Welcome to the third edition of the Porthcawl Post for the school year 2017-2018 Porthcawl Porthcawl Comprehensive School Newsletter ~ Summer 2018 Headteacher’s Address above local, regional and national averages. I am intensely familiar with our school in readiness for September. The proud that our school meets the needs and aspirations transition programme ended with the usual full of our learners and we meet the wider needs of our town. transition day when over 210 young people visited us. There may well be a final consultation process in the One final piece of good news is that pupil numbers are months to come centred on the future of Post 16 on the increase. September’s Year 7 looks likely to have Education in Bridgend. Should such an exercise take over thirty more pupils than the current Year 7. I feel place, I will write again with details of how you may this is a vote of confidence and people have trust in our support our school and our Sixth Form. school, what we stand for and collectively what we As you read this newsletter, later on you will note the achieve. remarkable success enjoyed at our “Awards Evening”. I will draw your attention to several members of staff The evening had one simple theme; celebrating the who will be leaving us in the Summer. Mr Adam would like to begin this piece with a reply to recent success of our pupils, this we achieved with ease. I feel Edwards will retire from the Technology Department media speculation as to Sixth Forms in Bridgend this evening captures the school as a whole as we after 28 years’ service at our school. Also leaving the schools. A recent article commented that celebrate academic, sporting, musical and endeavour in Technology Faculty is Mrs Julie Howells who joined us “Bridgend Sixth Forms are not fit for purpose,” this equal measure. in 2002. Many of our students have benefitted greatly Imay be the case for some, but certainly not for our from the teaching of Mr Edwards and Mrs Howells and As always, the School Eisteddfod was held in the Grand school. We have a vibrant, sustainable and very successful they will be greatly missed from the Faculty. Also, leaving Sixth Form, which is a key part of our school. In Pavilion and again, it was a tremendous success. The event celebrated Welsh culture in a variety of ways, and the English/Media Studies Faculty is Mrs Felton who September we are expecting a combined Year 12 and 13 joined the school in 2001 and who has worked tirelessly to be around 310 pupils. This group of students will I am very grateful to Mrs Lloyd who organised and co- ordinated the event. This year, the winning house was over the years. We wish all three of them the very best access over 35 A Level courses, a mix of vocational in their retirement. courses and additional subjects in collaboration with Gwynedd, so congratulations to Gwynedd and all who other partners. Our Sixth Form has continually been successfully represented their houses. Mrs Kathryn Lewis will leave her post as Teacher of exceptionally well represented in Russell Group The external examinations have finally drawn to a close Music after 12 years at PCS. Many of you will recognise university places with students from our school regularly after a frenetic few weeks at school. Naturally, I wish all and be familiar with Mrs Lewis who has done so much securing places at “Oxbridge”. I feel there is an ethical the students the very best of luck with their results. The to help with our school shows. I am pleased to announce question here, “Does our Sixth Form meet the needs of pupils, supported by their parents/ carers and teachers, that Mrs Lewis has been appointed as Head of our students?” For me the answer is an overwhelming have done all I could ask of them and I am confident Performing Arts at Ysgol Nant Gwyn, Tonypandy. All yes!! that our school will be celebrating a record breaking set at school wish Mrs Lewis well in the next stage of her career. The overriding issue is that of choice, progression and of results in August. Good luck to all pupils leaving us eventual outcomes for our students. Porthcawl students this Summer with their chosen areas of study, and to all May I end by thanking you for all your support over the choose to stay with us, (more than 70% do so), and those embarking on their first jobs. past year. It has been a pleasure to meet so many of you, others choose college or work. Porthcawl students make The usual transition programme has been very well and I look forward to us working together in the future. very good progress in their two year courses and received over the past months. Pupils from a variety of outcomes, in terms of results, have consistently been well local schools have enjoyed a series of visits to become Andrew Slade Headteacher Housekeeping School Counselling Service All pupils are able to access the support of a trained counsellor in school. Any pupil who feels they would Uniform benefit from speaking to someone independent of school, family and friends can do so by speaking to reminder their Form Teacher, Head of Year, Student Support staff or Mrs Sloggett. JEWELLERY On health and safety grounds we do not allow pupils to wear any jewellery in our school. The exception to this rule is a wrist watch. We ask the pupils to remove these objects during PE and games, to prevent them from causing injury. EXTREME HAIRCUTS Easter Eggs for Romania AND COLOURS The Head Team did another wonderful job this year collecting Easter Eggs for Romanian The school does not permit children street children from pupils across the school. They did this by going into assemblies and to have ‘extreme’ haircuts and encouraging pupils to bring in cream eggs for the campaign. They collected on behalf of unnatural hair colours that could serve Gilgal Baptist Church which contributes to the overall Cardiff based charity Support for as a distraction to other pupils. Only Romania. The charity volunteers drive lorries across Europe in time for Christmas and Easter, basic hair accessories to be worn ie: packed full of supplies, taking bedding, clothing, medical supplies plus sweet parcels at scrunchies, bobbles and headbands Christmas and eggs at Easter time. This Easter, they collected 2160 eggs from across which should be appropriate. Porthcawl. Gilgal Church representative and former teacher Mrs Ruth Evans co-ordinated the collection from school and commented “Thanks so much for your support in collecting eggs for this TROUSERS year’s campaign. The Head Team have been fantastic! The grand total is 710 eggs from school Plain, classic school- style trousers. which is superb!” To find out more about the work of Support for Romania, have a look at their website: These should be straight legged and http://www.supportforromania.org.uk not a tight, ‘bootleg’, ‘drainpipe’ or Charity ‘jeans’ style, nor should they be ‘low- rise’. This includes NO ‘ankle grazers’. There should be no large belts or buckles. Trousers should not be made out of a denim fabric or leather. Food for Thought On Thursday 8th February, a group of pupils from PCS went to one SOCKS of Bridgend’s Foodbanks. Grey, black or navy socks. No white During our visit there, we found out about the three-day emergency socks to be worn with uniform. food supplies given to people in crisis. Last year alone, the Foodbank provided 4004 bags for adults and 1456 for children. They are part of a nationwide network of Foodbanks, supported by The Trussell Trust, FOOTWEAR working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK. An incredible The school wants all children to grow 1 in 5 children of the UK population live below the poverty line. into healthy adults. We believe that it As a school we hope to do a whole school food collection in the is dangerous for pupils to wear shoes near future and will use the fantastic trolley designed especially that have platform soles or high heels, by Daniel Evans of Year 9. We also hope to encourage shoppers to so we do not allow pupils to wear such donate when we promote the vital work the Trussell Trust do to shoes in our school. Neither do we collect food for those in need at Bridgend Tesco at the end of June. allow pupils to wear trainers to school; this is because we think that this footwear is appropriate for sport or for leisurewear, but is not in keeping with the smart appearance of a school uniform. We require all pupils to wear shoes as stated in the uniform list – black, flat shoes. We would expect the shoes to be leather or leather-look and so no canvas shoes. Mrs V Hunt Assistant Headteacher 2 PORTHCAWL POST Summer 2018 Giving Blood TY^ HAFAN #5IN55 27 February 2018 MOUNTAIN CHALLENGE Between the 5th and 7th July 2018, a group of Dads and a few uncles, whose families have been supported by Ty^ Hafan, will be aiming to climb and travel between five UK mountains in a maximum of 55 hours. The five mountains are Ben Nevis (highest in the UK), Scafell Pike (highest in England), Snowdon (highest in Wales), Cadair Idris and Pen y Fan (2nd and 3rd highest in Wales). Ty^ Hafan is one of the UK’s leading paediatric palliative care charities and offers care to children and support for their families, throughout Wales.