Week 19 - Friday 31st January 2020

Welcome to our newsletter for week 19 of the school year.

Time to Talk Day - Thursday 6th February

We are looking forward to supporting Time to Talk Day on Thursday 6th February. Throughout the day children will take part in different activities, and both children and staff will be given the opportunity to talk.

As part of the day we would like to invite parents to a coffee morning from 9am to 10.30am. We hope you are able to join us for a cuppa and a cake.

New Curriculum for Wales

From September 2022, The new Curriculum for Wales will be introduced to children from the ages of 3 to 16. There won’t be a separate curriculum for primary and secondary schools; rather, it will be a continuum across all stages. Oldcastle Primary has been working as a Pioneer School with Welsh Government to develop the new curriculum.

As a school we have focused on the understanding of the theoretical principles of learning and through our INSET programme and research, we are developing a knowledge-rich curriculum which is progressive and rigorous.

The curriculum is being reformed in order to raise standards, reduce the attainment gap between students, and equip young people to lead ‘fulfilling personal, civic and professional lives’ in modern society. It aims to prepare children to thrive in a future where digital skills, adaptability and creativity are crucial, and is rich in Welsh values and culture.

The new Curriculum for Wales has been developed to fulfil four key purposes. It aims to produce children who are, or will become:

• Ambitious, capable learners
• Healthy, confident individuals
• Enterprising, creative contributors
• Ethical, informed citizens

The Curriculum for Wales will have six areas of learning.

1. Expressive arts incorporating art, dance, drama, film and digital media, and music. It will encourage creativity, critical thinking and include performance.

2. Humanities incorporating geography, history, RE, business studies and social studies. It will be based on human experiences and will also cover Welsh culture.

3. Health and wellbeing: this covers the physical, psychological, emotional and social aspects of life, helping students make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing and learn how to manage social influences. It will include PE.

4. Science and technology incorporating biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, and design and technology.

5. Mathematics and numeracy: in the early years, this will involve learning through play. In later stages, it will include working both independently and collaboratively with others.

6. Languages, literacy and communication: this will include Welsh and English, literature and international languages. Welsh language teaching will still be compulsory (as an additional language for children who don’t use Welsh as their first language).

In addition, literacy, numeracy and digital skills will be embedded throughout all curriculum areas.

Although there is a new curriculum, many of the changes that we will make are already part of the long term plan for our school, based on educational research. This includes how we include pupils in shaping the curriculum and the rich experiences we already offer pupils.

One of the areas we have been focusing on this term is our English Language, Literacy and Communication Area of Learning. We have redesigned our lessons by introducing ‘Core Knowledge Language Skills’ units for pupils in Reception to Year 4. These units focus on phonological awareness, spelling patterns, decoding and encoding and writing structures for 60 minutes each day. We have begun the term with clear diagnostic testing and an assessment of current understanding and misconceptions. This new approach is different from previous years and you may recognise this in your child’s books.

In Years 5 and 6 most pupils have mastered the elements of reading and writing and develop their literacy knowledge through the use of shared novels, poetry and non-fiction texts and articles. We do ensure that children continue to develop their grammar and punctuation through a focused Expressive Writing scheme which focuses on the writing and editing of sentences, paragraphs, developing story writing and editing.

At Oldcastle, we have high expectations for all our pupils, staff, governors and parents. The four key purposes, underpin our vision along with our drive to educate, motivate and inspire, and allows us to build a knowledge-rich curriculum that is challenging, and creates rich opportunities and experiences for all pupils.

We would like to invite parents to attend an informal meeting to find out about Oldcastle's approach to the curriculum on Friday 7th February. Sessions will be held at 9.30am, 1.30pm and 4.30pm. Please complete the Google form to indicate which session you would like to attend.

Class Newsletters

Class newsletters have been uploaded to our website. To view your child's class newsletter please look for the Class Page under the Children section or follow the link below. https://oldcastle.secure-primarysite.net/topic/class-pages

School Data

My Local School is a website designed to provide access to school data for parents and others that have an interest in their local school. Oldcastle Primary School data can be viewed here.

School Eisteddfod

Our school eisteddfod will take place on Monday 2nd March. Children will be working in their house colours to develop competition entries for handwriting, singing, poems and artwork after half term. Children may wear their house colours on Monday 2nd March. Nursery children will be informed of their house colour shortly.

Parents Evening - Reception to Year 6

Parents evening for children in reception to year 6 will take place week beginning 24th February. Parents will have received an email from 'notifications@primarysite.net' with an invitation to book your timeslot for your child's class. If you have not received an email we advise that you initially check your 'junk' folder to see if the email have been received. If you have not received an email from us please contact the office and we will be able to book the appointment for you and check we have an up to date email address. Parents evening are an ideal opportunity to speak to your child's teacher who will provide an update on how your child is progressing in school in a range of areas.

School Swimming

Children in years 5 and 6 will commence swimming lessons in February and March. Children will require swimming kit (costume, towel and goggles) and a packed lunch each day. Payment should be made via Parent Pay - the cost is £5.

• 5BJ - 3rd February to 7th February
• 5JJ - 10th February to 14th February
• 6C - 24th February to 28th February
• 6E - 2nd March to 6th March

Criw Cymraeg

This week we have been busy planning for the school Eisteddfod. We have chosen the competitions for the children to compete in and discussed what we want to happen on the day. We have been talking about how excited we are to learn new songs and poems and how we much we are looking forward to taking part.

The word of the week-

https://flipgrid.com/s/d9e7782d665d

The phrase of the week-

https://flipgrid.com/s/53a6be19fdf4

School Cross Country Competition - years 3 to 6

There is a schools cross country competition on Saturday 1st February for children in years 3 to 6 in Porthcawl Comprehensive. There are 4 races with the first race beginning at 10am. Attendees should arrive by 9.30am and be accompanied by an adult. The events are usually completed by 11am. To enter children and parents need to meet at the venue. The school are grateful that a parent has offered to coordinate the children from Oldcastle on the day.

Singing Teddy

Singing Teddy has been awarded to class 2GL for some super singing this week. Da Iawn.

Oldcastle PTA

A meeting is being arranged by the PTA for parents of the school on Friday 7th February. The meeting will be held in the evening around 6.30pm and will be held in a venue away from school. The aim of the social meeting is to discuss events and fundraising activities that the PTA could arrange, and be an opportunity for parents to get together outside of school. At this stage the PTA would like to gauge how many parents are likely to attend so an appropriate venue can be arranged. A google form has been created - please click on the link and let the PTA know if you are able to attend. If you are not able to attend the form will allow you to provide some feedback on what events / fundraising activities you would like to see the PTA focus on at the school. PTA meeting and suggestions form

Nursery and reception - St Davids Day photos

The Glamorgan Gazette will be in school on Monday 10th February to take photos of nursery and reception children in their welsh outfits. The photographs will appear in the newspaper close to St Davids Day.

Lost Property

We have an enormous amount of lost property yet again. If your child has lost something in school please come and have a look in our lost property collection to see if you can find it. We have items including water bottles, lunch boxes, coats, school uniform, p.e. kit and umbrellas! We hope we can reunite some items with their owners.

Twitter

Don't forget we regularly use our Twitter account to let parents know what we have been up to in school.

During a school assembly, the following headteacher awards were distributed. The theme for today was 'Contribution to Children's Voice'.

• Reception Miss Walters - Amelia
• Reception Miss Williams - Hattie
• Year 1 Miss Vaughan - Nell
• Year 1 Mrs Morcom Lewis - Bella
• Year 2 Miss Lewis / Mrs Guy - Seren
• Year 2 Mrs Roberts - Florence
• Year 3 Mrs Brotherton / Mrs Burr - Scarlett
• Year 3 Miss Davies - Harmony
• Year 4 Miss Radford - Blair
• Year 4 Miss Craven - Tabitha
• Year 5 Miss Jones - Freddie and Finlay
• Year 5 Miss James - Dan and Niamh
• Year 6 Mrs Coleman - Lexie and Lily
• Year 6 Mrs Evans - Sam and Oliver

Admissions to Reception class

Bridgend County Borough Council have opened their application process for children joining reception class starting in September 2020. Applications are online - apply here. Deadline for applications is 13th February 2020.

Admissions to Nursery

Applications for admission for full time nursery from September 2020, and part time from January or April 2021, are also open via Bridgend County Borough Council. Applications must be received by 27th March 2021. Apply here

Diary Dates

• Saturday 1st February - Schools Cross Country competition years 3 to 6
• Monday 3rd February to Friday 7th February - 5BJ Swimming
• Monday 3rd February - Dental Team Fluoride Treatment Nursery to Reception
• Thursday 6th February - Time to Talk Day - Coffee morning at 9am
• Friday 7th February - New Curriculum for Wales parents sessions at 9.30am, 1.30pm and 4.30pm
• Monday 10th February - Nursery and Reception St Davids Day photos
• Monday 10th February to Friday 14th February - 5JJ Swimming
• Tuesday 11th February - Safer Internet Day Final
• Monday 17th February to Friday 21st February - Half term
• Monday 24th February - Back to School
• Monday 24th February - Parents Evening Week
• Monday 24th February to Friday 28th February - 6C Swimming
• Wednesday 29th February - Nursery, reception and year 6 long class photos
• Monday 2nd March to Friday 6th March - 6E Swimming
• Tuesday 10th March - Reception trip to Cefn Mably
• Monday 6th April to Friday 17th April - Easter holidays
• Monday 20th April - Back to school
• Monday 4th May - Inset Day
• Friday 8th May - Bank Holiday
• Monday 25th May to Friday 29th May - Half term
• Monday 1st June - Inset Day
• Tuesday 2nd June - Inset Day
• Tuesday 9th June to Saturday 13th June - Year 6 residential trip
• Friday 17th July - Term Ends
• Monday 20th July - Inset Day

Inset Days 2020

• Monday 4th May 2020
• Monday 1st and Tuesday 2nd June 2020
• Monday 20th July 2020