Barney our amazing wellbeing dog

Three years ago we announced the arrival of our newest Team Oldcastle member. Barney is such a joy to have in school and is loved by all of our school community. We are very lucky to have him in Oldcastle Primary School. #schooldog #Wellbeing 

Engagement Survey - Reminder 

We welcome views from our parents and carers and we hope you can help us with our short survey on 'Engagement'.  The survey won't take long and will provide us with invaluable feedback on how we engage as a school.  Please feel free to offer any other feedback via the google form.  Thank you.

Engagement Survey

Please get in touch if you would like a food bag for £5.

School Community Developments

We are delighted to receive funding from Rockwool that will allow us to develop our School Community programme further.  We are excited to develop this area and create exciting opportunities for parents and carers to become more involved in our school.  We look forward to sharing more information with you following half term. We are so grateful to Rockwool for providing funding to allow us to develop this project.

Children's Mental Health Week - 5th February to  9th February

Children’s Mental Health Week takes place next week and the theme is My Voice Matters.

"Every child has the right to express their views, feelings and wishes in all matters affecting them, and to have their views considered and taken seriously."

Throughout the week teachers will focus on the theme with various activities.

Parent Governor Vacancy

We currently have a vacancy for a parent governor on our school Governing Body.  Parent governors are parents of children who attend the school.  They are voted on to the school’s governing body by other parents whose children attend the school.   School governors play an important role in school life to lead, support and improve.  They act as a between parents, the local community and the school. Governors are impartial and make decisions that seek to improve the school. 

You do not need any particular qualifications to become a school governor as you will benefit from free training, but you do need to be aged 18 or over and you will need to have:

• an interest in our children’s future

• the desire to make a difference

• time and energy

• a readiness to accept responsibility

• the commitment to work in a team

• the enthusiasm to ask questions, listen and learn

• the motivation to help shape the future of education within Bridgend County Borough.

Once appointed, a school governor’s term of office lasts for four years. You would be expected to attend three governing body meetings per school year, one in each term, and committee meetings, where relevant.

For further information on the application process please click here.  Please complete an application form using the specified criteria and return to admin@oldcastleps.bridgend.cymru

Application Closing Date - Wednesday 21st February 2024

Wear Red for Wales and Velindre

We were delighted to support the Wear Red for Wales and Velindre campaign on Friday 2nd February.  Children were able to wear red to school on this day and we collected donations for the Velindre charity.  By wearing red we showed support for our National Rugby Teams ahead of the 6 Nations and raising vital funds for Velindre – Wales’ largest cancer centre.  Well done everyone! We are thrilled to collect £342.30 for the charity.

Baby and Toddler Group

Don't forget  we run a baby and toddler group every Wednesday morning from 9am to 11am.  Baby and Toddler Group 

School Attendance

Attendance at school is important. Our whole school target for attendance is 95%.  This week's attendance was 94.6%.

School Start Time

Please can we remind parents that school starts at 8.55am and children should arrive in time to enter through their classroom door.  Children who arrive late cause disruption to the class. Thank you for your support in ensuring children arrive at school on time.

Throughout the year we will implement the following values each month.

• September - Determination and Perseverance

• October - Respect and Responsibility

• November - Friendship and forgiveness 

• December - Compassion and Hope  / Understanding and Patience

• January - Community and Service 

• February - Co-operation and being a good citizen within society

• March - Learning and Effort

• April - Showing gratitude

• May - Care and Generosity

• June - Honesty and trust

• July - Taking and managing risks

At Oldcastle, we are proud of each other and ourselves. We nurture all of our community so that we grow as confident, responsible and happy people. Oldcastle school is more than just learning.

• We try hard for each other

• We act responsibly

• We treat people how we’d like to be treated

• We work as a team

• We trust and respect each other

• We listen and learn together

• We share knowledge and experience

Together we make the difference

Together we shape innovative experiences 

More information on our values and visions can be found on our website.  Visions and Values

Nut Free School

Please can we remind parents that we strive to be a nut free school as we have a number of pupils who have a severe allergy to nuts.  

This includes nut products such as peanut butter and nutella. 

Contact details

Please ensure we have up to date contact details for you to ensure you keep up to date with school news and we are able to contact you during the school day if required.  You can either email us with change of details (ask@oldcastleprimary.co.uk) or complete the change of details form.  

Netball and Rugby Fixture

Today we were delighted to host Litchard Primary School for a netball and rugby fixture.  Despite the rain the children thoroughly enjoyed and we are very grateful to Litchard for taking the time to visit especially as they walked the children over to us! Thank you to the parents that came to watch the games.

Netball

Well done to our netball teams who won all their games!

• Game 1 - Year 6 - 6 - 2 Player of the Match - Neive

• Game 2 - Year 6 - 3 - 1 Player of the Match - Rosie

• Game 3 - Year 5 - 4 - 2 Player of Match - Olivia

Rugby

The Oldcastle rugby team did us proud today with a superb win. An excellent match against a strong Litchard side. Thank you Litchard for visiting us.

Barney getting some pampering treatment!

Year 2

Enrichment Friday

 Reception made pizza in enrichment today. We had great fun choosing our toppings and we are looking forward to eating them later.

This week in Nursery

We have had a busy week, we have been learning about symmetry and have used our outdoor environment to make symmetrical butterflies.  We have read The Very Hungry Caterpillar, we then remembered the story and sequenced the pictures in the correct order.  We have had lots of fun making salt dough mini beasts and are looking forward to painting them!  We have also been practising Folk Dancing, we were really good for our first time!

Free menstrual products subscription

If you’re under 25 years old and live or attend school in Bridgend County Borough, you could receive free menstrual products thanks to our partnership with Grace & Green, a leading provider of eco-friendly period products. 

Sign up to receive products directly to your home address or collect from a local pick-up point. 

https://www.bridgend.gov.uk/residents/children-and-young-people/bridgend-youth-support/free-menstrual-products-subscription/

Young Writers Poetry Competition

Children and parents may be interested in the Young Writers Poetry competition. Please click here for more information Young Writers Poetry Competition.

Girls Rugby

Below is a poster to an all girls rugby event that is running in the Cefn Cribwr, Kenfig Hill & Pyle area at the local rugby clubs. There will be 6 weeks of 1 hour sessions run on Wednesday 6 till 7. It is aimed at girls age 11 to 17 and I would be grateful if you could circulate it amongst your pupils and their parents. It is an event for anyone interested in rugby regardless of experience and we would welcome anyone who wants to give it a try.  We are starting with 6 weeks and hoping it will turn into something more permanent in the future. 

Eczema Study

We have been provided with the following information regarding eczema that some parents might find of interest.  Eczema Bathing Study - Rapid Eczema Trials 

The next Parents Evenings are planned for week beginning 11th March 2024.

Inset Days 2023/24

Inset Days have been approved by Governors for 2023/24 and they are as follows:

• Monday 4th September 2023

• Friday 22nd December 2023

• Monday 19th February 2024

• Friday 22nd March 2024

• Monday 3rd June 2024

• Monday 22nd July 2024

P.E. lessons this term will take place on the following days.  Children attending school should wear their P.E. kit to school on the day of their lesson.

• Nursery - Thursday

• Reception -  Thursday

• Year 1 - Wednesday

• Year 2 - Monday

• Year 3 - Thursday

• Year 4 - Tuesday

• Year 5 - Wednesday

• Year 6 - Monday

In the event that you have a concern regarding a child please follow this procedure:

• During school hours please contact Mrs Ceri Littlewood, safeguarding lead at Oldcastle Primary School.

• Out of school hours please  contact  the  out of hours Emergency Duty Team Tel No 01443743665

More information on Safeguarding at Oldcastle can be found on our website.