Exceptional standard of work for award entries
Schools across Wales took part in the 28th Welsh Heritage Awards this year. Here JEANEE EVANS, WHSI officer, outlines the work and how the awards came about thanks to a Polish refugee who found sanctuary in the UK and was educated in Wales
THIS year’s celebration of the achievements of schools across Wales in the Welsh Heritage Awards was held at the University of South Wales at Glyntaff Upper Campus, Treforest.
This was the 28th year of the initiative which began as the brainchild of Lady Danusia Trotman Dickinson whose history led to its creation.
In 1939 a 10-year-old Polish girl was driven out of her country and during the long trek across Poland into Romania she and her companions were strafed by the Germans resulting in many losing their lives.
Her diary speaks of “food today”...“no food today”.
In Romania she was locked in a women’s asylum and then a makeshift camp where conditions were grim. The family then moved on to Yugoslavia, France, then Spain, and finally to the UK – the journey took a year.
Having settled eventually in Scotland, she gained a degree, an MA and later a doctorate, becoming a lecturer at Aberystwyth university and eventually professor of economics and business studies when the Polytechnic of Wales changed its status to University of Glamorgan. She was later awarded an MBE for her work.
Lady Danusia wanted to give something back to Wales, and as a member of the Institute of Welsh Affairs set up a Welsh Heritage Committee accepting the advice of educationalists to launch a schools initiative which evolved into the Welsh Heritage Schools Initiative.
Over the last 28 years thousands of pupils have benefited from this inspiring initiative and have competed for its prestigious awards.
This year over 60 schools participated and the standard was exceptionally high illustrating the interest, enthusiasm, detailed knowledge and understanding of the pupils, together with the hard work of the teachers and schools.
Visiting schools was a joyous occasion; judges were given a marvellous welcome and pupils in the primary sector were as accomplished as their senior counterparts in the secondary schools.
It was a delight to find that despite the huge amount of work and pressure that schools are experiencing today, they still regard this as an integral part of what they do and that the enrichment for pupils’ lives cannot be measured.
Schools pursued a wide range of subjects for research and investigation, including World War One and Two, women – their lives as cockle pickers, in mining communities over 150 years, Betsi Cadwaladr, Frances Hogan, Lucy Thomas and Amy Dillwyn; mining, sport, food, eisteddfodau, the journey through history of local communities.
Project research was supported and illustrated by a range of written work, film, art, dance, drama and other artefacts. Excellent use was made of digital technology.
In the Foundation Phase the top prize and shield was presented to Ysgol Bro Idris, Gwynedd, whose project looked at the legends of Bro Idris which involved a visit from a storyteller to classes on each of the school’s five sites.
The Special Schools category winner was Ysgol Heol Goffa, Carmarthenshire. Their project was The Blue Plaques of Llanelli, focusing their inquiry on one of 10 different plaques.
They studied topics such as Felinfoel Baptismal Pool, James Dickinson Innes (landscape artist), Amelia Earhart, the Furnace Tollgate and the Rebecca Riots. The confidence of the pupils has increased significantly and the project has had a marked impact on pupil attainment.
In the secondary sector two schools were selected as joint winners with two superb projects – Ysgol Maesydderwen, Ystradgynlais, and Bryntirion Comprehensive, Bridgend.
The history club at Maesydderwen conducted research into Kindertransport and the refugees who have come into the community over time.
Through this and other work the school gained recognition for the Unicef “Rights of the Child” and “School of Sanctuary”. This led to research into the life of Josef Herman, one of Ystradgynlais’ most famous refugees.
Pupils learnt the skills of animation, and having created a script, produced drawings and stills to convert into film called Cynefin focusing on the theme of refugees past and present. They secured the voice of Michael Sheen to represent Josef Herman.
This was further developed into a second film charting the plight and flight of the Syrian refugees who had come into their community and school. Both films were highly topical and relevant and invoked considerable emotion and pride when shared with the community and at county hall.
Bryntirion’s project was entitled The Wartime Bridgend Project and covered Bridgend’s involvement in World War One and World War Two.
History club pupils wanted to construct a permanent memorial to local men who gave their lives for peace. They researched parish and military records, created tiles bearing the names of the men – to be displayed in the school foyer, family history was researched, and a visit to the battlefields undertaken where poppies were placed for the first time on the graves of family members. Subsequently Bryntirion was the first school in Wales to be twinned with the Flanders Peace Field.
On July 10 last year the whole school was involved in a World War One themed day.
World War Two work followed and pupils worked with Bridgend council to investigate how they could create a lasting memorial and so held a World War Two themed day in the town centre, held drop in sessions for residents to record their memories and created a memorial walkway in the town centre.
An enormous amount of work was undertaken by all schools and they are to be congratulated for their diligence and involvement.
The skills pupils have developed will be reflected in their achievement and attainment across the curriculum. It is hoped that their success will inspire more schools to participate in this competition in the future.
Of course the Welsh Heritage Initiative would be unable to operate without the support of many generous organisations, foremost among them being the Moondance and Hodge Foundations.