6 minute read
SCHOOLS
ST CLARE’S SCHOOL
St Clare’s provides an exceptional education for pupils aged 2 ½ in Nursery through to Sixth Form. We are extremely proud of our Day nurseries UK Top 20 Nursery (Wales) 2021 Award, with an incredible 10/10 parent-review score. Our A-Level and GCSE results are consistently well above the national average. Last year, our A-Level students celebrated our track record for outstanding results with 61.4% at A*/A and 86.4% at A*/B, with 100% of students gaining their first-choice university destinations with many in the Russell Group including St Andrew’s, Cardiff, Durham, Exeter, Manchester, Nottingham and Queen Mary’s, London. St Clare’s have been in the top 5% of top-performing A-Level schools in the UK for ALPS (A-Level Performance System) since 2018. Our Sixth Form students benefit from a unique education with smaller tutorial-style groups, new Sixth Form Centre and six lessons per subject per week, delivered by experienced subject specialists and examiners. Our Admission Team are here to make the admissions process as smooth as possible for you. Visit www.stclares-school.co.uk or call us on (01656) 789966 to book a place at our Virtual Open Morning at 9:15 on Tuesday, 8th February, or our A-Level Options Evening at 5:00 on Tuesday, 8th February.
Helen Hier, Head Teacher
Deadline date for the March issue is: TUESDAY 15TH FEBRUARY
THE BRIDGE
Welcome back after the Christmas break and a happy new year! Also, welcome back from the Bridge, as we’ve been absent for a little while. Mrs Morriss who was our longest serving teacher and our regular Seaside News writer retired last July. We miss you! We saw a lot of changes last year. First of all congratulations to Mrs Joyner who was appointed headmistress and welcome to our new deputy head Mr Whitchurch. This term, Key stage 3 has already been enjoying our topic Star Gazing and as well as learning about planets and the space race, they’ve been fascinated learning about the mission to Mars. They are looking forward to designing and making their space suit badges in art lessons. All pupils are enjoying their Wednesday afternoon enrichment time and are fortunate to have Miss Mattravers leading our Drama therapy sessions and we are very lucky to have Dallaglio back to coach our pupils in both rugby and football skills. We are looking forward to welcoming Mr White for our music therapy sessions, which will be wonderful in developing our wellbeing, especially in these unusual times.
Cameron, Tom, Kade, Harry and Ellie (Taith)
PORTHCAWL COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL
A group of Year 11 students, helped by Mrs Bennion, organised a most generous Foodbank donation. With Covid preventing collections last year, it was great to be able to support this amazing charity once again. A wide variety of goods were donated by staff and pupils and thanks to all who made a donation to help those less fortunate. Your donations this year were needed more than ever. Pupils, Cara Wheatley and Isobel Evans remarked, “It was lovely to see Porthcawl Comp coming together to help people in need, especially after this hard year”. We have decided that the Year 12 and Year 9 ‘Option Evenings’ will be held remotely. Arrangements have been made and shared with the learners and their families. The Year 12 option event shares the planning for the Year 12, (September 2022) entry. Should anyone wish to consider their Sixth Form study to be at our school then please call 01656 774100 or email info@ porthcawlschool.co.uk to arrange a visit. I would just like to thank Canon Masson once again for allowing us to use the beautiful All Saints Church to record our virtual carol service, which we then shared via a YouTube link. We received very positive feedback from those who saw it and were delighted to be able to share the service with our school community.
Andrew Slade, Head Teacher
YSGOL Y FERCH O’R SGER
It was lovely to welcome everybody back to school safe and well after the Christmas break. We would like to extent a special welcome to our new starters Alex, Emilia, MiaLouise and Sophie. Croeso i Sgêr! Welcome to Sgêr! We begun the term by celebrating the Hen Galan (the Old New Year) with a visit from the Mari Lwyd and children making a Perllan (an apple with evergreen leaves and cloves). The new year was traditionally celebrated on January the 13th as we in Wales used the Julian calendar, an adaptation of the Roman calendar set out by Julius Cesar until the mid 18th century. At the time of the Hen Galan children would visit nearby houses carrying a Perllan as a symbol of good luck for a fruitful harvest in the coming year and singing happy new year greetings. In return they would receive Calennig, small gifts such as cyflaith (Welsh toffee) or money. The Mari Lwyd was the most unusual of the New Year traditions. A horse’s skull covered in a sheet and adorned with colourful ribbons and bells was taken from house to house engaging in ‘pwnco’ a friendly singing challenge with the aim of the Mari Llwyd and her crew gaining entry to the house to toast the new year. Blwyddyn newydd dda! Happy new year!
Staff Sgêr
Catherine Tanner
BMus(Hons) ARCM PIANO TEACHER
*Beginners up to Diploma level * 25 years teaching experience * Progress through ABRSM Grades, or just for fun! * All ages welcome (01656) 782946 07779 555312
ENGLISH TUTOR
(BASED IN NOTTAGE, PORTHCAWL) 20 years of teaching experience as a comprehensive school teacher of 11-18 year old students Fully qualified for KS3, GCSE and A Level Current GCSE Examiner
PORTHCAWL PRIMARY NEWS
Belated Happy New Year from everyone at Porthcawl Primary School! We are very excited about the year ahead and have been working hard on the many activities we have planned. Our younger children are learning all about Space. They really enjoyed the start of the topic when the school was full of aliens and astronauts! Key Stage Two are learning all about bees and pollination in their topic ‘Be all you can Bee’. The topic will give them a great opportunity to visit the new wild flower meadow that has been planted at the end of our field. Our school has continued to grow and we are excited that it is the biggest it has ever been. We have had many new children join us over the last term and they have already become valued members of our school community. Building a sense of belonging and secure relationships are fundamental to success at school and so all new children are supported by Mrs Farmer, our Emotional Literacy Teaching Assistant. Through a wide range of activities, we ensure children settle in quickly and make plenty of friends. We are a small and friendly school; we prioritise well-being and are proud of our excellent academic standards. If you are looking for a new school, please contact me using the details below. We have Nursery spaces for September 2022.
Jo Rowley, Head Teacher Tel: 01656 815660 admin@porthcawlps.bridgend.cymru
STRUTS & CUTS FOR MUTTS DOG WALKING AND DOG GROOMING
FREE
LOCAL PICK UP AND DROP OFF!
Contact Paul on: tel: 07931 891 704 or message us on our facebook page
Guitar Tuition
Russell Skellern BA (Hons) RWCMD Graduate of Guitar Institute, London
Online Lessons Available
• All levels • Grades • Theory • Composition • Performance 07834 772030
