Croeso i ysgol Gynradd Hengastell.  We hope you are all well.  We are grateful for your support once again in relation to the industrial action that was cancelled this week.  Thank you for your understanding with the change of arrangements this week.

All children in Oldcastle learn welsh throughout the week and we encourage children and staff to greet each other with a welsh phrase.  We hope children share these phrases with you at home and don't forget there is more information on our website giving some tips for easy welsh phrases to use. 

We ended the week with a singing assembly and our usual Friday afternoon enrichment sessions.

Don't forget there is an INSET day on Friday 31st March

Parents Evening

All parents from full time nursery to year 6 will have received an email this week to book an appointment for parents evening.  If you haven't received an email please let us know.  The appointments will be held week beginning 27th March and will be in person appointments held in your child’s classroom between 3.30pm and 6.30pm.  Telephone appointments will be available by request only.   

The PTA will be offering refreshments in the main hall from 3.30pm to 5.45pm we hope you can support them and take time to enjoy some time with other parents.  We are also offering parents the opportunity to have a tour of the school and see parts of the school that you may not see.  This will include our radio station.  Tours will take place at 4pm and 5pm.   

If you need any assistance with the booking please get in touch.

Literacy, Language and Communication in Oldcastle

At the beginning of the school year we launched our new reading scheme across the school.  Children and teachers are loving the new range of books that have been purchased.  Throughout the school, we use Literacy Tree for our teaching of English. Literacy Tree is used across the UK and globally and is an award-winning educational platform. All of the Literacy Tree resources use high-quality children’s books and for Writing, we follow their 'Teach Through a Text' approach to ensure there is consistency throughout the school. The Literary Curriculum immerses children in a literary world. Creating strong levels of engagement to provide meaningful and authentic learning experiences. It encourages our pupils to become critical readers and acquire an authorial style as they encounter a wide range of significant authors and a variety of fiction, non-fiction and poetry.  The text choices are an important part of this as well - many link to aspects of History and/or encourage deep discussions.  

More information on our curriculum can be found on our website.  School Curriculum

Cross Country - Years 3 to 6 - Saturday 11th March

Last Saturday, was the final competitive Cross Country of this season and our Oldcastle pupils once again did us proud.  Despite a very cold and damp morning, the children (along with their parents, to whom we are extremely grateful) arrived at Pencoed Comprehensive ready to represent Oldcastle.  It was wonderful to see some children who were having a go for the first time. 

Congratulations to all of our runners, through a fabulous team effort Oldcastle posted an excellent set of results, with many personal bests.

The final Cross Country event will be held on the 29th April at Bryntirion Comprehensive, this will be a fun event followed by awards.  We would be delighted if all children who have taken part this year came along.  

Year 6 next week

Year 6 have a busy week next week.  The majority of the year group will be visiting Culmington Manor from Monday to Wednesday for their residential visit.  The children will be participating in a variety of activities including zip wire, obstacle course, volleyball, archerydisco and so much more.  We know the children are excited and are looking forward to sepdning time away from school.  We look forward to updating parents on their visit next week.  Culmington Manor is operated by Manor Adventure and is based in Shropshire.

Children who are not attending the residential also have plans for the week with a trip to Bridgend Recreation Centre, doughnut shop and pizza making!  We will share photos of these activities with parents next week.

Digital Resilience and E Safety Policy

A digital resilience and e safety policy has been developed for the school  and was approved at a recent Governing Body meeting.  Parents may view the policy on our website or via this link.  Digital Resilience and E Safety Policy

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@oldcastlprimary.co.uk) or complete the change of details form.  

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. 

Admissions to school

Please refer to the Bridgend Council website for details of applications to school, currently applications are open for children moving to secondary school and children  moving from nursery to reception.

Applications are open from 9th January for admission to nursery with a start date from September 2023

BCBC School Admissions

On Sunday 12 March, Emilia from year 6 and Amelia D from year 5 performed in the New Theatre in Cardiff as part of the Show Troupe of Bridgend and Cowbridge Stagecoach. The girls were selected following a successful audition process and practiced every weekend to ensure a successful show.  They performed three scenes from the musical Oklahoma.  Both girls shone on the stage, doing themselves, their family and friends and Oldcastle Primary School proud. 

Bette from year 3 came first in the Local Eisteddfod this week for her reciting, a poem called Fy Nheulu a fi. She is now moving forward to the regional Eisteddfod at the Porthcawl Pavilion on the 24th of this month! Da Iawn Bette.  We are very proud of your achievement.

Nursery

Nursery loved visiting Savers School on Wednesday morning. They particularly like the new number ticket system to join the queue! Savings Club takes place every week in Oldcastle Primary. 

Year 5 PE

Year 5 had a great PE lesson recently playing human air hockey! 

Family Thrive

Some of our parents & carers enjoyed their first Family Thrive session this week. They learnt all about the Truine Brain to understand how our brains work and made their own Truine brain models!

Language and Play

In our LAP session this week we read the book ‘Bumpus Jumpus Dinosaurumpus’.  The children enjoyed using  some musical instruments to dance along with the dinosaurs in the story.  They 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 that they had been learning in nursery.  Da iawn plant! 

Enrichment

So lovely to see such lovely activities taking place throughout the school and beyond for our Friday afternoon enrichment programme.  This term we have such a variety of activities taking place including llino printing, fabric printing, line dancing, cooking, gardening, lego, science experiments, fitness, tennis, fencing, felt, digital skills, textiles to name a few!

Inset Days 2022 / 23

Inset days for the remainder of the school year

• Friday 31st March 2023

• Friday 26th May 2023

• Monday 24th July 2023

Term Dates - all term dates are available to view on our website

• Easter Holidays - Monday 3rd April to Friday 14th April

• May Half Term - Monday 29th May to Friday 2nd June

• School year finishes on Friday 21st July

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. 

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