Brynteg School Ysgol Brynteg
Summer Online News Bulletin July 2018 As the end of the academic year draws near, I am pleased to be able to introduce our final newsletter. This has been an incredibly successful year, with so much to celebrate and even more to look forward to; the talents of our pupils and staff never cease to amaze and it really is a privilege to be part of this wonderful school. Pupils in all year groups have demonstrated an absolute commitment to their studies and to the wider life of the school. From the ‘new’ year 7 pupils who joined last September, through to the year 11 and 13 pupils who have just been saying farewell in their summer proms, without exception, these pupils have demonstrated the high standards which are expected in Brynteg. Sadly, at this time of the year we have to say farewell to staff and this year, some of those who are leaving us have played a part in the life of Brynteg School for many years. Staff who are leaving us are: Mrs A Grabham (Deputy Head), Mr R Hopkins (Deputy Head), Miss C Nightingale (Assistant Head), Dr M Kyriakides (Biology), Mrs H Jones (English), Ms K Vallance (Welsh), Ms L Waters (RE), Mr P Benson (ICT), Mr M Gibbs (Network Manager), Mr M Donovan (Business Manager), Mrs L Hancock (Examinations Officer) and Mrs S Stacey (Attendance Officer). To say that a terrific amount of experience is about to ‘go through the door’ for the last time at Brynteg would be an understatement. The colleagues listed above have contributed so much to making the school the success it is today. It is important to recognise their impact on the lives of so many children and only recently, the fact that some parents and grandparents have commented that they have been taught by some of the colleagues mentioned above demonstrates how far-reaching their impact has been. On behalf of the pupils and governors of Brynteg we wish them all well and all ensure that we can build on what they have achieved here at Brynteg – which would be the most fitting tribute to them. We have successfully appointed all of the vacant teaching positions and for most of the roles in our new support staff structure. I will write to you with the names of all of our new staff in the coming weeks. The return to school in September is already being eagerly anticipated with (as well as new staff) a number of other initiatives to look forward to. As you may be aware, the school is to provide lockers to pupils who want them and these will be installed over the holiday period. The new year also sees the introduction of our Enrichment Programme where the second Wednesday of the timetable will be devoted to activities for pupils in all year groups. There is certainly so much to look forward too. In terms of summer uniform, I am pleased there has been such a positive response to the decision to allow pupils to wear their PE kit in the hot weather. This has been so successful that it is intended to allow this to be the case every time the temperature increases significantly. The polo shirts can still be worn next year by pupils in years 8, 9,11 and 13 but for the other year groups, during the summer months, pupils will continue to wear their shirt (no blazer will be required). This will be a cheaper and more practical approach to our uniform. Thank you for your support. In my relatively short time at Brynteg, I have come to appreciate the real sense of community which exists at the school. It is my intention to build on this as we move forward into what I know will be a very exciting time for this wonderful school. I wish you and your family a safe and restful summer holiday and look forward to seeing you all again in September. Best wishes
Mr Ryan Davies - Headteacher
Art The Art department has had an incredible year with pupils producing an excellent range of artworks throughout all of the year groups.
Design & Technology The DT department are very pleased with the effort and standards of work produced by pupils from all year groups. Keep up the great work!
Well done to our year 9 Formula 1 Engineering Team, the ‘Fireflys’ for competing at the National Final at Silverstone on the 19th March.
Brynteg are very proud to have three Brynteg Art pupils from year 11 and year 13 selected for the Cardiff School of Art and Design’s Excellence Award. These artworks below were included in an exhibition at CSAD during June. These awards are a celebration of emerging talent in ceramics across the UK. What a lovely opportunity to share the fabulous work produced by our pupils. Thank you to all who attended the exhibition.
Despite not reaching the World Final in Singapore, they exhibited their designs and marketing skills through a series of presentations and racing and were rewarded with the ‘Judges Recommendation’ award for their overall performance and quality. All four boys with the help of their Engineering teacher Mr Webber, worked hard in re-designing and rebuilding their car for this highly prestigious event.
GCSE and A Level pupils from Brynteg School exhibited coursework at the Creative Exhibition at Cardiff University during June. We are extremely proud of our pupils displays and for winning the overall prize for Excellence. Congratulations to Jessica Littlejohns who won a 3D printer.
Drama
Music Brynteg School was proud to host the Bridgend County Borough Youth Music String day located in the Lower School Hall on 21st June. The day proved to be successful and enjoyable for all.
Brynteg pupils are currently busy with rehearsals and will be performing High School Musical at the Grand Pavilion Porthcawl on the 24th, 25th and 26th of October 2018. Tickets are now on sale at the Grand Pavilion Porthcawl. If you are able to help with sponsorship, donating raffle prizes or vouchers to help raise funds for the performance please contact Mrs P Beesley via email: admin.brynteg@bridgend.gov.uk
For more information please see the show’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/BryntegHighSchoolMusical
The Drama department has had a very busy and successful year. During February year 7 and 8 pupils represented the school in The Shakespeare Schools Competition at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Two pupils were presented with a special commendation for their dramatic duologues. All students were great ambassadors for our school and it was noted that we have so many talented pupils that performed Shakespeare so well! What an amazing experience for our students.
On 4th and 6th July Brynteg hosted the annual visit from West Monroe Baptist Church, Louisiana, USA. Now in its tenth year, pupils were treated to a jam packed itinerary, with lessons on gospel music, Louisiana and American culture and traditions to name a few. Pupils also attended a concert in the Lower School Hall. The Brynteg Music department’s annual Brynteg Proms took place on 3rd July at 7:00 pm in the Lower School Hall. It was a wonderful evening which was enjoyed by all. Thank you to all who supported the event. Brynteg will be holding the Expressive Arts Open Evening in September. There will be fantastic artwork from years 7-13 displayed, also featuring coursework and exam work from GCSE and A-Level students. Guests will be impressed by the talent within Brynteg. On 29th January the Performing Arts department had the privilege of hosting the Welsh National Opera company’s youth and community team for the day. Pupils from years 9 to 13 participated in two interactive music, drama, digital and marketing workshops based on one of WNO’s productions “Tosca”.
Then during February year 9 and the Performing Arts department, GCSE and A Level music pupils visited the Millennium Centre, Cardiff to watch the Welsh National Opera’s dress-run of Puccini’s Tosca. The audience were transfixed and for many pupils this was their first experience of live theatre. What an amazing opportunity for our pupils!
Maths
English
On 14th March, Brynteg celebrated Pi Day with the top three pupils in year 7 receiving prizes from the reciting Pi competition. Three pupils managed to recite Pi up to 153 digits, 89 digits and 75 digits. During January the school hosted a year 7 Parent Partnership Evening. The purpose of the evening was to give parents a ‘taster’ lesson in Maths and English. Staff from these departments planned a 30 minute lesson that gave parents an insight into their child’s learning in these important subjects. The children sat alongside their parents to share the experience and there was an opportunity for staff to answer any questions. The event proved to be very successful.
History The History Department organised a year 9 trip to London during March. Pupils experienced the Jack the Ripper walking tour which visited the area where the crimes took place, they also enjoyed wonderful views from the London Eye, seeing all the famous landmarks of the Capital city. They visited Oxford Street and Covent Garden where they enjoyed a spot of shopping. Then attended a West End show ‘School of Rock’ - which was an exciting experience. A great time was had by all.
Brynteg pupils enjoyed making the news for real as they took part in the BBC News School Report on 15th March. A year 9 class had the opportunity to watch their classmates play in a rugby Welsh cup final and in true journalistic style they made notes and then created their own news reports. Excellent work was produced. In addition BBC School Report and Digital Cities teamed up to give nine pupils the opportunity to experience workshops in the Wales Millennium Centre. The pupils took part in three fantastic workshops. The main focus of this event was on digital journalism and the many different job opportunities available. The workshop, run by different companies gave interesting taster sessions. These included: coding, virtual reality, real news, and a radio station. One of our year 11 pupils Dylan was successful with the BBC School Report Sports Reporter scheme and was selected as a Sports Reporter in Wales. He was offered a 5 day work experience placement at the BBC. After being mentored, Dylan pitched a sport story and his report was published on a BBC platform. Dylan has been an excellent ambassador for Brynteg school Well done!
During March Brynteg celebrated World Book Day. Pupils and staff had the option to come to school dressed as a book character. A competition was held and there were some fantastic costumes on show! A World Book Day short story competition was also held and the winners entries were announced during the Eisteddfod and published in the fortnightly schools Brynteg Online News.
Congratulations to Ella and Seren of year 10 who won second prize in the National Oxplore Big Question Competition which is run in conjunction with the University of Oxford and secondary schools across the country. Pupils from schools nationwide were invited to submit a thought provoking question as part of the University's Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach Program. The girl's successful question was 'Is the population of people with mental health issues increasing? If so, why is this?' The question impressed the judging panel who were delighted with the high standard of questions received from all schools. It speaks volumes that the girls won second place in this competition which is open to applicants from across the country. The girls are pictured receiving their awards of a £20 book token each from Mrs Burgess.
Science
Languages
During January the RAF visited Brynteg School to deliver a workshop based on the physics of flight. The RAF presented a thoroughly enjoyable workshop to our year 9 pupils. In February the Science and Technology departments along with pupils from year 8 visited the Big Bang STEM event in Bridgend College, organised by the Engineering Education Scheme Wales (EESW). The pupils really enjoyed trying out new technologies. This was a great introduction into the world of engineering and possible career prospects for our pupils. All who attended even went home with a goody bag!
During March, a group of year 10 and 11 pupils flew to Bordeaux for a week to take part in our annual French exchange visit. From Bordeaux, the group travelled a short distance to Villenave d’Ornon, Bridgend’s twin town to spend a week immersed in French culture and daily life. During the week, students attended lessons and various activities were laid on including a visit to the city of Bordeaux and a visit to a wine museum. Pupils also had the opportunity to taste oysters at the oyster museum and climbed up the Dune du Pyla, the highest sand dune in Europe. Our pupils had an amazing experience they made new friends, tried new things and grew in confidence both personally and linguistically. They should all be very proud of themselves!
During March 40 year 12 and year 10 pupils attended the Science in Health Live. This is an annual event located in Cardiff University’s School of Medicine. Pupils had a fantastic time gaining a lot of insight into the various healthcare professions they could pursue and the opportunities for further study after degree level. On Thursday 26th April the University of South Wales delivered yet another invaluable 'Spectroscopy in a suitcase' workshop, this time for our year 13 Chemistry pupils. Dr Kean and her PhD students ensured that pupils were up to speed with the concept and application
From 1st – 4th June, the French department took 81 year 8 pupils on a trip to Château de Warsy in Picardie. There was a fun-packed programme of events for pupils such as visiting a goat farm (La Chèvrerie) and making their own croissants in a traditional French bakery. Pupils also spent a day at the French theme park Parc Astérix.
Following an interactive revision seminar and a hands on experience of the instrumentation used in industry, pupils were engrossed in applying their problem solving skills in a 'compound identification' challenge. This was a worthwhile experience for our pupils in preparing them for their examinations.
A huge ‘merci’ from the French department must go to all our wonderful year 8 pupils who took part in the trip. They were impeccably behaved and embraced all aspects of French culture. The centre staff were very complimentary about their behaviour and their excellent use of French around the château. Bien joué!
Eisteddfod
During March Brynteg held our Eisteddfodau and Eisteddfod concerts. The talent on display was outstanding. The acts included plenty of variety, from singing, acting, dancing and recitals. All performances were extremely entertaining and a fantastic day was had by all. Llongyfarchiadau mawr to the winning houses in the lower school Eisteddfodau, which were Ogwr in years 7 and 9 and Llynfi in year 8. Pupils were in fine voice supporting their houses and singing Calon Lân and Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau. The celebrations continued off stage with pupils taking part in a variety of activities such as: R.E, art activities and competing in sporting events.
On Friday 20th April a group of year 13 Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award pupils set off to complete the Welsh Three Peaks. The pupils arrived safely in Llanberis and refuelled ready for the weekend challenge! The pupils enjoyed the 1st peak - Snowdon with two more peaks to go they enjoyed the sunshine and the good company. Then still singing the second peak - Cadair Idris was completed. With that tough one conquered the pupils were south bound to the remaining peak - Pen Y Fan. What an awesome effort from the Gold Duke of Edinburgh group. They have completed the Welsh Three Peaks in excellent spirits and they have been so supportive of each other along the way. Great memories have been made. Congratulations to all involved.
Well done to our Student-built Young Enterprise Diverge. They attended the South Wales area Trade Fayre competition at the University of South Wales in Newport during April. Diverge went through to the Welsh final on 11th June having won two awards: The Innovation Award and Best Company.
The Welsh Final took place at the Cardiff University Business School. Although the team did not win the final, the team did secure the Wales award for the "Best Trade Stand". The pupils really gave their all and did the school proud, yet again. Well done!
Incredible Journeys! With many Duke of Edinburgh training sessions and three expeditions this term our year 10, 11 and year 12 pupils are setting their sights on their Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards.
Year 7 took part in the 'Incredible Journeys' cluster learning project with transition pupils from year 5 and year 6 during 11th - 15th June. The project began the previous week with our cluster trip which was a huge success. We took over 600 children from primary schools in year groups 5, 6 and 7 on an 'incredible journey'. Our year 13 Duke of Edinburgh participants recently received their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards in Buckingham Palace gardens. What an achievement! Congratulations to you all!
All pupils enjoyed the opportunities the event created, they were impeccably behaved and the ‘incredible journey’ proved to be a very positive experience for all involved.
P.E Sporting Achievements The PE department would like to congratulate all pupils who have excelled within their chosen sport both in and out of school. Please keep up the great work. Brynteg School are very proud of these achievements. During March we had another successful visit by our friends from Bear Creek, Canada. The Canadians had a fantastic experience staying with our pupils making friends for life. The rugby was interesting and closely fought with all players gaining valuable experience. The PE staff would like to thank all the parents and pupils for opening up their homes and being great hosts. During the Easter holiday pupils from years 8, 9 and 10 enjoyed a five day ski trip to Alpendorf Austria. It was an absolute pleasure to take all 52 pupils on this trip. The pupils were wonderful ambassadors for the school with their behaviour exemplary throughout. Pupils thoroughly enjoyed and I am sure that these pupils know that they were part of a very special experience. On April 18th the Brynteg Senior Rugby Team played against Ysgol Y Preseli in the Senior Welsh Cup Final at the Principality Stadium. After a superb season the year 13 players concluded their successful rugby careers in Brynteg by defeating a traditionally strong Preseli side with the final score 19-10. What an amazing game! Well done to you all! In addition the Brynteg Senior Rugby squad held their presentation evening in June. The awards evening was a chance for players, coaches and parents to celebrate the hard work and success of the Brynteg Senior Rugby Team this school year. There were colours ties presented to those individuals that have played 10 or more competitive games for the Senior rugby XV. Players’ Player: Joe Patterson Player of the Year: Tom Davies Gareth Williams Achievement Award: Joe Davies On 21st June 12 year 7 and 8 pupils attended the District trials in Coleg Cymunedol Y Dderwen . The girls played a number of competitive matches from which a squad of 17 players were selected to attend the final trials. All Brynteg girls represented the school extremely well with a number of pupils putting in strong performances against older players. Seven Brynteg pupils were successful in the selection process with Hannah Cooke, Izzy Vine-Roberts, Ferne Jenkins, Amelia Wyatt, Rebecca Barton, Megan Griffiths and Lucy John making through to the next stage. The pupils selected will represent the district in the County Tournament in July, which is an opportunity for them to be selected for the County squad. Well done! The P.E department are looking for a business to sponsor the girls hockey shirts for next years under 14 team. Please email: admin.brynteg@bridgend.gov.uk marking the email for the attention of: Miss A Welsford. Thank you. On the 17th May Brynteg hosted a Girls Rugby festival on a beautiful sunny afternoon with other local schools in attendance. Year 7 and year 8 girls excelled in the game, giving 100% effort. The event proved successful with the girls and spectators thoroughly enjoying. Congratulations to all athletes who competed so well in NASUWT championships during June. Special mention to junior boys who go onto represent Glamorgan valleys in national finals plate competition.
Brynteg Fundraising During March Brynteg raised £420.00 for the Wear Red For Velindre charity.
Brynteg supported raising awareness for epilepsy. Purple ribbons were sold for a donation and pupils held a cake sale during break and lunchtime. The total raised was £435.00 with proceeds going to the Epilepsy Society.
A group of year 12 and year 13 pupils raised £200.66 by holding a cake sale in order to raise funds for Nepal.
7R pupils fundraised for Rock your Socks Down Syndrome Day fundraising £17.21
During June Brynteg held a cake sale with the proceeds going to the Alzheimer's Society and Brynteg's Young Carers raising £65.50 for each worthy cause.
Cashless Catering We would encourage parents to credit pupils accounts online via the BCBC website ‘pay it’ section: www.bridgend.gov.uk Please allow at least 2 working days before the payment will appear in your child’s account. If pupils wish to credit their account using the on site machine, please note that no change can be given to pupils.
Staff Training Days Monday 3 September Monday 5 November Friday 22 February Friday 12 April Monday 3 June
Examination Results 2018 A-Level / AS examinations are released in the Upper School Hall on Thursday 16th August from 9:00 am The results for GCSE examinations are released in the Upper School Hall on Thursday 23rd August Year 11 from 9:00 am Year 10 from 10:00 am Results will only be issued to pupils or nominated adults with written authorisation from a parent/carer. Stamped addressed envelopes must be provided for any pupils unable to collect their results.
Brynteg News…. Parents are asked to ensure that their email addresses are accurate. This will enable parents to access information regularly. An Online Brynteg News is issued every fortnight to parents / carers with up to date information and news.
Autumn Term 2018
Spring Term 2019
Summer Term 2019
Begins
Monday 3 September 2018
Monday 7 January 2019
Monday 29 April 2019
Half term
Monday 29 October Friday 2 November 2018
Monday 25 February Friday 1 March 2019
Monday 27 May Friday 31 May 2019
Ends
Friday 21 December 2018
Friday 12 April 2019
Monday 22 July 2019