Welcome back to school after the half term holiday - we hope that all our children and parents had a good week despite the weather!  We are now in the second part of our autumn term and what a busy term it is going to be!  We have lots of exciting learning and activities planned and we look forward to sharing these with you over the coming weeks.

Siarter Iaith Silver Award 

We were delighted to achieve the Silver Award in the Siarter Iaith welsh language award this week.  Miss Craven and our Criw Cymraeg have worked so hard over the last few weeks preparing all the evidence for the award.  We are so proud to be one of only a few English speaking schools in the local area to achieve the Silver Award!

We had some fantastic feedback from the assessors:

Siarter Iaith Cymraeg Campus continues to be driven by a strong Welsh leader. The initiative is also supported highly effectively by the headteacher, SMT and all staff. The whole school approach at Oldcastle is evidently a strength.

• The highly enthusiastic members of the Criw Cymraeg are continually developing their role and take an increasing lead in implementing, developing, and monitoring Siarter Iaith Cymraeg Campus. They collaborate effectively with other groups in the school to ensure that Cymraeg is firmly embedded in all aspects of school life. For example, they work with the Radio Champions to ensure Cymraeg is used in their radio broadcasts. They launched a competition to name the dragon that they use to encourage Welsh speaking on the playground and the result will be announced on the radio shortly.

• Extensive evidence has been collected for all ten targets digitally and there is very strong and attractive evidence clearly displayed and celebrated around the school.

• The progress of Cymraeg Campus is charted innovatively via a Padlet.

• The school has exciting plans to continue to develop and embed the principles of Siarter Iaith Cymraeg Campus. For example, through their community and family engagement work, incorporating Cymraeg into their Language and Play sessions.

Llongyfarchiadau i bawb yn Ysgol Gynradd Hengastell, rydych chi’n llawn haeddu gwobr arian Siarter Iaith Cymraeg Campus.

Congratulations to everyone in Oldcastle Primary School, you richly deserve the Siarter Iaith Cymraeg Campus silver award.

Community Projects

We are so excited to be working with Baobab Bach and the team at Ty Pen-Y-Bont Community Garden! We are really looking forward to developing the outdoor learning project and growing fresh produce! #outdoorlearning #community 

Community News - Baby and Toddler Group

In January we will be starting a new Baby and Toddler Group in Oldcastle Primary.  We  are currently purchasing equipment and resources and look forward to sharing more information later in the term.

Remembrance

Today we held a memorial service on the main yard at 11am as part of our Remembrance Events.  Following the playing of The Last Post, our year 5 junior leaders read a poem and the whole school stood in silence for two minutes.  We ended the two minutes silence by ringing the school bell.  We are so proud of our children for being respectful and observing the silence. Ringing of the school bell video  Junior Leaders Poem Video

Year 6 were invited to a separate memorial event this morning in Bridgend Recreation Centre.  Children were introduced to the story of the life and loss of HMS Urge.  HMS Urge was one of Britain's most successful submarines of World War II which became affiliated with Bridgend in 1941. Further information on HMS Urge can be viewed here. We received an email from Councillor Ian Williams following the event congratulating the pupils on their behaviour.

On Saturday our junior leaders will be representing the school in the Children's Remembrance Parade in Bridgend Town Centre.   The service is specifically for primary school age children and families. The event is tailored to provide an opportunity for the children to learn about the importance of Remembrance. Children will actively participate in the event by parading from the top of Wyndham Street to the War Memorial and will receive a Remembrance Service.  All are welcome to attend the service which starts at 11am.

Governors Annual Report to Parents

Please click below to view the Governors Annual Report to Parents.

Governors Annual Report 2022/23

All parents are invited to a meeting on Wednesday 15th November at 6pm in the main school hall to meet the school governors and discuss any aspect of the report.

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 - Friday 24th November 2023

School Swimming

6M will be swimming from 13th to 17th November.  

All children attending swimming lessons will require a packed lunch. Children will require a swimming costume, towel and goggles.

Christmas Tree Donation - Request from the School

We would like to decorate our main hall in the run up to Christmas with a lovely real Christmas Tree and we wonder if any parents would be able to fund (or part fund) a tree? In previous years we ahave been very lucky to have a tree donated to the school and this forms a central part of our Christmas events in school.  We know that parents and carers enjoy seeing the tree on display when visiting for the Christmas concerts and we hope someone can help us out.  Please get in touch with us via ask@oldcastleprimary.co.uk if you can help.

Christmas Concerts

We know its early to be talking about Christmas but we appreciate that parents like to be given plenty of notice regarding Christmas concerts.  Christmas concerts will take place on the following days and times.  There will be two performances per year group and parents / carers will be able to apply for up to 2 tickets for each performance.  Tickets will be £1 per person and payment can be made in cash on the door at the time of the concert.  Please complete the google form below to reserve your tickets for the performances you wish to attend.

• Nursery - Our First Nativity - Nursery Ticket Application Form

• Reception - Happy Birthday Jesus - Reception Ticket Application Form

• Year 1 - Christmas Show    - Year 1 Ticket Application Form

• Year 2 - Christmas Around The World - Year 2 Ticket Application Form

• Year 3 - Christmas Around The World - Year 3 Ticket Allocation Form

• Year 4 - A Star For Christmas - Year 4 Ticket Allocation Form

• Year 5 - Christmas in the 80's - Year 5 Ticket Allocation Form

• Year 6 - Christmas At The Movies - Year 6 Ticket Allocation Form

Children in Need

We will be supporting the Children in Need campaign on Friday 17th November and children may 'Wear what they want' on this day.  We will be accepting cash donations for the charity but there is no expectation for children to bring in a donation.  Thank you for your support.

PTA Annual General Meeting

The PTA will be holding an annual general meeting on 20th November at 2.15pm in the school.  Everyone is welcome. For more information on the PTA please click here. We hope you can attend.

School Attendance

Attendance at school is important. Our whole school target for attendance is 95%. This week the attendance across the school was 94%.

Healthy Eating

We are working with our Cluster schools to relaunch Healthy Eating in schools.  The group met this week and have some really exciting plans for health eating in schools - we can't wait to share them with you.  

In the meantime, please can we ask that parents think about the food they provide in their child's lunch box and try to ensure healthy options are included.  

Parking in the area

Please can we remind parents not to park in a way that blocks driveways of local residents.  We would also like to remind you that parking in the solicitors at the top of South Street is only provided for customers of the law firm. Thank you for your cooperation.

Message from Izzy in Year 4

Izzy in year 4 has been going to a local Pokemon club every Saturday morning in a place called geek retreat in town for over a year and we know a couple of the children from the school used to attend. It was a lovely place for the children to get together and learn to play the game and talk about and trade cards. It was a lovely group and Izzy made great friends and learnt great communication skills, problem solving and numeracy skills from the playing the game. Unfortunately the owner has had to close the store. 

Izzy was so upset by this news over half term Izzy designed a poster and she went to different venues in Bridgend to see if anyone was willing to keep the group going. Bridgend Library have agreed to let us run the group upstairs there every Saturday at 1pm-3pm, it's free of charge and they have free tea and coffee for adults and squash for the children.

If anyone has a love for Pokemon cards or would like to learn to play game or trade the cards, we will be meeting 1pm-3pm every Saturday upstairs in Bridgend Library

School Vacancy

We have a vacancy for a part time Administration Officer.  Please click here for more information. Closing date is 13th November 

Dinner Money

Payment for school dinners should be made via the Bridgend Council website.  Please ensure your child's account has funds at least 48 hours before they require a school dinner.

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.  

We love to hear about all of the exciting achievements of our pupils during out of school activities. Please share any successes with us at ask@oldcastleprimary.co.uk and include a photograph and details of the achievement to be included in future newsletters. 

Keep Mi Sessions

Some Reception families have taken part in our Keep Mi sessions this week.  The project supports learning and play at home and provides families with a range of resources to use at home.  We were delighted to receive these photos to show how the boxes are being used at home.

Language and Play Session

In our LAP session this week we read the book ‘Bumpus Jumpus Dinosaurumpus’.  The children used their handprints to make a stegosaurus, made some dinosaur fossils and the letter ‘d’ out of playdough.  The children also sang some lovely songs.  Da iawn plant! 

School Savings Club

Fantastic to see so many of our young nursery children in School Savings Club this week. This week we had 88 savers throughout the school!

This week in nursery

Year 1 have been busy this week retelling the story of the gunpowder plot, constructing the houses of parliament and creating firework paintings! 

• 13th November to 17th November - 6M Swimming

• 15th November - Governors Annual Report to Parents Meeting 6pm

• 17th November - Children in Need

• 4th to 6th December - Year 6 Residential Trip to Culmington Manor

• 21st December to 8th January - Christmas Holiday

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.