[Welsh Language Podcast]
Leadership Talks… Leadership Journeys
Join Owen Evans (His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales, Estyn) and Dr Gwenllian Lansdown Davies (Chief Executive, Mudiad Meithrin) and Dewi Wyn Hughes a Leadership Academy Associate and Headteacher of Ysgol Gwynedd as they share their leadership journeys.
The Speakers:
Dr Gwenllian Lansdown Davies
Dr Gwenllian Lansdown Davies is originally from Bangor but now lives with her husband and four children in Llanerfyl, Powys. She studied French and Spanish at Oxford and lived for a while in Galicia and Brussels before completing a MScEcon and PhD in Political Theory at Cardiff University where she also taught as a politics tutor. Colin was Gwenllian’s internal examiner (when defending her PhD in her Viva). After being elected to represent Riverside on Cardiff County Council in 2004, she worked as Office Manager for Leanne Wood MS in the Rhondda before being appointed Plaid Cymru’s Chief Executive in 2007. In 2011, she was appointed as a Publications Officer for the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol at Aberystwyth University where she was also responsible for its research journal, ‘Gwerddon’. She became Chief Executive of Mudiad Meithrin in September 2014. Mudiad Meithrin is a voluntary organisation and is the main provider and enabler of Welsh-medium early years childcare and education in the voluntary sector with over 1000 settings (Welsh-medium playgroups / parent and toddler groups / ‘Cymraeg for Kids’ groups and nurseries) all over the country. Gwenllian is a Trustee with the National Library of Wales, the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research and the National Lottery Fund in Wales and volunteers at her local Cylch Meithrin on the committee as the RI.
Owen Evans
Owen Evans is responsible for the inspection of education and training in Wales, as well as the management, staffing and organisation of Estyn. He provides independent advice to Welsh Ministers which contributes to the development and review of policy in Wales. Owen also plays a key role in working closely with the other inspection, audit and regulation bodies in Wales, to underpin joint planning and working. In addition, as Estyn’s Accounting Officer he ensures that resources are used properly and provide value for money. The Chief Inspector also publishes an Annual Report on the standards and quality of education and training in Wales.
Welsh speaking, Owen was educated at Ysgol Penweddig and Coleg Ceredigion, Aberystwyth before graduating in economics from Swansea University. Owen joined Estyn from his position of Chief Executive of S4C, the Welsh language Broadcaster. Prior to joining S4C, he was Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Welsh Government, responsible for Education and Public Services. Between 2008 and 2010 he was director of Business in the Community Wales and for 10 years before that he worked for BT, including as a member of the UK team developing BT’s broadband strategy. He has served as a member of the Welsh Language Board and previously chaired the Cardiff Education Development Board.
Dewi Wyn Hughes
Dewi Wyn Hughes is Headteacher of Ysgol Gwynedd, a primary school of over 540 pupils located in the town of Flint, North Wales. Dewi has been teaching since 2004 and has experience of teaching in the United States. Dewi was Deputy Headteacher at the school from 2013 prior to becoming Headteacher in 2019.
Ysgol Gwynedd were fortunate to be part of the initial Pioneer school lead programme when the vision for the new curriculum was launched back in 2015. Throughout the pioneer programme Dewi worked extensively at both local consortia and national level to gauge the professional learning requirements needed to assist with the curriculum reform.