School Community Forum - Wednesday 26th March

We are keen to offer members of our school community the opportunity to become involved in the shaping of our school improvement at Oldcastle Primary School.

The School Community Forum involves members of the school community meeting at school to give their opinions, suggestions and support as we review and develop aspects of school life.  We welcome opinions, views and ideas and would be delighted to have a chat. School community opinion is important to us please get involved. We will also provide you with a cuppa and a biscuit!

Please complete the form below to register your interest to attend on Wednesday 26th March between 2pm and 3pm.  We aim to hold meetings at various times so please indicate below if you cannot make this meeting.

School Community Forum

Assembly Today

In assembly today the whole school came together to recognise Eliminating Racial Discrimination Day.  Every year on March 21st, people come together and think of ways to tackle racism.  The event was established by the United Nations in 1966 with the aim of promoting equality and non-discrimination, encouraging global action against racial prejudice and highlighting the importance of human rights for all.  Miss Hodgson spoke to children to explain what racism is.  Children will look at a series of lessons in class over the next few months and look at how we can help tackle this issue. 

Parents may find the following website useful.  Talking to children about racism | NSPCC 

Community Invitation - Every Tuesday

Don't forget to pop into our Community Room and enjoy a warm drink and warm up in this cold weather.  We are delighted to invite parents and carers to a Tea and Toast session every Tuesday during term time.  We look forward to welcoming parents and carers every Tuesday morning to enjoy a cuppa and a chat.

We truly want our families to feel welcome and make the most of our school facilities, especially during this season when managing heating costs can be a significant concern. Whether you are looking for a place to stay warm, some good company, or just a change of scenery, our doors are open to you.

Thank you for being part of our school community. 

Community Room - Barclays Community Ambassador

We were delighted to welcome Luke from Barclays Bank into school on Wednesday afternoon.  Luke is passionate about helping people and wants to support you in any way he can.  Luke will be able to offer advice on a range of subjects from setting up an electronic device  to staying safe online to all sorts of life money skills.  Luke does not provide any banking support and you do not have to be a Barclays customer to pop along.  

Luke will visit us again on Wednesday 19th March between 1.30pm and 3pm. We even provide you with a cuppa!

VE Day - Celebrations at Oldcastle Primary School

As we approach a significant milestone in our nation's history, we are delighted to let parents know about an upcoming celebration at our school. On Thursday, 8th May 2025, we will commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day, marking eight decades of peace since the end of World War II in Europe. This momentous occasion provides us with a unique opportunity to reflect on our past, celebrate our present, and instil in our pupils a deep appreciation for the freedoms we enjoy today.

Oldcastle Primary has planned a day of celebrations with a street party held within the school grounds, where our pupils will have the chance to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of that historic day.

We are encouraging all pupils and staff to embrace the spirit of the occasion by dressing up as in outfits from the 1940’s - ie simple dresses, shorts, dungarees, dai caps etc. We will provide examples to parents in the coming weeks but there are lots of simple outfit choices. Throughout the day, pupils will be treated to a variety of entertainment and activities, all designed to recreate the sense of community and shared joy that characterised the original celebrations.

Our whole school will come together at lunchtime to enjoy a free packed lunch that will be provided by our catering team. Please let us know what packed lunch your child will be requiring on the day by completing this google form. Please complete by 8th April.

VE Day Packed Lunch Order Form

To mark the occasion, we will be holding a flag-raising ceremony at the main entrance of the school at 9 a.m. We extend a warm invitation to all parents and carers to join us for this poignant moment, as we pay tribute to those who fought for our freedom and reflect on the enduring peace that followed.

VE Day 80 is more than just a historical commemoration; it is a powerful reminder of the resilience, unity, and hope that have defined our nation for generations. By involving our pupils in these celebrations, we aim to foster a sense of continuity with the past and inspire them to carry forward the values of peace and community that have been so hard-won.

We are looking forward to coming together as a school community to honour our history, and celebrate our present.

Attendance

We are committed to promoting good attendance at school and have a target of whole school attendance of 95%.  This week's attendance was 94.5%.

Forthcoming PTA events

• Friday 9th May - PTA Disco. More information soon.

• Saturday 5th July - Oldcastle Rocks. Always a highlight in our school year as we bring the community together to enjoy some fantastic music and entertainment.

Take a look at the PTA Facebook page to keep up to date with events. Oldcastle Primary PTA Facebook Page 

PTA Disco  Registration Form

The PTA are holding a disco on Friday 9th May - Tickets are £2.50 each and this time the PTA will be accepting payment at the door. Please do not send money into school, bring the payment with you on the day. All children need to be supervised whilst at the disco.  

You will need to complete a separate form for every child you wish to purchase a ticket for. The PTA are hoping to be paperless so will not be sending tickets home.  Please keep your email to hand and show this to gain entry to the disco.  The PTA will have a list on the door of all tickets ordered.

Tickets are allocated on a first come first served basis and are limited due to fire regulations. We cannot guarantee entry to anyone who has not pre ordered a ticket.

Drinks, sweets and snacks will be available to purchase at the disco.

PTA Disco Registration Form

Food Pantry 

The food pantry has been busy over the last week, and we are delighted that many parents and carers are able to benefit from the pantry.  We have a food delivery from a local supermarket every Monday and the food from Baobab Bach tends to be delivered wither Monday or Tuesday.  Please do pop in to take a look at the range of items on offer.  Just a reminder that the pantry is £5 for 15 items - we do ask that you limit to 2 fresh and 2 frozen items to allow more people to benefit from the items.

Grant Funding Thank You!

We are extremely grateful to receive grants from a variety of organisations for our Community Room and Food Pantry.  We have recently received funding from Rockwool, BAVO, and the Community Fund, as well as an ongoing donation towards the purchase of food from a donor.   The support and funding allow us to top up the food allocation we receive from Baobab Bach and purchase new equipment and furniture.  We are also able to offer additional sessions in the Community Room, such as the Tea and Toast Tuesday morning sessions.  

Sports Days

Sports Day for children in years 1 to 6 will be held on Friday 16th May in the Athletics Track in Newbridge Fields.  Children in years 1 to 3 will complete their events in the morning and years 4 to 6 in the afternoon.   

Sports Day for children in nursery and reception is still to be confirmed and we will let parents know the date soon.

House Colour t-shirts

The PTA have an arrangement with a local company who are able to provide sports day t-shirts at a reasonable price and will provide a 10% donation to the PTA from all sales.  If you would like to buy a house colour t-shirt please follow this link.  Parents may, of course, buy T-shirts from any supplier.

House Colour T-shirts - Euroschools

Parents Evening - Week beginning 7th April 2025

Parents evening appointments are now live and emails have been sent to parents.  If you haven't received an email, please get in touch with us by email, phone or in person. The bookings have been sent via our website and emails will be from notifications@oldcastleprimary.co.uk 

Appointments will take place on the following days for each class:

• Nursery - Monday and Tuesday

• Reception I - Monday and Tuesday

• Reception M - Monday and Tuesday

• 1H - Monday and Tuesday 

• 1Y - Monday and Tuesday

• 2O - Monday and Wednesday

• 2L -  Monday and Wednesday

• 3C - Monday and Wednesday

• 3D - Tuesday and Wednesday

• 4A - Monday and Tuesday

• 4S - Monday and Tuesday

• 5T - Tuesday and Wednesday

• 5E - Tuesday and Wednesday

• 6P - Monday and Tuesday

• 6R - Tuesday and Wednesday

After School Club and Late Club Prices Increase from 1st September 2025

The following information has been emailed to all users of the after school and late club facility. Following a review of our Afterschool and Late Club provision, we find it necessary to make some adjustments to our pricing structure. The increase in fees is due to increases in our operating costs and will allow us to continue to offer the service you expect both now and into the future.

Prices will increase from 1st of September 2025 

• Afterschool Club will increase to £9.00 per session

• Late Club will increase to £2.50 per session

We thank you for your ongoing support and trust that these changes will help us to continue providing you with the service.  Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.

• September - Respect and Responsibility 

• October - Compassion and Hope 

• November - Friendship and Forgiveness 

• December - Understanding and Patience

• January - Determination and Perseverance

• February - Honesty and Trust 

• March -Learning and Effort 

• April - Community and Service 

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

• June- Showing Gratitude and Care and Generosity

• 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.  

Please let us know of any pupil success outside of school.

Gardening Opportunity at Baobab Bach

Baobab Bach is looking for a gardener to work at their Ty Penybont site on Merthyr Mawr Road.  Baobab Bach aim to create a greener, more affordable solution to the food crisis and provide our communities with fresh, healthy food and encourage healthy eating across South Wales. With the funding we have received from The People’s Postcode Lottery has enabled us to develop our growing sites across the South Wales Valleys and created employment for the management of the project. We are excited to see our crops in full production and are already moving out to our pantries 

If you are interested in finding out more information, please email hello@baobab-bach.org  or call 07544 026265. www.baobab-bach.org

• Week beginning 7th April - Parents Evening

• Friday 11th April - Inset Day

• Monday 14th April - Easter holiday begins

• Monday 28th - Term Starts

• Friday 9th May - PTA Disco

• Friday 16th May - Sports Day Years 1 to 6

• Monday 26th May to Friday 30th May - Half Term

• Monday 2nd June - Inset Day

• Tuesday 10th June - Class and Team Photos

• Saturday 5th July - Oldcastle Rocks

• Friday 18th July Term Ends

Inset Days 2024/25

• Monday 2nd September 2024

• Friday 6th December 2024

• Friday 21st February 2025

• Friday 11th April 2025

• Monday 2nd June 2025

• Monday 21st July 2025

Health and Wellbeing / PE Days

• Nursery - Thursday

• Reception -  Wednesday

• Year 1 - Monday

• Year 2 - Tuesday

• Year 3 - Friday

• Year 4 - Friday

• Year 5 - Friday

• Year 6 - Friday

Year 6 End of Term Production

Our year 6 children are looking great in their Grease 2025 t-shirts! They are excited to be planning their end of term production and so grateful that we received funding to purchase the t-shirts.

Very excited to announce that our year 6 end of year production this year will be Grease …. Over the next few weeks we will be announcing individual cast members. This week we have announced who will be playing the parts of Danny and Sandy. 

Nursery Numbers and Play 

This week was our final NAP session.  We read the book, ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’, by Eric Carle. The children and their grown-ups made their own caterpillars using paper chains, which looked amazing, and also printed a picture of the Hungry Caterpillar using toilet roll cardboard to print its body. We practised repeated patterns and also did lots of number making with playdough.  As always, we finished with singing some fun number songs.  Mrs Diehl would like to thank all the children, parents and carers who have attended over the past six weeks and also say a big thank you to all the Nursery LSO’s for all her help in making the sessions such fun.  Make sure you look out for the next Nursery and Play sessions, which will hopefully take place in the summer term.

Enrichment

Year 6 enjoyed their visit to the Rec today to enjoy football, badminton & circuit training.

This week in the Nursery

This week in the Nursery we have once again be very busy! We have been learning about capacity and understanding full and empty. We have thought about the habitats that various animals live in and created homes for them.  We have made sure that they have food, water and shelter.  Some even had pillows and blankets! We have made the most of the weather this week and worked collaboratively to build dens, we had great fun! We also want to say a big thank you to Meadow who is in Reception, she donated her kitchen to the Nursery and we are really enjoying playing with it. 

During a lesson with 5T the class discussed definitions for race and racism, looked at images of people and how they could be categorised - gender, age, race, hair colour and scenarios of what would be racism and not racism 

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.