Athletics Champions!
A huge well done to our Y5/6 Athletics Team who won first place at the Indoor Athletics Event last week. We are extremely proud!
PTFA Disco
Don't forget our disco on Thursday - there will be no clubs next week, except for Cardiff City on Tuesday, as staff will be attending the disco. A reminder that the weeks clubs will be running is available on the school website: https://www.pontllanfraithprimary.co.uk/calendar
The PTFA need two more parent helpers for the junior disco. If you can help, please email pontllanfraithprimaryschoolpta@gmail.com They have enough helpers for the infant disco.
Booking form linked here.
Maths Open Day (Mainstream, Rec - Y6)
Last year, Estyn asked us to provide greater information to parents about how to support your child's learning. Parent feedback has told us that some parents would welcome the opportunity to come in during the school day to learn more about how we teach and see what the children are doing, whilst others find it hard because of their own work commitments. Some of those, however, if given enough notice, would still be keen to come in. We understand that one size, does not fit all and take on board the comments about sufficient notice.
This term we are going to host a Maths Open Day on Wednesday 28/2/24.
Parents will be invited to attend either a morning or afternoon session to coincide with dropping off or picking up. The session will start in the main hall with a brief presentation by Mrs Reeve, our Maths lead, who will give parents an information pack to take away (this will be available on the school website for those who are unable to attend). Parents will then make their way to classes to work alongside their children. If you have more than one child you will be able to move between classes, or alternatively, you can choose to book on to both sessions. There will not be a limit on places per session but we are asking you to book so that we can plan for numbers and the children whose parents are not attending (or attending the other session). We do ask, however, that only one adult attends per child in either session (our rooms are not big enough to accommodate high numbers). If the event proves popular we will run more.
Two adults can attend if one attends the morning session and one attends the afternoon session, however, the same adult cannot attend both sessions.
If you have multiple children and will need to move between two or more classes in a session please let us know in the special requirements section - we will accommodate this.
Please note that we are very sorry but we are unable to provide wheel chair access to the hall where the session will start or to classes Gwyrdd, Glas or Porffor. However if you do wish to attend please let us know in the special requirements and we will explore ways of facilitating a visit.
You will need to complete one form per child.
The morning session will be 9:15am - 10:30am and the afternoon session 2pm - 3:15pm.
Please click here to book your place.
School Trips, Visitors & Enrichment Opportunities
Since January 2023 we have returned to the same frequency of school trips offered pre pandemic.
There are two differences for us as school today compared with 4 years ago.
The first is that we no longer have the capacity to release teaching assistants from other classes to accompany children on trips so we are very reliant on parent volunteers. We would really appreciate it if more parents would join our list of volunteers - the school will pay for the required DBS checks. If you are willing to help, please email the school (PontllanfraithPrimary@sch.caerphilly.gov.uk).
The second is that the cost of transport has increased dramatically.
The money we raise for School Fund each Christmas, helps us to bring the cost down for parents, but it is not going as far as it used to.
For example, the total cost of the trip to the Pantomime (Years 1-6) was £2073.33. The buses cost us £1000 which was almost as much as the tickets (£1073.33). Parent contributions came to £1350. Nearly all parents paid.
We are mindful of the cost of living crisis when planning trips. Whilst the pantomime is not an educational trip, the majority are, and all children must be included regardless of whether parents contribute.
School Fund currently pays 100% of the cost for buses booked for sporting activities (usually minibuses and sometimes we are able to share with other cluster schools - we're looking at doing this for the next netball tournament after half term).
Every year we arrange 3 weeks of swimming (this year we have been able to secure sessions for both Years 3 & 4 in the summer term, which means that from 2025 we will finally be back to making this a Year 3 activity - it's taken a few years to catch up and ensure that all children have this opportunity whilst in primary school). The school pays for the lessons and the majority of the bus. We ask parents for a contribution of £20 but if we were to ask parents to pay for the total cost of the transport it would be approximately £60.
Sometimes we bring in visitors to run workshops that supplement topic work in addition to trips or instead of trips, for example the No Boundaries workshops we delivered last term. At the moment, the school pays for this. Sometimes we run workshops as attendance rewards (as the school pays for this and the cost of transport has now made reward trips too expensive). Last year we ran samba and ICT work shops as a reward.
Before planning trips & workshops for the rest of the year, we'd like to gather parent opinions on what we plan, what we ask in terms of contribution and also where we go on trips. Please click here to share your views. The responses will be discussed at the next parent forum.
Parent Forum
The next parent forum meeting will be held on Thursday 29/2/24 at 2pm. If you would be interested in joining the Parent Forum, please contact Mrs Tucker: TuckerJ58@sch.caerphilly.go.uk