Ysgol Tryfan is a bilingual

comprehensive school A comprehensive school is a secondary school for pupils aged 11–16 or 11–18, that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude, in contrast to a selective school system where admission is restricted on the basis ...

for pupils aged 11–18, situated in

Bangor, Gwynedd Bangor (; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and Community (Wales), community in Gwynedd, north Wales. It is the oldest city in Wales. Historic counties of Wales, Historically part of Caernarfonshire, the community had a ...

. In 2024, 534 pupils were enrolled at the school, including 76 in the sixth form. The majority of pupils live in Bangor, with a large proportion coming from the surrounding towns and villages, including

Llanfairfechan ; ) is a town and community in the Conwy County Borough, Wales. It is known as a seaside resort and had a population at the 2001 Census of 3,755, reducing to 3,637 at the 2011 Census. The history of the area dates back to at least Roman time ...

, Bethesda,

Y Felinheli Y Felinheli (), formerly known in English as Port Dinorwic, is a village and community beside the Menai Strait ( or ''Afon Menai'') between Bangor and Caernarfon in Gwynedd, northwest Wales. History Toponymy Etymologically, its name comes f ...

and

Menai Bridge Menai Bridge (; usually referred to colloquially as ''Y Borth'') is a town and community on the Isle of Anglesey in north-west Wales. It overlooks the Menai Strait and lies by the Menai Suspension Bridge, built in 1826 by Thomas Telford, j ...

. The school shares the same catchment area of primary schools as Ysgol Friars. On average, around 34% of pupils from primary schools situated in Bangor transfer to Ysgol Tryfan. Welsh is the school's administrative and official language. According to the latest

Estyn Estyn is the education and training inspectorate for Wales. Its name comes from the Welsh language verb meaning 'to reach (out), stretch or extend'. Its function is to provide an independent inspection and advice service on quality and stand ...

inspection report carried out in 2019, 64% of pupils come from Welsh-speaking homes. As of 2015, 72% of pupils aged 11–15 were fluent in Welsh. According to the Welsh Government, Ysgol Tryfan was ranked 47th out of 207 in 2019.

History

The school was established on the site of the former County School for Girls in 1978 as a Welsh-medium comprehensive school in Bangor. The school is located on the earlier site of the Grammar School for Girls in the Maes Tryfan area, not far from Penrhosgarnedd, and about a mile from the city centre. In 1971, three secondary schools merged: Ysgol Friars, the County School for girls (another grammar school), and Ysgol Deiniol (a secondary modern school). At first the school used all three sites: the former girls' school site was used for the Welsh-language stream for junior years, and the old Friars building for the English-language stream for senior years. The senior years came together in new buildings constructed for £300,000 on the new site. 1978 saw a further reorganisation:. the Welsh-medium stream was separated out to form a new school for 11-18-year-olds, Ysgol Tryfan, on the present Lôn Powys site.

Notable former pupils

* Gwenllian Lansdown - Former Chief Executive of

Plaid Cymru Plaid Cymru ( ; , ; officially Plaid Cymru – the Party of Wales, and often referred to simply as Plaid) is a centre-left, Welsh nationalist list of political parties in Wales, political party in Wales, committed to Welsh independence from th ...

and current Chief Executive of Mudiad Meithrin. * Robin McBryde - rugby international and Wales forwards coach. *

Owain Tudur Jones Owain Tudur Jones (born 15 October 1984) is a Welsh former footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He represented the Wales national football team and during his club career he played for Porthmadog, Bangor City, Swansea City, Swindon ...

- footballer. *

Lisa Jên Lisa Jên Brown is a Welsh actress and singer with the Welsh language folk band . She is originally from Bethesda, Gwynedd, north Wales and is the daughter of Welsh actress Linda Brown. She attended drama school at , beginning her acting career ...

- actress and singer with the Welsh language folk band '' 9Bach''.

References

External links

* {{authority control Secondary schools in Gwynedd 1978 establishments in Wales Educational institutions established in 1978 Bangor, Gwynedd

Tryfan Tryfan () is a mountain in the Ogwen Valley, Snowdonia, Wales. It forms part of the Glyderau group, and is one of the most recognisable peaks in Britain, having a classic pointed shape with rugged crags. At above sea level, it is the fifteent ...