Dear parents and carers,
Is your child in year 8 or 9 and choosing their subject options?
The Careers Wales website has useful information which can support you to help your child navigate their career path.
You’ll find dedicated parent pages to help you support your child in making informed decisions. There are also specific year 8 and 9 options pages with top tips on making subject choices.
If you’re looking for ways to help generate ideas about future careers you may find the Buzz Quiz, Career Match Quiz and CareersCraft useful.
BCBC have informed us this week that the pick up times for some routes have changed. Please see BCBC website for more details. Link: https://shorturl.at/
Year 9 CCYD learner Phoebe Evans is leading a team selling poppies all week in the atrium at form, break and lunch time. Well done Phoebe, fantastic enthusiasm for such a worthy cause.
Dear parents/ carers/ learners,
We are arranging a day trip for 22 Year 9 learners to the French Institute in London on Saturday 3rd of February 2024. We will be leaving around 7.30am and will be back in CCYD around 21.30pm. We will be travelling with 20 year 9 pupils from Porthcawl comprehensive so its on a first come first serve basis for our 22 from CCYD.
The French Institute is located in the French quarter in South Kensington, London, where the students will be viewing a French film and visiting the beautiful library and building.
The cost of this trip is £42. It includes the cost of travelling from CCYD to London by coach and back, full insurance and the cost of the cinema ticket. We are planning to eat lunch when arriving in London so students need to bring money to cover the cost of the meal. There are plenty of small French cafés and restaurants around the area we will be visiting.
May I ask you to bring a non refundable £20 deposit by Friday 10th November 2023 to either Madame (fe14- fe16). You can pay the other £22 by Friday 1st December 2023 to either Madame (fe14- fe16).
Merci et bonnes vacances.
Information regarding Activities happening during half term within the Bridgend Borough.
We wish to inform you that the governing body of Coleg Cymunedol y Dderwen have 4 parent governor vacancies:
If you wish to be considered for election, please submit the following information to the school by Tuesday, 7th November 2023. (Any applications received after this date will not be considered)
Your Name
Address
Telephone number
Child’s name
You must also include a short statement of no more than 100 words which will be included in the ballot form. Please note if you exceed the word limit only the first 100 words will be included on the ballot form. Please sign and date the information you submit to the school.
All applications should be emailed to melanie.hopkins@ccyd.bridgend.cymru
If you would like more information on becoming a governor and what the role entails please contact Pupil Services on 01656 642622.
Please find attached a letter below (PDF) regarding an anonymous online survey that learners will be completing Friday 13th October. Any queries please contact us at the school.
Did you know an estimated 59,000 children in Wales have asthma and that in 2021/22, 852
children ended up in hospital with life threatening asthma attacks?
We at Asthma + Lung UK Cymru would like your support in raising awareness among your
school community, so everyone knows what to do if a child has an asthma attack.
Recognise the signs of an asthma attack
An asthma attack happens when a child’s asthma symptoms get much worse. This can happen quite
suddenly or can build up gradually over a few days.
A child might find it hard to breathe, breathe more quickly, be unable to talk or walk or eat. They might
wheeze and cough a lot, complain of a tight chest or a tummy ache and be unusually quiet. They also
might say their blue reliever inhaler isn’t helping, or they need it more than every four hours.
If a child needs to use their blue reliever inhaler three or more times a week, it’s a sign that their
asthma is not well controlled.
We encourage parents to download and fill out a school asthma card. A school asthma
card includes contact details and essential information about a child’s asthma.
Please click on the image below to download your card for school.
Book available from Amazon. https://amzn.eu/d/2kXbbIa
Da Iawn to our Year 9 netball team that played their hearts out for their first netball game back this year! Gaining the win over a strong @BryntirionPE team!
— CCYD PE Dept. (@CCYD_PE) October 4, 2023
POM – Alisha Gunter🏐 #teamCCYD pic.twitter.com/bfyLNXcFqj
Excellent effort and resilience shown by our year 10 netball team this evening! @BryntirionPE gaining the win this evening with a strong team! Lots to take away from the game but extremely proud of the progress they are making!
— CCYD PE Dept. (@CCYD_PE) October 4, 2023
POM – Amber Lloyd🏐 pic.twitter.com/XPesvREVUW
Excellent performance from our U13 football team today who beat Bryntirion 3-2 in the Welsh Cup @WelshSchoolsFA with a dramatic last minute winner from Jesse Hampton. Well done all 👏👏⚽️ pic.twitter.com/c2huVmkrwy
— CCYD PE Dept. (@CCYD_PE) October 4, 2023
A superb 2-1 win in the Welsh Cup @WelshSchoolsFA for our U15 football boys tonight against a very strong Porthcawl team. Two goals coming from Joseff Blyth. Extremely proud of you all 👏👏⚽️ pic.twitter.com/BE36pChKV1
— CCYD PE Dept. (@CCYD_PE) October 3, 2023
Congratulations to our U18 football boys today who beat Maesteg 3-1 in the Welsh Cup @WelshSchoolsFA All 3 goals coming from MOM Ethan Kettle 👏👌⚽️ Well played 👍🏼 pic.twitter.com/pzNcyt7ntd
— CCYD PE Dept. (@CCYD_PE) October 2, 2023
Extremely proud of our year 7 football boys today. An incredible performance against Bae Baglan in the @WelshSchoolsFA showing resilience and perseverance up until the end. 1-0 down late on and we scored in the last minute to take it to pens. Lost 5-3 on pens. Superb effort 👍🏼⚽️ pic.twitter.com/FmfNoYWbxC
— CCYD PE Dept. (@CCYD_PE) September 26, 2023
Great performance from our U14 boys today in the Welsh Cup @WelshSchoolsFA. They beat Ystalyfera 3-0 with goals from Jesse Hampton (2) and Jayden Richards (1). Well played all 👏⚽️ pic.twitter.com/sqUR7rPSiR
— CCYD PE Dept. (@CCYD_PE) September 25, 2023
Awesome performance by our senior rugby team, kicking the season off with a big 20-12 victory over a very competitive Bryntirion team 👍🏼🏉 pic.twitter.com/V4F7Ts42ND
— CCYD PE Dept. (@CCYD_PE) September 27, 2023
Check out our collection of donated fiction and non-fiction books from Pyle Library!
— Literacy (@CCYD_Literacy) October 5, 2023
Diolch! pic.twitter.com/hRqhzE4Msk
CCYD celebrates the European Day of Languages with our fabulous 6th form team working with our learners. Lots of fun activities and engaging content happening in each group task.
A huge congratulations to Mia Hawkins (Year 7) for gaining the most achievement points last week. Mia was presented with her gift by the Headteacher Mrs Wellington and her very proud form tutor Miss Davies. Well done Mia, we are all very proud.
CCYD learners Lowri Pearson, Kian Baker and Chloe Williams have all earned the highest achievement points in the school and are all in the same form class (7N). They received a gift from the headteacher and had their photo taken with their very proud form tutor Miss Amy Winters.
On Monday 18th, September all schools throughout Bridgend County Borough will promote the importance of school attendance and punctuality as part of a BCBC ‘Attendance Launch’. All schools will participate in a range of activities with a focus on improving attendance and punctuality.
As part of this launch, there will be a multi-agency approach where learners who are not in school with an unexplained absence, i.e., you have not notified the school why your child is not in school, may receive a visit from partner agencies, including Early Help and Education Welfare Service.
Under 25s can sign up for free menstrual products with BCBC.
https://www.bridgend.gov.uk/re
All learners that have PE lessons from lesson 3 onwards tomorrow (Tuesday 5th Sept), please can you bring your PE kit.
School starts tomorrow at 8:30am.
Year 7 go to the sport hall, Year 8 to the main hall, everyone else to form classes. Normal school uniform, shirt and ties please.
CCYD learner Chloe Griffiths has been selected to represent Wales in the 16th International loulè Cup in Portugal this October. If you would like to find out more or support Chloe in fulfilling her dream in representing her country please visit https://gofund.me/8aae78de
“We had a great time in the Science club this year with our year 7 learners. Here are a few of the experiments year 7 have enjoyed! Have a great summer everyone”.
CCYD learners Jude Morgan and Evyn Roberts battled difficult conditions to pick up a silver medal for Pen-Y-Bont SLSA club in this weekend’s Welsh Ocean Championships in Porthcawl. Another congratulations to our very own staff member Katie Hewitt for picking up 3 medals representing Llantwit Major SLAS club, Katie won a Silver in the sprint, Bronze in the 1k run, and bronze in the relay.
What a fantastic opportunity for our CCYD Year 7 MLD learners when they attended a disability sports Wales event in Swansea this week. The learners gained access and experience to a range of equipment that brought smiles and joy all day long.
A massive thank you to inspirational speaker Jamie Denyer who spoke very passionately to Year 7 today on CWRE day.
This was the final session for the year 9 Tackle group of 2022/23.
This group have now completed the course, encompassing most recently First Aid. As well as completion of “Tackle” skills they have been working on for the year including, communication, listening, team building also building confidence, to ‘have a go’ at the activities and new events presented throughout the course of the year.
This has sometimes put learners outside their comfort zone involving thinking on their feet, which was well replicated in the visit to the Escape Rooms where learners worked against the clock to solve problems and be “released” from their rooms.
The winning group today was Grace Pinches, Carys Large, Olivia Thomas and Kian Cliffton Bennett.
We are very grateful to Ospreys Tackle Community Officers and the activities provided for this cohort and look forward to the new group starting in September next year.
Diolch yn fawr iawn a da iawn chi gyd.
CCYD Learners in Yr 9,10,11 and 12 completed their Bronze and Silver practice expedition last week. Walking conditions were challenging on the 2nd day but the groups persevered. They camped overnight at Tondu STÈER Academy where they camped and cooked using Trangia cooking kits. pic.twitter.com/v6HsPqJP9Q
— CCYD (@CCYD_school) July 5, 2023
A very proud Music Department this evening 😍 Two CCYD bands; “TBC” and “Death by Creation” gave absolute knock out performances at the @Bridgend_Music Battle of the Bands Competition, with “Death by Creation” scooping the “Best Band” title! AMAZING!🤘🎸🥁🎸🎤 @CCYD_school
CCYD learners really enjoyed the lunchtime visit from BCBC Youth Workers yesterday.
Some of the activities on offer included making pin badges, solving puzzles against the clock and creating models out of Playdoh.
We have invited the Youth Workers back in September!
Today learners were challenged to make a cooked breakfast in an industrial kitchen – together, as a team. So the tasks began with taking orders of favourite foods, preparation of the ingredients, timing, laying tables, mixing, cooking, the best bit eating and lastly dishes!
Everyone took a task and followed this through. They worked together and helped each other, with their work and learners challenged themselves to taste new foods and encourage each other.
Another very enjoyable session which left learners wondering where the time went (again most adults who cook at home can relate) and enjoying the whole experience, commenting that they were doing more than they thought they could.
There is more to follow as the confidence grows in these learners and this is becoming more evident in the feedback they give weekly, whereby they are able to choose some of the tasks they want to accomplish in the next session.
Move over Gordon Ramsey, CCYD is coming. Gwych!
Our CCYD Young Carers were invited to Margam Park on Friday for some outdoor activities, as a part of a Young Carers programme. A treat for the learners who put in alot of extra support for their loved ones. This was an opportunity to blow off some steam and enjoy some activities that they may not otherwise have access to.
This was a very well organised event and super quality of teaching from the instructors / staff who provided, kayaking, raft building and archery in the beautiful surroundings, with a visit from some of the nature that the park provides, jumping carp and deer spotted!
The feedback from the learners was that they had a great day (definitely some budding archers in the group) and the only change they would make would be to have more activities more often. A few of them overcoming their fear of water and becoming more confident too!
Thank you to all the staff who supported the event, the knowledge from the team was so helpful and valuable. Hopefully this won’t be the last visit there.
CCYD learners were given the opportunity to learn skills that they can use to find out more about their environment this week in the beautiful surroundings at Bryngarw Park.
— CCYD (@CCYD_school) June 26, 2023
Bird spotting/pond dipping and craft building were among some of the activities that engaged the learners pic.twitter.com/qdAZtaeoST
Absolutely stunning is the only way to describe both the learners and the occasion at this years CCYD prom 2023. We are so proud of all our learners and wish them every success in the future which ever path they may take. pic.twitter.com/51hot8og5k
— CCYD (@CCYD_school) June 22, 2023
Absolutely stunning is the only way to describe both the learners and the occasion at this years CCYD prom 2023. We are so proud of all our learners and wish them every success in the future which ever path they may take. pic.twitter.com/wJpvsBUmpw
— CCYD (@CCYD_school) June 22, 2023
A double down for some of our learners attending the Nature Quest scheme this week, building on the sweet spot of growth in their endeavors. First a day of outside activity and skill building in Bryngarw Park. Second a day of Swim Safety at Porthcawl in conjunction with Nature Quest and the RNLI.
The learners who took up the challenges have outdone themselves and are a credit to their families. It goes to show that an open mind, co operation and a ‘can do’ attitude wins every time.
The pictures show a small part of the full day’s activities.
A huge ‘thank you!’ to the staff from Nature Quest on both days, who have been able to arrange and support our students in accessing this.
Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Finalist Sam Jones of Coleg Cymunedol Y Dderwen has led the way in terms of promoting equality and inclusivity. An active campaigner, trainer and activist for equal rights, Sam tackles stigma head on, and supports fellow students with issues they face. Well deserved Sam, you are a true inspiration and a credit to CCYD. Keep going – you are changing attitudes, raising awareness and improving lives!
Calling all Parents and Carers of school aged children from across Wales there will be changes to the qualifications your children will be taking from 2027.
As part of our ongoing consultation process we want to hear your thoughts and opinions on our proposals for qualifications other than GCSE’s from 2027.
At Qualifications Wales, we are reimagining qualifications for 14- to 16-year-olds to support the ambition of the Curriculum for Wales. On 14 March we launched our consultation on the Full 14-16 Qualifications Offer as part of our Qualified for the Future project.
To support this important work, we will be holding a one hour webinar with a presentation on the proposals followed by a question and answer session.
The event for parents and carers will be held on 8th June 2023, 17:30-18:30. If you would like to attend, please register here.
To stimulate conversation a Youth Friendly version of the proposals and a resource pack is available.
Visit our online consultation site to have your say on our Full 14-16 Qualifications Offer proposals and be part of the national conversation on how our learners become Qualified for the Future.
Champions x 2 in the Girls Cwpan Pen Y Bont Cup Finals. U13 with a win against Brynteg and U15 beating Maesteg in the final. Congratulations to this fantastic group of girls. Well done!! Thank you to Pencoed for hosting @BridgendColleg2 @BridgendCollege 👍🏼👌🏆⚽️ pic.twitter.com/4ToRkAEMoN
— CCYD PE Dept. (@CCYD_PE) May 25, 2023
Cwpan Pen Y Bont. Bridgend Schools Girls Cup Final Day 🏆⚽️ 😀 @BridgendCollege @BridgendColleg2 @CCYD_school pic.twitter.com/kcM2NcR2CQ
— CCYD PE Dept. (@CCYD_PE) May 25, 2023
Well done to @CCYD_PE @BryntegSchool @MaestegPE on some excellent girls football today. @BridgendColleg2 @BridgendCollege more than happy to support growing the game and the Girls school cup in Bridgend. We look forward to welcoming you back next year. pic.twitter.com/vYoKD1zDwr
— Jason Bekker (@bridgendsportjb) May 25, 2023
Our U15 Girls wearing our new school football kit today in their cup final. Thanks to our sponsor @GecoPlumbing 👍🏼🏆⚽️ pic.twitter.com/eMpdN5fJVQ
— CCYD PE Dept. (@CCYD_PE) May 25, 2023
🏉Year 11 – 2022/23🏉
— CCYD Rugby (@CCYD_Rugby) May 26, 2023
The Last Dance.
-8 of the boys went on to play for Ospreys East U16.
-4 of them then went to play for Ospreys Combined U16
– A good number of the boys stepped up to play 1st XV rugby
– Girls lost in regional final playing some excellent rugby. pic.twitter.com/ZImVXH0iD2
Today the Ospreys Tackle Employability officers came in to complete a learner profile on Daisy Bamford yr 11. She is a previous Tackle participant who successfully completed the course just over a year ago. Daisy was interviewed on camera and answered questions relating to Tackle and her successful interview in Aston Martin, to secure a place on an apprenticeship scheme at the factory based in the Vale of Glamorgan.
Daisy said that she became interested to apply for an apprenticeship as a mechanic after completing a STEM course in Bridgend College and beat many, many applicants for the place at the prestigious factory. Daisy said she is “excited to start and looking forward to it!”.
Daisy has put a lot of effort into her school work and her progression over the last two years and is now reaping the benefits. She is a great role model who deserves her success, proving that hard work pays off.
Well done Daisy, we are very proud of you and all your achievements.
Dare 2 Explore has been running with year 7/8 over the past number of weeks. Learners have been gaining the benefits of being out and about with visits to Bryngarw County park. Trecco Bay, Kenfig Pool and Gorwelion, getting up close with the flora and fauna!
Learners have said they have enjoyed themselves and are gaining new skills every week such as safety around water, cooking skills and trying new activities that they have not considered before.
The following photos speak a thousand words!
Good luck with the next sessions following half term all!
For Action – by adults and pupils within schools
The Education and Family Support Directorate Strategic Plan 2023-2026 plan sets out our ambitions for the future of education and family support services in Bridgend and brings together our ambitions and operational goals to tackle the impact of poverty and support people to live healthier and prosperous lives.
Your feedback – So that we can find out more about what you think about our Education and Family Support Directorate Strategic Plan 2023-2026, please could you complete our feedback survey. There are two surveys – an ‘adult survey’ and a ‘pupil survey’ (contained within in both English and Welsh versions).
Please use the weblinks below to participate in the feedback survey. Thank you.
English: Education and Family Support Directorate Strategic Plan 2023-2026 – Survey
Welsh: Cynllun Strategol y Gyfarwyddiaeth Addysg a Chymorth i Deuluoedd 2023-2026 – Survey
Please read the document below for the summary
Congratulations to our CCYD SEREN learners who have achieved the SEREN Star Foundation Award. You have shown great dedication and resilience in order to achieve this. Well Done.
In Conjunction with Ynysawdre community council, the art department and learners at CCYD
created an origami art installation to celebrate the coronation of King Charles.
Learners made hundreds of origami butterflies in red white and blue, which were displayed
on the front of the school over the bank holiday weekend.
The theme was chosen because butterflies are a symbol of hope and new beginnings. Also,
King Charles is a keen conservationist and has worked to promote butterfly conservation in
the UK. Learners thoroughly enjoyed mastering the new origami technique and were proud
of the final creation.
The student Support department had a lovely time at the coronation party today- organised by Mrs Archer. pic.twitter.com/rivV25T4QO
— CCYD (@CCYD_school) May 5, 2023
The Seren group were visiting Bridgend College today for an introduction to workshops on developing skills. CCYD made up part of the audience with 3 other schools from Bridgend District, Archbishop Mcgrath, Cynffig and YGGL.
The speakers at the event were from Reading University, covering workshops on an Introduction to Rocketry, Graphic Cultures and the Chemistry of Chocolate on a carousel.
There was some very informative and useful information from the workshops which sparked lots of discussion, interaction and interest around their given subjects, but the taste testing in the chocolate workshop had to be the one that was testing all the senses!
Thank you to the Seren project for all the useful information and to The University of Reading for their support today. The learners enjoyed exploring the topics and “tasters” on offer, even more so with the explanations of the sciences behind them.
We look forward to more visits soon. Diolch yn fawr pawb!
A huge well done to the Year 7 Girls who represented the school today.
— CCYD Rugby (@CCYD_Rugby) May 17, 2023
Fantastic to see 22 girls take to the field today and give it their all. Some superb tries and huge tackles.
A number of girls playing for the first time. Thanks @BryntirionRugby for hosting.
🟣⚫️ pic.twitter.com/OOCtZVBBbq
Today was the final session for Tackle this term. We were fortunate to be invited to the home of the Ospreys for this last session, this being Swansea.com stadium. We were able to see the back rooms and full workings of how players prepare for games, their history, jerseys also the reasons for various colours in the strip and sponsors.
We also saw the prestigious trophy cabinet and the memorabilia given by teams they have visited in other countries. We continued with a view of the hospitality area with 77 jerseys from all the clubs in the Ospreys region, next the press room and lastly a visit to a hospitality box, a rare look at how some businesses use the rooms and the access they have whilst hiring the facility.
This was an ideal opportunity to round off the term with a focus on what the learners have done well over the course so far and a reflection on where they could make improvements. Thelearners participated fully and thoughtfully regarding their personal development and they all have a focus of improvement moving forward. This will be the focus on aims for the next term as well as the new skills they will be shown, as they re-start on the course after Whitsun half term.
A big thank you to the Ospreys Community Officers for all their support and hard work as always. We look forward to seeing you back soon.
Diolch yn fawr, pawb!
Dear colleague / Annwyl gydweithiwr
This summer, we’re inviting learners, teachers, lecturers, parents, carers and anyone with an interest in this year’s summer exams to complete our short survey on exams. We want to hear your views about exams this summer. The feedback we receive will help us monitor the qualification system in Wales.
Our survey is now open, you can have your say via the link below:
Year 7/Year 8 Boys and Girls representing the school today at the Urdd National Football Tournament in Aberystwyth 😃☀️💪⚽️@chwaraeonyrurdd @CCYD_school pic.twitter.com/KKji3mqtiX
— CCYD PE Dept. (@CCYD_PE) May 12, 2023
Massive congratulations to our year 7/year 8 girls team who reached the quarter finals of the Urdd Football National Tournament. Well done girls!! We are very proud of you all 💪⚽️ @chwaraeonyrurdd @CCYD_school pic.twitter.com/NHFz5BeIiH
— CCYD PE Dept. (@CCYD_PE) May 12, 2023
We are extremely proud of our year 7/8 boys team today who got to the final of the Urdd National Football Tournament losing to a strong Bryn Tawe team 2-0. The achievement of reaching a National final is a huge achievement. Well done boys 💪⚽️ @CCYD_school pic.twitter.com/V6nKkfBSHz
— CCYD PE Dept. (@CCYD_PE) May 12, 2023
Canlyniadau gêm terfynol Cwpan Cymysg Bl.7-8.
— Chwaraeon yr Urdd (@chwaraeonyrurdd) May 12, 2023
Mixed Yr.7-8 Cup results.
Llongyfarchiadau enfawr i bawb wnaeth cystadlu heddiw!
1af: @bryntawe
2ail: @CCYD_PE pic.twitter.com/JtCNzJcbja
Year 9 boys played brilliantly against a strong porthcawl side in the Bridgend cup semi final. Some excellent skills on show despite coming up short. Players of the match were Max Sage and McKenzie Danks. @CCYD_school ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/MUhR8jby88
— CCYD PE Dept. (@CCYD_PE) May 10, 2023
Sarah Murphy MS for Bridgend and Huw Irranca- Davies MS for Ogmore came in to CCYD to answer questions for the year 10 & 11 vocational studies class on public speaking. A very positive experience for our learners. Thank you for making time for our learners. pic.twitter.com/DObdeDzWec
— CCYD (@CCYD_school) May 5, 2023
Year 10 engineers building their knowledge on robots in a learning carousel…#Automation & #robotics will be part of our society more and more.
— Design & Technology (@CCYD_tech) April 29, 2023
… but hopefully our #Engineering teachers won’t be replaced by #Robots any time soon!@CCYD_school #ambitiouscapable#edutwitter pic.twitter.com/vWPkw77vLt
Today was a scheduled visit to Neath TA Centre to have an introduction to the Army Service, their History and an explanation as to how they operate.
Learners took part in structured activities on a rota, to various activity stations, with three other schools. These activities were made to give examples similar to Army training and explanation of what could be expected as a new recruit.
The activities encouraged participation and teamwork, as well as communication and leadership skills, also building confidence as they worked through the day.
CCYD also met pupils from Cwm Brombil School, Bryntirion and Maes Glas. The day encouraged inter school collaboration, which was enjoyable to see.
Thank you to the Ospreys Employability Staff and Army/ Cadet staff who helped facilitate and organise the day. CCYD pupils very much appreciated and enjoyed the day. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
A total of 36 Year 9 learners attended this year’s Duke of Edinburgh Campcraft training day. They completed a 10k training walk which helped them learn the basics of orienteering around a mapped route. They were taught how to take compass bearings and how to read a route card in conjunction with a map.
Discretionary cost of living payment for pupils eligible for free school meals
Supported by Welsh Government funding, a £30 discretionary Cost of Living Scheme payment will be issued to all pupils eligible for free school meals (eFSM) on either Monday 27 March or Tuesday 28 March 2023. Only those pupils registered as eFSM on 22 March 2023 will be entitled to the payment.
Easter holiday free school meal payments
With the cost-of-living continuing to have an impact on families across Wales, Welsh Government has extended the free school meal holiday provision to all pupils eligible for a free school meal up until the end of May half term holiday, including all bank holidays during this period.
Vouchers to cover the two-week Easter holiday period will be issued to all eligible pupils as follows:
Week 1 – £19.50 voucher issued by Wednesday 5 April 2023
Week 2 – £19.50 voucher issued by Wednesday 12 April 2023
Any queries relating to non-receipt of the cost of living or Easter vouchers received before each of the final issue dates detailed above, will not be dealt with.
Congratulations to CCYD learners Lewis Thomas, Joshua Reekie and brothers Rogue & Harper Donagh who all collected their U16’s Rugby West Wales caps yesterday. Excellent news and well deserved. Well done boys.
Don’t miss out on Free School Meals for your child. Find out about the support you may be entitled to: www.gov.wales/get-help-school-costs
Lots of excited MLD learners today discussing Post 16 Provisions with outside agencies.
Congratulations to CCYD Under 14 Girls rugby team for winning the Ospreys Regional Rugby Festival finals. The girls will now go on to compete in the nationals! Excellent teamwork and resilience throughout the competition.
As a parent or carer you play a key role in supporting your child to make decisions during their education journey and beyond.
Careers Wales has new information and resources on their website to help you support your child.
Use their site to:
• Explore career ideas with your child;
• Help your child get the most from seeing an adviser;
• Find out about the curriculum and qualifications;
• Explore potential future jobs;
• Find out about different routes and pathways from school to work.
Emily Stevens and Toni-Mae Wells, our Young Carer Ambassadors for Bridgend. Are filming today Tuesday 31st January 2023 in Bridgend for a Young Carers Advocacy video, which will be used as a raising awareness tool for BCBC. We are very proud of these learners and the work they do for Young Carers.
CTM are going to be offering fluenz catch up sessions in all of our CVCs between Monday 23rd– Friday 27th January after school 3:30 – 5:30pm. This is to offer flu vaccinations to children who may have missed these in school or with their GP.
What a lovely morning at CCYD today, seeing our wonderful Year 11 learners receiving their Maths and Numeracy GCSE results. Da iawn!
This is an important time for pupils in years 8 and 9 as they begin to take more control and responsibility for planning their future careers.
Careers Wales are here to support pupils, parents and carers during this time.
We will work with pupils, parents and carers to provide information, advice and guidance that will help them to consider all of the options available. This will help pupils make informed choices about the career path that is right for them.
CCYD learner Lara Birtles recently became team captain of the Cheer Leading group “AZ Elite” based in Cardiff. Having only joined recently Lara has made exceptional progress and was rewarded with this amazing opportunity.
Lara and the team are now preparing for the Cheer Nationals in February based in Bath. Gook Luck Lara!.
Dear Parent /Carer,
You may be aware of an increase in notifications of scarlet fever and invasive streptococcal disease. This infection mostly affects children aged under 10 years, and so outbreaks can occur in schools and nurseries.
Older children are also susceptible to streptococcal sore throats but may not have the rash of scarlet fever.
You may find the information provided by the NHS and PHW useful in relation to any queries or concern you have about this current public health matter:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/scarlet-fever/
https://phw.nhs.wales/news/igas-infection-remains-rare-say-public-health-experts/
We are offering free access to the University Live Channel for all schools and colleges across the UK to help young individuals with their future. The University Live Channel is a perfect opportunity to ask questions to Universities regarding courses, facilities, grants/finance support, social life, grades and so much more…
Students, teachers and parents are encouraged to ask questions and leave messages via the channel’s moderated LIVE CHAT facility directly to the University Live Channel partners.
Join us LIVE on Wednesday 14th December @10am where you will be hearing from Universities across the country. This is a great opportunity for your students to find out more about University life and the courses that are available to them.
If you would like to connect with hundreds of Universities then visit: https://universityliveuk.com and #starttheconversation today by subscribing to the channel.
For more information about the University Live Channel take a look at our promo video here: https://vimeo.com/737570698
Parents/Carers
Qualifications Wales is creating a brand-new set of Made-for-Wales GCSEs that will realise the ambition of the new Curriculum for Wales and meet the needs of learners.
We want to reach as many people in Wales as possible so that they can have their say on the future of qualifications in Wales. Please help to spread the word with parents and carers of learners at your school / college and ask them to forward the short message below to parents/carers using their usual method of communication. Thank you for your continued support.
Message to parents/carers:
Message from Qualifications Wales: From 2025, GCSEs will change. Click here to Have Your Say!
A huge congratulations to CCYD learner Nia Lewis who has been selected to represent the Boys and Girls club of Wales under 15s football squad in their upcoming fixture against America. The squad will travel to America on the 17th November.
Unfortunately, the RVE trip for year 8, originally planned for this week, will not take place until December.
Cath Pope
Assistant Head Teacher
The Tackle project is now fully populated and into the fourth week. Learners have been working on their basic teamwork skills and are starting to put these together both in the classroom and practical sessions, as well as getting used to working together for the first time.
There are learners from two year groups, 9 and 10 developing a working relationship and starting to “grasp the nettle” in working out the challenges presented.
Today’s teamwork and skills session based in the classroom during lesson 3 was played out in the school gym, lesson 4, a very lively session.
We are looking forward to more of the same enthusiasm as we move forward. Well done all and thank you to Alyn Lake from the Ospreys Community Officers team for covering this session.
A huge welcome to our future year 5 & 6 parents, carers and children to CCYD. We hope both you and your children enjoyed our presentations and tour of our fantastic state of the art school, departments and facilities. We look forward to working with you in the future. Thank you for coming.
Today, we are celebrating our superstar, Esther Thomas-Bizjak who achieved a Merit in her Grade 8 Musical Theatre exam. Esther, we are so incredibly proud of you, da iawn a llongyfarchiadau. We cannot wait to see what you do next!
An excellent information sharing session for year 7 families at CCYD tonight. Thanks to everyone for attending and our staff team for delivering key information. Best of luck to all year 7 on their educational journey at CCYD.
The school will be closed on Monday 19th September in line with the UK bank holiday for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
