It's been another brilliant year at St. Martin's. We have been up to so much since the start of academic year and are happy to share it all with you.
Diwrnod Shwmae Su'mae
On Monday 16th October, staff and pupils celebrated Diwrnod Shwmae Su’mae. This was a day to celebrate the beautiful Welsh language and our wonderful culture. The aim was to show that the Welsh language belongs to us all – fluent speakers, learners or those shy about their Welsh. The day started with a video being presented to all form classes showing Welsh celebrities who are proud to be Welsh, sparking conversations with pupils about why they feel proud of themselves. Throughout the day our Criw Cymraeg members completed Welsh quizes with all year 7 classes, and pupils and staff had fun taking pictures in our Diwrnod Shwmae photo booth. It was great to see pupils and staff celebrating the day and having fun using Welsh!
Wales Online article about our Breakfast Club
The club serves at least 200 slices of toast every morning and children can also eat fruit or take fruit away to have later.
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education/you-can-see-theyre-hungry-28468453
Teaching & Learning Strategy
We have been developing a framework to support teaching and learning in this academic year. Our framework has been developed with students, staff and governors along with wider professionals. We have developed a criteria for each of the following areas: Challenge, Assessment, Climate, Engagement, Support & Equity and Skills. This information can be accessed in the St. Martin’s School Teaching & Learning Policy.
Our most recent initiative has been to explore, review and identify the key components to a successful lesson and is presented in the graphic which aligns to both our school motto and framework.
Round up of Catering
It has been another busy year for the catering staff and we have catered for a number of events throughout the year. After school clubs continue to be well attended and we have made a number of items.
In December we catered for over 100 guests at our Open Mic event. It was a spectacular evening and we served Christmas-themed canapes to guests enjoying the fabulous performances from our talented students.
The year 13 Hospitality & Catering class hosted a European lunch for staff which was part of their Level 3 BTEC qualification. Students were responsible for the planning, organisation and carrying out the event. Staff enjoyed a meal of pizza, salad and a baked cheesecake.
In June we were given the opportunity of working with the Spanish exchange students. It was a fabulous 3 hours where some of our year 9 Hospitality & Catering students worked with the students to prepare Caerphilly cheese and leek tarts, salad and Welsh cakes. The food tasted delicious and our visitors were very impressed and took the recipes home with them.
Rocket Club
To support the year 8 topic of Space, sound, and light we have been covering, some of our year 8 students have been taking advantage of an extra-curricular after school rocket club.
The pupils have been learning about how rockets work. They have been designing and building several rockets using different propulsion methods and fuels.
We will have built balloon rockets, water rockets, ethanol rockets, methane rockets and hope to launch a solid fuel rocket that has the potential to reach heights of up to 300m . The pupils have been considering the importance of guidance systems, aerodynamics, and weight of the rockets.
Hopefully, we will see some of our pupils go onto be rocketeers and the engineers of the future.
International School Award
Congratulations to Mr Lopez for working so hard behind the scenes on developing international schools work and fostering strong relationships with our partners in Spain. The impact on the lives of our children and theirs has been immense. After achieving the Foundation Award earlier this year he has now secured the Intermediate International School Award! This was after successfully securing significant grant funding through Taith Cymru. An exceptional achievement which we are mightily proud of. The website he has created to compile an overview of this work and the work of the school is below:
https://sites.google.com/stmartins.caerphilly.sch.uk/stmartinsglobalnetwork/home
Spain
Exciting Exchange Program with Las Palomas School, Algeciras, Spain!
We are delighted to share the wonderful experience our students had as part of the Taith programme, a fantastic initiative supported by the Welsh Government. This exchange was completely free for our students, as it was fully funded, ensuring that every participant had the opportunity to take part without financial concerns.
The Exchange Journey Begins
The journey began with a week-long visit to our partner school, Las Palomas, located in the charming town of Algeciras, Spain. Under the careful guidance of our Spanish teacher, Señor López and our partner school's English teacher, María José Pérez, our students embarked on a memorable educational adventure.
A Week of Enrichment in Spain
During our stay in Algeciras, our students engaged in a variety of enriching activities. We explored the stunning natural parks surrounding the town, which offered breath-taking views and a chance to appreciate the local biodiversity. History came alive as we visited ancient Roman ruins, providing a tangible connection to the past, and ventured into imposing Moorish castles, which are a testament to Spain's rich and diverse history.
Museums provided further cultural immersion, with exhibitions that showcased the art, history, and traditions of the region. A highlight of the trip was visiting Las Palomas School, where our students had the opportunity to collaborate with Spanish students. This experience was invaluable, as it fostered cultural exchange and language practice in a real-world setting.
Hosting Our Spanish Friends in Caerphilly
In turn, we were thrilled to welcome students and teachers from Las Palomas to our school here in Caerphilly. Our Spanish guests enjoyed a warm Welsh welcome and were eager to explore our beautiful region. They were given a tour of our school and had the chance to participate in classes, gaining insights into our educational system.
We ensured their visit was just as enriching as ours had been, taking them to explore the stunning landscapes of Pen y Fan and introducing them to our industrial heritage at the Big Pit coal mine. Cardiff Bay provided a modern contrast, where they visited the Senedd, learning about Welsh governance and culture. They were able to learn about our rich heritage and lifestyle by spending a whole morning visiting St Fagan's museum. Throughout their visit, our students acted as dedicated escorts, ensuring our guests felt welcome and well-cared-for.
Celebrating Cultural Exchange
This exchange programme has been a transformative experience, enriching our students' understanding of Spanish culture and language. It provided them with an invaluable opportunity to immerse themselves in a different way of life, develop new skills, and build meaningful international friendships.
Our students have returned with a broadened perspective and a deeper appreciation for the importance of global connections. The visit was especially significant for Señor López, as Algeciras is his hometown, allowing him to share his heritage with our students. Hosting our Spanish friends has also allowed us to showcase the beauty and heritage of Wales, fostering mutual respect and understanding.
As we reflect on this successful exchange, we look forward to nurturing this relationship and exploring new opportunities for collaboration with Las Palomas School in the future. The bonds formed during this exchange are a testament to the power of cultural exchange in creating a more interconnected and empathetic world.
Stay tuned for more exciting updates and stories from our vibrant school community!
Cleverchefs
It's been an incredible year in St. Martin's Cleverchefs Kitchen. We started the year by introducing a wide array of fresh, healthy options, including a daily salad bar and diverse meal combinations such as curry, Roast Wednesday, burgers, pasta pots, and freshly baked cakes designed to keep pupils excited about food.
At St. Martin's Cleverchefs Kitchen, we're not just about serving meals. We're deeply committed to food education and helping our students make healthy choices. Through various initiatives and themed events, such as Welsh cakes for St. David's Day and British Pie Week, we've made healthy eating fun and educational. These events have brought joy and served as opportunities to highlight the importance of balanced nutrition. We're eagerly looking forward to the next year, filled with more delicious, nutritious meals and initiatives to foster a culture of healthy eating.
A big shoutout to Caroline, the Chef Manager at St. Martin's, who won the Cleverchefs Rockstar Award in February for her commitment and enthusiasm at work.
Building Improvements
Tumble
I am incredibly proud of our pupils for representing St Martins for the first time at the Mid Glamorgan Tumble and Vault competition. The pupil's dedication to training and learning new skills throughout the year has been second to none. Da iawn all, I can't wait to see what you achieve next year!
Dubai
In February half term this year we took three teams to Dubai and Abu Dhabi for a netball tour. The girls were incredible and put in a much improved performance compared to our first visit. We visited the cultural sites of the incredible Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, visited the observation deck of the Burj Khalifa and the malls showing the incredible architecture and grandness the UAE has to offer. Our pupils engaged in the true culture by going on a sunset desert safari, riding camels and the fire show. We also cruised around Dubai Marina at sunset and took in the breath-taking views. We were lucky enough to take the welsh weather with us an even got to play in rain storms. This was an incredible experience for our pupils and staff and one we will remember. We look forward to taking the 2025 trip with the same success. Thank you to the families for all your support.
Easter Ski Trip
Easter 2024 saw the revival of the School Ski Trip. A mixture of 47 pupils from Y7-13 met in the early hours of the holidays to fly to Munich and then transfer to our amazing hotel in the Salzburger Sportwelt region to then ski the Amade resort near Altenmarkt.
The trip saw pupils learn to ski for the very first time for a vast majority and all achieved a great level of proficiency after just 25 hours of tuition from our superb ski instructors. We were extremely lucky to have stayed in a fantastic hotel: JGH Sportheim, which boasts a sports hall, disco room, chill-out rooms and cinema room where students were able to relax and get to know each other and form new friendships after a long day of skiing.
We were fortunate to experience a mixed food menu from the chefs, including local, national and international cuisines. Each day we were welcomed by staff to breakfast where we were able to make our packed lunch for the day, then on our return to the hotel, we were again welcomed with a three course meal.
Pen Y Fan
In November 2023, 3 students from Y11 summited Pen Y Fan. At 886m (2900 ft) Pen Y Fan in the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons), is the highest point in South Wales and the views from the peak are spectacular!!
Students who attend the Osborne Centre in the school chose to walk Pen Y Fan as part of their Princes Trust award. They had to plan all aspects of the trip, including booking the school bus, planning the route from school to Pen Y Fan and the route that we would take to the summit. After meticulous planning, the group left school on a day that was not great for mountain walking! However the boys were well equipped for the weather and braved the elements!
The group showed grit and determination in conquering the mountain and showed great resilience in summiting this formidable Welsh spectacle, bringing back a small souvenir from the top to keep as a memento of their feat.
On the return back to Caerphilly we warmed up with a hot drink and some treats as a celebration of such a massive achievement.
The group were able to use this experience to support their portfolios submitted to the Princes Trust in achieving their GCSE pass grades – well done all!
Positively Brilliant!
This term, some of our More Able & Talented learners from years 7 and 8 were invited to participate in the Brilliant Club, organised by the Scholars’ Programme. Over the course of 8 weeks, these pupils met with a tutor from Cardiff University and undertook seminar style studies into Philosophy - engaging with the concept of whether or not we are living in a simulation - before finally producing an essay that was graded according to University standards. Pupils’ work was of an exceptionally high standard, with notable essays written by Sam Jones and Rohan Sharma, who were awarded a First as their grading.
Those pupils who experienced the course were invited to experience University life for themselves with a virtual graduation ceremony. Following a virtual tour and an opportunity to ask questions of students, and get a feel for what being a student would be like, all of the pupils were awarded their certificates. Particular credit must go to Sam Jones who represented our school and spoke very eloquently about what he had gained from participating in the experience. It really was a lovely event, celebrating the pupils’ hard work and dedication. Hopefully this will have fuelled and inspired an ambition to pursue further education. Well done all!
History Club
This term, the History Club's work was once again recognised by the Welsh Heritage Schools Initiative, winning the Moondance Foundation Prize. Over the last few years, the club have been collecting oral histories to show people's experiences during Covid. We have collected written testimonies and photographs to show the unique elements of life during Covid, such as the NHS rainbows and the empty shelves. The most important part of our work was the collection of interviews we conducted to show how Covid impacted every aspect of people's lives and to show the personal and emotional effect of the pandemic. The club then created a website so that future generations of St Martin's students will have access to primary source material to research exactly how this momentous event impacted the local community. Anyone interested in looking at the club's work can access it here:
https://sites.google.com/stmartins.caerphilly.sch.uk/history-archive-covid/home
Computer science is back at St Martins!
This year we have seen the return of computer science at St Martins. The students have been introduced to the understanding of computers; what makes them run and how they think, and an introduction to coding.
The students have started the theory side, looking at hardware, binary and communications. The students have also been working with the coding language Python.
This year, the students have created their own simple text-based adventure games and learned basic apps such as a calculator, unit converter and a grade calculator.
The students have taken the subject well and are showing real passion!
The future of computer science at St Martins is bright!
St Martin’s Family Room Support Project
This year we have hit the ground running by supporting our pupils intensively with attendance, wellbeing, self esteem, aspirations, morning meet and greet, and family engagement. Here are some snapshots of some of the events that have taken place over the past few months.
UDO
In March, pupils from year 7 to 9 participated in the UDO championship at Sophia Gardens. St Martin's entered 4 different routines: Barbie, Chandelier, Latin and Street. The pupils did extremely well, and a special mention goes to Noah Ford in year 7 for winning 'Dancer of they Day'. Well done Noah.
We Will Rock You
We have recently finished our production of We Will Rock You and what a week it has been. The Expressive Arts team could not be more proud of the talented cast who pushed themselves out of their comfort zones to deliver such crazy and exaggerated characters. Each rehearsal for We Will Rock You has been a joy to be a part of and has put a smile on our faces every time.
We Will Rock You is a jukebox musical, using the songs of the progressive rock band, Queen. Whilst a huge part of the musical revolves around the famous songs, it also focuses on two ‘rebels’ that can’t seem to fit in with the rest of the robotic crowd. They are unapologetically different, and find their way to freedom by being themselves, rather than conforming to the ‘norm’. The musical therefore teaches our students that ‘being yourself’ leads them to happiness and success, rather than pretending to be someone you are not. It encourages individuality, originality, and finding your own identity.
The cast of We Will Rock You have taken so much pride in their work and therefore have created an outstanding show. As I’m sure their families are aware, they have acted, sung and danced around in their bedrooms, ensuring each move and note was memorised perfectly. Their dedication has really been inspiring.
We would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all of the staff at St. Martins who have supported the show. Everyone has been so supportive in making the crazy visions a reality.
Thank you to everyone who supported us in this wonderful event.
Prom
Year 11s had their prom this year at The Village Hotel Cardiff 5th July. Pupils put on their glad rags and joined us for a celebration to remember five years at St Martin's. They were excellently behaved and kept the dance floor lively all night. Well done Class of 2024!
I would like to thank all the parents, pupils and staff for their support for prom but also for the last five years. I have loved being your Head of Year and this has been the most challenging and rewarding part of the job. I wish you the best of luck in the future and for your Summer results #togetherstronger. --Mrs G
Duke of Edinburgh
Bronze & Silver training walks, Caerphilly Mountain
In preparation for the practice and final expeditions, pupils were required to plan a route around Caerphilly Mountain using OS Maps, before navigating the team so we’d arrive safely back to St Martins within a two hour time frame.
Bronze Practice Expedition, Twmbarlwm Mountain
The practice expedition included a hike up to the summit of Twmbarlwm, navigated by pupils, followed by a lesson into using the camp stoves for a hot chocolate reward! Pupils are required to cook their own dinners whilst on expedition … safe to say this was the lesson that pupils paid the most attention to!
Bronze Final Expedition, Talybont, Brecon
Optimal weather conditions set the scene for a triumphant two days on expedition for our 2023/24 Bronze group. All participating group members successfully navigated their way to Talybont Farm Campsite on day one, then along the beautiful canal to finish at Brecon rugby club on day two. A special mention must go to Flynn Watkins who had to adapt to a faster paced walking group than that which he trained with, then earned the title of quickest time to ever fall asleep as he was snoring by 7pm!
Da Iawn to all involved, I look forward to welcoming you onto the Silver expedition next academic year!!
Silver Practice Expedition, Twmbarlwm, Cwmcarn Forest Drive
What an incredible day that was thoroughly enjoyed by all pupils and staff! Fantastic navigation work was required to decipher a tricky route and a superb effort put in by all to reach the summit (419m elevation) via the steepest of paths! Smores around the campfire concluded a brilliant day. Shout outs to Scott Stark for his impressive navigational skills and Ben Hann for winning the race up to the summit!
Silver Final Expedition, Talybont, Brecon
This took place over a challenging three days of expedition to complete a total of 41km in a mixture of rain and sunshine! We were rewarded with some breathtaking views while navigating the beautiful walking paths in Brecon. Pupils worked really hard together to keep on top of their cooking, navigating and assembling the camp. We’re still tallying up the scores from a competitive game of ultimate frisbee on night two! A fantastic effort put in by all and we look forward to seeing you complete the Gold when you turn 16!
Gold DofE
This has seen our first ever St Martins DofE Gold group complete their practice expedition. The weather was torrential: “the worst conditions I’ve ever led an expedition in”. The Gold group are due to complete their 5 day, final expedition around Snowdon in July.
Are you ready to begin your DofE journey??
Announcements are made at the beginning of each academic year containing the information you’ll need to enrol on any of the DofE awards. You must be in Year 9 to sign up for the Bronze DofE award. The Silver award is open to all pupils Yr10+ and the Gold is open to all pupils aged 16 and over: it is not a prerequisite to have completed prior awards. Those interested in gaining any of the DofE awards, please contact Miss Williams; williamsn@stmartins.caerphilly.sch.uk
HUB
Princes Trust Christmas Activity Day, Dec 2023
Pupils loved their day out at the Prince’s Trust centre in Cardiff. Activities included physically building then coding a Lego robot to race and battle, team building games, baking Christmas cookies before decorating them and creating Christmas tree decorations.
We have just had the confirmation that our 6 Year 10 & 11 HUB pupils have passed their Personal Development and Employability Skills at Level 2, gaining themselves the equivalent of 2 B grade GCSE’s through the Princes Trust! Da iawn pawb!!
Wellbeing Afternoon with MollyBee, Feb 2024
Pupils loved their wellbeing afternoon delivered by Molly Bee creating lava lamps and stress balls. Pupils were also taught how to complete a body scan and grounding exercise which are known methods for relieving anxiety and stress. It was brilliant to hear pupils teaching their peer groups these methods in the weeks that followed.
REWISE - Environmental Sustainability, June 2024
The year 7 HUB pupil’s welcomed REWISE at St Martins in the summer term. Everyone involved had a fantastic afternoon building wind turbines and running a series of experiments that developed our knowledge about renewable energy. We look forward to working with REWISE again in the near future: Diolch yn fawr iawn!
New Staff
Welcome to our new staff! We look forward to working with you all.
Farewell
We'd like wish everyone the best of luck in he future!
Bursary
Thank you to the ‘old boys’ of Caerphilly grammar school for their annual bursaries which will help our students so very much as they start their university education.