Llansannor & Llanharry C/W Primary School

Dear all at home, What a term it's been! I wanted to take a moment to reflect on all the wonderful things that have been happening here at Llansannor. Our whole school theme of 'Cymru am Byth' has really captured everyone's imagination this term. It's been brilliant to see how this has woven through our topic learning across all year groups. The pupils have engaged so enthusiastically with learning about our Welsh heritage, culture, and identity. It's one of those themes that naturally brings the whole school together and reminds us of who we are and what we value. I also want to mention how positive our recent Estyn experience has been. It was a pleasure to work with the inspectors and showcase what we do here. Their feedback has been really encouraging, and it's a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff and the brilliant attitude our pupils bring to school every single day. We had a fantastic Ground Force day, and I'm really grateful to all the parents who came along and got stuck in. It was wonderful to see families working together to improve our outdoor spaces. These kinds of events really do strengthen our school community, and it's heartening to see so many people willing to give their time. Our Easter celebrations and Eucharist service were particularly special this term. As a Church in Wales school, these occasions are really important to us, and it was lovely to see the whole school community come together to mark this significant time in the Christian calendar. The pupils conducted themselves beautifully, and the service was genuinely moving. The Year 6 residential to Llangrannog was a real highlight. These trips are so valuable for our older pupils. The children had the chance to develop independence, build friendships, and create some lasting memories. The staff who accompanied them did a fantastic job, and the pupils came back buzzing with stories and experiences. We also held parent evenings this term, which gave us the opportunity to discuss progress with families. These conversations are so important. They help us work together to support each pupil's learning and development, and I'm always pleased to hear about the positive partnerships we have with parents. As we move forward, we're carrying all this momentum with us. I'm excited about what the next term will bring and grateful for the support of our school community. Love and Prayers, Mrs Davies

I wanted to take a moment to say a big thank you to all of you who've made the switch to Arbour. It's been brilliant to see how smoothly the move has gone, and we're really pleased that we're able to use it successfully across the school community. We are currently at 93% uptake, please make every effort to download the app over the Easter break. From Friday 17th April, Arbour will be our main communication tool, and we'll be using it as our primary way to stay in touch with families. This should make things simpler and more streamlined for everyone. From that date onwards, we'll be stepping back from using The School App as an essential app for parents. Instead, it will simply provide easy access to our website and school calendar if you find that useful. The good news is that everything you need is already available through the School App and is easily accessible via our school website anyway. If you're using a mobile device, the website works really well on phones and tablets too, so you won't miss out on anything. We know that keeping up with different apps and systems can feel a bit much sometimes, so this change is really about making life easier for you. One main communication tool means you won't have to juggle multiple platforms to stay informed about what's happening here at Llansannor & Llanharry. If you have any questions about Arbour or how to access information through the website, please don't hesitate to get in touch. Thank you again for your patience and support as we've made these changes.

What a brilliant day we had celebrating World Book Day! Our learning leaders really pulled out all the stops to make it special for everyone. The costumes were fantastic – it was wonderful to see pupils dressed as their favourite characters bringing stories to life around the school. The activities kept everyone engaged and excited about reading. It's been lovely to see that enthusiasm for stories spreading across the school. A big thank you to our Learning Leaders for organising everything so well. They've done a great job putting together book recommendations too, which I hope will inspire pupils to pick up something new. Days like this remind us how powerful reading can be and why it matters so much in everything we do here at Llansannor.

What a wonderful day we had celebrating our Eisteddfod! The school was absolutely buzzing with singing, poetry and art. It's been brilliant to see our pupils expressing themselves so creatively and confidently. There's been such a real sense of hiraeth and cynefin throughout the school – that deep connection to our Welsh heritage and belonging to our community. These events really do bring out the best in our pupils and remind us why we do what we do. Thank you to everyone who's been involved in making it such a special occasion. A special mention to our Criw Cynraeg who helped organise such a fantastic event.

I wanted to give a big thank you to our Friends of Llansannor for putting on such a brilliant mothers day stall. It's lovely to see our pupils being able to choose and buy gifts for themselves. It gives them a real sense of independence and makes the whole experience more meaningful. Events like this wouldn't happen without the hard work of our volunteers, so we're really grateful for everything they do to make school life that bit more special for our pupils.

What a brilliant day we had last week when Dosbarth Meithrin and Derbyn visited Margam Park! The sun was shining, which made the whole experience even more special for the pupils. The visit fitted perfectly with what we've been learning about fairy tales in class. The fairytale village at Margam Park really brought the stories to life for our youngest learners. They were able to explore the different areas and see the characters and settings they've been reading about come alive in front of them. It's moments like these that help make learning real and memorable for our pupils. Of course, no trip would be complete without some proper playtime. The pupils had a wonderful time playing in the park, burning off energy and enjoying the outdoor space. But the highlight for many was getting the chance to fly kites. There's something magical about watching a kite soar up into the sky, and the pupils were absolutely delighted. I'd like to thank all the staff who made the trip possible and who worked so hard to ensure the pupils had such a positive experience as well as parents who joined us to keep us safe. It's brilliant to see our pupils engaged and excited about their learning.

I want to update you on the homework we have been setting for pupils. At the moment, we provide homework through Google Classroom, including maths booklets, VIPERS comprehension questions to support reading, and spelling lists. Unfortunately, we have noticed that fewer than 20% of pupils are completing these tasks. Because of this low uptake, we’ve decided to change how we approach homework. From now on, we will focus on online platforms such as TT Rockstars, EdShed, and Boom Reader for pupils to practice their skills. We will also share other websites for those who want to do extra work at home. As a school, we strongly believe that reading is the one skill that should be regularly practised at home. We would be very grateful if you could find time to listen to your child read, no matter their age or stage. Please keep an eye out for a new section on our website where we will post homework ideas and resources.

Moving into the Summer Term, we are excited to share that we will be assessed for the Siarter Iaith, Gold Award. The staff, the children and especially the Criw Cymraeg are busy gathering evidence to show our commitment to learning the Welsh language and developing our cultural understanding of Wales (UNCRC, Article 7 - Every child has a right to a name, a nationality and to belong to a country).

We develop our Welsh language skills every day at Llansannor through daily. Helpwr Heddiw sessions, singing Welsh songs, playing games, learning Welsh poems, reading stories from Wales / by Welsh authors and celebrating Welsh history. We would really like our community to help support our journey by practising Welsh phrases at home, using Welsh in local shops and listening to Welsh music / bands from Wales. Please keep an eye out for Welsh phrases and playlists and give it a go at home.

It's been wonderful to see how engaged our pupils have been with learning about Easter and the Easter story over the past few weeks. This is such an important time in the Christian calendar, and we've really tried to make it meaningful and memorable for everyone in our school community. Outside of the classroom this term, our pupils have engaged in a range of activities. Our Year 6 pupils had a special visit to Ebenezer church, where they were able to explore the Easter story in a real and tangible way. Being in the church itself helped bring the narrative to life, and it was brilliant to see them asking questions and making connections between what they were learning and the actual space where worship takes place. These kinds of experiences are invaluable – there's something quite different about learning in the place itself rather than just in the classroom. We were also privileged to have Rev Angela celebrate a beautiful Easter eucharist with us here at school. It was a really special occasion, and the reverence and joy in the hall was genuinely moving. Rev Angela led us through the service with such warmth and care, and I think it gave our pupils a real sense of what Easter means within our faith community. Beyond these key events, we wanted to make sure that all our pupils from Year 3 through to Year 6 had the chance to deepen their understanding of the Easter season. We organised an Easter carousel of activities, which allowed groups of pupils to rotate through different stations and engage with the Easter story in various ways. Some pupils were involved in creative activities, others in reflection and discussion, and some in exploring the symbols and traditions associated with Easter. It was a really inclusive approach that meant every pupil could engage at their own level and in ways that resonated with them. I'd like to say a big thank you to Rev Angela for her time and commitment, and to all the staff who worked hard to organise and deliver these experiences. It's only through this kind of collaborative effort that we can create such rich learning opportunities for our pupils.

What a special time we've had in school this week as we've explored the Easter story together. Our worship leaders did a brilliant job leading small groups through each part of the Easter narrative, and it was wonderful to see how engaged our pupils were throughout. The children heard the stories unfold and then got creative in their own ways. Some drew pictures that really captured what they'd heard, others wrote prayers that showed real thought and reflection, and many talked about what brought them joy as we discussed the meaning behind Easter. It's at times like these that you really see how much our pupils are thinking deeply about what they're learning. What struck me most was how naturally the children engaged with the experience. There was genuine curiosity and a real desire to understand the story and what it means. Our worship leaders created a calm, thoughtful space for this to happen, and it made a real difference to how the pupils responded. These moments of reflection and creativity are so important. They help our pupils connect with their learning in a meaningful way and give them space to express their own thoughts and feelings. Whether they were drawing, writing, or simply talking through their ideas, every pupil was able to participate in a way that worked for them. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this such a positive experience for our school community especially Rev Angela and Rev Ross.

What a special time we've had recently with our Easter eucharist service. We were delighted to welcome Rev Ross and Rev Angela into school to lead this meaningful celebration with our pupils. It's wonderful to see our community come together for occasions like this, where we can reflect on the significance of Easter and what it means to us. These services are such an important part of our school life here at Llansannor. They give our pupils the chance to think about their values and beliefs in a calm, thoughtful way. The presence of Rev Ross and Rev Angela made it extra special, and we're grateful for their time and dedication to supporting our school community. It's moments like these that remind us of the importance of our church school values and how they shape who we are as a school. Thank you to everyone who was involved in making the service run smoothly.

Our Pupil Senedd Group has had another great meeting this half term. It's really pleasing to see how this group continues to develop and grow in confidence. During the meeting, pupils took time to evaluate their targets and the progress they've made so far. It's important that our pupils have the chance to reflect on their work and think about what they're achieving. What's been particularly encouraging is watching them get better at creating their own minutes from these meetings. They're not just attending – they're actively recording what's been discussed and, more importantly, they're starting to understand and discuss the real impact their actions are having on our school. This is exactly what pupil voice should look like. Our pupils are learning that their opinions matter and that the decisions they make can create positive change in our school community. It's something we're really proud of.

Thank you all for your continued support with our uniform policy. It's really pleasing to see pupils in school uniform every day – it makes such a difference to how our school looks and feels as a community. As we head towards the summer term, I wanted to remind everyone about our shorts policy. We ask that shorts are knee length to ensure our pupils are comfortable during their lessons and outdoor activities. I know the weather gets warmer as we move into summer, and we want pupils to be able to enjoy their time at school without any distractions. Just to be clear, Nike Pro style shorts are not permitted as part of our uniform. We've found that keeping to knee length shorts work best for everyone – it's fair, consistent, and helps maintain the professional appearance we're aiming for across the school. If you have any questions about what's acceptable, do get in touch with the office and we'll be happy to clarify. We really appreciate how you've all worked with us on this. Your support in reinforcing these expectations at home makes our job so much easier, and it sends a clear message to our pupils about what we value here at Llansannor. Thank you again for being part of our school community and for helping us maintain the standards we're proud of.

Thank you all for your continued support with our attendance this term. It's really pleasing to see that we're sitting slightly above our target of 93%, which is a fantastic achievement for the whole school community. This doesn't happen by accident – it's down to the commitment from families like yours, working together to get our pupils in on time and ready to learn. Attendance matters so much. When pupils are here regularly and arrive ready to start their day, they settle better into their learning, build stronger relationships with their peers and staff, and make real progress with their education. We've noticed the positive difference it makes across the school, and we're grateful for the effort you're all putting in. I do want to give a gentle reminder about the importance of being on time. When pupils arrive after the register has closed, it can be disruptive to their learning and to the start of the day for others. Getting here ready to learn means they can jump straight into their activities and make the most of their time with us. It sets a positive tone for the whole day. We know that life is busy and sometimes things don't go to plan, but if we can all keep focused on this, we'll continue to maintain these high standards. Your partnership in this really does make the difference, and we're proud of what we're achieving together as a school community. Thank you again for everything you do.