Llandrillo College - Principal's Blog

It’s been a busy time since the last posting. The year for me always starts with the Annual All Staff meetings at Rhos and Rhyl. It was a pleasure to welcome staff back to college, old and new. Business is now back in full swing, with meetings in Cardiff last week and this week. I am a member of the Ministerial Advisory Group for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills. This committee is responsible for helping shape the future for education in Wales as well as advising the Minister on key educational issues. This week ends with my 2^nd visit of the month to Cardiff, to the CBI Wales Council.

Monday morning this week thankfully dawned dry and bright as we all welcomed new 1^st year students to the college as they arrived on the buses. It’s a real pleasure to see the students back in college and we’re looking forward to welcoming the returning 2^nd years and higher education students next week.

This week, I was very pleased to be able to meet the first group of students to become part of the ‘Rhyl Sixth’. The meeting with the students provided the opportunity to explain the arrangements for the coming year and also the benefits of becoming an integral part of the college. This is the first time in recent years that a college has taken over the running of sixth form provision. Working in partnership with Denbighshire County Council, the project is expected to be “ground breaking” and add significantly to opportunities in the area.

I’d also like to thank the staff of the college for their patience and help over the last few months whilst the college continues the process of building renewal. Many staff have been directly involved and have worked extremely hard to prepare the college for the new student intake, this commitment is greatly appreciated. At the front of the ollege the demolition is now

nearing completion and extending the car parking and related landscaping can now commence. By November I expect the work to be completed. This will bring this phase of work to completion. (Pictures above of how fast the demolition has moved)

At the same time the next round of developments will start with the development of the new Institute of Health and the enhanced staff and student accommodation. Most of this work will be concentrated on the top road of the campus. Every effort will be made to minimise disruption. Likewise of staff at Rhyl, the Rhyl Sixth development will commence at the end of October. (The Rhyl Sixth website can be located by clicking here.)

Next Monday, I’m delighted to be part of the team responding to the assessment visit as a consequence of being shortlisted for the AOC Beacon Award. We have been shortlisted in three categories.

Discussions on the merger with Coleg Meirion Dwyfor are moving ahead. Important meetings of the Executive Group and the Merger Steering Group are taking place over the next few weeks. A consultation document is in the planning phase and is scheduled for release by the end of October. The Merger website can be located by clicking here.

Bu’n amser prysur iawn ers y cofnod diwethaf. Mae’r flwyddyn i mi wastad yn dechrau gyda chyfarfodydd Staff Blynyddol yn Rhos a’r Rhyl. Roedd hi’n bleser croesawu staff nôl i’r coleg, yn hen a newydd. Mae busnes nawr yn ei anterth eto, gyda chyfarfodydd yng Nghaerdydd yr wythnos diwethaf a’r wythnos yma. Rwyf nawr yn aelod o Grŵp Cynghori Gweinidogaethol i Adran Plant, Addysg, Dysgu Gydol Oes a Sgiliau. Mae’r pwyllgor yma’n gyfrifol am helpu i siapio dyfodol addysg yng Nghymru yn ogystal â chynghori’r Gweinidog am faterion addysgiadol allweddol.

Mae’r mis yma’n gorffen gyda fy 2ail ymweliad o’r mis i Gaerdydd, i Gyngor CBI Cymru.

Gwawriodd bore Llun yr wythnos yma’n sych a disglair wrth i ni groesawu myfyrwyr blwyddyn 1af newydd i’r coleg wrth iddynt gyrraedd ar y bysiau. Roedd hi wir yn bleser gweld y myfyrwyr nôl yn y coleg ac edrychwn ymlaen i groesawu myfyrwyr yr 2ail flwyddyn a myfyrwyr addysg uwch yr wythnos nesaf.
Yr wythnos yma, roedd hi’n bleser gen i gwrdd â’r grŵp cyntaf o fyfyrwyr i fod yn rhan o ‘Chweched y Rhyl’. Wrth gwrdd â’r myfyrwyr cefais y cyfle i egluro’r trefniadau am y flwyddyn sydd i ddod a’r manteision fod yn rhan integrol o’r coleg. Dyma’r tro cyntaf yn y blynyddoedd diwethaf i goleg dderbyn cyfrifoldeb am redeg darpariaeth chweched dosbarth. Gan weithio mewn partneriaeth gyda Chyngor Sir Ddinbych, disgwylir i’r prosiect dorri tir newydd ac ychwanegu’n arwyddocaol i’r ardal.


Fe hoffwn hefyd ddiolch i staff y coleg am eu amynedd a chymorth dros y misoedd diwethaf tra fod y coleg yn parhau gyda’r broses o adnewyddu adeiladau.

Mae nifer o staff wedi bod yn ymglymedig ac wedi gweithio’n arbennig o galed i baratoi’r coleg ar gyfer derbyniad myfyrwyr newydd, fe werthfawrogir yr ymrwymiad yma’n fawr.
Ym mlaen y coleg mae’r dymchweliad bron a chael ei gwblhau a gellir dechrau ymestyn y maes parcio a’r tirlunio cysylltiedig. Erbyn mis Tachwedd rwy’n disgwyl y bydd y gwaith yma wedi ei gwblhau. Bydd hyn yn dod a’r cyfnod yma o waith i ben.

Ar yr un pryd bydd y rownd nesaf o ddatblygiadau’n dechrau gyda datblygu Sefydliad Iechyd newydd a mwy o lefydd i staff a myfyrwyr. Canolbwyntir y mwyafrif o’r gwaith ar ffordd uchaf y campws. Caiff pob ymdrech ei wneud i leihau ymyrraeth.

Yr un modd i staff yn y Rhyl bydd datblygiad Chweched y Rhyl yn dechrau ar ddiwedd Hydref.

Ddydd Llun nesaf, mae’n bleser gen i fod yn rhan o dîm sy’n ymateb i ymweliad asesiad o ganlyniad i gael ein rhoi ar restr fer AOC Gwobr Beacon. Rydym wedi cael ein gosod ar restr fer mewn tri categori.

Mae trafodaethau am yr uniad gyda Choleg Meirion Dwyfor yn symud ymlaen. Mae cyfarfodydd pwysig y Grŵp Gweithgor a Grŵp Llywio Uno yn cael eu cynnal dros yr wythnos nesaf. Mae dogfen ymgynghori wrthi’n cael ei greu a bwriedir ei ryddhau erbyn diwedd yr Hydref.