SCHOOLS ST CLARE’S SCHOOL
Despite the challenges COVID has presented over the last two years, St Clare’s has adapted and continued to offer the very best education. Our teachers adapted extremely quickly to online-learning before the first lockdown and have continued to adapt since returning to school. They have offered face-to-face teaching in school whilst live-streaming lessons to pupils who have had to self-isolate. The school’s performance has continued to be monitored throughout the pandemic, in the same way as every other school in Wales. We were part of a very successful thematic review this year and we were involved in regular engagement calls with Estyn. We were delighted to see that St Clare’s was mentioned in the Estyn Annual Report 2020-21, for its distance learning curriculum programme and the support offered to pupils and parents during lockdown. 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. Our A-Level and GCSE results are consistently well above the national average and 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.
HWYL FAWR A MWYNHEWCH ‘MRS JONES LIFEBOAT’
Once again, we are asking you to join us in saying a fond farewell to another long-serving member of the Nottage family as retirement beckons for Mrs Aileen Jones MBE. For many years, Aileen has led Forest School activities with our 36 | seaside news
Email us your report to: info@seasidenews.co.uk youngest learners and it was while she was at a Forest School training event in 2005 that she received news, which would catapult her into the headlines! That year, Aileen became the first ever lifeboat-woman since Grace Darling, to be awarded the RNLI Bronze Medal of Gallantry from that moment on she was known as ‘Mrs Jones Lifeboat’! In 2016, Aileen was again in the news and once more as she was honoured with her MBE for services to the RNLI. Thanks to Aileen, hundreds of Nottage pupils will have learned at an early age that life really is better outdoors and there is no such thing as bad weather when you’re in your wellies and puddle suit! They will certainly never forget their trips to the lifeboat-station, watching the tractor and lifeboat get washed and marvelling at how quickly the crew put on the dry suits! Your Nottage family wish you calm seas and many glorious sunsets!
PORTHCAWL COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL
We enjoyed a visit recently from Sarah Murphy, our Member of the Welsh Senedd who came into school to see what we are all about. She met with the Head Team and members of the School Council who had a chance to ask her questions about her job in the Senedd, and they chatted about the local regeneration scheme as well as their aspirations as young people, what their plans are for the future and the topics that are important to them. She had a tour of the school and saw the huge range of opportunities available at PCS. “It was reassuring to know that members of the Welsh Government are interested in the work young people are doing to help improve schools and to make our voices heard. It was an amazing opportunity to be able to ask questions regarding changes taking place in the Senedd and how we as young people can get involved.” Seren Cole, Amelie Symmons and Will Morgans – School Council members. Once again this year, our Eisteddfod has been a ‘virtual’ experience, but we are delighted that this will be available to parents to enjoy through the Parent App. Results will follow in the next edition. Andrew Slade
