Llansannor & Llanharry C/W Primary School

Dear all at home, What a term it's been! I'm absolutely delighted to share some wonderful news with you all. Our recent Estyn inspection has come back with results that make me incredibly proud of what we've achieved here at Llansannor. The inspectors highlighted something that I think really captures what makes our school special. They recognised that we have strong leadership with a clear vision for where we're heading. That vision is simple – we want every single pupil to thrive, to feel safe, and to develop a genuine love of learning. It's brilliant to have that validated by the inspection team. One of the things the report really emphasised was our safe, inclusive learning environment. This is something we work incredibly hard on every single day. Our pupils know they belong here, and that matters. We've also been praised for the excellent support we provide for pupil wellbeing. Mental health and emotional wellbeing aren't extras – they're at the heart of everything we do. When pupils feel good, they learn better. The inspectors were really impressed by the engaging real-life learning experiences we offer. Our pupils get out into the community, they work on projects that matter, and they can see how what they're learning connects to the real world. That's when learning really comes alive. I'm particularly pleased that the report highlighted strong progress in literacy, numeracy and digital skills. These are fundamental, and it's clear our pupils are making real strides. We're constantly looking at how we can support them even further in these areas, and this feedback tells us we're on the right track. Finally, the inspectors noted the exemplary behaviour of our pupils and their positive attitudes to learning. Walk around our school and you'll see it immediately. Our pupils are respectful, they're engaged, and they genuinely want to do well. That's down to the hard work of our staff, the support of families like yours, and the pupils themselves who come in each day ready to give their best. This inspection report is a snapshot of where we are right now, but it's also a springboard. We're not resting on our laurels – there's always more we can do, and we're excited about the journey ahead. Thank you to every member of our school community who contributes to making Llansannor & Llanharry CiW Primary School such a special place. Love and Prayers, Mrs Davies

At the end of August, Llansannor and Llanharry CIW Primary School will say farewell to Mrs Thorne as she begins her well-earned retirement after many years of dedicated service to the school community. Mrs Thorne’s connection with Llansannor began many years before she officially joined the staff team. She first discovered the school in 1984 when her brother started Reception and later returned in 1993 when her eldest child began school here. After volunteering for three years, she was offered a position as a Teacher’s Aide in 1996 when Reception had 36 children. At that time, she was only the second Teacher’s Aide at Llansannor, . She fondly recalls that her original job description consisted of just one page with nine duties — very different from today! Throughout her career, Mrs Thorne has worked alongside many wonderful teachers, LSAs and support staff, building lasting friendships and contributing enormously to school life. Mrs Thorne’s care, commitment and dedication have touched the lives of countless children and families over the years. She leaves behind an incredible legacy and will always remain a valued part of the Llansannor and Llanharry school family. We thank Mrs Thorne for everything she has given to the school community and wish her a long, happy and relaxing retirement.

What an exciting time we've had in Blwyddyn Un a Dau! Our eggs have officially hatched into the most adorable little chicks, and the children have been absolutely mesmerised by the whole experience. It's been wonderful to see them so engaged and asking thoughtful questions about every stage of the process. The pupils have loved getting hands-on with the chicks – carefully holding them and giving them gentle pets. Their enthusiasm for learning how to care for these tiny creatures has been brilliant, and they showed real responsibility in helping to look after them. Blwyddyn Dau have taken their involvement to the next level! They've been running polls and voting on names for the chicks. After all the excitement, we're delighted to welcome Ronaldo, Eggy, Dotty and Fluffy to our school. The children have even been weighing them to track their progress. It's been a fantastic learning opportunity for everyone involved.

What a fantastic half term we've had on the netball courts! Our Blwyddyn 5 & 6 had a lovely afternoon at Y Bont Faen, showing off some brilliant skills and real sportsmanship. It was great to see them enjoying themselves so much. The excitement didn't stop there. Our Netball club recently invited Llangan to train with us, and what an energetic afternoon it turned out to be! After working through the basics – marking, passing, shooting, and footwork – the children got stuck into a fast-paced tournament. Both schools played amazingly well, with pupils trying out new positions and testing themselves with fresh skills. The energy was brilliant, and it was wonderful to see the children challenging themselves and supporting each other. Well done to everyone involved. Ardderchog! 

Blwyddyn 3 and 4 enjoyed a fantastic day at the Cluster Sports Day in Y Bont Faen. The children took part in a wide variety of exciting events, including javelin, dance and cross-country running. It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm, determination and effort shown by all the pupils throughout the day, while also spending time with friends from local schools. Everyone remained positive and cheerful all day long — even when the heavens opened just as we sat down to eat lunch! The teachers managed to walk over 10,000 steps without taking part in any of the activities themselves, so we are sure there were some very tired children by the end of the day! Diolch yn Fawr to Y Bont Faen Primary School for hosting us all! Da iawn pawb — you were a real credit to our school and represented us brilliantly.

What a busy and exciting time we've had in school recently! Our nursery and reception pupils have been learning about different people who help us in our community, and we've been fortunate to welcome some wonderful visitors to support their topic work. We've had a dentist and doctor come in to talk to the pupils about staying healthy, and the fire service brought along a fire engine – which was a real highlight! The pupils were absolutely thrilled to see it up close and learn about the important work firefighters do. Our Year 5 and 6 pupils also had a visit from the police, who delivered some really valuable sessions on staying safe online. It's so important that our older pupils understand how to keep themselves safe in the digital world, and the officers did a fantastic job of making it engaging and relevant to them. We also have been visited by a Speech Therapist, a yoga teacher and a Pizza maker! We say a big thank you to you all for giving up your time! These visits really bring learning to life and help our pupils understand the wider world around them. It's brilliant to see how much they get out of meeting people who do such important work in our community. On a practical note, I'd like to remind parents to ensure your child has visited a dentist recently. Regular dental check-ups are an important part of keeping our pupils healthy, so please do make an appointment if you haven't already done so.

We welcomed Gethin from Science Made Simple, who came in to share some fantastic information about Welsh STEM people with our pupils in years 3 to 6. It was wonderful to see the children so inspired and engaged. Gethin really helped them think beyond the classroom and encouraged them to consider their own goals and ambitions in the STEM world. He shared stories from people working in all sorts of different roles – from those making a difference in our local environment right through to those working in space. The range of careers on show was really eye-opening for our pupils. Days like this remind me why we do what we do. When pupils can see themselves in these stories and imagine their own futures in STEM, that's when real learning happens. A huge thank you to Gethin for making it such a memorable visit.

We've got something exciting happening in school at the moment that we'd love you to get involved with at home. Our Criw Cymraeg team have launched a brilliant new game called Cymru Cudd – which means The Traitors! – and the whole school is taking part. Here's how it works. Every class has two secret students who are acting as "the Traitors". Their job is to spot children speaking Welsh around school and note down their names. Each week, all the names go into a raffle, and every Friday we draw out the winners. The lucky pupils then get to pick a prize from our lucky dip. It's a fun way to encourage everyone to use their Welsh throughout the day, and the children are really enjoying the challenge of trying to catch each other speaking the language. We think this is a wonderful way to make Welsh language learning feel playful and rewarding.

It's been wonderful to see our pupils engaged in some really meaningful learning this half term. In our Talking Circles, we have been exploring Prayer as part of our current topic. We discussed why prayer matters, what it means to pray, and the different ways we can do it – praising God, thanking God, and saying sorry. The children discovered that prayer isn't just something we do at set times; we can pray anytime and anywhere. What really stood out was how beautifully they followed our Talking Promises, showing real respect for one another. They confidently used the Welsh sentence stems "Yn fy marn i" and "Dw i'n meddwl" to share their thoughts, and their listening skills were excellent. We were very proud of how thoughtfully they engaged. Ardderchog! A big thank you to Dr Singh, who shared his life as a Sikh with us. He was incredibly inspirational and helped us understand the differences between Christianity and Sikhism. But what was most important was learning about the similarities between the two faiths – particularly the shared value of being kind and treating everyone with respect. The pupils asked some fantastic questions too, really using our posing questions habit of mind thoughtfully. These moments remind us why our school community is so special.

It's been brilliant to see our Senedd pupil voice groups in action again this term. They've really thrown themselves into the work, taking time to evaluate what's been working well and what we can do better across the school. One of the things I'm most proud of is how seriously they take their role. They've not just been thinking about ideas – they've been measuring the actual impact of the actions they've put in place. That's proper work, and it shows real commitment to making our school a better place for everyone. The groups have been setting new targets too, which means they're thinking ahead and planning for positive change. It's exactly what pupil voice should be about – giving our pupils a genuine say in how things work here at Llansannor, and then actually seeing their ideas make a difference. What strikes me most is how our pupils understand that their voices matter. They're learning valuable skills about evaluation, teamwork, and problem-solving that will serve them well as they move through their education and beyond. It's one of the things that makes me really proud to be part of this school community.

As we move into the summer term, I wanted to remind everyone about our summer uniform expectations. It's that time of year when we swap our winter jumpers for lighter clothing, and I'm asking parents to help us maintain our uniform standards. A quick note on shorts – they need to be knee length. This applies to all shorts, including Nike Pro style and cycling shorts. If your child wears these, please make sure they meet the knee-length requirement. It helps us keep things consistent across the school and means all our pupils are dressed appropriately. Thanks for your support with this. If you have any questions, do get in touch.

I wanted to talk about something that really matters to all of us here at Llansannor – attendance. We're currently sitting at 94.2%, and while that's a solid start, we're aiming to reach 96%. I know it might not sound like a big difference, but those percentage points actually represent real days in the classroom for our pupils. Every day counts when it comes to learning, building friendships, and being part of our school community. Regular attendance helps pupils get the most out of their education. When they're here consistently, they don't miss out on lessons, activities, or the chance to work with their friends and teachers. It also helps us plan better and means our pupils can settle into routines that support their learning. I'm not saying it's always easy to get to school every single day – life happens, and we understand that. But if we can all work together to make attendance a priority, we'll get closer to that 96% target. If there are any barriers getting in the way of your child attending school, please do get in touch. We're here to help and want to find solutions together. Thank you for your continued support.