Pupils find their voice

Ysgol Bro Caereinion welcomed Year 5 pupils from across its cluster area for a special event with singer-songwriter and cultural icon, the Welsh Whisperer.

The event brought together pupils from Ysgol Bro Caereinion (Primary), Ysgol Cwm Banwy, Ysgol Gymraeg y Trallwng, Ysgol Dafydd Llwyd, Ysgol Rhiw Bechan and Ysgol Pontrobert.

These are Powys’ Year 5 ‘Trailblazers’, forming Ysgol Bro Caereinion’s first ever secondary all Welsh-language year group in September 2026.

Year 6 pupils, also in attendance, joined in with some line dancing. They sang along with the Welsh Whisperer, creating a lively and inclusive atmosphere.

Both Year 5 and Year 6 pupils interacted and fully embraced the day, getting stuck into a range of fun and engaging activities with the Criw Cymraeg.

They spoke about their own experiences at Ysgol Bro Caereinion, the events they’ve organised as well as making keepsake badges with the pupils.

The event was a celebration of Welsh language and culture, strengthening bonds between schools and pupils as they look ahead to an exciting future together at Ysgol Bro Caereinion.

Ysgol Bro Caereinion’s Friends of the School and external agencies were also at the event to inform parents of the support the school has to offer to its pupils. Supper was also catered for locally by Nerys Astley, 4 Seasons Mobile Catering.

Ysgol Bro Caereinion is on a journey to become an all-age, fully Welsh-medium school by 2030. The transition begins with the first reception class in September 2025, followed by the school’s first all Welsh-language Year 7 cohort in September 2026.

The goal of the transition is to provide high-quality bilingual education within an inclusive and supportive environment, where pupils and staff thrive, families feel welcomed, and the community comes together to celebrate and strengthen its shared Welsh identity.

Rhian Mills, Assistant Headteacher and transition lead said: “It was fantastic to welcome these pupils and their families from across the cluster to our event. This group won’t just be moving schools when they come to us, they’ll be shaping the very identity of our school and rooting themselves and future generations in a shared culture and language ‘O’n Bro i’r Byd’.

“We want to ensure families have an opportunity to see what we offer, ahead of their decision in November on where they will be sending their Year 5 children.”

During their previous transition day, where they explored their connection to language, identity and place, the year 5 pupils had also begun to write lyrics for a new school song. The song will be written in collaboration with Rhydian Meilir Pughe, a local songwriter.

Rhydian Meilir has been successful in a number of composition competitions, winning the Sbardun Memorial Trophy at the National Eisteddfod in 2019 and 2022, and Cân i Gymru in 2022 - a competition in which he was also runner up on three occasions.

They will use the school’s new vision – ‘O’n Bro i’r Byd’ – as inspiration, with the new school anthem expected to underpin a curriculum and culture that celebrates ‘cynefin’ (a deep sense of belonging to place) while nurturing outward-looking, confident young people.

Speaking about the event, the Welsh Whisperer said: “It’s an exciting time for the community; I was proud and very happy to have played a small part in bringing people together to support the school's first steps towards Welsh language education and becoming an important cultural hub for the community. If this is a sign of things to come, then the future is bright for Ysgol Bro Caereinion!”

Located at Ysgol Bro Caereinion, the Maldwyn Language Centre is available to pupils from year 2-6 in the English Stream for them to learn Welsh and move along the linguistic continuum.

The school welcomes direct contact from parents who would like more information and if any parents and pupils would like a tour of the school during, or after the school day.