County borough schools showcase their range of talents

Once again, schools across the county borough have been identified for the achievements they have accomplished this year.

Cynffig Comprehensive School and Nottage Primary School were listed among several schools from the area to receive support from a recent Dragon’s Den competition, held in the region.  The contest was aimed at developing the Welsh language and ‘Welshness’ within schools. 

Welsh language success continues in other schools, with them adopting the ‘Siarter Iaith Cymraeg Campus’ – a Welsh Language Charter which provides a framework for schools, assisting them in promoting the use of Welsh, as well as a Welsh ethos, in all aspects across the school. Schools can achieve either bronze, silver, or gold awards for their efforts in following the framework.

Children at St Robert’s Catholic Primary School have achieved the ‘Siarter Iaith Cymraeg Campus’ bronze award – pupils are now fuelled with motivation and excitement about ideas for further developing Welsh within the school and working towards the silver award. 

The first special school in the Central South Consortium region to win the ‘Siarter Iaith Cymraeg Campus’ bronze award, Ysgol Bryn Castell has been celebrated for its Welsh ethos and bilingualism. The ‘Siarter Iaith Cymraeg Campus’ framework has been adapted to accommodate this sector by a network of key figures from special schools, led by Andrew Morgan, Welsh co-ordinator at Ysgol Bryn Castell. 

Maesteg School, recognised for its pupil-led learning, praises the Prince’s Trust qualification.  Based on experiential learning, the scheme provides a pupil centred approach which celebrates the uniqueness of each pupil, assessing them for skills, abilities, and contributions. Highlights for this year have included pupils creating a uniform swap shop. The pupils sourced, washed, and ironed uniform to be distributed through the community shop. Another enterprise project involved pupils building raised beds and polytunnels to grow their own produce, which they have sold to staff.

Brynteg School has been paving the way for a new way of teaching and learning at secondary school level. In recognition of the diverse needs of pupils, the school has established a provision for learners in years seven to nine - aptly named ‘Dyfodol’, meaning ‘future’, indicating a new way of doing things. Dyfodol supports learners in each of these year groups who may find the normal timetabling of a comprehensive school more challenging. The learners have a base classroom where they are taught for most of the week - an environment which resembles a primary school classroom so that learners may feel more comfortable, while still having access to appropriate secondary learning and teaching experiences.  The provision has proven to be so successful that the school plans to extend the Dyfodol provision in to Key Stage 4, in preparation for the next academic year.

A letter written by the children at Coychurch Primary School highlighting their hopes for the future in response to ‘The Climate Coalition Big Green Week’ initiative, has been shared across the globe.  Delivered to the Blue Zone by Bridgend’s Dr Richard Unsworth of Project Seagrass, a Bridgend-based international marine conservation charity, the letter expresses the children’s passion for the environment. Dr Unsworth also filmed a small vlog about the letter, ensuring that their collective voice was heard across a range of social platforms. The children also joined forces with the COP27 Running Out of Time event, signing a message, along with many others, requesting a better climate education for all to enable climate action on all levels – international, national, local, and individual.

What a wonderful and eventful time for our schools in Bridgend County Borough. These superb achievements reflect the positive work that is happening daily within our schools.

It is fantastic to note how the Welsh language is being actively embedded within school life and subsequently in the life of the community.

We are proud of our young people and what a privilege it is for the teachers to have the opportunity to recognise, embrace and encourage their diversity by adapting the learning environment appropriately. Please keep up the sterling work!

Councillor Jon-Paul Blundell, Cabinet Member for Education