NEWS

Bryntirion Comprehensive School

We have recently held our Senior and Junior Eisteddfod at the Grand Pavilion, a fantastic event, celebrating all things Wales. There were some outstanding performances on-stage and some excellent work completed for the off-stage competitions – well done everyone! Congratulations to Powys house who won.

There have been several extra-curricular trips and visits taking place. During the February half term, our A Level History pupils enjoyed a fantastic trip to the Houses of Parliament and the Imperial War Museum. At the start of March, pupils in Year 8 and Year 9 went on a residential trip to Paris. It has been lovely to hear about Disneyland, the Eiffel Tower, and of course the shopping trip! On 12th March 42 pupils went to London Stadium to watch West Ham draw 1-1 with Aston Villa – an experience they will remember! We look forward to the Year 7 Paris trip, the trip to Berlin and the DofE training walks taking place at the end of this term.

To end, I would like to congratulate our Year 9 rugby team who were victorious in the quarter finals of the Welsh Cup against Penweddig 30-7 and now play Bassaleg in the semi final - an excellent achievement! A talented group of rugby players, we wish them all the best of luck in the rest of the tournament.

M Stephens, Head Teacher

Newton Primary News

Year 5&6 have been studying Wales through our topic ‘Cymru Am Byth’ this term. We organised several trips to St Fagan’s, where the children filmed their own Vlogs documenting their personal learning experiences. In February we went to Big Pit Blaenavon, which was an excellent opportunity to learn about life in a coal mine in South Wales. We also visited the Police Museum in Bridgend, which showcased the changes in policing across the decades. We were also lucky to be able to meet some of the animals that help support police officers in their work. We established a link with a school in Caerphilly and this opened up a range of possibilities to share and compare experiences. We were able to learn about life in a contrasting locality in Wales. The children led virtual Q&A sessions and sent emails to their new friends in St James’ Primary School. We wrote our own bilingual school song entitled ‘Cymru Am Byth’ which we recorded and taught to the KS2 classes in time for St David’s Day. This followed up on our recent success at Christmas when our song ‘Christmas is the time to surf with Santa’ was played on Heart Radio, Radio Wales and Bridge FM. The children were also interviewed by Jagger and Woody! Mr Jenkins (Teacher)

We’d like to start by congratulating Megan-Ruby Clarke, Year 11, who has been selected for the U16 Welsh Schools Girls Squad – a fantastic achievement and we wish you all the best for the season! Two pupils from Bryntirion were nominated for the Mid Glamorgan High Sheriff Youth Awards last month for their hard work and determination and we are so proud that Lauren Howe and Ollie Mallin won 3rd place. Ollie and the Bridgend Young Carers Ambassadors won the group award for their continued support and advocacy for Young Carers in our community. Well done all! As part of the First Give project, pupils were asked to bring in donations of food for the Bridgend Foodbank. In just 3 days, we were able to donate a total of 358kg of food! A huge thank you to all who helped support this wonderful cause and our local community! Rehearsals for our school production, Beauty and the Beast, are well underway and we look forward to welcoming you to evening performances on 19th, 20th 21st April, as well as a matinee performance of 21st April. Tickets are available now from the school office.

Cynffig Comprenehsive News

Employers from Law firms to CGI, Little Footsteps Nursery to Technocamps visited our school to provide pupils with first hand information at our Careers Fair. Pupils from Year 7 to 13 were able to talk to and even try out their skills with providers to experience the world of work and plan for their future. This month we have introduced our Empathy Listeners group. Made up of pupils from years 8 to 10 the Listeners have learned how to listen empathetically to their peers in training sessions led by Empathy Lab. It is important to us that pupils don’t bottle up their worries and know who they can talk to. That means the Listeners are available at break and lunchtime for pupils to share any concerns they may have and offer an empathetic ear. Year 7 pupils have been exploring Folklore and Mythology in their Expressive Arts lessons. Pupils thoroughly enjoyed a visit to St Fagans, which provided inspiration for their mixed media artwork, folk songs and stories.

Congratulations to pupils and staff for an unforgettable production of Matilda. The energy of the cast as well as the commitment of pupils backstage combined to make an evening, which was thoroughly entertaining and uplifting. Hannah Castle, Head Teacher

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Spring term has been especially busy with GCSE and A-Level examination classes working towards their final examinations this summer.

Pupils from Nursery to Year 6 wowed us in Welsh costume for St David’s Day, and World Book Day saw yet another wonderful array of costumes from Fantastic Mr Fox to Where’s Wally?

We were thrilled to win the Porthcawl & Pyle Library Quiz. Our team will compete in the Bridgend County Schools Library Quiz in June.

At St Clare’s, an enriching school experience is as important as academic progress. We aim to provide a multitude of trips, musicals, sporting, and cultural events. We have some exciting residential trips planned for this year and next. Our pupils have enjoyed much success in many sporting fixtures such as rugby, netball and cross country. A heartfelt thank you to the parents who came in to speak to pupils about their varied and interesting career pathways.

Finally, Year 6 have been in our Senior School for a series of specialist masterclasses each week, culminating in a Senior Discovery Day before Easter.

Helen Hier, Head Teacher