New values were created for the school jointly between pupils, governors and staff, which place an increasing emphasis on the four purposes and the history of Princess Gwenllian. A strong emphasis was also placed on celebrating Welshness and nurturing pupils’ understanding of Kidwelly’s rich history, for example the black cat, the River Gwendraeth, the Little Old Lady of Kidwelly (‘Hen Fenyw Fach Cydweli’) and, of course, the castle. Priority was also placed on making use of the local area for learning activities, for example by holding shows at the castle rather than at school.
Because of the emphasis on the area, pupils re-wrote the story of Princess Gwenllian by weaving history into the school’s values and sharing this through a film for the community. Podcasts were also created about the area with local residents and famous former pupils. History boards were created for a range of ages which included games for younger children, such as find the black cat, and numeracy challenges such as calculation cards for older children. The podcasts, video and history boards succeeded in creating natural links between pupils’ experiences and their learning. This also created opportunities for pupils to embed their understanding further and develop their creating writing and design skills, by creating poems about parts of the area on Celtic knots to be displayed in the area while working with a chief bard. This accompanied a map of the area designed by pupils for visitors to the school and the area. In turn, this succeeded in deepening pupils’ knowledge of the local area.
The school’s leaders also ensured that the community, parents and local businesses had a say in the design of the school’s curriculum by sharing questionnaires that focused on pupils’ direction of learning and their skills for the future. The voice of the community, the school’s values and the Welsh ethos were a key part in preparing staff to plan the Curriculum for Wales. Also, in order to deepen pupils’ understanding of Welsh activities further, activities were planned to promote Welshness, including eisteddfodau, Welsh beatboxing activities, concerts and links with national organisations, such as the Football Association of Wales.
Through this, a firm foundation was ensured to deepen pupils’ understanding of the area’s history and the importance of Welshness, for example by developing their understanding of global issues by forging strong links with a school in Qhobosheaneng, Lesotho and a school in Saint-Jacut-de-la-Mer, France.
