AVERY interesting survey of the Aberdare Boys’ Grammar School’s activities and successes during the year was given by the headmaster at the recent prize-day gathering in the Coliseum.
The number of pupils on the roll for the terms of the school year was as follows: Autumn term, 1946, 415; Spring term, 1947, 390; Summer term, 1947, 377.
Of the ninety boys who left school in the course of and at the end of the year, some entered the Forces, others institutions of further education, and of the remainder, the great majority were able to secure employment worthy of their education.
In the Central Welsh Board Examinations, of the 83 candidates presented at the School Certificate Stage, 56 were successful, gaining in all 36 ‘very good’ marks, and 26 candidates obtained exemption from the Matriculation Examination either of the University of Wales or that of London, or of both; the 11 candidates who sat the supplementary examination were all successful and there were four ‘very good’ marks; and of the 23 candidates presented for the Higher Certificate Examination 16 were successful. One gained distinction in all three subjects and another pupil gained one distinction.
One pupil sat the Welsh Matriculation Examination in January, 1947, and was successful.
One candidate presented himself for the Clerical Grade Civil Service Examination and was successful.
In the Entrance Scholarship Examination of the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, one of the two Price-Davies Scholarships, the highest open awards, was obtained by Leslie Herbert Underhill, who later gained a State Scholarship.
Leonard W. James,1 won in competition, the Glamorgan County Council Instrumental Scholarship. Of the eleven boys who have entered on a degree course at one or other of the university colleges, one is studying horticulture and another holds a substantial National Coal Board Scholarship, enabling him2 to study for a B.Sc. degree in mining.
At a Latin reading and reciting competition held by the Cardiff and District Classical Association, one of our pupils,3 shared the first prize.
Brynley F. Roberts4 was awarded one of the special prizes for his Welsh essay in the “Western Mail” St. David’s Day Essay Competition.
CORPORATE LIFE
The school clubs, the photographic, the radio construction, and the gramophone clubs, as well as a form literary and debating society, held a number of interesting meetings during the Winter and Spring Terms.
There were held jointly with the Girls’ Intermediate School, a carol service, an orchestral concert, and a Christmas party.
A law student, Mr. Hardy, a native of Jamaica, instructed by the Central Office of Information, delivered to the senior boys of the school an interesting lecture on his native island.
A Careers Advisory Officer from the office of the Ministry of Labour and National Service at Cardiff gave a talk on careers to the senior boys of the school.
Films illustrating the Coal Gas Industry and two films “Houses in History” and “Instruments of the Orchestra” were shown in the school in March. These film shows were of great educational value and were much appreciated by the boys.
A party of 34 boys (mainly those taking geography and chemistry for the Higher Certificate Examination) visited the Ebbw Vale steelworks; and a party of Higher Certificate pupils, with their biology master, visited the department of botany in the National Museum of Wales. The school has been and is making for that department a series of observations which will indirectly assist in the medical and botanical research into the causes of hay fever and asthma.
A geographical excursion of some 30 boys was made to the Mumbles, Langland and Caswell Bays, to afford opportunities to study in the field the essential features of marine erosion, local crustal movements, and the physiographic evolution of the Neath Valley.
The art mistress accompanied a party of boys on an architectural expedition to Brecon for the purpose of studying the Cathedral.
An exhibition of mime by Irene Mawer and members of her School of Dramatic Art was witnessed in this building in December by 240 boys of the school.
Lecture-concerts were given by the Cardiff University piano-trio in the first two terms to the senior boys.
The most important feature in the corporate life of the school in which a large number of pupils took part, was the concert held here in May, in which the principal work performed was “Alfred the Great” by Hurlstone. Many members of the staff co-operated to make the concert a success; but special praise is due to the conductor, Mr. Phillips, and to Messrs. T. R. James and Matthews, who helped in the training of the choir.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the opening of the school, an address was given to the pupils by a past-student, Mr. J. D. Powell, M.A., H.M.I., and in this hall there was held a meeting5 in which the principal speakers were Professor W. J. Gruffydd, M.P., and Mr. W. Jenkyn Thomas, M.A., the first headmaster of the school.
GAMES, ATHLETICS AND
SWIMMING RECORDS
The severe weather prevented the full. fixture lists being carried out, but in the matches played, the school acquitted itself very creditably, as it did also in the summer term in its cricket matches. One of our boys, Geraint Walters, was selected to play for the East Glamorgan Welsh Secondary Schools Cricket Association.
In athletics it was an outstanding year. The annual sports were favoured by fair weather, and the events were as usual keenly contested by the four ‘houses,’ the champion house being “Tudur.”
The school relay team gained the first place at the Mountain Ash County School Sports and at the Caerphilly Secondary School Sports.
At the Glamorgan Secondary Schools Amateur Athletic Association Championship meeting at Neath, the school won the Middle School Championship, with one of our pupils, Malcolm B. Lloyd,6 breaking two records, the high jump and the long jump.
The mid-school relay team was first in the championship meeting for Wales at Pontypridd, and two of our boys, H. Manning and K. Morgan were in the Glamorgan County winning relay team.
At Mountain Ash, at the end of the Summer term, the school athletic team won a decisive victory over the Mountain Ash Intermediate School team.
The school swimming gala held in the Summer term attracted a large number of entrants. “Dewi” was the winning house.
The champion house for the whole session was “Tudur.”
PAST STUDENTS
The past students of the school held two well-attended reunions in the course of the year.
I have pleasure in mentioning two notable successes by past students. Mr. Emrys Jones7 and Mr. Alwyn Williams8 were awarded Fellowships of the University of Wales. The gaining of two fellowships in one year is unique in the history of the school. It is now known that these two students have gained the degree of Ph.D.
Finally, I should like to thank the Governors for their kind cooperation through the year, and my colleagues on the staff for their team-spirit and their ungrudging and efficient support, and the pupils for having maintained, both in their work and in their conduct, the reputation of the school.