On the 4th of March, Ysgol Llanhari welcomed pupils from Collège Germain St. Ruf in Guadeloupe, an overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. Last year, Pupils from Ysgol Llanhari went to Guadeloupe to visit the pupils at College Germain St. Ruf, and this year Councillor Rhys Lewis, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, Inclusion and the Welsh Language attended Ysgol Llanhari to welcome them to Wales, alongside pupils and staff.
The visit comes a year after a group of Llanhari pupils studying GCSE French and A Level French went out to Guadeloupe for a week to learn about Guadeloupian heritage and the French Language. The two schools have been in contact for over 4 years, exchanging teams calls and messages during the time, and have now both visited each other’s schools and communities in person to learn about the language and culture of another country.
Ysgol Llanhari were proud to greet the pupils, show them around their school and teach them about their Welsh heritage. During their week-long visit, Ysgol Llanhari took their Guadleoupian friends for tours around Cardiff City Football Club, the Principality Stadium and Cardiff Castle. The pupils also went to Cardiff Bay, the beach and bowling together. At the school, Llanhari choir performed, and they even celebrated St Davids Day together. The pupils from Collège Germain St. Ruf performed a Caribbean carnival dance for the pupils to thank them for hosting them for the week.
Ysgol Llanhari received funding from the Welsh Government initiative Taith in order to host the exchange and contribute to the costs of the visit.
Meinir Thomas, Head Teacher at Ysgol Llanhari, said: “Welcoming the pupils from Guadeloupe to Ysgol Llanhari has been an honour. Having visited them last year, it’s great to now welcome them to our school and community. As a school, we have all learnt so much about Guadeloupian heritage, the French language and different cultures during the past 4 years we have been connecting with them, and we feel very lucky to be able to provide these experiences to our pupils.”
Councillor Rhys Lewis, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, Inclusion and the Welsh Language, said: “What an experience for Ysgol Llanhari. It was a privilege to welcome the pupils from Guadeloupe to the school and see them experiencing our heritage and culture. The connections made between the two schools is fantastic and I hope it continues into the future. We are fortunate to be able to receive funding from the Welsh Government to be able to host these visits which benefit learners in numerous ways.”
Posted on 02/04/2025