News
Food Support is available
Food support is available…
The effects of the cost-of-living crisis are still with us, with food insecurity continuing to impact families across Wales and the rest of the UK.
If you, or someone you know, could benefit from food support, there is a range of services available across the county borough to help.
To find out more, please click on the link…
🔗https://www.bridgend.gov.uk/residents/benefits-and-support/cost-of-living-support/
School Photos Now Available
School photos are now available to view and order online at:
Each child will have been handed a unique and individual access code on Photo Day.
Families may order with FREE delivery to school before the deadline as shown online.
At any time orders may be placed for delivery direct to home by post.
If parents have any questions or need help please call our helpline on: 02920 448210 or email us at orders@clickfoto.co.uk
Year 11 Core Information Evening Presentation
Please ‘Click’ on the image below to view the presentation.
CCYD Learner Gains A Scholarship
We are delighted to celebrate Morgan Garfield as he leaves CCYD to begin an exciting new chapter at Llandovery College on a scholarship. Having only taken up judo in 2022, Morgan’s dedication and natural talent have already seen him represent Wales for the past three years, with an incredible gold medal in his debut competition. His achievements are a testament to his hard work and passion for the sport. We are immensely proud of him and wish Morgan every success in his future journey.
STEM SUMMER CAMP
STEM Summer Camp empowers young learners through Engineering and Innovation. A huge thank you to all the learners and staff who participated and supported in this 5 day camp based at Cardiff Met University during the summer holidays.
https://vimeo.com/1107358231/67a556cee1?share=copy
DIVERSITY DAY AT CCYD
CCYD proudly marked a vibrant milestone with its inaugural Diversity Day, a joyful celebration dedicated to raising awareness and fostering understanding of the LGBTQ+ community. The school atrium was transformed into a rainbow of colour, adorned with bunting and balloons that set the tone for a day filled with inclusivity and fun. Learners enjoyed a wide range of engaging activities, from face painting and temporary tattoos to jewelry making, bingo, and bean bag throwing. A cozy reading corner offered a quiet space for reflection, while a lively photo booth captured the spirit of the day. The heart of the celebration pulsed in the school hall, where the music department showcased talented singers and invited everyone to join in the fun with karaoke performances. Meanwhile, the Q&A stand provided a safe and welcoming space for learners to ask questions, share thoughts, and engage in meaningful conversations about diversity and inclusion. Diversity Day at CCYD was more than just a celebration – it was a powerful reminder of the importance of acceptance, respect, and community. Here’s to many more!
Outstanding Contribution Award for year 8
and 9 of the lucky winners.
6th Form Bus Travel Arrangements for Sept
YEAR 9 LEARNERS SHINE IN EUROPEAN CLIMATE CHANGE INITIATIVE
Over the past school year, our Year 9 learners have embarked on an extraordinary journey as part of a prestigious European climate change initiative. This unique opportunity allowed them to collaborate with real climate scientists, deepening their understanding of climate change and its profound impact on our environment. Assigned the critical topic of permafrost, our learners were tasked with producing an informative video that would be both accessible and engaging for a general audience. Rising to the challenge with remarkable enthusiasm and creativity, they worked diligently to break down complex scientific concepts and communicate them clearly. The resulting video not only delves into the science behind climate change, particularly permafrost, but also showcases the learners’ reflections and innovative ideas for positive action. What makes this achievement even more remarkable is that our school is the only one in Wales, and one of just two in the entire UK (alongside a school in Scotland), to participate in this European initiative. Our Year 9 learners are among the youngest participants involved, yet their commitment and dedication have been nothing short of outstanding. They have regularly sacrificed their lunchtimes to plan, film, and edit the video, demonstrating exceptional teamwork and perseverance. In October, their hard work and dedication will be recognized as their video is shared across Europe as part of the wider project. This is a testament to their passion for making a difference and their ability to inspire others through their efforts. We are incredibly proud of our Year 9 learners and their contributions to this important initiative. Their work not only highlights the urgent issue of climate change but also serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration for positive change. We recognise that none of this would happen without the support from all the outside agencies involved today with continued support from the Ospreys in the Community Officers. A big thank you to all staff and pupils that made this a very enjoyable day. The learners involved were Lily Grace Bank, Jake Davies Catrin Eastwood, Jesse Hampton, Damon Henwood, Libby Howell, Molly James, Sophie Jennings, Louie Llewellyn, Dallas Ludlow-Huntley, Rio Newman, Hayden Painter , Lewis Payne, Rogan Tucker, Joshua Turner, Seth Bradley, Ashton Simmonds, Ciara Hanratty-Dalton, Tom Doak, Ethan Garfield, Troy James, Dylan Merrett and Logan Newman.
CCYD PE – SPORTS DAY 2025
What a resounding success! We are thrilled to share the highlights of our recent Sports Day, which turned out to be a fantastic event filled with excitement, camaraderie, and memorable experiences. The majority of our learners had an incredibly enjoyable day, participating in various activities and showcasing their talents and sportsmanship. This success would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of our amazing staff and volunteers. Whether you were officiating, scoring, timing, managing crowd control, or encouraging our learners to participate, your efforts were invaluable. Each of you played a crucial role in making the day run smoothly and ensuring that everyone had a great time. Thank you for your unwavering support and commitment. Your contributions helped create an environment where our learners could thrive, have fun, and build lasting memories. We look forward to many more successful events in the future.
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CCYD TACKLE PROJECT
A special activity day took place today for learners to round off the Tackle course for 2024/25. CCYD learners were invited to The Grange in Mumbles for an opportunity to meet with various service providers, organised by Ospreys Community Officers and The Army. This was a “Building Careers” event with services such as The Army, Royal Engineers, Air Ambulance, Police, Fire Service and RNLI. This unique event offers a hands-on opportunity to experience team building activities, learn about the exciting careers paths, also to speak with personnel and recruitment experts, whilst developing leadership, communication and problem solving skills. The learners were active over the various stations and span of the day, with each individual eager to showcase their talents and skills that have developed over the year.
CCYD Young Carers Network Bridgend
Schools Essentials Grant
“As you are aware, the applications for the Schools Essentials Grant are now open. Could you kindly submit your application by Monday, 14th July. As the school will be closed during the six-week Summer break, any applications received after this date will not be processed until we return in September. Thank you for your continued support”.
Medically prescribed diets
Medically prescribed diets
Does your child have a food allergy/intolerance or a medical condition, which would require them to need a Medically Prescribed Diet? If so, Catering Services has an online facility where a medically prescribed diet can be requested.
To request a special diet, simply complete the application form:
Please ensure you have a copy of a recent medical letter confirming the diagnosis and required diet, as this will need to be uploaded during the application.
The requirement for medical confirmation is to protect the health of your child and ensure that there is a medical need to restrict their diet. Providing a very restricted diet without medical need could potentially be harmful to the child without the support of a health professional. We cannot process your request until we have received this.
Once we have received the form, you will either receive a special diet menu for your approval by email or we will contact you to discuss your child’s requirements in more detail before sending a menu out to you. Please allow up to 3 weeks for your menu to arrive.
To protect the health of your child, please provide your child with a packed lunch from home until you have received the confirmed start date.
Please note: Even with proactive cross contamination control measures, multiple handling processes in the supply chain do present the potential for trace ingredients to remain present. We cannot control the food brought into the dining environment by other customers.
https://www.bridgend.gov.uk/residents/schools-and-education/school-meals/primary-school-meals/
CCYD DUKE OF EDINBURGH BRONZE
What an awesome bunch. Our Bronze DofE crew successfully took part in their first practise overnight expedition. Despite the heavy rain first thing in the morning the team knuckled down, packed up there tents and soldiered on. We all look forward now to the final expedition in July.
TACKLE PROJECT YEAR 9
FREE online Madarin classes.
TACKLE PROJECT – SWANSEA STADIUM VISIT
FIRE SERVICE / TACKLE PROJECT
POLICE / OSPREYS RUGBY FESTIVAL
HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccination at CCYD
The School Nursing team will be at CCYD school this Thursday 15th & Friday 16th May to deliver the HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccination.
Please ensure that the consent form is returned to school ASAP.
There are spare letters in GB5 if you need one?
Can learners please ensure you have breakfast and wear a short sleeve shirt/t-shirt on the days. Many thanks for your support.
Link to presentation
https://www.canva.com/design/DAGe-wGf0qY/67V3nXJr8hOw-Y9Ku8aFqQ/view?utm_content=DAGe-wGf0qY&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=viewer
FREE 999 Emergency Service Event
“South Wales Fire and Rescue Service are hosting a 999 Emergency Service Event at Tesco Maesteg on 17th May between 10:00 – 15:00 hrs. We are hosting the event with South Wales Police and Welsh Ambulance Service, there will be a number of demonstrations taking place during the event, RTC Demo, Line Rescue Demo, Our Wildfire Panto, and much more. Please see attached leaflets.
The event is free of charge, there will be lots of vehicles from all 999 partners for the children to see and learn about.
We look forward to seeing you all there!”
UK INTERNATIOINAL CHAMPIONSHIPS TANG-SOO-DO
May 3rd 2025 saw the UK International Championships for Tang-soo-do in Cardiff. Representing their club in Bryncethin was Sophia Lewis and Ava Hitchings from CCYD School. The girls were very successful on the day and won a combination of gold and silver medals. Sophia won 3 gold medals for weapons, forms and sparring, she is now Junior under 16 Grand Champion. Ava won 2 silver medals for forms and weapons, in addition this is Ava’s first competition as a black belt after achieving this level approximately two weeks ago. Both girls have said that Tang-soo-do is for all ages and abilities, their coach is Megan Lewis, no relation to Sophia. Congratulations to both girls on their achievements, CCYD are very proud of you both.
Potential traffic disruption
Please see letter regarding potential traffic disruption outside school week commencing 12th May 2025.
OGMORE RIVER CLEAN UP – A PEACE FOR NATURE
CCYD learners accompanied by staff members Mrs Davies and Mrs Whitney Embleton spent the day at Ogmore River supporting the “A Peace For Nature” campaign. The learners dressed in Hi Vis and used litter pickers to help remove over 30 bags of rubbish containing micro-plastics whilst heavy excavators removed approximately 800 tyres.
Year 9 “Workready” Workshop
Year 9 learners recently participated in a ‘ Workready’ workshop which focused on skill development, confidence enhancement, teamwork and creative thinking. The learners were tasked with generating innovative solutions to challenges related to technology usage and the environment. They performed exceptionally well and successfully completed a group presentation. The course facilitator was impressed with the learners dedication and work ethic during the day. We extend our gratitude to Robert, our facilitator from Talent Foundry.
Learners Of The Week
Each week a CCYD learner is identified as “Learner of the Week” for collecting the most points across a range of attributes. Some of these attributes include attendance, attitude to learning, positive behaviour points, completing homework, use of Welsh, acts of kindness and exceeding expectations. The learners are rewarded for their hard work and commitment with a visit from the Headteacher, presentation CCYD Pen, a bag of sweets and a personalised postcard sent to the Parents / Carers both praising and congratulating their child.
Below are 4 of our previous winners / learners from the last 4 weeks.
BRIDGEND YOUTH MAYOR CANDIDATES 2025
You are looking at two of the three nominees for the next Bridgend Youth Mayor 2025.
A huge congratulations for both CCYD candidates, we wish both Adam & Phoebe the best of luck.
The winning candidate will be announced on the 13th May 2025!
E-Scooters & Off Road Bikes
South Wales Police are receiving an increase in reports regarding the use of E-Scooters and Off-Road Bikes in the area. Please can you have a read over the attached leaflets regarding the laws around using E-Scooters and Off-Road Bikes. Moving forward we will no longer be educating person/s caught using them, we will be issuing section 59 notices and seizing the vehicles when necessary.
Kind Regards
Aberkenfig Neighbourhood Policing Team. ”
TESCO – CCYD Breakfast Club
SCHOOL REOPENS AS NORMAL
Headteacher
URGENT MESSAGE – SCHOOL CLOSURE
Headteacher
Year 9 SEREN
Year 9 Seren learners participated in a ‘Confident communication’ workshop led by Richard Hull. This session aimed to enhance their confidence , refine their social skills and raise their aspirations. The learners were enthusiastic and took an active role throughout the session.
TACKLE 2025
Math’s Genius at CCYD
Billy-Jo recently took part in the UK Maths Challenge for learners in Years 9 to 11. Billy-Jo is in Year 9 so he would have been competing against lots of learners older than him. The results of the challenge came back last week and Billy-Jo achieved a Gold award. He achieved such an excellent score he has been invited to take part in the next round of the competition. This is the first time anyone at CCYD has progressed to the next stage of the competition.
Bridgend Children’s Literature Festival
Bridgend Children’s Literature Festival events being held at Sarn Library during the February half term
Rugby Leaders Cluster Festival
Tackle Raffle 2025
School Musical – Matilda
Dear Parent/Carer,
CCYD proudly presents the musical “Matilda Jr.” It will be performed from Tuesday 18th to Thursday 20th February in the main school hall. Please see the attached poster for performance times and ticket prices. Trust us, you don’t want to miss it!
Tickets can be purchased as follows:
1.) Parents and Carers can purchase tickets online using the School Gateway App. Your tickets can then be collected by learners from school reception during break and lunch times.
2.) Tickets will be available for members of the school community/public to purchase with cash between 3pm-4pm from school reception (cash only please).
3.) Tickets will be available for CCYD learners to purchase in the atrium every break time the week beginning 3rd February.
4.) Tickets may be purchased on the door on the evening of the performances, though this is subject to availability. Advance booking is advised.
Please follow our school social media pages for all the latest news:
Instagram: @CCYD_Performing_Arts
‘X’ (formally known as Twitter): @CCYD_Music
We look forward to seeing you soon!
Kindest Regards
Zoe Western
Nathan Williams – Young Carer
School Council – Children in Wales
CCYD Young Carers Christmas Activity
Young carers had a delightful Christmas morning filled with cookie decorating, sipping hot chocolate, and enjoying some Christmas karaoke. The learners had a wonderful time catching up in a relaxed atmosphere. There is also a trip to winter wonderland this evening, hope they enjoy ice skating.
Year 9 Crepe Workshop
Year 7 Parents Evening – 12 December
Date for Year 7 Parents/Carers. An opportunity to discuss your child’s progress with all of their teachers. We look forward to seeing you. If you haven’t already could you please download the ClassCharts App so that we can create that important line of communication.
Religion, Values and Ethics Promo Video.
Please see the link below to the new film created especially for WASACRE by Fresh
Gecko productions, on Religion, Values and Ethics.
This short film promotes the value of Religion, Values and Ethics in the Curriculum
for Wales, and is aimed at young people, schools and settings, parents/guardians,
and others with an interest in Religion, Values and Ethics.
Medals from New York!
Seven CCYD learners have returned from the USA International Tang Soo Do competition held in New York, with 10 medals between them. The leaners competed with over 400 other martial artists in traditional weapons, forms and sparring, alongside board breaking and musical forms.
Pictured from left to right: Sophie Blackwell, Louie Kinsey, Xavier Whitehead, Alfie Jones, Makenzie Taylor, Oliver Matthews and Mya Davies
Careers Wales Parents Page
As a parent, guardian or carer you play a key role in supporting your child to make decisions. We have information and tools to help you.
CCYD / OSPREYS TACKLE PROJECT
CAREERS WALES PARENT/CARER NEWSLETTER Autumn 2024
Year 9 & 11 Parents
Careers Wales newsletter for parents and carers of children in mainstream education:
INSET DAY
Reminder: There is an INSET day on Friday 25th October 2024, school will be closed to learners
Ospreys Rugby Festival – cluster schools
CCYD yr 10 learners were invited to support the Ospreys Cluster Schools rugby festival in Pandy Park today. Tondu, St Roberts, Pen-y-fai and Bro Ogwr primary schools attended with 2/3 teams from each school.
The games were played with great enthusiasm and participation from all the young learners, with some great talent and effort showing through.
CCYD learners showed great composure supporting setting up, referring, and running the lines for all the games. Also showing the progress they have made in their attitude and maturity this year.
Diolch to all the participants and the team work from all that ensured this successful event today.
Tackle Project (new cohort of year 9)
UCI World Cycling Timetrial Championships
Ex- Year 13 learner Dylan Sage was selected to represent Great Britain in the UCI World Cycling Timetrial Championships in Zurich, Switzerland. Dylan finished in 12th place from a field of 66 and completed the 15.47mile course in 28:55 covering the distance at an average speed of 32mph. CCYD are so proud of Dylan’s achievements and can’t wait to watch him go onto win future events. Such a talented and humble individual, congratulations Dylan.
Seren Swansea University visit
Duke Of Edinburgh’s Award @CCYD
Grace represents the Fire Service in Regional & Nationals
School Stationery Back to School
BACK TO SCHOOL STATIONERY – reminder that we have a shop located in the library selling stationery for learners. Get your stationery in the next two weeks ready for September.
Ospreys Army Team Building
Lille Christmas Market Trip
CCYD’s MFL (Modern foreign Languages Department) will be running a trip to Lille Christmas Market on the 7th & 8th December 2024. We are limited to 45 places and this will be on a first come first serve basis. Detailed letters for this trip will be handed out the week commencing Monday 24th.
FORCES FITNESS 2024
Ospreys Beach Rugby Tournament
Year 8 Seren Event
Leadership + Programme
National Hate Crime Awareness Week – tag rugby festival
CCYD were proud to host the Bridgend Junior School tag rugby festival, run by the Bridgend School Police
liaison officers in conjunction with Ospreys Tackle Community officers to promote National Hate Crime Awareness Week. This was a highly competitive event with a high standard of entries from all around the Bridgend area. CCYD learners from Tackle and Rugby Leaders groups helped support and referee the games, making new connections with younger learners in and out of our catchment area. Oldcastle Junior School were the overall winners on the day, but a huge congratulations to all who took part, they were a credit to the schools they represented. Hopefully we’ll see them again next year. Da iawn Pawb.
CCYD YEAR 9 HEROES
On Monday 22nd April 2024, a local resident decided to take her little dog for a walk, it was such a beautiful day, and she hadn’t walked the dog for a while due to her rheumatoid arthritis. Whilst tossing stones into the river for the dog to fetch the retractable lead accidentally self locked causing her to lose her balance, trip over a tree root and take the full impact of the fall to her face/head. Before she could react to the shock of the impact she now found herself falling down the banking and into the river and in fear of drowning. The lady was now soaking wet, her whole body was in the river, she was cold, shivering and in shock. Luckily she was still conscious and able to keep her face out of the water but lay there for a while alone and vulnerable. The lady then tried to pull herself out from the water but couldn’t, her hand was bleeding and in pain from the fall. At this point she realised she was in trouble, not visible from the path and unable to grasp her phone to call for help she called out but her voice was weak from the trauma. A cyclist sped passed but didn’t hear her. The lady continued to call out in vain until luckily two boys walking past managed to hear her cries for help. They immediately came running over and helped the lady out of the water and up the banking to the path. Their names were Aiden Fox and Jacob Jones, both year 9 learners at CCYD and they were absolutely amazing, Jacob was supporting/holding the lady up while Aiden phoned for help. As the lady only lives around the corner they were able to bring a car quickly. The lady was very upset, blood running down her hand, a lump on her head the size of a large potato. She was promptly driven to hospital and after tests and medical support was later discharged from A & E with concussion, a large swelling on her head and lots of cuts and bruises. She was black and blue for days, but thankfully no broken bones. Both Aiden and Jacob called at the house on the Wednesday after the accident to see how she was, they were both shocked to see the extent of the bruising. Both boys reluctantly accepted a reward as they both felt they acted on instinct and did what was right. The grateful lady said “We hear so many bad things today about children & teenager’s so I wanted people to know, not all children are bad, this has restored my faith in humanity, I will be forever grateful to these two lovely lads for what they did for me that day, and I will never forget them. Their parents who I have contacted, are and should be very proud of these two boys and I hope my story will be read out in assemblies to all the other learners. I’m still suffering from concussion and still very bruised but forever grateful I’m here to tell my story, all thanks to Aiden and Jacob. Thank you boys”. CCYD are very proud to have learners like these representing our school and local community.
CCYD TACKLE PROJECT
Karate Kid at CCYD
CCYD Learner Leadership+ Group
Da iawn pawb.
Ospreys Tackle – Problem Solving
Dunraven Welsh Singer of the Year
Just WOW! Congratulations to our beautiful Esther Thomas-Bizjack on winning her category in the “Dunraven Welsh Singer of the Year” live finals held at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama on 24th March 2024. Esther is a year 10 learner at CCYD and we’re all so proud of you. Here she is performing one of her winning songs; “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” from The Phantom of the Opera. absolutely stunning Arbennig Esther.
CAMHS SHINE TEAM
CAMHS SHINE team will be running workshops across Easter school holidays for parents of children and young people across Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board. We kindly urge you to take advantage of this provision.
For further information on how to join these free workshops, please see the information poster attached.
Stadium Tour
LEADERSHIP +
TACKLE PROJECT – BLIND CHALLENGE
ECO – SCHOOLS PLATINUM AWARD
Congratulations to our ECO committee and everyone at CCYD. We have achieved our 8th green flag platinum status award. Your continued hard work and commitment throughout the year has been fantastic. Thank you to all those learners who made this possible and Matt Bunt at @Keep_Wales_Tidy @EcoSchoolsWales
POST 16 Options Evening
Options evening this year was a huge success with each department showcasing their Post 16 qualifications. We also accommodated over 19 outside agencies who discussed alternative pathways outside of school. The parents / carers and learners were very grateful they had the opportunity to discuss options with staff and see the full range of options available. A big thank you to all those who attended and supported the decision making of our learners.
FORCES Fitness
Diolch pawb.
Classical Singing Exam Success
We end the half term with brother and sister duo Esther and Joseph Thomas-Bizjak proudly showing off their certificates after both achieving ‘distinctions’ in their recent classical singing exams! A fantastic achievement both! We’re so proud of you. Arbennig!
DARE 2 EXPLORE
CCYD U18 BOYS FOOTBALL – QUARTER FINALISTS
After penalty shootout drama and a superb performance from our U18 football team they have beaten Lewis Bargoed 2-2 (3-1 on pens). They have made history making it to the quarter finals of the Welsh Cup. A first for CCYD. We could not be any prouder.
Careers Event
Today we hosted a Career’s event for our 6th form and year 11 learners to explain different roles and the entry routes for apprenticeships in a variety of sectors including,
Social / Child Care – We Care Wales
Local Authority – BCBC
Armed Forces – Navy , Army and RAF
Sunbelt – Customer Services , Engineering, Construction Maintenance Mechanic, Driving , Electro Technical
Police
NHS – Cwm Taf Morgannwg
Employers will share their career path and progression with learners. Learners will be able to have one to one conversation with the sectors they are most interested in and received material to support their future choices.
DARE2EXPLORE
Dare 2 Explore had a visit to the beach recently. Lots of skills were put into practice, from food prep, researching beach life and collecting new materials for crafts. We also completed a beach clean up with a short slot for some sand play. A very productive session with the luck of the weather with us for the day! We are looking forward to the next session and seeing what activities are coming up. Diolch pawb.
NIA LEWIS – U17’s TEAM WALES
Congratulations to CCYD learner Nia Lewis who was picked for the U17’s Women’s Wales Football Team. Nia gets to play two friendly matches against Belgium and Czechia in the coming weeks and hopefully gets on the score sheet as well as supporting team mates to win the games.. Nia wears the #6 jersey and is looking forward to the experience as she develops her career in the sport of football.
