  
Ysgol y Berwyn
Family
learning and study support -
responses within a rural setting
The small Gwynedd
town of Bala, situated at the southern extremities of Snowdonia, nestles
on the shoreline of Wales' largest natural lake. The town and surrounding
area is proud of its rich Welsh heritage and culture.
The local secondary
school, Ysgol y Berwyn, is an 11-18 predominantly Welsh speaking coeducational
school. It serves a low economy area, where 90% of the 460 pupils come
from a home background served by agriculture and its related industries.
The economy of the
community is also reflected in the curriculum through NVQ Agricultural
Studies and Construction courses. Both make well-established use of
local contractors and farms. These courses are offered to pupils intending
to find employment locally.
More recently, in
response to the growing importance placed upon the potential outcomes
of Family Learning and Study Support, innovative practice has been developed
that may be of interest to schools in rural settings beyond the boundaries
of Wales. These are as follows.
1. An ICT 'Farm
administration' family learning course
The School became aware that poor administrative skills were resulting
in local farmers not getting grant aid to which they were entitled.
After consulting with the two farming unions and the local agricultural
college, the response has been two-fold.
Firstly, a basic
ICT evening adult education course has been offered to the local farming
community. Secondly, and concurrently, parents and pupils are encouraged
to attend jointly a Welsh medium ICT course in Farm Administration.
Fifteen families have signed up for the course.
2. 'Sheepdog
handling' family learning course
Until the interruption of the lambing season, the School's Agricultural
Department, had been running a Sunday morning Sheepdog Handling course
for pupils and parents, with some of the latter being both learners
and helpers. This culminated in the participants planning and staging
their own Sheepdog Trial, which attracted an entry of almost 70 handlers
and their dogs, from across North Wales - Bala already hosts the largest
sheepdog trials in North Wales. Next year, in addition to establishing
the school's Sheepdog Trials as an annual event, it is also proposed
to encourage the pupils and parents to play an active role in planning
and staging the town's major event.
3. 'Sheep management'
study support programmes
The School has its own small farm in its grounds, with a flock that
averages at around 30 sheep. However, as the management of sheep is
not restricted to term times, the following programmes have been promoted
for the pupils:
- sheep shearing
(both hand and mechanical) at a local 'partner' farm
- a 'lambing care'
programme over the Easter holiday - the School's herd of sheep is
sent out to 'partner farms' to ensure 24-hour supervision
- rearing and preparing
sheep for auction at local markets; this includes participation in
'the sales'
- grooming a small
number of the herd's 'black sheep' for a series of 'country shows'
held during the summer holidays.
This programme demonstrates
the purpose of education to those pupils who might not aspire to academic
careers that take them away from Bala. It also brings the school, parents
and community together to work for the long-term benefit of all concerned.
A £3,000 award
from Education Extra has helped to contribute to some of the above initiatives.
Alwyn Morgan
February 2000
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