Summer term is always busy, and 2024 is no exception!  What another productive and thrilling week we've had in Oldcastle Primary School.  

Oldcastle Rocks

We are very much looking forward to the PTA event Oldcastle Rocks, which is planned to take place on Saturday 6th July from 2pm to 6pm.  The fun family event is always well attended and a great opportunity for families and carers to get together and enjoy the fun events offered.  

At the event, we will have

• Musical performances from local musicians and groups,

• A BBQ selling burgers, hot dogs and veggie options

• Tea, coffee and cakes

• Popcorn and candyfloss

• A licenced bar selling beer, wine, prosecco, gin and plenty of soft drinks

• Ice cream van

• A bouncy castle area for toddlers/nursery children and a separate area for older children.  

• Inflatable football shoot

• Reptile Centre 

• Various stalls with lots of activities for children and adults, including glitter tattoos, hair styling, sweets in a jar, lucky dip, tombola to name a few!

• Food Pantry

• Free uniforms

• Year 6 preloved clothing stall

• A raffle will be run on the day, and we are asking if you can donate any prizes.  If you have any raffle prizes or know of a company that can donate please drop them into the school office.  We thank you for your support.

• We will also be grateful for cake donations for the cake stall - these will need to be bought into school on Friday 5th or Saturday 6th July.

Entry to Oldcastle Rocks is free. Activity wristbands are available for children at £3 each, which entitles them to unlimited use of the activities.

The PTA are always grateful for helpers on the day to man a stall or help set up / clear away.  If you can help please do get in touch with us via ask@oldcastleprimary.co.uk and we will pass your details onto the PTA.

Cash and card payments will be accepted on the day.  We do hope you can join us to raise funds for our school - previous events have raised around £3000.

Bump Up Day - Thursday 4th July

Bump Up Day is when we announce who your child's teacher will be for the next academic year.  Children will congregate in the main hall for a morning assembly, and we will announce the class teacher for each class.  Children will then be able to visit their new classroom and get to know their new class teacher.  Year 6 pupils will visit their new secondary school on this day.

Once our assembly has finished, parents will be emailed with details of the new class teachers and the location of their child's new classroom.  We always enjoy Bump Up Day and know that children get excited to find out who their teacher will be from September 2024.

Access to School - Local Community

We have once again received a complaint from a local resident regarding children and parents walking or scooting in the middle of the road at South Street whilst cars are moving.  Where possible, please use the pavements when walking near the school to ensure everyone's safety and well-being. When driving or parking near the school, please be vigilant and considerate of pedestrians.  

Thank you for your support.

School Governor Vancancy

We currently have a vacancy for a Local Authority Governor.  Please click here for more information on how to apply.

Local Authority School Governor For more information on school governors in Oldcastle please click here.

Time Credits

We are delighted to let you know that we have signed up to Tempo Time Credits which is a scheme we can use to reward our volunteers.  We are always extremely grateful for the support of volunteers and we are delighted to be able to provide a reward for time provided to the school.  Volunteers earn Tempo Time Credits as part of a reward and recognition scheme for the invaluable work they do within their communities.  These Credits can be exchanged for a range of services and activities provided by local and national Recognition Partners.  We are in the process of setting up volunteers and look forward to being able to issue Time Credits. 

If you volunteer with us we will be in touch with how you can register to receive time credits.

Vaping on school grounds

Please can we remind parents and carers that vaping on school grounds is not allowed.  

Message from School Police Officer

Some work is currently being carried out on the river around the Dipping Bridge foundations, Merthyr Mawr, Bridgend. The level of the river has been reduced to less than 1m and there are stones and rocks just below the surface of the water that are not visible.   There has been signage erected to warn people, however they have been ignored by some to the concern of local authorities. BCBC are currently exploring further signage and fencing.

Lost Property and Free Uniform

We have a massive amount of lost property once again. Please can you encourage children to look in the lost property area for any items that are missing or lost.  We also encourage parents to call in and look through the pile.  We have a large amount of lunch boxes, water bottles and even pairs of glasses.

Please also help us by labelling your child's items.

Don't forget we also have free uniform available to parents - please call into main reception to take a look.

Food Pantry

The food pantry is restocked every Tuesday and we have a wide variety of items available.  You can call in on any day to collect items.

School Attendance

Attendance at school is important. Our whole school target for attendance is 95%.  This week's attendance was 93.9%.

Reminder - if your child is off school please ensure that you notify us by 9.30am.  

Pupils will learn the following as part of our Honesty and Trust school value throughout June : 

• Understand what their environment is and how to care for it

• Explore being honest and what happens if we are dishonest

• Discuss a time when they have been honest/ dishonest - explore feelings

• Discuss people who they trust - what makes them trustworthy? 

• Understand who to talk to if there is a problem - trusted adult/ friend

• Understand that everyone is different and has unique views and beliefs

• Explore music and share opinions and differences in musical preference

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

Year 6 had a visit from Brynteg School Science department this week as part of their transition programme.

Year 6 were busy this week making pizza's from scratch and cooking them in the cob oven with the help of Mr Murdoch.  They looked yummy.

Bird Feeder Success

Lovely to see that the bird feeder made with Mrs Diehl during the outdoor play session is being used!  Thank you Isobelle and Chloe for sharing this photo of yours.  We are pleased to hear the birds love it, and it made you smile to see the birds were feeding from it!

We have had another busy week. We can't believe we only have four weeks left in school. We have learned so much this year. This week, we have been having fun outside with the number box, painting Bean Stalks for Jack to climb, and remembering what a seed needs to grow.   We have been discussing shapes and their properties and had an introduction to money.  

Outdoor Language and Play Session

This week, in our Year 1 Outdoor Learning session, we read the book ‘Mad About Minibeasts’. The children used natural things they collected last week from Newbridge Fields to make some amazing bug hotels. Mrs Diehl thinks that there are going to be lots of happy bugs out there in their new homes! Other activities included making a wiggly worm out of cereal hoops, minibeast art out of natural resources, ladybird number matching, and a bug hunt. Thank you to all who attended the last two weeks and to Mrs. Hemming for her help; it was so much fun! 

Year 6 Annie

Our Annie stage scenery is starting to come together and the children are very busy learning the songs and dances for the show!  Here are Annie and Daddy Warbucks practicing 'I don't need anything but you' earlier today!

Enrichment

IL drawing in the style of the artist Laurel Burch today

Well done to our year 6 tennis players who took part in the Bridgend School Tennis Competition in Bridgend Tennis Club this week.

Well done to Oona and Seren  in year 4 who has been picked to play for the Bridgend County under 10 girls football squad.  Excellent news well done Oona and Seren!

Community Room

Please do call in and make use of our community room.  We are happy for parents and carers to come to school and use the facilities after drop off or before pick up.  The room is also available if you wish to get together for a group chat!

Baby and Toddler Group

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

We love seeing the babies and toddlers coming each week to the Toddler Group - over the last couple of weeks the children and parents have been very creative!

Bridgend Libraries Reading Challenge

Don't forget to get involved with the Bridgend Libraries reading challenge this summer.

Awen Cultural Trust will launch the 2024 Summer Reading Challenge and their summer programme of library activities with a fun-filled, family event at Newbridge Fields in Bridgend on Saturday 13th July from 12 – 3pm. The event is supported by Bridgend County Borough Council.

‘Fun in the Park’ will include inflatables, movement and dance sessions, giant games, storytime and crafts, a treasure hunt and much more. Bridge FM will be broadcasting live from the event. All activities are provided free of charge.

This year’s theme for the Summer Reading Challenge, which has been run by The Reading Agency in partnership with public libraries since 1999, is ‘Marvellous Makers’. The aim is to fire up children’s imaginations and unleash storytelling and creativity through the power of reading.

Over the school summer holidays, Awen Libraries will run a programme of events including African drumming workshops, Craft Junction workshops, Zack Franks Movement and Dance workshops and Carl John, The Magic Man, workshops. Visit our ‘what’s on’ section or pick up a leaflet from your local library.

• 25th June - Year 2 Trip to Porthcawl Museum

• 6th July - Oldcastle Rocks

• 16th July - Year 6 Annie performance at 2pm (Year 6 parents and carers only)

• 16th July - Year 6 Leavers Presentation at 5.30pm (Year 6 parents and carers only)

• 17th July - Year 6 Annie Performance at 6pm (Year 6 parents and carers only)

• 19th July - Last day of term

• 3rd September - Back to School

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

• Thursday 2nd May 2024

• Monday 22nd July 2024

Inset Days 2024/25

Inset Days have been approved by School Governors for 2024/25 and they are as follows:

• Monday 2nd September 2024

• Friday 6th December 2024

• Friday 21st February 2025

• Friday 11th April 2025

• Monday 2nd June 2025

• Monday 21st July 2025

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

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

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. 

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.