{"id":1011,"date":"2021-05-10T17:13:03","date_gmt":"2021-05-10T16:13:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aberconwy.contentcaretaker.co.uk\/?page_id=1011"},"modified":"2026-03-26T16:48:30","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T16:48:30","slug":"beyond-the-classroom","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.aberconwy.conwy.sch.uk\/en_gb\/beyond-the-classroom\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond the classroom"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The school is proud of the many activities and events that we are able to offer students beyond the classroom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have an established Forest School, where our students learn about nature and the local environment plus Bod Silin cottage, sat in the Snowdonia National Park, where students can stay to experience team building and outdoor activities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To see the types of activities students can experience throughout the school year, please have a look at our Activities Booklet<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Clubs<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
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Music Lessons<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
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Performing Arts<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
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Forest School<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
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Bod Silin<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
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Sports<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
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Y Caban<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
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Our Garden<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>
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Duke of Edinburgh<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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The school offers a wide range of free after school and lunchtime clubs and activities to students. These are advertised weekly in the Student Bulletin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please see the timetables below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The North Wales Music Co-operative, an award-winning, not-for-profit organisation, now provides our students with high quality music provision. They offer one to one lessons on all instruments and voice, from beginner through to Diploma level with specialist tutors across Wrexham, Denbigh and Conwy. You can find out more about the co-operative here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To see the services available in Conwy and to book a package of one to one, in school music lessons, please go directly to their website: Conwy Music Co-operative<\/a> or use the contact details in the poster below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We are incredibly proud of our extra-curricular within the Performing Arts Department. We offer a variety of clubs within KS3, which include of Drama club, Choir, Dance club orchestra and a Film club. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Annually, we produce a West End worthy musical theatre production (Billy Elliot and We Will Rock You to name but a couple) where we also work with our feeder primary schools, who become the chorus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We have worked with National Theatre Connections performing in new plays written for young people. Recently, our year 9 have worked on a Tiktok project, funded by NWREN & Welsh Government and working with Film director Lal Davies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In recent years, we have worked with internally acclaimed dance company Rambert and National Dance Wales. In 2018, our year 12 won the Iris prize for Education Outreach. In music, we hold and annual carol concert and students in the 6th form run an Aberconwy has Talent night.<\/p>\n\n\n

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We are always looking for opportunities to work with new companies, and every year we strive to find opportunities to help support our students and their interests.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>

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Forest School sessions started up in September 2016 for small groups of students. Now all Year 7 students have a block of 5-6 weeks of Forest school, run by two, Level 3 Qualified Forest School Leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forest School is an inspirational process that offers small groups of student\u2019s regular opportunities to achieve and develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on learning experiences in a woodland or natural environment with trees. It instils a love and respect for nature. It is led by qualified Forest School leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In Forest School, we teach students to safely use tools, like saws and axes for cutting, and knives for whittling. We also teach how to light fires, cook and build shelters. Forest School encourages (controlled) risk taking, with activities such as tree climbing and making rope swings, and low ropes courses. In line with the Scandinavian model of Forest school, sessions at Ysgol Aberconwy take place with small student to teacher ratios for safety and to build good relationships. In addition, during every activity, learning about nature and conserving it, is taught.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All Year 7 students have Forest School sessions as part of the Project Based Learning curriculum run by Mr O\u2019Rourke. If you have any questions about Forest School, please contact\u00a0Mr O\u2019Rourke<\/a>\u00a0at Ysgol Aberconwy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bod Silin<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bod Silin, Ysgol Aberconwy\u2019s very own cottage, nestled in the hills above Aber\u2019 Falls and Llanfairfechan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sometimes spelt Bod Silyn, the cottage boasts 4 rooms, and an outside toilet. It has no electricity or gas, and was last inhabited many years before the school purchased it in the 1980\u2019s. It is believed that it was once an important staging post off the old Roman road from Rowen to Aber\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Groups have always been taken up to Bod Silin. It is a regular stop off point for our Duke of Edinburgh expedition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bod Silin provides a safe refuge with its wood burner, and ability to sleep groups of 10-15 students, in the two bedrooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students are also encouraged to camp outside, as there is ample room for several backpacking tents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Of late it is used as an outdoor learning venue for the Forest School project in Year 7, where students engage in group work activities, building confidence, calculating risks, creating structures and solving problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students are encouraged to cook and prepare their own meals, usually on an open fire with Forest School students, but usually on a camp stove for D of E groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There is a small woodland behind the cottage that we use for making rope swings, den making, putting up rope swings and various games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bod Silin allows students to re-connect with nature, and improve their wellbeing through structured activities and social interaction, away from the screens of mobile phones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sometimes it is the simple things that we do that have the biggest impact. Like teaching students a few useful knots, and providing them with some basic equipment; then seeing what they choose to do with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We work closely with Actif Conwy\u00a0to provide a wide range of extra-curricular activities\u00a0and using the support of Actif Conwy, utilise the extremely successful Young Ambassador programme. This programme empowers student representatives for extracurricular sport in school to utilise the student voice, in the creation of the extra-curricular programme to provide extra enrichment outside of curriculum time, where there is a focus on participation and being active \u2013 based on what the students want delivered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through this link with Actif Conwy, in recent years we have piloted and successfully used the Dragon Challenge Physical Literacy Assessment as a tool to provide further support to those through extra-curricular intervention in their physical literacy development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Ysgol Aberconwy, we have been very successful for many years in maintaining and competing in many different competitions. Annually we take students\/teams to compete in local and national competitions in sports such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Football<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Netball<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Hockey<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Athletics<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Cross Country<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Mountain Biking<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Rock Climbing<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Gymnastics<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7 Badminton<\/p>\n\n<\/div>

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Tyrd draw i\u2019r Caban i glebran,\u00a0
I fwynhau drwy\u2019r Gymraeg, dyna\u2019r amcan,\u00a0
Gemau, cwisau, crefftau a sbri,\u00a0
Hwyl a chwerthin, gwneud ffrindiau di-ri.<\/p>LDP<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Y Caban\u2019 is a room that has been especially assigned to hold Welsh activities beyond the classroom and it is open to students of all ages. A club is held every lunchtime in a lovely, colourful and modern room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We work closely with Mudiad yr Urdd and Menter Iaith Conwy and their staff members come in and hold sessions and activities every week. From time to time, members of the Sixth Form organise activities for students to support their Welsh Baccalaureate course too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A wide variety of activities are provided through the medium of Welsh, e.g. crafts, quizzes, interactive games and board games, singing, performing, reading and of course conversing in Welsh. Joining the club give students an opportunity to improve and gain confidence in their Welsh skills as well as giving them an opportunity to socialise through the medium of Welsh and make new friends!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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