Prynhawn Da!

It is that time of the week again where I share with you some of the excellent work that has been taking place across our school. Can I pass on my congratulations to Dylan Ham in Year 9 who has received 30 positive points this week, Mason Davey in Year 7 with 26, George Morgan in Year 8 with 23, Alex Benbow-Morgan in Year 10 with 22 and Oliver Lloyd in Year 11 with 21. Mrs Barrett has asked me to make a special mention for Megan Briggs who has made an incredibly positive start to Year 11 Performing Arts and Mrs Stockman wants to congratulate Emilie Doxsey on her A* result in GCSE Physics test.

This week has seen staff and pupils at our school host our first Ysgol Bro Taf open evening for Year 6 pupils in our cluster and beyond. The evening was outstanding, it was incredibly exciting to have our first Ysgol Bro Taf cohort look around the site as we continue our refurbishments and get a flavour for what Ysgol Bro Taf will have to offer.

This week has also been an important week for us here at Pontypridd High School as we have celebrated and promoted ‘National Dyslexia Week’. Mrs Claire Finney, our school ALNCO has worked with staff across the school to further improve provision for pupils with dyslexia whilst also raising awareness. This work has further consolidated the inclusive nature of our school and we will continue on our journey in this area.

Next week we will host our annual awards evening and we look forward to celebrating all the amazing achievements of our pupils over the past 12 months. We are also very proud to welcome back to Mr Lewis Hooper who will be our guest speaker at the event. Lewis is a past pupil of Pontypridd High School and a superb role model for our pupils, Lewis was elected Chair for the Democratic services committee in May 2021.

We will also be celebrating ‘Shwmae Day’ next Friday (13^th October). All pupils will be given opportunities to develop and use the Welsh language across the school and we will host an event in the main hall during lesson 5 for pupils in Year 7&8. Can I use this opportunity to pass on my thanks in advance to Mrs Mills, Mrs Thomas and Ms Jones for all the work that has gone into planning this day.

As mentioned last week, we strongly value our relationships with parents, carers and the local community. It is vital that we work together for all pupils to achieve and be happy when in school. You will have received a separate message which includes our home school agreement, this can also be found on our school website. Please can I ask that all parents/carers read through the agreement and then complete the form here: Microsoft Forms

Finally, can I take this opportunity to remind all parents, carers and pupils of the importance of correct school uniform and high school attendance. Details of our school uniform policy can be found on our school website. I must remind all parents/carers that hooded tops are not permitted as part of our policy. I would ask for your support on this matter. It goes without saying, attendance to school is crucial to pupil success. We need to work together to ensure we get our pupils into school, where they will experience the highest quality learning experiences.

Thank you to everyone for your continued support and another great week here at Pontypridd High School.