51°28′52″N 3°12′50″W / 51.481°N 3.214°W Lansdowne Primary School (Welsh: Ysgol Gynradd Lansdowne) is a Victorian primary school that opened in 1898 in Canton, Cardiff, Wales.
History
editThe school was designed by architects Veall & Sant and opened in January 1898.[1]
During the First World War the school was commandeered and used as a military hospital, before reopening as a school again in 1918. The school was badly damaged by incendiary bombs during the Second World War, when a bombing raid hit Cardiff in January 1941.[1]
In the last 20 years the school has seen the fabric of the building being renovated with new double glazing on the first floor of the Juniors building [citation needed] In the mid 1990s a nursery school was added and about a year after the schools centenary year the overgrown and neglected nature garden was removed. On the cusp of the new Millennium the long-standing headmaster, Mr Davies retired and was presented with a wooden garden bench as a mark of gratitude from staff and pupils. [citation needed]
In 2001 Lansdowne School and School House were granted grade 2 Listing as historic buildings.[2]
Present day
editThere are currently 382 children attending the school from nearly 200 local families. 71% of the children attending the school are from the local area and within walking distance. Lansdowne also has a Nursery Unit.[citation needed]
In November 2007 Cardiff Council proposed to close Lansdowne Primary School to provide a new site for the local Welsh medium primary school, Ysgol Treganna. This proposal culminated in a campaign by parents and children, with two bus loads of protesters arriving outside the Senedd in March 2010 to petition Education Minister, Leighton Andrews, to reject the closure.[3][4]
On 17 January 2008 Lansdowne Primary celebrated its 110th Birthday. School pupils created a Victorian fair to mark the occasion.[1]
In November 2011 the school received the CILT Cymru Award for their foreign language teaching and international links.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b c Moira Sharkey Years rolled back to Victorian era, South Wales Echo, 17 January 2008. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
- ^ Lansdowne School, School House, Canton, British Listed Buildings database. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
- ^ Katie Norman Parents will fight on for Lansdowne primary school, South Wales Echo, 1 May 2009. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
- ^ Gareth Evans Senedd protest over Ysgol Treganna, South Wales Echo, 26 March 2010. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
- ^ Schools rewarded for their global teaching, South Wales Echo, 12 November 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-22.