As we come to the end of this autumn term, my first term back, I want to take a moment to reflect on what has been a busy but hugely enjoyable few months. The children have embraced a wide range of learning activities and experiences, and it has been wonderful to see their enthusiasm. A special thank you goes to our School Council and the Pupil Family & Community Engagement Team, who have worked really hard to support a variety of new initiatives and events; I’m excited to see how their ideas continue to develop throughout the year.

I would also like to express my thanks to the many people and organisations who support our school, from regular volunteers who help with reading and other activities, to visitors who enrich and extend the curriculum opportunities we provide. These partnerships are important to us and give our school a true sense of community.

Finally, I am most grateful to our incredible staff team, who once again have shown what a dedicated and talented group they are. I’m looking forward to all that the spring term will bring, and in the meantime, I wish you all a restful Christmas break and a healthy and happy new year.

Dr Sarjeant

We are delighted to have seen improvements in attendance and punctuality over the course of this term. Our autumn term whole school figure is 93.9%. Despite this progress, we want to support all families to ensure their children attend regularly and on-time; please do get in touch if you feel you need further support. 

An incredible 101 children have had 100% attendance this term - this is fantastic! Very well done!

Please note that after the Christmas break, the EWO will be visiting to undertake 'Late on the Gate' monitoring. It is important that families continue to make every effort to arrive at school on time. 

pps carol service

We kicked off the Christmas celebrations with our very first PPS Carol Service at Salem Chapel, and what a memorable evening it was! It was wonderful to see so many Middle and Upper School pupils joining us with their families. The children sang beautifully, with the highlight undoubtedly being a lively rendition of The Twelve Days of Christmas.

We are especially grateful to Reverend Phil for his support in making the evening so special. A big shout-out to our four Year 6 pupils who confidently took centre stage to deliver their own version of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas—they were fantastic!

The event truly set the tone for a joyful festive season and filled us all with Christmas spirit.

choir

Our school choir attended the Tabernacl mixed choir annual Christmas concert last Tuesday. 30 pupils from year 4-6 were involved and sang 4 songs on their own and 2 songs with the choir. They performed with passion and enjoyment and really impressed the mixed choir with their talents! Miss Cole and Mrs Ridd were extremely proud of them. 

sign language 

Congratulations to our second Year 6 group for successfully completing their sign language course! Mrs. Williams was delighted to see them confidently showcase their newly acquired skills to their fellow Year 6 pupils.

A special mention goes to Mrs. King, who received a well-deserved certificate in recognition of her dedication and achievement in learning sign language over the past two years. What an inspiring commitment!

table tennis tournament 

Our Table Tennis Club wrapped up the term with an exciting tournament today, showcasing some fantastic skills and sportsmanship. Congratulations to our talented finalists—Max (year 4) and Barney (year 5)—with Barney taking home the win in a thrilling final!

Mr Raymond and Mr Hopkins were so impressed by the talent on display that they even picked up the paddles themselves! A huge thank you to Sam for her incredible support of the club and for generously donating a very special table tennis award.

Well done to all our players—you’ve made this term a smashing success!

Year 6 parents/Carers: Secondary School Admissions

The admissions process for pupils moving from primary school (year 6) to secondary school (year 7) in September 2025 is now open. ALL year 6 parents/carers need to apply for a secondary school place using the link BCBC admissions 

Deadline: Friday 16 January 2026 at 4pm 

NUrsery parents/Carers: reception pupil Admissions

If you are the parent/carer of a pupil entering Reception in September 2025, you must complete a school admission application. Even if your child is currently attending Nursery here, there is no automatic right to a place in Reception. You are able to apply online. If you have already signed up to My Account on the Bridgend County Borough Council website, you will need to log in and you can then complete an online application for a Reception year place. Apply here 

Deadline: Friday 13th February 2026 at 4pm.

Community christmas lunch

Last Saturday was truly special at Pencoed Primary School as we welcomed members of our local community for a festive lunch. The delicious meal was kindly prepared by our school cook and volunteers from our catering team, and beautifully served by our pupil Family Engagement Team—what a fantastic effort! 

A huge thank you to Mrs. Jenkins and her team of parent ‘elves’ for creating stunning table decorations and crafting a festive keepsake for each guest to take home! 

• Thursday 22nd January - Liddington Information Meeting for Parents/Carers

• Tuesday 10th February - Safer Internet Day

• Thursday 26th February- St David’s Day Celebrations Nursery to Year 2

• Friday 27th February (March 1st is Sunday) - St David’s Day Celebrations Y3 - Y6

• Thursday 5th March  - World Book Day - pupils are invited to dress as their favourite book character 

• Wednesday 11th - Friday 13th March- Year 6 Residential to Liddington 

• Friday 20th March - World Down Syndrome Day - we wear our boldest and brightest, most eye-catching socks. 

It’s our way of saying, “Listen up, the Down syndrome community has something to say!”

• Friday 27th March (last day of term) - Easter Bonnet Parade & Raffle - more details to follow

• May - National Testing Y2-6

• Monday 6th to Wednesday 8th July  - Year 5 Residential to Llangrannog

• Wednesday 15th July - Billy Gardiner Assembly

• Thursday 16th July - Year 6 Leavers Assembly

Inset Days:

• Friday 19th December 2025

• Monday 20th July 2026 

*1 further date to be allocated 

Safeguarding

• At Pencoed Primary School, we are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all children. If you have a concern about the safety or well-being of a child, please report this immediately to either Dr S. Sarjeant, Mr A. Raymond, Mrs K. Maund or Mrs A. Brennan (Designated Safeguarding Leads).  In addition, advice can be sought from Mrs A. Williams, Designated Governor for Safeguarding.

• If you are a parent or a visitor to the school and you are worried about the safety or well-being of a child or family please ask to speak to the Designated Safeguarding Leads or a member of the Senior Leadership Team.

• Please access our child protection and safeguarding policy here - https://www.pencoedprimary.co.uk/school-policies-1/ 

Contact Us

Please let us know if you have any comments regarding the contents of this newsletter or any other matter relating to Pencoed Primary School. All issues will be dealt with in the strictest confidence. If you would prefer to make a personal appointment, please do not hesitate to contact us:

• Email: admin@pencoedps.bridgend.cymru or contact@pencoedprimary.co.uk

• Phone: 01656 815730