Ysgol Gyfun Llanhari

General information

Ysgol Llanhari is a Welsh-medium school for 3-18 year olds situated in the village of Llanharry, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.HistoryLlanhari is one of the older Welsh medium secondary schools in the area, having opened in 1974. It followed Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen in the vanguard of such schools in South Wales. Over time, it became apparent that Llanhari would not be able to cope with the pupil numbers, as it was oversubscribed, and in 1978, Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf opened in Cardiff in order to take the South Glamorgan pupils and relieve Llanhari. On 6 June 2011, it was publicly announced that from 2012 the school would incorporate a primary unit and become a 3-18 school. On 3 September 2012, the Primary Unit was opened and the school was formally designated a 3-18 school with the new name of Ysgol Llanhari. Mrs Catherine Webb is Assistant Head with responsibility for this unit.Feeder schoolsYsgol Y Ferch o'r Sger, Ysgol Bro Ogwr, Ysgol Gynradd Dolau, Ysgol Cynwyd Sant, Ysgol Gymraeg Tonyrefail, Ysgol Gymraeg Cwm Garw and Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Gymunedol Llantrisant were, until the opening of Ysgol Gyfun Llangynwyd in 2008, the primary schools that fed Ysgol Gyfun Llanhari. However, since the advent of Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Llangynwyd, Llantrisant, Tonyrefail and Dolau are now the only main feeder schools to Ysgol Llanhari.HeadteacherTo date, Ysgol Llanhari has been led by five heads. Mrs Rhian Phillips is the current headteacher at the school. She succeeded Mr Meirion Stephens, who served as head of Llanhari from January 2008. He was preceded by Miss T Anne Morris, who took over in 2003. Prior to this, Mr Peter Griffiths, father of Ioan Gruffudd, star of such films as Fantastic Four and Wilde served as head from 1989. The original head when the school opened in 1974 was Mr Merfyn Griffiths.