Over 6000 pupils from across Wales took part in this year’s Welsh Heritage Schools Initiative competition, and Ysgol St. Christopher’s and Holt CP School both came away with prizes.
The aim of these awards is to encourage young people in Wales to take an interest in their heritage and to look at, and appreciate, the ways in which families and communities have contributed to it.
The awards run every year, and this was the first time since before Covid that judges were able to visit the schools and pupils in-person.
Ysgol St. Christopher’s, won the 2023 Special Education and Alternative Provision shield for their engaging, whole-school, project called ‘Cynefin, Cymuned, Cae Ras – Local Area, Community, Racecourse Ground‘, which focused on the influence of Wrexham AFC on Wrexham and the school community. As well as allowing the pupils to take an active part in the development of the new stadium, the project included visits to the school by Wrexham AFC women’s team players, as well as trips out to the stadium and the museum to give pupils an understanding of the long history and heritage of the club. The project will go on display at the stadium and a Wrexham AFC heritage trail has been developed by the school.
Holt CP School’s study (called It’s Not Just Jam’) had a very close focus on one area of their community and studied the effects on it of World War II. This meant that the children could explore history as it happened in their village and learn what previous generations experienced. The project vividly portrayed this through tasting, art, experience, and digital presentations.
Sixty-seven schools in Wales have been presented with Initiative’s prestigious awards for their creative and varied research, sharing over £32,000 in prize money, and Wrexham’s winners received their awards at the National Slate Museum, Llanberis earlier this month.
Cllr Phil Wynn, lead member for education, said: Cllr Phil Wynn, lead member for education, said: “It is so important for our children and young people in Wales to learn about their heritage and I am so pleased to hear about the great work that is being done in Wrexham’s schools. Congratulations to everyone who took part in the competition, especially the pupils at Holt CP and Ysgol St. Christopher’s for the work which went into their brilliant projects, for learning about their own heritage and for inspiring others to learn too.”
WHSI Chair, Angharad Williams, said: “With a record number of schools competing this year, it’s clear that the requirement of the new curriculum ensures that our competition is as relevant and appealing as ever. It is encouraging to see such passion and pride in our young people as they discuss and share the results of their research.
“All our 2023 winners should be justly proud and certainly deserve the opportunity for their excellent work to be acknowledged and celebrated. To enable us to award such generous prizes, WHSI is extremely grateful and indebted to each and every one of our loyal sponsors, including the Moondance and Hodge Foundations, for their generosity.”
A list of all winners along with the adjudications are available on the WHSI website.
