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The school was founded in 1893 as a Church in Wales School sited in a building which remains in the center of the village. This building was vacated in 1971 as the number of pupils had outgrown it and a new building was built on the current school site. This ‘new’ building remained until 1996 when a combination of factors including insufficient permanent accommodation, serious building defects, and the gaining of grant-maintained status, meant that a new building was necessary. The School completed a capital building program in January 1996 to rebuild and extend the original premises which had replaced the original 19th Century School. Situated near the edge of the village of Higher Kinnerton the School is at the heart of a vibrant and growing community on the Flintshire/Cheshire border. It is set in spacious grounds which include a sports field, 2 playgrounds, 2 Foundation Phase play areas with safety surfaces, and landscaped borders. The building contains six classrooms, a nursery unit, a large glazed practical area (which includes a new kitchen area) surrounding a spacious hall, an ICT suite/reference library, an infant cloakroom/toilet block, a junior cloakroom/toilet block, kitchen, a study room, an administration suite, and reception area. The school's popularity has meant that two new annexes have been added to the building. There has been significant private housing development in the village during the last 20 years and further developments may occur over the next few years which are likely to place additional strain on the school accommodation. The school is situated in the County of Flintshire with school funding delegated from Flintshire LEA. The school accepts pupils from a wide area. Approximately 70% are from the immediate village with approximately 30% from outside the village. The majority of pupils are from owner-occupied homes with low levels of deprivation. Attendance is higher than school averages for Flintshire and Wales. The attainment of pupils entering Ysgol Derwen is generally good and building on our mission statement of “Developing Potential Through Educational Excellence” ensures that the children consistently achieve a high standard of education at the school which is reflected in our end of key stage results. Ysgol Derwen is a caring village school with a dedicated, professional staff offering a broad and balanced curriculum. In all aspects of school life, we aim to express the traditional values of respect and care for others irrespective of gender and race and we are committed to the practice of equal opportunities. A high standard of behavior is expected and we encourage our children to develop self-discipline, initiative, and a responsible attitude to their work, to other children and adults, to property, and the community at large. All pupils in the Foundation Phase experience the areas of learning mainly through the medium of English. English is the main teaching medium at KS2. Welsh is taught as a second language in KS2, and some aspects of some subjects may be taught in Welsh. English is the language of the day-to-day business of the school, but some Welsh is also used as a language of communication with the pupils to improve their capacity to use everyday Welsh. The normal expectation is that pupils will transfer to English medium secondary provision and continue to learn predominantly through the medium of English, learning Welsh as a second language. View full school

Every child is a huge possibility and it is our responsibility to help make anything possible. We are very proud of our pupils, the high standards we achieve, and our involvement and contribution within the community. We use our School Values to nurture confident, caring individuals that ensure that we can get on with ourselves as well as each other. We endeavor to create an environment where pupils are excited to learn by developing creative strategies which will inspire our pupils to achieve greatness. This includes a rich variety of extra-curricular activities from music to sport, which allows the children to use their Welsh language skills outside the classroom. We aim to support our pupils to become globally responsible 21 Century citizens who have the skills needed to adapt to the demands of our changing world. They are supported to develop the skills to be independent lifelong learners- with a strong emphasis on the key Literacy and Numeracy skills along with ICT across the wider curriculum. Our vision is to provide Welsh Medium Education to the highest standard to every child within an inclusive challenging, caring, and fair community. To make sure that every child, parent, and teacher lives with respect friendship, and praise. From the smallest acorn to the highest branch we will aim for excellence in our lives by following the values of the School, trying our best, and setting challenges for ourselves. Our parents have chosen a list of values that represent our School to emphasize the importance of the motto to every stakeholder. Every month a new value is chosen which will be incorporated into all aspects of school life. Honesty, Respect, Manners, Sharing, Pride/Self-Esteem, Caring, Co-operation, Communication, Kindness, Teamwork, Love, Self-Discipline, Helpfulness, Truth, Open-Mindedness/Tolerance, Friendliness, Listening, Responsibility, Understanding, Perseverance, Diversity, and Trust. View full school