Mrs Bethan Guilfoyle
Teaching Awards 2009 Winner
The Welsh Assembly Government Award for the Promotion of the Welsh Language in a School in Wales
Treorchy Comprehensive School, TREORCHY
Bethan Guilfoyle is renowned as one of the leading proponents of Welsh language and culture among educationalists in the principality. Although Treorchy is officially an English-medium school, even those pupils who don’t come from Welsh-speaking homes leave the school proficient or fluent in the language, and with a strong sense of pride in their culture.
The school recently became the first in Wales to achieve the highest grade possible for bilingualism, due to Bethan’s drive and enthusiasm in employing a range of strategies to inspire her pupils. These range from simply using the language formally or incidentally whenever opportunities arise, to bravely changing the structure of the curriculum to provide pupils with opportunities to develop their Welsh language skills.
This strategy begins even before pupils join Treorchy. Bethan, who became headteacher in 1996, has employed a member of staff who teaches Welsh to children in its feeder primaries. As a result, each of its cluster primaries now places considerable importance on the development of the Welsh language.
She has implemented a very successful curriculum change at her school where children are educated bilingually in five subjects to assist in the development of their language skills. This initiative has led to over a hundred pupils achieving the highest GCSE grades in Welsh as a second language two years early, in Year 9. She has also introduced a range of extra-curricular activities, including ‘Clwb Siarad’ and an annual Eisteddfod, and less intensive Welsh courses have been introduced for children with special needs so they don’t miss out .
One pupil said: “The fact that we do so much with the Welsh language has had many spin-offs. I have a much better understanding of Wales and the Welsh culture because of it.”
Bilingualism and the promotion of the Welsh language is an important priority in the School Improvement Plan. Parents are also very supportive of the language development skills. One said: “Our children love the school and I’m so grateful for what has been done for them.” A recent Estyn report concluded that “the development of bilingualism is an outstanding feature of the school”.
Judges said that part of Bethan’s achievements has been to enable everyone at the school to embrace their cultural roots. “Pupils can say that they don’t feel alienated within the inclusive atmosphere generated by the school under Bethan’s leadership,” they said.
