SECTOR INSIGHT
WELSH SCHOOL WINS RECOGNITION FOR OUTSTANDING DESIGN AND SAFETY
Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Llyn y Forwyn school in Ferndale, South Wales has won the Educational Development Award at ATLAS, the Secured by Design Awards, which recognises excellence in designing out crime.
» FUNDED BY WELSH GOVERNMENT’ S Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme and Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, the new school has been constructed on the former Chubb factory industrial estate. The new Welsh-medium primary school replaces an older primary school in the area that had outgrown its site. The new state-of-the-art school can accommodate up to 240 school age pupils and incorporates a 30-place Welsh-medium childcare setting, Cylch Meithrin, which promotes the education and development of pre-school children from the age of two, offering a smooth transition into Welsh-medium education.
The school includes modern classrooms and facilities, a multi-use games area, sports pitch and a range of external play areas. Cycle storage and clear access points have been designed to promote Active Travel, which encourages safe walking and cycling to school, alongside a dedicated drop-off / pick-up car park for parents who drive.
From the outset DOCO( Designing Out Crime Officer) Julie Odgers from South Wales Police and Joy Nicholls, who came onboard a little later, played an instrumental role in ensuring the school was designed with crime prevention measures from the start.
Applying the SBD and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design( CPTED) principles such as access control, natural surveillance, boundary reinforcement, maintenance and management, and sense of place, the DOCOs worked closely with all stakeholders throughout the project. Effective communication and collaboration were central to this process, with partners including RCT 21st Century Schools Team, Project Manager’ s Rhomco, Wynne Construction, Arcadis Architects, Counter Terrorism Wales, and South Wales Police Traffic Management.
The design of the school and external landscape presented complex challenges requiring a series of meeting and site visits to ensure Secured by Design standards were met. For example, the school wanted the hall to be available for community use, to achieve this without compromising the security of the main school, the DOCOs recommended a separate access route.
One of the main challenges was the topography of the site, as the school sits in a steep valley. With an emphasis on encouraging walking and cycling, careful consideration was given to the design of safe pedestrian routes and flow of movement, while maintaining clear vehicle access to help manage traffic in the surrounding area.
The lighting design was also reviewed in the development. Proposals for bollard lighting on a ZIG-ZAG pedestrian path to the school were revised following discussions around visibility and safety, resulting in the installation of street lighting installed to British Standards.
Joy Nicholls carried out the final school visit to confirm the school met the Secured by Design standards and said,“ This is a really good example of how SBD can be incorporated into a development, making the school a safe and secure space for pupils, staff and visitors.”
Julie Odgers added,‘ It was a pleasure to work with our partners on this exciting project, and after lots of meetings it is very satisfying to be able to see Llyn y Forwyn school has met Secured by Design standards.”
Councillor Sharon Rees, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’ s Cabinet Member for Education and Young People, added:“ Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Llyn y Forwyn continues to be an invaluable addition to Ferndale and its surrounding areas, providing first-class Welsh Medium facilities in a safe environment. Ensuring this is a secure site for pupils and staff
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JUNE 2026
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