We can exclusively reveal that at a school meeting this evening, the governors of Ysgol Brynhyfryd are reported to have accepted the head teacher Eleri Jones's secondment after Christmas to a regional senior advisor's post that will last initially two school terms. If this seems a bit rushed, the secondment was only advertised on November 19th. There is speculation as to whether this may result in a more permanent move for her out of front line education into higher administration.
Eleri Jones has been with the school for a dozen years having been appointed in September 2001 and she has maintained and indeed grown its standing within the Welsh-speaking community. But this hasn't always been an easy road. There are recent accusations of Welsh at Brynhyfryd not being top rate compared to Ysgol Glan Clwyd; and others have claimed Welsh here is elitist, with Welsh-medium primary pupils denied access to the first language Welsh TGAU/GCSE because their parents were monoglot English. This spilt over into the letters in the Free Press less than 10 years ago.
She has overseen a strong and academically-focused sixth form through strict admissions policies (though vocational subjects remain few, though the Dyffryn Clwyd consortium helps in delivery in this area). She replaced Roger Edwards who himself took over at the death of John Ambrose, the farsighted head who transformed Ysgol Brynhyfryd into the school it is today—or, rather, what perhaps should be.
One of Mrs Jones's large number of deputy and assistant heads, as yet unnamed, is expected to take over but tellingly we understand under the mentorship and supervision of an executive head, the former head of Ysgol Castell Alun, Yr Hob/Hope, a school with a reputation that in recent years has actually overtaken Brynhyfryd's. Remember, Mrs Jones does leave Brynhyfryd as the best school in Sir Ddinbych. But, according to the Daily Post, Castell Alun is a five star school. As such, it has leapfrogged Brynhyfryd. Brynhyfryd scores four stars.
One fact about Mrs Jones many probably do not know is that she is, in fact, English. She was apparently born in the west midlands of England!
Mrs Jones is not the first member of the Brynhyfryd senior leadership team to go to the regional improvement people. Two others have, though one is back.
Eleri Jones has been with the school for a dozen years having been appointed in September 2001 and she has maintained and indeed grown its standing within the Welsh-speaking community. But this hasn't always been an easy road. There are recent accusations of Welsh at Brynhyfryd not being top rate compared to Ysgol Glan Clwyd; and others have claimed Welsh here is elitist, with Welsh-medium primary pupils denied access to the first language Welsh TGAU/GCSE because their parents were monoglot English. This spilt over into the letters in the Free Press less than 10 years ago.
She has overseen a strong and academically-focused sixth form through strict admissions policies (though vocational subjects remain few, though the Dyffryn Clwyd consortium helps in delivery in this area). She replaced Roger Edwards who himself took over at the death of John Ambrose, the farsighted head who transformed Ysgol Brynhyfryd into the school it is today—or, rather, what perhaps should be.
One of Mrs Jones's large number of deputy and assistant heads, as yet unnamed, is expected to take over but tellingly we understand under the mentorship and supervision of an executive head, the former head of Ysgol Castell Alun, Yr Hob/Hope, a school with a reputation that in recent years has actually overtaken Brynhyfryd's. Remember, Mrs Jones does leave Brynhyfryd as the best school in Sir Ddinbych. But, according to the Daily Post, Castell Alun is a five star school. As such, it has leapfrogged Brynhyfryd. Brynhyfryd scores four stars.
One fact about Mrs Jones many probably do not know is that she is, in fact, English. She was apparently born in the west midlands of England!
Mrs Jones is not the first member of the Brynhyfryd senior leadership team to go to the regional improvement people. Two others have, though one is back.