Headteacher

Gwernyfed is a small comprehensive school for boys and girls from 11-18, serving a wide rural catchment area in Brecknockshire and Radnorshire.

The focal point of the school is a fine listed Victorian mansion house, which houses the administration, library, and other classrooms. Particular features are the plaster ceilings, fireplaces and the grand carved staircase. One wing of the building, once the stable block, is a well designed and refurbished Technology and Art and Design suite.

Newer buildings have been added over the years providing more classrooms and excellent resources for Science, Music and Drama. Our most recent development has been a new state of the art dining room complex in 2008 featuring innovative environmental design elements such as a wood burning under floor heating system and a fresh air catching ventilation system. Sports facilities include extensive playing fields, a large sports hall, fitness suite, an astroturf multi sport playing surface and tennis courts. We are very proud of the sporting achievements of all our teams and individuals in a wide variety of sports whether school, county or Welsh Schools National level. The extensive landscaped grounds, including clipped yews and a rose garden, are popular with pupils to relax in during break times.

We offer a high quality of education through to GCSE and A level. The school currently has approximately 535 pupils on roll, including a thriving Sixth Form of 75 students. Annually over 85% of the pupils continue their education beyond 16 and over 90% of the Sixth Form go on to university, including Oxford and Cambridge.

Our size is ideal. We are just large enough for us to group pupils in appropriate ability groups and to offer a real range of choice at GCSE level, but remain small enough for our pupils to know each other and their teachers well. Our small size helps provide a warm, friendly atmosphere with a tremendous family spirit. Gwernyfed has a pleasant, friendly ethos. All members of our community are valued. We offer opportunities to succeed and do well but at the same time to enjoy school. We work as a partnership of pupils, parents and teachers to maximise our pupils' talents.

Most pupils are highly motivated and have a very positive attitude to their learning. The behaviour of pupils is very good in lessons and around the school. There is a very positive atmosphere in the school. Pupils have high levels of respect for their teachers, each other and visitors to the school. Our high standards of staff development were nationally recognised by our achievement for the fifth time of the prestigious award – Investors In People. The practice of striving for continuous improvement pervades every school function. The professionalism of staff is reflected in pupil attitude and results. (IIP report Feb 2008).

We offer a wide range of activities outside lesson time. There is an extensive exchange programme and over recent years our pupils have been involved in visits and exchanges with Timbuktu, America, Japan and Australia. This provides our pupils with an opportunity to live with families and to develop awareness and sensitivity to other cultures and encourages a global awareness. We have been awards the International Schools Award. There are also regular ski trips. We have a well-deserved reputation for musical concerts. The school orchestra, musicians and singers regularly provide a varied programme of high quality entertainment often linked with the Drama Department. Other extra-curricular activities available to our pupils are After School Clubs including ICT, Art, Samba Band, Community Volunteering and subject revision sessions. We offer pupils (age 14 upwards) the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme.