Latest News and Weekly Newsletters

• Draft Positive Behaviour Policy

  Wed 07 Feb 2018 SP

  Staff and Governors have reviewed our Positive Behaviour Policy.  Governors will meet in due course to agree adoption of the policy. Please click here to read the Draft Positive Behaviour Policy.  If you have any comments you would like to make to Governors please email admin.oldcastleprimary@bridgend.gov.uk.

   

• Welsh Rugby Union filming

  Thu 23 Nov 2017 S. Peters

  We were delighted to help the WRU with some filming recently.  Some of our children were invited to describe current Wales rugby players and the coaching team.  The results are fantastic!!

   

  https://twitter.com/WelshRugbyUnion/status/933407709793259520

• National School Meals week

  Wed 08 Nov 2017 S. Peters

  Catering services will be supporting National School Meals week from 13th November to 17th November.  The following menu will be available throughout the week:

   

  http://www.bridgend.gov.uk/media/467696/nsmw-13-17-nov-17-primaries.pdf

• Accelerated Reading

  Wed 08 Nov 2017 S Peters

  Dear Parents
  This year our pupils in years 3 to 6 are using Accelerated Reader as their main reading focus. Accelerated Reader gives teachers the information they need to monitor pupils’ reading practice and make informed decisions to guide their future learning.
  Accelerated reading ensures that pupils are reading the correct books for their reading age. Once they have completed the book the children undertake a quiz related to the book and receive instant feedback. Teachers use Accelerated Reader to monitor independent reading practice and assign close reading skills practice. They receive data that tells them how reading skills are improving.
  If you would like further information related to Accelerated Reader, please see the Parent’s Guide on our Website or click on the link below. Alternatively, please discuss with your Childs class teacher
  
  https://www.renaissance.com/2016/09/09/parents-guide-renaissance-accelerated-reader-360/

• Vote for us in the Aviva Community Fund

  Wed 25 Oct 2017 Sara Peters

  The Aviva Community Fund gives out funding to local projects that make a positive change to their community.  Oldcastle Primary have been successful in stage 1 of the grant fund and we need you to vote for us!  Projects with the highest number of votes will be successful.  We've applied for funding in the health and well being category and if successful we will use the money to develop our play ground into a multi use games area for all our children.

   

  https://community-fund.aviva.co.uk/voting/project/view/17-2776

• Parents Evenings - Reception to Year 6

  Fri 20 Oct 2017 Sara Peters
  To book parents evening for reception to year 6 please click here.  Parnets evenings are being held on Tuesday 7th and Wednesday 8th November.

• Money raised towards school defibrillator!

  Fri 06 Oct 2017 S Peters

  Money raised towards school defibrillator!

  Oldcastle Primary School is delighted to receive a donation of £500 from the Hub and Intel departments in South Wales Police towards a defibrillator.

   

  The money has been raised by PC Ceri Francis, PC Rea Stephens and DI Dean Taylor from sales of their Tuck Shop within the police station. They have been hugely successful with their fundraising for charity and have also recently made a donation to the SCBU in the Princess of Wales hospital.

   

  “Oldcastle Primary School is keen to purchase a defibrillator for the school to ensure the safety of our children, staff and other users of the school. The school is often hired privately by various groups so we wanted to ensure we could help someone in need of assistance with a cardiac arrest. We are so grateful to the officers in South Wales Police for this donation”. Jeremy Malessa-Thompson, Headteacher at Oldcastle Primary School.

   

  “We were keen to support Oldcastle Primary School as our children, and other family members, attend the School or have previously attended. It has provided our children with a great start to life and when we heard about the fundraising efforts for a defibrillator we were keen to support something that is close to our hearts”. PC Rea Stephens, South Wales Police.

   

  Oldcastle Primary is a busy primary school with over 400 children and the school is grateful for any assistance with fundraising and grant funding.

  

• Oldcastle Primary Estyn Report

  Wed 06 Sep 2017 Sara Peters

  Oldcastle Primary recognised as an innovative school

   

  Oldcastle Primary School has been recognised as a highly innovative learning community following an inspection by Estyn in June 2017.

   

  Estyn, the Education and Training inspectorate for Wales, is instructed to inspect the quality and standards of schools, colleges, and local authorities’ education services. All schools are inspected at least once during a six year cycle.

   

  Estyn inspectors examined many aspects of school life, and Oldcastle Primary School is pleased to have been recognised as a good school with excellent features as defined through the Common Inspection Framework utilised by Estyn.

   

  In particular the school has been identified as being excellent for its care, support and guidance, researching and implementing bespoke and innovative programmes for the benefit of the pupils. Including its use of Mabel tele-therapy to support pupils with speech and language needs. The inspectors noted that the quality of care, support and guidance has a very positive impact on pupils’ standards and wellbeing.

   

  The report recognises through creative and innovative leadership that the vision to inspire, educate and motivate was at the core of the schools work. This ethos had a strong impact on securing high levels of attendance and promoting pupils wellbeing. It goes on to describe the excellent resource management stating that “in view of the innovative and imaginative way in which leaders manage the school’s resources, the school gives excellent value for money”.

   

  Partnerships were another area where the school was judged to be excellent. Parental questionnaires identified that 98% of parents strongly agree or agree that they are satisfied with the school. Children also provided very positive feedback to the inspectors with 99% of children feeling they were doing well at school. Further partnerships with the University of the West of England also received praise along with links to local business, the school enterprise work and the schools science, technology, engineering and mathematics program.

   

  “As a school we welcome the positive feedback from the Estyn report, I am delighted that the teaching and support staff are recognised as providing highly effective purposeful learning experiences which enrich pupils spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. It was also pleasing to note that the inspectors recognised our excellent working partnerships with businesses, which has led to an enriched curriculum. Inspection reflects a snap shot of the life of a school and the strength of any school is in the staff who serve the children and community in which it is based”. Mr Jeremy Malessa-Thompson, Headteacher at Oldcastle Primary School.

   

  The school will draw up an action plan to address the recommendations identified in the report. A copy of the Estyn report for Oldcastle Primary School is available from www.estyn.gov.wales or by clicking here

• Governors Report to parents 2016-2017

  Wed 19 Jul 2017
  The annual governors report to parents is now available to view on our website. Please click here to view.

• Oldcastle children enjoy fruit and veg at break times!

  Wed 24 May 2017

   

  Oldcastle Primary School has a brand new fruit and veg shop courtesy of the Tesco Bags of Help scheme. The wooden shop is situated in the main playground and year 5 children have been tasked with selling fruit and vegetables during their morning break times.

   

  Children in the juniors are thoroughly enjoying purchasing fruit throughout the break times. The year 5 children are really getting into the enterprise project and look forward to selling to the friends. As a school we encourage all our children to adopt a healthy lifestyle and it is fantastic to see so many children purchasing the fruit.

   

  The school were delighted to receive funding from the Tesco Bags of Help initiative. As well as the fruit shop Oldcastle has seen further improvements to the school garden and developing their cob oven area. We have made improvements to the cob oven area by developing a preparation area and providing wooden bench seating for our children to participate and enjoy learning in the outdoor environment.

   

  “It is amazing to see the children so enthusiastic about our small enterprise project and also encouraging children to eat healthy. It is pleasing to see so many children enjoying apples, pears, bananas, carrot sticks and oranges throughout their break time. Our wooden shop provides a perfect location for our children to sell the fruit and we look forward to using the space for lots of other events in the future”. Rebecca Taylor, year 5 teacher.