Powys pupils congratulated for Gornest Lyfrau final success

25 June 2025

A north Powys primary school has been congratulated by Powys County Council after winning a national reading competition.

Ysgol Pennant took first place in the Years 5 and 6 Welsh medium category of the Gornest Lyfrau Final, held on Wednesday, 18 June at the Arad Goch Centre in Aberystwyth.

Gornest Lyfrau is an annual project that encourages young readers from year 3-6 to read for pleasure, discuss the books they read, and enjoy preparing a creative video, as a group or class, based on one of the books on the reading list.

The Gornest Lyfrau final brought together schools from across the country for a day of book discussions, creative workshops, and multimedia presentations.

Pupils from Ysgol Pennant impressed judges with their enthusiasm, creativity, and deep engagement with the books they presented. As part of the competition, they created book blurbs and covers, watched their own book adverts on the big screen, and took part in a workshop with author Mari Lovgreen.

Cllr Pete Roberts, Cabinet Member for a Learning Powys, praised the school's achievement: "We are incredibly proud of Ysgol Pennant for their outstanding success in the Gornest Lyfrau final. Their passion for reading and creativity shone through, and this win is a testament to the hard work of pupils and staff alike.

"Encouraging a love of reading is vital to developing confident, curious learners, and this achievement highlights the strength of Welsh-medium education in Powys."

Jane Peate, Headteacher at Ysgol Pennant, said: "This was a huge achievement for Ysgol Pennant and a true recognition of our pupils' hard work, dedication, and growing passion for reading.

"Thanks to the inspiring efforts of our teacher Lowri Roberts, our learners have developed a real enjoyment of reading, which shone through in the competition.

"With schools from nine counties competing, it was a tough challenge - but winning was a wonderful bonus, especially after placing second last year and third in 2022. 2025 is clearly our lucky year! The learners and Lowri Roberts had a day to remember in Aberystwyth."