On Monday, July 15, Y Pant School officially opened the new ‘Rose Barnes’ building. The new building, wholly funded by RCT Council is named in recognition of their long-standing former Governor, Mrs Rose Barnes, who has recently retired. Mrs Barnes attended the opening along with her family to receive a special thank you for her long service, have a first glimpse at the building named in her honour, and welcome learners into the new building.
The new building will increase the school’s capacity in line with an increase in pupil demand. Having recently retired, Mrs Rose Barnes was a Governor at Y Pant for 37 years and continues to be an active part of the school’s community. Generations of her children and grandchildren have been through the school, with her youngest Grandchild, Max, now in Year 12.
Mrs Rose Barnes, Former Governor of Y Pant, said: “I loved every minute of the 37 years I spent as Governor of Y Pant, over 12 of them as Chair. It was a privilege to work with such incredible headteachers (5 during my office), teaching staff, fellow governors, and friends of Y Pant. I feel proud that I helped to shape the school into the centre of excellence it now is, a place where my own children and grandchildren have thrived. To have a building named after me is a huge honour and being guest of honour at the opening ceremony was wonderful.”
The new building includes a quote from Mrs Barnes etched into the school walls: “Don’t just dream about success, work hard to achieve it” which encourages learners to work hard to achieve their goals.
Councillor Rhys Lewis, Cabinet Member for Education, Inclusion and Welsh Language, said: “It’s great to see this new facility named after such a valued member of the Y Pant community. The brand-new Council-funded expansion of Y Pant will provide much-needed space for a school that is in high demand.
“We continue to invest significantly in schools and education across the whole of Rhondda Cynon Taf, with a nearly £160 million ongoing investment in education facilities, including a significant contribution from Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme.”
Bev Cheetham, Headteacher of Y Pant, said: “Rose is a dedicated mum, grandmother, and friend to many. As Chair of Governors and as a Governor you could be certain that Rose would provide the perfect balance of challenge and support – an excellent judge of character she always knew what to say and when to say it – her wisdom cut through many meetings – one line from Rose and you knew what needed to be done. Her sense of pride in the school was fierce and her memory for the very many staff (and their families) she appointed was incredible.
“Rose has advocated for our pupils over many years – constantly striving to ensure we stay at the top of our game and that our reputation remains strong within the local and wider community. When RCT told us we were having a new block it seemed a fitting tribute to name it after Rose – a lady who gave up many, many years unpaid to grow our learning community to what it is today. If all our pupils have the humility, generosity, and tenacity that Rose exemplifies we will certainly have turned out some outstanding individuals. An unassuming, quiet, friendly lady with a steely determination to ensure the very best education for young people in her local community.”
