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July 2024

2023-24 Review

As we reach the end of the school year, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all staff, families and the pupils themselves for your continued efforts and commitment to the school. It has been a hugely successful and enjoyable year as a result of the incredible team spirit and strong relationships that exist across our school community.

The slides above are a summary of some of the fantastic things that have happened over the past 10 months.

I'm now also able to confirm that the current leadership arrangements have been extended for a further year due to Dr Sarjeant's continuing secondment with Welsh Government. I feel very proud and honoured to have been given a further opportunity to lead this school for a fourth year. In conjunction with Mrs Middleton as acting deputy headteacher and Mrs Maund as acting assistant headteacher, we will continue to work closely with all members of our school community to move the school forward and to make it the best possible learning environment for our children.

I'd like to wish everybody a happy and healthy summer break and a special good luck and best wishes to the staff and pupils who are leaving us today for a new chapter. Keep in touch - you will always be a part of the PPS family.

See you on Tuesday 3rd September 2024 for the start of the autumn term.

Mr Raymond

Staffing updates

retirement wishes

After 23 years of sterling service to the school, Mrs Harman will begin a very well deserved retirement at the end of this term. Throughout her time at Pencoed (and Heol Y Cyw), Mrs Harman has been a tremendous asset to the school and will be remembered for her nurturing, calm style and her high expectations for developing children’s basic skills. Thank you for everything Mrs Harman and good luck in your next chapter.

goodbye & Good Luck

At the end of term, we will also be saying goodbye to Mr Snowdon after three excellent years with us at Pencoed. Mr Snowdon has been a vital part of our teaching team and has developed into an excellent classroom teacher who sets high expectations and builds strong relationships with all pupils, parents and colleagues. He will be a huge asset as he embarks on a new chapter in Narberth, Pembrokeshire. Pwb lwc!

maternity leave

We would also like to wish Mrs Malone all the best as she starts her maternity leave at the end of this term. Baby Malone is due in early August so we hope she has time to relax before the special arrival.

summer reading challenge

Thank you to Rob from Pencoed Library who came to our school assembly to introduce this year's Summer Reading Challenge. It would be amazing if ALL of our pupils could sign up to take part. The challenge involves reading just 6 books over the holidays. Pupils will then receive a certificate and medal. There are also lots of free events taking place at the library over the summer, so why not pop along?

School news

middle & upper school sports day

The sun was shining for our rescheduled Sports Day for both Middle and Upper School pupils. The pupils all competed well during their carousel of activities involving football dribbling, relay races, traditional egg and spoon races and gutterball. However, it was during the sprint races where the true competitive spirit shone through! It was fantastic to see so many pupils challenging themselves as they pounded down the astro, and it was wonderful to hear their classmates cheering them on!

early years trip

Our Nursery and Reception staff, pupils and their families enjoyed a visit to the Mountain View Ranch in Caerphilly. The highlights of the day included the Gruffalo Trail, the jumping pillow and a sneaky early lunch on the bus!

year 4 rugby tournament

20 Year 4 pupils represented the school with distinction at the recent cluster rugby tournament at Pencoed Comprehensive School. Both teams performed superbly well against older pupils - one side getting to the semi finals and our other side getting to the final!

cricket tournament

Some of our Upper School pupils enjoyed the rescheduled cricket tournament in Porthcawl. The team had great success, winning 6 out of their 8 matches! Thank you to Mr Hopkins for supporting with another sporting event.

reduce, reuse, recycle

Plan B visited Sunbeams and Stargazers 1 as part of our topic, Reduce Reuse, Recycle. The pupils have been learning how litter impacts the environment and what actions they can take to care for planet Earth. Plan B staff allowed the children to climb into the cab and demonstrated how the compactor works. Being able to see a recycling lorry close up and ask Plan B staff questions was an amazing opportunity for our learners. Thank you Plan B!

nursery graduation 2024

Mrs Roberts and the Nursery team were proud of all the pupils during the graduation ceremonies! It was delightful to see so many parents/carers attending to help make the graduation caps! Our Nursery pupils suddenly looking very grown up!

year 5 puppet project

Our year 5 pupils have been extremely busy over the last few weeks creating their very own puppet shows. The pupils have worked together in their groups to write a script, design and make the puppets and scenery, as well as performing their shows for an audience. An array of skills on show! Well done all!

upper school Fiesta

Last minute changes to the Upper School's planned ‘Fiesta in the Park’ turned out to be an ‘ice cream licking’ success when Mr Whippy turned up offering Slushies, lollies and ice cream cones. Football and cricket on the astro, Just Dance, Karaoke, arts and crafts, board games, movie magic and Chromebook time were some of the activities on offer. Though we think the pupils would all agree that Mr Whippy was the highlight!

llangrannog - y5 residential

Well done to the 65 year 5 pupils who attended the residential trip to Llangrannog recently. The damp weather didn't dampen the group's spirts as they threw themselves into all the different activities including go-karting, skiing, quad biking, high and low ropes, tobogganing, bush craft and the infamous muddy run and jump bag! The pupils did PPS proud showing resilience, cooperation and excellent behaviour throughout.

Thank you to the staff who gave up their own time to accompany the pupils!

year 6 end of year award ceremony

Congratulations to our year 6 award winners! The award ceremony is a longstanding tradition at Pencoed Primary, with many of the awards donated to the school either by past staff members or in memory of people with a sentimental connection to us. The awards range from celebrations of music, sport, kindness and overall academic effort. Well done to our worthy winners!

Sadly, we are saying goodbye to 82 year 6 pupils this year. We wish them all the very best as they embark on the next step of their school journey. We hope they will look back fondly on their years at PPS!

We were also treated to performances from some of our musicians including the strings group and our guitarists! A lovely way to end the term!

music award

joy parish award

rob lewis award

peter tuhey Star

Billy gardner award

Strings Group

Guitarists

sunbeams leavers

This month, we said goodbye and good luck to Frankie, Noah, and George during the Sunbeams Leavers coffee afternoon. They have been at Sunbeams for four years and are now moving on to comprehensive school. It is a bittersweet moment for Sunbeams, but their hard work with us means they are leaving with skills to succeed in their next adventure. Well done, boys; we are so proud of you!

year 6 leavers show

It was an emotional start to the day yesterday when we welcomed parents/carers to watch the year 6 'Leavers Assembly'. The pupils performed brilliantly, and it was an honour to see how they have flourished throughout their time at PPS! Definitely some budding actors and actresses among this cohort! A huge thank you to all the year 6 staff who have been working hard behind the scenes to ensure the pupils put on such a fantastic show! Da iawn pawb!

family engagement

careers day

Our 'Careers Day' was a huge success and pupils thoroughly enjoyed speaking to the different providers about their roles. A huge thank you to the 17 local businesses, national organisations, parents, carers and grandparents who contributed to this event, which will no doubt have influenced some future career aspirations.

seesaw viewing sessions

Our Nursery and Reception families enjoyed the opportunity to come in and look through their child's online platform on Seesaw. Staff in Early Years use Seesaw to record detailed observations of the children carrying out practical learning activities. There was a fantastic turn out and lots of lovely feedback too!

toddlers ready for Nursery

Mrs Patrick was sad to say goodbye to lots of our families from Baby and Toddler group who will be transitioning into Nursery in September. What fabulous memories and friendships they've made! We look forward to welcoming them back to school as pupils!

our new nursery

Our new September intake for Nursery enjoyed a visit to the forest as part of their transition to starting school. They listened to Mrs Roberts reading a story before going on a bear hunt! We can't wait to see them again during the summer holidays and of course when they start with us in September!

well-Being

StAFF RECOGNITION AWARD

Mr Raymond - For seeing the school through another academic year!

StAFF RECOGNITION AWARD

Mrs Harman- For all her dedication and support to pupils at PPS over the last 23 years!

StAFF RECOGNITION AWARD

Mr Snowdon - For all his dedication and support to pupils at PPS over the last 3 years.

Well-being CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE

Mr Hilton, Mrs Jo Jenkins, Mrs Lewis, Mr Snowdon, Mrs Newton, Mrs Morris and Mrs Maund - For supporting pupils in Llangrannog during the year 5 residential.

30th July - International Day Of Friendship

On this International day of Friendship, we recognise the world’s challenges. To address them, we must foster human solidarity, starting with friendship.

Dates for your diary

Friday 19th July - Final day for pupils

Remaining Inset Days:

Monday 22nd July

Confirmed 2024-25 Inset Days:

Monday 2nd September 2024
Monday 23rd September 2024
Monday 4th November 2024
Monday 6th January 2025
Monday 21st July 2025

*There will be one further Inset day allocated - this will be communicated ASAP

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 Mr Raymond, Mrs H. Middleton, Mrs Maund or Mrs Brennan (Designated Safeguarding Leads). In addition, advice can be sought from Mrs A. Williams, Designated Governor for Child Protection.
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/

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

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