Cathedral schools were established to educate the boys who sang treble in their choirs. There are still almost 40 schools, of which some are preparatory schools, and some are senior independent schools. The Cathedral School, Llandaff is the only surviving Anglican choir school in Wales.

Records are incomplete but we do know that a school of some kind has existed in Llandaff since the 9th Century and it carried on through the Middle Ages. In Henry VIII's reign, a great deal of Church property was disposed of and in 1553 the Manor of Llandaff was sold. This included Bryn-y-Gynnen which was the Bishops Manor House and was situated close to the Cathedral. During the reign of Elizabeth I the people of Glamorgan agreed to fund a teacher at £12 per annum.

The School survived an impoverished time during 1691, when it was called the Free School, and was housed in the Chapter House. Between 1794 and 1751, the present school, designed by John Wood of Bath, was built on the site of Bryn-y-Gynnen. It was known originally as Llandaff Court and was owned by Admiral Thomas Matthew. Admiral Matthew heartily disliked the building, comparing it to a "3 Decker" meaning a ship! In 1840 the office of Dean was revived and the Cathedral was restored by John Pritchard. The present School Chapel was designed by Iwan Christian in 1861.

The Nursery within The Cathedral School operates in a purpose-built unit situated in the beautiful walled garden of the old Bishop’s Palace to facilitate the development of the “whole” child.

The building contains a range of excellent modern facilities including a specially designed ‘wet’ play area and quiet rooms. Outside there are superb gardens and specially surfaced playing areas equipped with a full range of outdoor toys.

There is a full-time Nursery Teacher and a team of Nursery Nurses. The ratio is one adult to eight children. The Nursery is an educational department rather than a crèche; it is intention of the Nursery Department to provide a secure, sympathetic and stimulating environment where children can gain knowledge, negotiate relationships, decode and acquire language, appreciate symbolic meaning and respond to challenges.

Well-structured and purposeful play activity enhances experience and extends children’s learning. Play is a crucial to the way children become self-aware and learn the rules of social behaviour. It is also fundamental to intellectual development.

Parents have the option of booking for the whole day (8:30 am – 3:15 pm) or mornings only at a reduced rate (lunch included, if required). In addition, there is the option of staying for tea and supervision up to 6:00 pm at the latest.

Introductory visits are offered in the term prior to entry. Nursery children are automatically allocated a Reception place for the September following their fourth birthday.

Infants

The Department is housed in a bright and airy building, purpose-built for the needs of young children, where they are taught using a combination of the best traditional and modern methods.

The school day is carefully structured to take account of the needs and learning capacities of each year group. There are two parallel forms in each of the three year groups:

Reception	4 – 5 year olds
Year 1	5 – 6 year olds
Year 2	6 – 7 year olds

Morning lessons concentrate on the basic skills of reading, writing, maths and science. In the afternoon, project work is undertaken along with games, art and other creative activities including music.

Children are involved in Physical Education from the age of 4, developing skills to promote hand/eye co-ordination, suppleness and general fitness. At this age the children will also be introduced to basic computer and keyboard skills and elementary French.

Learning Difficulties

The school has teachers trained to identify and assist children with learning difficulties which usually become evident in the Infants, although we are alert to potential problems at any stage.

Juniors

The Junior Section is housed in the modern, well equipped Gloucester Building.

There are four year groups, Years 3 to 6, with two parallel forms in each year. The maximum class size is 22 but the forms are divided into smaller groups for certain subjects. The Junior curriculum comprises English, Mathematics, Science, French, Geography, History, Religious Studies, Music, Drama, Art, Design Technology, ICT, P.E. and Personal and Social Education.

In Year 3, the forms are taught the majority of subjects by their Form Teachers. In Year 4, specialist teachers are introduced for many subjects.

At the beginning of Year 5, Classical Studies is added to the curriculum.

Years 5 and 6 are taught all their subjects by specialist teachers. There is a still a strong link with the form teacher with regard to the general progress and pastoral needs of each child.

The Junior Section shares the excellent facilities of the Senior Section but has its own Junior Science Laboratory and a Research Centre which incorporates a Library and a specially designed ICT suite complete with 22 high specification computers. Art and Design Technology are taught in The Lodge, recently converted to provide facilities for Painting, Drawing, Pottery, Printing, Woodwork, Electronics and Food Technology.

Seniors

The School’s curriculum is designed to be ahead of the National Curriculum requirements at each stage, allowing teachers to enrich the syllabus and to differentiate according to pupils’ needs.

Years 7 to 9
The curriculum from Year 7 to Year 9 embraces a wide range of subjects. All pupils study English, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics, Religious Studies, History and Geography, French and Latin, Music, Drama, Art, Design Technology, Information Technology, Personal and Social Education, P.E. and Games. At the end of Year 7 there is an opportunity to select another foreign language from Spanish, German or Welsh. In Year 9 those with a strong ability in Latin may take up classical Greek.

In many subjects the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum is covered in Years 7 and 8 thus enabling GCSE work to commence in Year 9. This enables pupils to make well informed choices from the GCSE subjects that will be pursued in Years 10 and 11.

All subjects are taught in such a way that time is given to pursue topics outside the specifications.

Years 10 to 11
Option choices for GCSE are made by pupils in Year 9 in close liaison with parents and subject teachers. Individual guidance on options is given by the School’s Careers Officer and by external Careers organisations. The core subjects – English, Mathematics and Science (available as a Double Award or as three separate sciences – Biology, Chemistry and Physics) are compulsory as GCSE subjects.

All pupils study the GCSE Religious Studies short course which includes important elements of Personal and Social Education. However, the GCSE exam is optional. ICT and Careers/Civic Studies are also part of the core curriculum and help to prepare pupils with the skills and information they need for success at GCSE and beyond. The Games lessons offer a wide range of team and individual sports whilst PE concentrates on the improvement of physical skills.

In addition to the core curriculum, four subjects are normally chosen from:

French	Geography	Art
German	History	Design Technology
Spanish	Religious Studies	Drama
Welsh		ICT
Greek		Music
Latin		PE

In exceptional circumstances, it may be possible for a pupil to study three or five option subjects.

Assessment & Reporting
Parents receive both detailed and progress reports at appropriate times of the year. In addition, parents’ evenings are held at least twice a year for each year group. If, however, you wish at any time to discuss your child’s education or wellbeing, please do not hesitate to make an appointment with your child’s form tutor or the appropriate senior member of staff.

In line with current good practice, pupils are assessed at various times during their time at the Cathedral School. The outcome of assessment is essential for the planning of future work for children and to ensure that individual needs are met. Examinations in the Senior Section currently take place twice a year.

Daily assemblies are held for all children and links with the Cathedral are strong. The Junior and Senior Sections attend a weekly assembly service at the Cathedral
as well as the bi-termly Eucharist. Children of other faiths are warmly welcomed to contribute to the religious life of the school.

Pastoral care is primarily provided by the Form Teachers who monitor the child’s progress and happiness and are always available to discuss personal matters. There is a weekly ‘Tutor Period’ for the discussion of general issues. A Pupil Forum allows the children to air their views and the Junior Section is represented by two elected members of Year 6.

A fully qualified nurse is available for medical and personal problems. The nurse attends to small injuries and minor complaints in a well equipped Medical Room. Many staff are First Aid Qualified, with Nominated First Aiders always available.

Lunch is provided in the purpose-built dining room. Each day there are two hot choices (one of which is vegetarian), a salad bar, sandwiches and fruit. Drinks include water, squash and milk. Our Catering Manager is happy to discuss any individual
dietary requirements.

All pupils are allocated a form tutor who oversees the pastoral care of his or her tutor group, liaising regularly with parents.

Each week there is a tutorial session during which pupils can discuss any matter relating to school life. A programme of Personal and Social Education further develops the pupils’ awareness of contemporary issues in a stimulating and thought-provoking way.

All children can place any personal queries in a Confidential Box for the direct attention of the Headmaster. All other pupil-related matters are brought to the Pupil Forum by elected representatives. Pupils also have access to the counsel of the School Chaplain who is appointed by the Church in Wales.

Personal, moral, social and health education is a central part of the curriculum and is covered jointly by the Religious Studies and PSHE departments. Daily assemblies also deal with spiritual and moral themes, emphasising all that is positive and life affirming within the School community. The School has an Anglican Foundation but pupils from other faiths are warmly welcomed to contribute to the religious life of the School.

Careers
The School is keen to prepare pupils for the opportunities of adult life. The provision of the Careers Education and Guidance programme is part of this commitment. The programme develops the pupils’ skills and provides them with the information to make considered educational and vocational decisions which are consistent with their abilities and needs in a complex, changing world.

The programme of Careers Guidance begins in Year 7 at The Cathedral School and includes aptitude and interest tests, interviews, work placements, conferences and visiting speakers. The Careers and supporting staff recognise that pupils can feel overwhelmed when making career decisions and choices. We aim to provide a sensible and coherent approach to help all pupils make fitting choices for the future.

The Cathedral School offers a balanced and a varied programme of After-School Activities for all pupils in years 1 to 11.

The numerous activities provide a range of opportunities for different age groups to socialise with each other outside timetabled lessons. This interaction is a key element of the programme and one of the reasons it is enjoyed by so many pupils.

For Juniors, these range from Cookery, Typing and Keyboard Skills, Meccano and Stamp Club, to Archaeology, Philosophy, Yoga, Literature, Arts and Crafts as well as a wide variety of sports.

Archaeology, Debating, Swing Band, Gymnastics, Judo, Squash, Philosophy, Cooking and Golf are just a few examples of the activities on offer for the older children.

Crèche facilities are available for all children from 8.00am and to 6.00pm. Breakfast and Tea are optional extras.

Children staying in Crèche after school are able to do their homework in quiet surroundings and then relax with board games or in the ICT Room.

Duke of Edinburgh
Pupils are given the opportunity of taking the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award in Year 10. This is a prestigious scheme which requires that students develop new skills, offer services to the community, go on a group expedition and undertake a sporting challenge.