Welsh Water welcome Gladstone Primary School pupils back to its award winning Discovery Centre at Cilfynydd
6 May 2022
After a prolonged period of closure, schools are resuming visits to Cilfynydd Discovery Centre, which offers the opportunity to learn about the value of water.
The centre has a long-standing reputation for delivering high-quality, free, education provision to pupils over the last two decades.
Welsh Water’s Education team were delighted to welcome pupils from Gladstone Primary School to the centre last week. The pupils became the first visitors to return to the Education Centre at Cilfynydd, near Pontypridd since March 2020. The centre, which is located at the heart of Cilfynydd Wastewater Treatment Works, closed its doors when Covid-19 first emerged - with school classes unable to visit, until now.
The not-for-profit utility company has delivered curriculum led education sessions to over 600,000 pupils since they launched the education strategy. This involves delivering sessions through outreach in schools and at our discovery centres since the centre opened in 1997. The programme aims to educate and inspire as many children as possible across its’ operational area, focusing on a number of key themes linked to water, good water practice and the role of Welsh Water. Sessions are delivered by seconded teachers from local schools, who are passionate about delivering the curriculum through experiential, hands-on learning. Schools visit for free of charge, making it a valuable offering and a popular choice for teachers looking to enhance their pupils learning.
Over the past 24 months, the team of seconded teachers have been delivering a valuable programme of virtual and outreach visits to schools, through what has been a difficult time for the next generation. In the last year, 45,000 pupils have been involved in an assembly or workshop. They have learned about the water cycle, the work, energy and love that goes into the process of getting water to their taps, ways to conserve water, and the importance of the 3Ps rule – ‘only pee, poo and paper down the loo’.
We are excited to be re-opening the centre at Cilfynydd as the site offers an altogether different and immersive experience. Year 3 from Gladstone Primary School chose to learn about The Water Cycle, a practical lesson that brings together each facet of the water journey – from source to sea. They also looked at the important work of WaterAid, using role-play to develop their understanding of the topic.
Mrs Parry, teacher at Gladstone Primary School said: “Thank you for an amazing visit. The children were super excited beforehand and the visit exceeded their expectations. Thank you very much!”
Claire Roberts, Head of Community Engagement said: “It’s fantastic to see the site back up and running after being closed for a significant period. The level of engagement demonstrated by pupils today as they undertake their activities shows the value of this centre to local communities. It truly offers something different – and the fact that we are already almost fully-booked for the summer term is testament to that.”