A SECONDARY school head teacher has bid farewell to the institution he has overseen since 2014 – paving the way for a new leader.

Pencoedtre High School head teacher Tyrone Davies, who taught history when the school was named Bryn Hafren Comprehensive, took up the leadership mantle for his second spell at the Barry school.

During his tenure he saw it transform from an all-girl school to one that is now co-educational.

He also played a part in assisting with the new-build, in progress, on the Merthyr Dyfan Road site.

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Mr Davies said: “I joined Bryn Hafren at 32 years of age as head of history.

“I came to Barry for a new challenge and knew very little about the town apart from seaside visits as a child and from once attending an Urdd Eisteddfod at Barry in the 1970s as a schoolboy.

“Very quickly I became very fond of the town, it’s community, the parents and our pupils.

“I spent 17 years at Bryn Hafren in two separate spells – I went away for five years to be a deputy head in Cwmbran.

“I was very fortunate to be chosen as head teacher in 2014 and was the school’s last head teacher until its closure (in name as Bryn Hafren) in 2018.

“Being a single-sex school was to some extent unique.

“The girls were in the main delightful company and the school has taught many characters over the years.

“Bryn Hafren prided itself in providing for all girls regardless of background, ambition and ability and was equally happy to help girls go to university as it was to see girls leaving to take up a wide range of jobs.

“In 2018, Bryn Hafren was replaced by a coeducational school, Pencoedtre High School,” he said.

“Of course, this was the wish of the community and it was entirely natural that boys and girls should not be educated separately after the age of 11.

“Bryn Hafren’s staff were pleased to welcome boys to the site in 2018.

“They have brought an extra dimension to the school and we are very pleased with their progress over the last two years and indeed celebrated their many successes at GCSE level this summer.

He added: “We were all thrilled to find out that Pencoedtre will be getting a new site at a cost of £35 million.

“The building work is well under-way and the steel framework has just been installed.

“Very quickly, the community of east Barry will see the emergence of a fantastic facility that will enhance pupils’ learning experiences as well as providing fabulous facilities for the town as a whole.

“It has been very rewarding to play a small part in the new building’s development from drawing board to site.

“The new build and with an imminent new curriculum have made me decide that now is the time to retire so that my successor has a chance to make a mark in these areas and to lead the school into the 2020s hopefully going from strength to strength.

“I shall take some time out now to think about what I shall do in the future but certainly travelling will be amongst my plans when covid-19 permits.

“My favourite memories will be that of the school’s pupils.

“You cannot spend 19 years in one institution without gathering fond memories of the pupils and their actions.

“When head of history I led 12 foreign visits to places like Prague and Berlin.

“To have given hundreds of pupils the opportunity to experience these visits and their itinerary is something I am proud of.

“I shall miss the company of the pupils and the community at large.

“I shall also miss watching colleagues develop from newly qualified teachers to become highly effective practitioners.

“At both Bryn Hafren and Pencoedtre we often referred to ourselves as a family or community," he said.

“We were proud that, like a family, we looked after each other, celebrated each other’s achievements and enjoyed each other’s company.

“I would like to wish all who are and have been part of this family the best wishes for the future and would like them all to be proud of themselves, their school and Barry.

“My successor is Lee Humphreys, a senior leader at Llanishen High School in Cardiff.

“It has been evident from our conversations that he is very much looking forward to leading the school and working with its pupils in the future.

“I would advise him to enjoy himself and remember that the pupils should be at the heart of everything that happens at Pencoedtre High.

“I would like to thank all the pupils parents carers and staff for their support and company and wish them well.”