We are a happy and diverse school at the centre of the local community with 206 pupils on roll. We are situated in the Rhymney Valley and we relish the excitement and challenges that being a school in the heart the Welsh valleys brings. At Derwendeg we want to give our pupils the best possible start so that they have a passion for life long learning.
We strongly believe that ‘Learning with and from each other to achieve success’ is the driving force each and everyday. We want all of our pupils to achieve the standards that they are capable of. We have high expectations for all groups of learners including pupils with special educational needs, more able pupils and pupils who speak English as an additional language.
Strong community spirit exists within the locality and in order to capitalise on this we try to involve parents and members of the local community as fully as possible in our activities, thus ensuring our school remains at the heart of village life. Alongside the community are the Governing Body, religious groups, the local comprehensives and external agencies which all work together to deliver the education all of our children deserve.
We have a strong focus on improving standards of pupils. We seek to improve pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills so that when they leave us in Year 6, they are able to read and use number beyond the average Year 6 pupil. This will put them at an advantage when they arrive at comprehensive school. We also ensure that the transition from Foundation Phase to Key Stage 2 is seamless.
However, we want to develop the ‘whole’ child. We place importance on developing strong personal and social skills in pupils so they can get along with each other and recognise the feelings of others. This in turn develops life skills working together, cooperation and teamwork. We allow children opportunities to develop artistically through music and art lessons. We provide physical activities throughout the day and teach pupils about healthy living. We run a wide range of extra curricular clubs in which the children have an input too. We are a computer literate school, using ipads, Chromebooks and PCs to support and enhance the children’s learning. We regard ourselves as an Eco School, encouraging all members of our community and school to care for and respect our environment and future.