Barry Island Primary Weekly NewsLETTER - Friday 16th january 2026

Croeso - The news this week

It’s been another busy and engaging week across the school, with pupils enjoying a wide range of experiences that brought learning to life both inside and outside the classroom.

Year 3 have been enjoying their class text The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark. They discussed how darkness and fireworks can make people feel and shared their own thoughts and emotions. Using exciting WOW words, pastels and their drawing skills, the children created beautiful fireworks displays for Plop — combining literacy and art.

Later on in the week, Year 3 headed to the beach for a litter pick, where they were happily surprised to find it was already very clean — great news for our environment and local community! The children discussed what it means to be Guardians of the Earth and saw first-hand how every small action can make a difference. Back in school, they sorted the litter they collected, sparking thoughtful discussions about recyclable and non-recyclable materials. 

Year 1 had a wonderful afternoon visit to the RNLI Barry Visitor Centre. The children learned about the meanings of different beach flags, experienced what it might feel like to be rescued at sea, tried on RNLI uniforms and even climbed aboard the lifeboat — a truly memorable experience! Year 1 also braved the rain later in the week for a shape scavenger hunt in the eco lodge and garden. They identified shapes made from natural materials and, in some cases, worked out shapes using clues such as “two short sides and two long sides.”

Year 2 learned all about Rangoli patterns, exploring where they come from and their purpose. They then used natural resources to create their own Rangoli designs in the eco lodge, producing colourful and thoughtful patterns.

Reception enjoyed an exciting exploration of Maestir Victorian School using augmented reality technology. The children loved discovering details in the Victorian classroom and comparing it to their own learning environment.

Year 6 continued developing their technology skills by creating technology timelines using Microsoft Excel, in preparation for converting them into interactive timeline websites. Their focus and digital confidence were impressive.

Year 4 began exploring their new legend, Romulus and Remus. As a class, they created a story map to help retell each part of the legend and used excellent oracy skills to explain the story clearly and confidently.

Another fantastic week of curiosity, creativity and community learning — well done everyone!

Credit Union

The Year 6 school accountants warmly welcomed many families last term, guiding them through the school saving process with confidence and enthusiasm. Their clear explanations and helpful attitude made a real difference, showing how important and rewarding managing money wisely can be.

If you would like to join the Young Savers with the Credit Union please pop along to the Cafe at 8.40 on a Friday morning to see what it's all about.

Upcoming Important Dates

• W/C 19.01.26 - extra curricular clubs start.
• Reception visiting the Island.

School drop off update

We have a new system in place: if your child arrives late, they must be signed in by a parent. They can no longer be dropped off on their own.

Skill of the Fortnight - Dosbarth Bedwen

Dosbarth Bedwen have been busy problem-solving.

Welsh of the Fortnight

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda

Why not try listening to this New Year song and see how much you can understand. Mwynhau:

We are learning to talk about where we live and who we live with.

Criw Cymraeg

Keeping Active

As we welcome a brand-new year, Team Action for Happiness would like to wish all our children and families a very happy, healthy start to the year ahead.

A new year is a lovely opportunity to pause, reflect and think about how we can look after our wellbeing — moving our bodies, noticing our feelings and being kind to ourselves and others.

Small actions can make a big difference, especially when we do them together. As we look to the year ahead, you might like to think about a small goal you would like to set for yourselves. This video helps you think about simple, positive goals to work towards.

Here is an energising five-minute workout for you to enjoy and get your body moving!