WHAT'S NEW AT PENYGAWSI?

• A Great Start to the New Year

  Fri 11 Sep 2026

  We have had a fantastic start to the new school year at Penygawsi, and it has been wonderful to see so many pupils arriving on time each morning, happy, settled and eager to get into class.

   

  This week has been our Health and Wellbeing Week, which has provided a perfect opportunity for teachers to get to know the pupils in their classes and begin building positive relationships for the year ahead.

   

  Thank you to everyone who attended our Meet the Teacher sessions on Monday. We have received excellent feedback, and it is clear that these sessions are very valuable for parents. If you have not already done so, please take a few minutes to complete the feedback form by clicking on the link below.

   

  Meet the Teacher 2026 - Parent Feedback – Fill in form

   

  We would also like to ask all parents and carers to ensure that items of clothing are clearly labelled with your child's name. This week alone, we have found numerous brand-new jumpers and coats that have been left around the school. Unfortunately, without names on them, we are unable to return them to their owners.

   

  A reminder to all parents from Reception to Year 6 that pupils should be dropped off at the school gate each morning, where they will be welcomed by a teacher. There is always a member of staff waiting to receive the children at their class door, and this helps us to know exactly who is on site at the start of the day.

   

  On Monday 14 September, we will be holding our Whole School Immersion Day. Please keep an eye on your child's class page for further information, as some classes may request that pupils come to school dressed in a particular way for the day.

   

  Thank you for your continued support in helping us get the children back into school routines and learning so smoothly.

   

  Have a lovely weekend!

  Mrs Black

• Flu Vaccinations

  Thu 10 Sep 2026

  Flu vaccinations will be taking place in school soon for Reception to Year 6 pupils. The flu vaccine is a safe and effective way to help protect children against flu and reduce the spread of infection to family members and the wider community.

   

  If you would like to find out more about the flu vaccination programme, including its benefits and any frequently asked questions, please click on the link below for further information from Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board.

   

  Further Information:
   

  Flu schools stakeholder toolkit

  Flu nurseries stakeholder toolkit

   

  Thank you for your support in helping to keep our school community healthy.

• Meet the Teacher

  Sun 06 Sep 2026

  📚✨ Meet the Teacher – Monday 7th September ✨📚

   

  We are looking forward to welcoming our Nursery to Year 6 parents and carers to our Meet the Teacher sessions on Monday 7th September! 🏫💙

   

  Following feedback from last year, we are offering two sessions to make it easier for families to attend:

   

  🕞 Session 1: 3.45pm – 4.10pm

  🕓 Session 2: 4.15pm – 4.40pm

   

  During the session, you will have the opportunity to:

  📌 Find out important information about the year ahead

  👩‍🏫 Meet your child’s teacher

  🏫 See your child’s learning environment

  💬 Ask any questions you may have

   

  We look forward to seeing you all and starting the new school year together! 🌟

• School Places Available 2026

  Sun 06 Sep 2026

  🏫✨ SCHOOL PLACES AVAILABLE AT PENYGAWSI PRIMARY SCHOOL! ✨🏫

  Are you looking for a school place for your child?

  We currently have availability at Penygawsi Primary School and would love to welcome new families to our school community. 💙

  📚

  Applications are now open for:

  👶 Pre-Nursery – starting January 2027

  🌱 Nursery – September 2027

  🎒 Reception – September 2027

   

  👀 Would you like to see our school for yourself? We would be delighted to show you around Penygawsi and give you the opportunity to meet our staff, see our wonderful facilities and find out more about our school.

  📞 If you would like to arrange a visit, please contact the school office.

  👉 Apply for a school place here: https://orlo.uk/2psO4 We look forward to welcoming you to Penygawsi Primary School! 💙

• Last day of term

  Fri 17 Jul 2026

  As we close our doors for the final time this academic year, I would like to wish all of our families a very happy and relaxing summer.

  Thank you for your continued support throughout the year. Your encouragement, partnership and commitment to your children's education have been greatly appreciated and have helped make this another successful year at our school.

  A special thank you must also go to our wonderful staff, who have worked incredibly hard throughout the year to support, nurture and inspire our pupils every day. Their dedication, care and commitment have made a real difference, and we are extremely grateful for all they do.

  Finally, thank you to everyone for the many kind words, cards and thoughtful gifts we have received. Your generosity and appreciation mean so much to us and are deeply valued by all members of staff.

  We hope you enjoy a well-deserved summer break, creating lots of happy memories with family and friends.

  We look forward to welcoming everyone back to school on 2nd September.

  Have a wonderful summer and thank you once again for your continued support.

   

  Mrs Black

• A Wonderful Sports Day

  Wed 08 Jul 2026

  A huge thank you to all the parents, carers, grandparents and family members who came along to join us for Sports Day today. It was lovely to see so many people supporting and cheering on our wonderful pupils as they took part in a day full of energy, determination and fun.

   

  After having to cancel twice because of rain, it was quite unbelievable that our final date brought such beautiful sunshine and very warm temperatures! We are incredibly grateful to the parents who kindly provided gazebos, helping us to create some much-needed shade throughout the day.

   

  A very special thank you must go to Liam. He has spent weeks practising with every class and, thanks to his excellent organisation and hard work, the whole event ran so smoothly. Liam is an absolute superstar, and we are so grateful for everything he did to make the day such a success.

   

  Most importantly, we are so proud of every pupil who took part. They showed fantastic sportsmanship, resilience and encouragement for one another from beginning to end.

   

  Thank you once again to everyone who helped make this year’s Sports Day such a memorable occasion. We hope everyone enjoys a well-earned rest after such a brilliant day!

• Transition Morning, Class Information for September and School Reports

  Mon 29 Jun 2026

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  We are delighted to share that our transition session this morning was a great success. The children all had a wonderful morning getting to know their new class teacher, spending time in their new classroom, and becoming familiar with the routines ready for September. It was lovely to see their enthusiasm and excitement for the new school year.

   

  We can now confirm the staffing for each class for the 2026–2027 academic year:

        ●     Y Garth (Nursery) – Miss Leyshon, Mrs Bull and Mrs Hargreaves

        ●     Caerau (Reception/Year 1) – Mrs Payne, Mrs Hawkes, Mrs Rowley and Mrs Evans

        ●     Y Graig (Year 1/Year 2) – Miss Morris and Miss Binding

        ●     Cadair Idris (Year 3) – Mr Jones

        ●     Tryfan (Year 4) – Mrs Evans

        ●     Crib Goch (Year 5) – Mrs Rees and Mrs Farrell

        ●     Yr Wyddfa (Year 6) – Miss John

   

  All pupil reports will be uploaded to each child’s Hwb files on Friday. Once the reports are available to view, we will send an announcement via MCAS to let you know they can be accessed.

   

  There will be an opportunity for parents and carers to meet their child’s class teacher at our Meet the Teacher session on Monday 7th September at 3:45pm. Further information about this event will be shared with you at the start of the new school year.

   

  We hope your child enjoyed their transition morning as much as we enjoyed welcoming them into their new classes.

   

  Kind regards,

  Mrs Black

• RED WEATHER WARNING – SCHOOL CLOSURE (EXTREME HEAT)

  Tue 23 Jun 2026

  Dear Parent / Carer,

  You will be aware that a Red Weather Warning for extreme heat has been issued for parts of Wales, including RCT, for Wednesday and Thursday this week.

  While the Local Authority has not directed a full county closure, schools are expected to assess their own circumstances and act in line with national guidance. Government advice states that a red heat-health alert presents a serious risk to health and life, even for healthy individuals, and may also cause significant disruption to daily activities and travel.

  After careful risk assessment and consultation, we have made the decision that:

  The school will be CLOSED to pupils on Wednesday and Thursday.

  This decision has not been taken lightly. However, the health, safety and wellbeing of our pupils, staff and families must remain our priority.

  Key factors informing this decision include:

  • Indoor temperatures within classrooms reaching unsafe levels (around 30°C)
  • Very limited or no shaded outdoor areas available on site
  • Restricted access to cooler outdoor environments (including the forest area, which is currently out of bounds for health and safety reasons)
  • The presence of vulnerable individuals, including pupils with additional needs and pregnant staff

  Although measures can reduce risk, current conditions mean a safe learning environment cannot be consistently maintained.

  Learning provision during closure

  Online learning will be available on both days via J2Homework on HWB for any pupils who wish to access it.

  This will consist of:

  • One Language activity
  • One Mathematics activity

  These activities may be cross-curricular in nature and are intended to provide light, manageable learning during the period of closure.

  We appreciate that closures can be disruptive, and we thank you for your continued support and understanding as we take necessary steps to protect our school community during these exceptional conditions.

  Yours sincerely,
  Headteacher & Chair of Governors

   

• Heat Update

  Mon 22 Jun 2026

  Dear Parents and Carers,

   

  We would like to update you on the measures currently in place at school during this period of extremely hot weather.

   

  In line with Welsh Government guidance, our priority is to ensure that all children remain safe, comfortable and well cared for while continuing their learning. 

   

  To support this, we have put the following arrangements in place across the school:

  • Fans are being used in all classrooms to help keep temperatures down.
  • Windows and doors are open to maximise ventilation throughout the building. 
  • Children are encouraged to drink water regularly, and bottles can be refilled as often as needed to ensure good hydration. 
  • Time spent outdoors is limited, with pupils only going outside for short periods and access to shaded areas wherever possible. 
  • Any classes experiencing particularly warm conditions have been moved to cooler, shaded classrooms where available.

  Our school building is a modern, eco-designed environment, helping to keep spaces warmer in winter and cooler in summer, which is supporting us during this heat.

  In addition:

  • PE sessions over the next two days will not take place outdoors.
  • Children will instead take part in very light, low-intensity physical activities, following guidance to avoid vigorous exercise during extreme heat. 

   

  At present, the Local Authority has not made any decisions regarding changes to the school day. If we are informed of any updates, we will share these with you straight away.

   

  We will continue to monitor conditions closely and adjust our arrangements as needed to maintain a safe and comfortable environment for all pupils.

   

  Thank you for your continued support. Please ensure your child comes to school with a water bottle each day.

   

  Kind regards,

  Mrs Black

• Sports Day Update

  Tue 09 Jun 2026

  Unfortunately, the weather forecast over the next 24 - 48 hours remains very unpredictable. The field is currently wet and would be unsafe for the children to run on, or even sit on between races, and rain is expected throughout the day tomorrow.

  As a result, we have made the difficult decision to cancel once again. We are very sorry, as we know this is not the news that children or parents wanted to hear, but unfortunately the weather is beyond our control.

  To try and avoid further disappointment, we have reviewed the calendar and identified one final date: Wednesday 8th July (same times). This will, of course, be weather permitting – so we will all be hoping for the right balance of sunshine (not too hot… typical British weather!).

  Please note that if we are unable to go ahead on this date, we will not be able to rearrange again. However, if the weather improves during the final week, teachers will ensure that children still have the opportunity to take part in some fun sporting activities within their classes.

  Thank you for your continued understanding and support - we truly appreciate it and will keep you updated.

  Mrs Black