22/5/2025

In February 2025, a new partnership arrangement to share and strengthen leadership responsibilities between Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf and Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Edern was agreed.

From September, a new chapter in the school's history will begin which will see the two schools collaborate for a two-year period, offering a wide range of benefits including strategic leadership, governance and management structures to focus on teaching, learning and raising standards, the sharing of resources and broader learning and social experiences for pupils.

Mr Matthew Evans, the current Headteacher of Ysgol Glantaf with more than 15 years of leadership experience within the Welsh Medium Sector in South Wales, will step into a new leadership role with strategic leadership responsibility for Ysgol Bro Edern and Ysgol Glantaf.  "I'm delighted to work across both schools during the next few years in a role fully supported by the Local Authority, to build leadership capacity within the schools for the benefit of children and young people. Schools thrive when working alongside each other, working and learning from each other, within departments or at leadership level", said Mr Evans. 

He added: "I'm looking forward to further strengthen the outstanding work of Bro Edern within their primary cluster, fostering community links and ensuring all pupils can thrive in our Welsh Medium environments.  I relish the opportunity this partnership offers to further build on and strengthen quality Welsh Medium education throughout the city."     

In addition to Mr Evans leading the school at an executive level, Mr Denis Pugh has been appointed to a new role as Head of School at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Edern supported by Mrs Ceri Anwen James who will continue as Deputy Headteacher. 

Whilst both schools remain as separate and independent institutions, pupils will access high quality provision and will benefit from teachers' ability to share workload with colleagues from both schools, learning and building to strengthen the continued collaborative learning partnership demonstrated within the Welsh Medium sector.

This week, Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Edern welcomed an inspection report from Estyn following a recent visit with key highlights including:

• Ysgol Gyfun Bro Edern is a welcoming, supportive and close-knit learning community that prides itself on promoting the well-being and happiness of all pupils.
• Staff know pupils well and are extremely dedicated, working diligently to meet the needs of pupils.
• Pupils are proud of the support they receive and appreciate that adults in the school look after them
• The school fosters a strong sense of belonging and offer a close family environment for their pupils
• The school successfully supports the welfare of pupils through the intelligent and caring provision of staff in 'Y Porth', 'Yr Hafan' and 'Cwtsh', bespoke programs that are skilfully tailored to pupils' specific needs.
• The school's extra-curricular sports provision is rich and provides valuable opportunities and a good number of pupils taking advantage.
• The school's sports teams have experienced national success in several areas.
• There are engaging opportunities to develop creative and leadership skills, and inspiring opportunities to enter into national competitions.
• Timely collaboration with families and other agencies reinforces the support and encourages pupils to reconnect with their learning successfully.
• A successful feature of the school's work is the provision for supporting pupils with additional learning needs (ALN).
• Leaders have established robust arrangements for monitoring and tracking pupils' well-being and progress and as a result, they get to know pupils who need further support at an early stage and provide bespoke support programs that meet their needs well.
• Purposeful collaboration with partner primary schools ensures that robust transition processes support pupils as they transfer to school, and this helps them settle in and settle well.
• In the sixth form, pupils' attitudes to learning are very positive. They are mature and discuss complex ideas with each other beneficially while also working independently successfully.

The school is already addressing the report's findings and recommendations. These include enhancing the school's development of literacy skills across the curriculum and ensuring that we continue to give pupils a broad range of opportunities to practise their Welsh language skills both within the classroom and across the school's wide range of extra-curricular activities. The school is also implementing a range of strategies to enhance teaching and learning further and is working with stakeholders to improve attendance.

As part of addressing the recommendations the school will continue to develop leadership capacity for planning and self-evaluation, and the school governors will monitor all developments in their role of a critical friend.

Mr Evans added: "We realise that the Ysgol Gyfun Bro Edern needs to urgently address matters relating to the recommendations regarding leadership, governance, teaching and learning and skills development. The school looks forward to working in partnership on these matters with colleagues from Estyn, local improvement partners and the Local Authority."

Mr Hywel Jones, Chair of the Governing Body stated: "I welcome the report and look forward to working closely with the school leadership team and the Local Authority to address the matters outlined and further strengthen those areas of concern.

"We are delighted to undertake this work under the leadership of our new Executive Headteacher, Mr Matthew Evans, who brings considerable leadership experience to this new role. We are excited that the opportunities offered in such a collaborative approach means that our staff will be able to work in partnership over the next few years, ensuring a stronger provision for pupils."   

Cardiff Council's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Sarah Merry said: "By fostering a model of collaborative working between Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf and Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Edern, while preserving their unique identities, will empower staff, nurture leadership, and enrich student experiences, ensuring that excellence in education is not only achieved but sustained across the two schools. Whilst both schools will be entering into an exciting period it is also good to see the school-to-school support model, a recommendation following Welsh Government's review of school improvement, working in practice in Cardiff "

Research and practice has demonstrated the benefits of collaborations and other arrangements where schools are brought together to deliver education. This has included the ESTYN thematic review (2019) which critically considered the research and concluded the following key benefits:

• Strong strategic leadership, governance and management structures to focus on teaching, learning and raising standards
• Broader learning and social experiences for learners
• Attractive recruitment opportunities and retention of staff
• New opportunities for staff to work together, increasing motivation, reducing workload through shared planning and activities
• The sharing of resources
• Shared responsibilities and accountabilities for children across communities
• Extended services across schools and a variety of activities, childcare, parent support and community access supporting community cohesion and helping to sustain education provision.