School News
Dear Parents, Carers and Friends,
It has been a wonderful start to the summer term, and it has been lovely to see all the children settling back into school so well. There has been a really positive atmosphere around the school this week, with happy pupils, enthusiastic learning, and a great sense of energy shared by both children and staff.
WOW Day !
Our Wow Day provided an exciting and meaningful launch to our new topic, “Let’s Clean Up Our Planet.” The children took part in a range of engaging activities, including creating recycled art, making thoughtful pledges to help care for the Earth, and exploring how different types of rubbish can be reduced and recycled. They investigated pollution through hands-on experiences such as oil spill clean-ups, air pollution tests, and even a litter pick around the school grounds. The day was filled with creativity, teamwork, and important discussions, making it a fantastic start to the term.
Trips
We are incredibly excited about the wide range of trips and experiences planned for the summer term, which will provide fantastic opportunities for our pupils to learn beyond the classroom. Our Year 5 and 6 children are looking forward to an exciting trip to London, as well as a very special visit to sunny Spain, where they will have the chance to visit Spanish schools, take part in lessons, and experience the language and culture first-hand.
We are also delighted that a production of The Secret Garden will be coming into school on Monday 27th April—this promises to be a wonderful experience for the children. If you have not yet made payment via ParentPay, please do so as soon as possible. Your continued support is greatly appreciated, as without it we would be unable to offer these enriching opportunities.
In addition, we have a number of other exciting activities planned, including free trips to the library where the children will work with author Daniel Morden, as well as visits to Bethel Chapel and many more experiences throughout the term. It is shaping up to be a truly memorable summer term for all our pupils.
Summer safety
As we move further into the summer term, we kindly ask that children come to school prepared for warmer weather. On sunny days, please ensure your child has applied sun lotion before school, brings a sun hat, and has a water bottle to stay hydrated throughout the day. These small steps will help us keep everyone safe and comfortable while enjoying outdoor learning and play.
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
Key Dates for 2025-26 – Term 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
April
Monday 13th April – INSET
Tuesday 14th April – pupils return to school
Wednesday 15th April – School Council visit Senedd
Monday 27th April – Whole school Secret Garden show
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)
Tuesday 23rd June – Bible exhibition Bethel Chapel – Gwyrdd
Wednesday 24th June – Bible exhibition – Bethel Chapel – Glas, Bible exhibition – Bethel Chapel – Porffor, Bible exhibition – Bethel Chapel – Enfys
July
Wednesday 1st July/Thursday 2nd July – Lewis school Transition days
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 20th April will be Week 1
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 27th Mar): 90%
Dosbarth Oren: 96%
Dosbarth Melyn: 88%
Dosbarth Gwyrdd: 87%
Dosbarth Glas: 88%
Dosbarth Porffor: 93%
Dosbarth Enfys: 94%
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: Noah Q & Luca S
Dosbarth Oren: Marli T & Harri T
Dosbarth Melyn: Reggie G & Liam W
Dosbarth Gwyrdd Hunter B & Llewellyn G
Dosbarth Glas: Hunter M & Baylen S
Dosbarth Porffor: Maddison V & Glyn R
Dosbarth Enfys: Bear C & Tahlia A
Headteachers Award
This week’s Headteacher Awards go to:
Baylen
Theo R
Louie-Ellis
Seren
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!
