s experience in the early 20th century and compared it to the experience of the Antarctic Fire Angels in 2023.

Award Winners 2024 Secondary Schools

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £550

Lord Brooke’s Prize

Prize: £250 Expenses towards a visit to the House of Lords

GOWERTON SCHOOL Swansea

Title: History of the Local Area

This is a project led by the 'Criw Cymraeg' to investigate the local history of their community. The obvious strength of this work was the focus which is placed on important historical people such as Ceri Richards, Edgar Evans, Daniel James, Dylan Thomas as well as important historical places such as the Elba colliery, Dyfnant brickworks, Waunarlwydd Rugby Club and Swansea Docks to name but a few. Through films, creative projects, power points which are used across the school, and engagement with the community, the project encourages community pride and identity, offering children, young people and adults valuable opportunities to gain a better understanding of their local history and its values. An exciting project with immeasurable benefits for the school and the wider community.

National Library of Wales

Prize: £400

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £100

YSGOL BRO CAEREINION Powys

Title: The Red Bandits of Mawddwy

This was a carefully researched and well-presented project about the local history of the Red Bandits of Mawddwy. Through exploring different sources, the pupils deepened their knowledge and understanding and developed historical skills such as interpretation as well cause and consequence. Pupil independence and enthusiasm was a notable characteristic of this project and links were developed with the primary sector. Pupils were also able to discuss sensitive matters such as murder and execution with the maturity needed. The outcomes from this project were presented in multiple creative and digital means.

People’s Collection Wales: Digital Excellence Award Prize: £500

CANTONIAN HIGH SCHOOL Cardiff

Title: Local Area: Cynefin

This was a very engaging entry where pupils developed a keen interest in the history of Cardiff Bay. Before embarking upon the project, the pupils did not know about the rich culture that was created there and how that has shaped the bay as it is today, from the origins of Tiger Bay to the purpose of the docks. The pupils spoke to people firsthand who had arrived as immigrants and made Cardiff their home and uniquely see themselves as Welsh has helped pupils understand that being Welsh is not a black and white concept. Pupils were able to see that people from all different heritages have their own personal connection to Welsh heritage.

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £500

YSGOL GYMRAEG GWYNLLYW Torfaen

Title: Our School: Our History

The project focused on the names of school buildings areas and why they had been so named. The aim was to uncover the history of these individuals and to place them within their historical context while connecting them to the school community and local area. This covered a huge timespan from the ‘Age of Saints’ to the present day. The final step was to design a ‘shield’ for each building, depicting the individual after whom the building was named and including a QR code that would give more information about that individual.

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £500

ST MARTIN’S SCHOOL Caerphilly

Title: Covid Oral History Archive

The pupils created an archive website to document life during the Covid pandemic so that future students could easily use it as a historical resource. They collected stories and photographs from members of the school community to show what life was like living in a pandemic. They worked almost entirely independently, developing questions, interviewing pupils, staff and the Headteacher to create an oral history for this and future generations. They refined their digital skills to enable them to use Spotify in the creation of the archive which is now available on the school website.

Hodge Foundation Prize: £500

TREORCHY COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL Rhondda Cynon Taff

Title: History Detectives – Blue Plaques

Pupils linked up with the local council participating in a project that explored the blue plaques of Rhondda Cynon Taff. Their aim was to showcase the fascinating stories and remarkable accomplishments which lay behind the names. They worked with the local library to carry out their research after school as well as using the internet in school. They worked with an external provider to develop an informative short film to highlight their findings, having created a script from the results of their research, then using their digital competency to create an animation for the school website. They shared their research with parents and the community on an evening at the Parc and Dare Theatre in Treorchy.

Hodge Foundation Prize: £350

YSGOL BRO PEDR Ceredigion

Title: What is the origin of our language?

The principles of Curriculum for Wales were integral to the chosen theme based on the anthem “Yma o Hyd ' and the key question: - Where has the Welsh language come from? which is now an integrated part of Year 8 work. The project has undoubtedly inspired the pupils about their heritage, especially aspects related to the Welsh Language. It is intended to expand on the theme in the next academic year after evaluating this year's unit which will include pupil voice.

Moondance Foundation Prize: £350

YSGOL GYFUN GYMRAEG LLANGYNWYD Bridgend

Title: Still Here

This research project focuses on developing the pupils' awareness of their local community and Welshness. The learners were encouraged to choose four aspects of Welshness which reflected the idea that we are 'Yma o Hyd'. The deep and wide study of their Cynefin through the Humanities disciplines conforms to the requirements of the Curriculum. The learners actively made connections between what they had learned and discussed them confidently. It was great to hear the pupils speak so passionately about their heritage, their community and about the Welsh language.

Merthyr Tydfil and District Historical Society Prize: £250

PEN-Y-DRE HIGH SCHOOL Merthyr Tydfil

Title: ‘Merthyr Made Me’

This was a true community project where year 4 pupils created artwork inspired by collections at the Cyfarthfa Castle Museum which were then re-imagined by Pen-y-Dre pupils. Other pupils at Pen-y-Dre investigated and then re-interpreted artworks held in the museum collections in a modern way with the title of ‘Hoodies Retold’ aiming to challenge stereotypes of the area and its young people. The artworks were publicly exhibited at the museum, and QR codes will be created and shared as part of the 200th anniversary of Cyfarthfa Castle.

Award Winners 2024 Special Education and Alternative Provision

Hodge Foundation

Prize: £800

YSGOL MAES Y COED Neath Port Talbot

Title: Cymru am Byth/ Wales Forever

This was an extraordinary whole school project. Each class had carried out a separate project and produced wonderful artwork and multi-sensory activities. Judges almost felt that this was 20 projects all in one. Staff, pupils, and school partners were justly proud of the project’s achievements. Pupils of all ages and abilities were able to describe the process and research that had been a part of their projects. The resulting models, artwork, written work, and multi-sensory activities were a joy to behold.

The school had invited the MP, civic dignitaries, and other school partners to view the project. Following the open days, the work is destined to be displayed in the local library and Civic Centre.

Hodge Foundation Prize: £500

YSGOL HEN FELIN Rhondda Cynon Taff

Title: Lucy’s Adventure

The project is based upon the school’s research in close association with the Rhondda Heritage Park on the history of mining in the area.

All ages and abilities were included, investigating the prehistoric origins of coal and how mining developed in the area. The school worked with their feeder college to produce a cartoon with pupils playing the main roles.

The project has been publicised on YouTube and has received visits from local primary schools and civic dignitaries including the mayor. The book is for sale and parents and school partners have been invited to a launch day.

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £500

YSGOL HEOL GOFFA Carmarthenshire

Title: Cymru Am Byth – Wales forever

Ysgol Heol Goffa adopted an all age, all ability approach to its project. The project looked at a wide variety of aspects of Welsh heritage and local history . There was a strong bilingual aspect across the project. Pupils were able to describe their involvement in their activities and answer questions enthusiastically.

All work was imaginatively created and presented beautifully with a real enthusiasm across all ages and abilities. There was an obvious positive Vibe across the school.

Parents and school stakeholders have been invited to view the exhibition which will hopefully be exhibited locally for greater community involvement.

Moondance Foundation

Prize: £500

YSGOL PEN Y BRYN Swansea

Title: Sustainable Swansea

This project investigated sustainability in Swansea’s past and present. A multi-sensory approach to the project. Areas of research covered included:

Food - investigating how food was traditionally grown in the past and how important the ability to grow food was critical to feeding families.

Clothing - pupils investigated how clothes have been recycled in the past and now. Pupils transformed old tee shirts into 60’s style tie dye. Patchwork was investigated as a historical way of using old clothing.

Power - the production of energy was considered over the ages.

Following the end of the project the material will be transferred to the local library and civic centre.

Hodge Foundation Prize: £250

YSGOL PEN-Y-CWM Blaenau Gwent

Title: Billy Collins

This interesting project by one sixth form pupil was carried out as part of his work experience at the local archives.

Billy Collins was a local man who had an accident in 1918, losing both arms. He had a long career in the Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron and Coal company.

The school has used the story of Billy as an inspiration in terms of overcoming disability in all forms.

Welsh Heritage Schools Initiative Certificate

YSGOL BRYN DERW Newport

Title: The Big Book of Wales

The pupils had great fun celebrating the traditions and food associated with St David’s Day. They tasted traditional Welsh foods and created some very interesting artwork reflecting their views of Wales.

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SHIELDS

Amgueddfa Cymru-Museum Wales shields are presented to the best entry in each category:

Foundation Phase MAERDY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Primary and Junior Schools DARRAN PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL YSGOL FRONCYSYLLTE

Special Education and Alternative Provision YSGOL MAES Y COED

Secondary Schools GOWERTON SCHOOL

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EUSTORY PRIZE

EUSTORY is an informal network of non-governmental organisations that conduct research-based history competitions for young people in Europe. The network was initiated by the Körber Foundation in Germany and it connects organisations in 28 countries.

The Welsh Heritage Schools Initiative is a member and is the only member from the UK. Other countries represented include Germany, Ireland, Georgia, Israel, Portugal, Poland, Estonia, Slovenia, Switzerland and Italy.

For the WHSI EUSTORY history prize, students in Y12 and Y13 have been invited to submit an individual project, linked to Welsh heritage and based on research, analysis and evaluation.

The winners receive a monetary prize for themselves, and the top two for their schools too. In addition, prizewinners are eligible to apply to attend the annual EUSTORY Next Generation Summit with other young Europeans. The 2024 Summit will be held in Riga, Latvia this autumn and will focus on dialogue and intercultural experiences.

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Award Winners 2024

GWENLLIAN MILES JONES Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Myrddin THE HERBURT HEWELL MEMORIAL PRIZE SPONSORED

BY THE MOONDANCE FOUNDATION Prize: £100 individual prize. Prize: £100 to the school.

Title: Mae Cymru yn genedl sy’n dal i fyw yng nghysgod Brad y Llyfrau Gleision heddiw

Wales is a nation still living in the shadow of the Treachery of the Blue Books today

SIWAN JONES Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Myrddin MOONDANCE FOUNDATION

Prize: £50 individual prize. Prize: £50 to the school.

Title: “Doedd Terfysgoedd Beca yn ddim mwy na ffrwydriad terfysglyd yn erbyn anghyfiawnder y system dyrpeg.” Pa mor ddilys yw’r asesiad hwn o achosion a natur Terfysgoedd Beca ar ddiwedd yr 1830au a dechrau’r 1840au?

The Rebecca Riots were nothing more than a turbulent outburst against the injustice of the tollgate system." How valid is this assessment of the causes and nature of the Rebecca Riots at the end of the 1830s and the beginning of the 1840s?

ERIN JONES Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Myrddin MOONDANCE FOUNDATION

Prize: £50 individual prize. Prize: £50 to the school.

Welsh Heritage Schools Initiative

		Income and		Income and
		Expenditure		Expenditure
		Summary		Summary
		2023/2024		2022/2023
		£		£
Income
Donations		38,900.00		32,400.00
Interest		42.97		19.00
	38,942.97 ~~[~~		32,419.00 ~~Lo~~
Expenditure
Prize Money		34,250.00		29,521.34
Seer Design		3,811.00		3,814.99
Treasurers Expenses		239.54		1,000.00
Professional Fees		741.60		366.80
Buffet/refreshments		-		1,747.00
Committee Member Expenses		1,241.75		1,008.88
Award Ceremony		-		250.00
Audit Fee		250.00
*Net Expenditure*	40,533.89 1,590.92 - ~~[Ld~~ ~~[~~		37,709.01 5,290.01 - ~~[	~~ ~~[

		Balance Sheet	Balance Sheet		Balance Sheet	Balance Sheet
			23/24			22/23
Bank Accounts
Opening Balance
Account 8014417			9,589.90			14,698.91
CommunityAccount			2,907.25			2,888.25
	12,497.15 ~~[	~~			17,587.16 ~~Lo~~
Net Expenditure		-	1,590.92 -		-	5,290.01 -
Less unpresented Cheques			550.00			200.00
Add written off unpresented cheques
	11,456.23 ~~[~~			12,497.15 ~~LT~~
Closing Balance
Account 830144177			8,506.01			9,589.90
CommunityAccounts			2,950.22			2,907.25
11,456.23 12,497.15 Signed:- Suzanne Moss Association of Chartered and Certified Accountants ~~Ld~~ ~~LT~~ ~~a ne~~

Dated;-			16/05/2025

Declaration :- My examination was carried out in accordance with general directions given by the Charity Commission.

Independent examiner's report on the accounts

Section A Independent Examiner’s Report

Report to the trustees/ Charity Name members of Welsh Heritage Schools Initiative

On accounts for the year 30[th] September 2024 Charity no 1048155 ended (if any) Set out on pages 2

2(remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 30[th] September 2024.

Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of basis of report the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).

I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner's I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have statement come to my attention (other than that disclosed below *) in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
the accounts do not accord with the accounting records

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply.

Date: 16May 2025 ~~th~~ Name: Suzanne Moss ~~SS~~ Signed:

Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any):

Fellow of the Association of Chartered and Certified Accounts

Address: Lilly Stock, Libanus Road, Blackwood, Gwent NP12 1 EQ

IER

1 October 2018

Section B Disclosure

Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).

Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .

October 2018

IER