School News
Dear Parents, Carers and Friends,
Lots of exciting events have taken place across the school this week.
St Fagans Our Nursery and Reception pupils had a wonderful visit to St Fagans, where they took part in a lambing workshop and enjoyed exploring the site. It was a fantastic hands-on experience for the children and a lovely opportunity for them to learn about nature, animals and the world around them. The smiles and excitement throughout the day showed just how much they enjoyed it. A big thank you to all of the staff who organised and supported such a memorable and enriching trip.
Adimral trip
Dosbarth Enfys also had an exciting opportunity this week as they visited Admiral in Cardiff to take part in a Money Ready workshop. This was a valuable real-world experience that helped pupils begin to understand important financial skills such as budgeting, decision-making and planning for the future. Opportunities like this help our learners see how the skills they develop in school connect to the wider world and future careers. It also strongly reflects our school value of aspiration, encouraging pupils to think big, develop confidence and recognise the many possibilities that lie ahead of them.
Flourish
We would also like to congratulate the children who have recently completed our eight-week Flourish programme alongside Mrs Wilson. We are incredibly proud of this group of pupils who have spent the past few weeks exploring ways to understand their emotions, build confidence and develop positive strategies for managing challenges both in and out of the classroom. It has been wonderful to see the growth in their resilience, teamwork and self-belief during the sessions. The children showed great enthusiasm and honesty throughout the programme, supporting one another and celebrating each other’s successes along the way. Staff have already noticed a positive difference in their confidence, communication and readiness to learn, and we are delighted with the progress they have made. Well done to all of the pupils involved for their hard work and commitment – you truly made the most of the opportunity to flourish!
Showcase
Looking ahead to next week, our classes are preparing for their Showcase events based on the topic “What Colour Means to Me.” Pupils are excited to share their learning and creativity with you, and we look forward to welcoming families into school to celebrate their work together.
Comic Relief
Next week we will also be celebrating Comic Relief with our “Take Yourself Funny for Money” day. Children are invited to come to school wearing something funny, ridiculous or creative with a donation of £1. This could include silly outfits, bright colours, or even a silly wig! If your child would prefer not to dress up, they are absolutely welcome to wear whatever they feel comfortable in. We are looking forward to a fun-filled day while raising money for a fantastic cause.
ParentPay
As we look ahead to upcoming school trips and activities, we kindly ask all families to make sure they are signed up to ParentPay. This will help us manage permissions and payments more smoothly. If you need any support setting up your account, please contact the school office — we’re happy to help!
Thank you, as always, for your continued support.
Kind regards,
Mr Lloyd, Mrs Lloyd and the Derwendeg team
Important Dates
Spring Term: Monday 5 January – Friday 27 March 2026
Half Term: Monday 16 February – Friday 20 February 2026
Summer Term: Monday 13 April – Monday 20 July 2026
Half Term: Monday 25 May – Friday 29 May 2026
Please remember these are the dates of the school year, but below are the dates for the Insets to reflect when the children are in school.
INSET Dates
Monday 5th January
Friday 13th February
Monday 13th April
Monday 20th July
March
Thursday 20th March – Dosbarth Porffor – Royal Welsh college of Music and Drama Performance
Thursday 26th March – School disco
Friday 27th March – break up for Easter holidays
April
Monday 13th April – INSET
Tuesday 14th April – pupils return to school
Wednesday 15th April – School Council visit Senedd
Wednesday 29th April – Year 5/6 visit to London
May
Monday 4th May – BANK HOLIDAY (SCHOOL CLOSED)
Monday 18th May – Spain trip
Friday 22nd May – break up for half term
June
Monday 8th June – Year 6 leavers photos
Wednesday 17th June – Dosbarth Glas Ystrad Mynach Library visit
Thursday 18th June – Dosbarth Porffor Ystrad Mynach Library visit
Friday 19th June – Dosbarth Enfys Ystrad Mynach Library visit
Monday 22nd June – Year 6 swimming sessions start (3 week block)
July
Monday 6th July – Spain visit to our school
Friday 17th July – break up for Summer holidays
School Menu
Click here to see the school menu.
Week beginning Mon 16th March will be Week 2
Attendance Matters
The United Nation Article 28 states ‘every child has the right to have a primary education’. We are linking our attendance performance to this article.
We want our children to have the best possible education to give them the best chance in life. If your children aren’t in school we can’t give them this opportunity and can’t give them the opportunity to ‘be the best they can be.’
School target: 93%
Annual % to date: 92%
Weekly total
(Week ending 6th Mar): 90%
Dosbarth Oren: 94%
Dosbarth Melyn: 92%
Dosbarth Gwyrdd: 94%
Dosbarth Glas: 93%
Dosbarth Porffor: 89%
Dosbarth Enfys: 87%
Congratulations to the classes who surpassed our school target of 93%.It is important all of the children are in school every day to ensure they aren’t missing out on important learning.
Heroes of the Week
Dosbarth Coch: Autumn E & Archie B
Dosbarth Oren: Kanley Y & Bette P-G
Dosbarth Melyn: Freya G & Amiya E
Dosbarth Gwyrdd Teddy H & Delilah S
Dosbarth Glas: Oliver W & Elsie C
Dosbarth Porffor: Megan F & Halle-Jo P
Dosbarth Enfys: Bear C & Ava J
Dosbarth Seren: Oliver K
Headteachers Award
This week’s Headteacher Awards go to:
Olly Mc
Lucah B
Frayah P
These children were chosen for displaying our school values and will be treated to a hot chocolate and a chat with Mrs Lloyd. Da iawn bawb!
