Headship Blog 21.12.23

As we come to the end of the autumn term at Parkland I would like to say some very heartfelt thank yous across our school community. Firstly, I have to thank our wonderful children who have been delighting crowds of admiring audiences over the last few weeks of this term. Their enthusiasm and dedication whatever their role in the performance has been absolutely outstanding. I must also thank all the families for attending the concerts and in particular those children who were able to return for our evening performances during such a busy period. Also a huge thanks for all the hard work that went on in your homes to prepare lines, dances and costumes. Of course none of the extravaganzas would have been possible without the dedication of our wonderful school staff, teachers, teaching assistants, office staff, our caretaker and anyone else who I have not mentioned! I would like to thank them all for their dedication, care and professionalism in creating such an amazing showcase of talent. As I said after many of the concerts, the children will remember the feelings of exhilaration and pride they felt in years to come.

Parkland Parents' Assosciation:

Parkland Parents' Association held a spectacular Winterfest which was very well attended by volunteers, staff, parents/carers and most importantly the children! The support in fundraising Parkland has from our parents association is invaluable in ensuring that our children receive the best experiences during their time with us. Their latest act of kindness is to donate £45 to each registration class to buy gifts from Father Christmas.

Our sports teams have been active this term, with congratulations to the Parkland football team winning their first match 8-3 against Tycroes Primary School. They also performed brilliantly when competing against Waunarllwyd Primary School and Pennard. As the weather improves during the spring term we expect the frequency of our sports teams events will hopefully increase.

Swans Christmas Party:

Parkland school was lucky enough to have 7 Swans Christmas Party tickets donated, which were won at random by those children who had expressed an interest in going. It is with the support from partners in our local community, like Swansea City FC, that we can offer opportunities like this to our children. So thank you to Swansea City for kindly inviting children from Parkland to meet players from the team and enjoy food and fun at the Liberty stadium.

Parkland Tattler:

Parkland Reporters launched their first issue of The Parkland Tattler for 2023 in November, we certainly enjoyed reading it! I hope lots of children entered the Winter art competition that was advertised in it, with a chance of the artwork featuring in a later issue.

Parkland Choir:

Our fantastic choir enthusiastically entertained the residents at Hazel Court this week with renditions of some well known Christmas songs and carols. The residents were delighted with the visit and very kindly gifted a chocolate selection box to each child. Parkland choir have been invited to perform at Laugharne Court next week where they will perform a medley of songs and share some festive cheer. A big thank you to Mrs Norbury and Mr Jefferies for arranging these events.

Goodbyes:

We say fond farewells to Mr L Jones, and Mr S Cadmore, it has been a pleasure to have you as part of the team at Parkland. Mrs P Donovan also leaves us after 24 wonderful years, she will be missed by everyone and we wish her all the success in the world in her new ventures.

Headship Blog 6.11.23

Where has the first half term gone? It only seems like yesterday that we welcomed the children back to Parkland Primary after the summer break. Miss Felicity Poole is Acting Headteacher this year and is relishing her role. She says, “I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for the support that parents and carers have extended to me since I stepped into the role of Acting Headteacher. It has been a time of learning and growth, and your encouragement and understanding have been invaluable. As we approach the next terms, I am filled with enthusiasm for the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.”

Pupil Voice:

School council members have been voted for and have already met to create a child friendly version of our School Improvement Plan.

Pupils have also been involved in collecting points for their colour houses and have been competing to gain points in many ways. These include through entering competitions, and through their efforts in learning and their kind behaviours.

Pupil voice groups have also met regularly and these include:

• Parkland Performers KS2
• Money Makers KS2
• Rights Respecting Y2 - Y6
• Criw Cymraeg KS2
• Digital Heroes
• Health and Safety Squad KS2
• Health and Safety Squad FP
• Eco Committee Y2 - Y6

Digital Heroes presented an assembly about how the learning platform Seesaw is being used and how it is being developed across the school to share learning and experiences between, pupils, teachers and their families.

School developments:

There have been a number of alterations around the school over the past summer break. These include the addition of three sheltered covers for year one and two. This has meant that our pupils are able to access the outdoors during all weathers!

The area outside Mrs Rees-Jones’s class and the junior hall will continue to be developed as an area for independent and enquiry based learning.

The area outside Mrs Hughes’s specialist teaching facility has been cleared of the large shrubs in preparation for further development of play and learning.

Happy News:

We are delighted to share happy news regarding two members of our staff. Miss Rees and Mr Viney got married in the summer I am sure you will join us in wishing them huge congratulations.

Mr Popham has very recently welcomed the birth of his second child, we all wish him and his family well.

Music instruments and tuition:

We are happy to share that we are able to expand our offer to pupils to benefit from extra woodwind lessons. This has been made possible in part through a most welcome donation from councillor Mike Day and his team, which has enabled us to purchase more instruments and tuition.

School visits:

A number of visits have taken place linked to the pupils learning. These include;

Techniquest – year 5 and 6 are investigating forces in their learning, and this trip was arranged to ensure the children were engaged and invested in their learning

Llanelli Wetlands- year 3 and 4 had a wonderful experience at the Wetlands, having first-hand experience of local wildlife and how the environment supports them. The children are currently writing to persuade others to visit this local attraction.

Swimming at the national pool -half of year 6 have had the opportunity to learn/ practise their swimming skills. All have been enthusiastic in their swimming, and have made progress in their confidence and water skills. The remaining children in year 6 will have the opportunity to participate from the start of the second half of the autumn term.

Community links:

Sketty Food Bank were delighted to collect the huge amount of food and toiletries donated by the Parkland family. Our links to the community are paramount to the school, and we recognise that times are challenging at the moment. So we must express out thanks and gratitude to you all.

We would also like to recognise the support received from the local Sketty branch of the Petiffor trust charity for also supporting the school in in the creation of reading nooks for our younger pupils. This charity does important work to support animal welfare and rescue charities in south west Wales.

Covid/ respiratory infections:

Since our return to school we have seen a rise in illness amongst our pupils and staff! We have shared advice received through the local authority regarding illness amongst pupils and we appreciate your cooperation in this. As you can imagine pressure on school staff in covering absences has been high and we would like to acknowledge their dedication and effort to ensure the school has continued to run smoothly.

Safe Parking:

Thank you to all parents/carers and family members who continue to keep our children and community safe by parking safely. We are grateful to the local traffic wardens, PCSO, and traffic camera car for supporting us in this also.

Headship Blog: 21.7.23

Here’s an update on all that’s happened during this final half term of the academic year 2022-2023. We can’t believe it’s almost over.

Together Concert at Brangwyn Hall:

We are delighted to share the success of our school's recent singing concert themed "Together." Our talented pupils truly outdid themselves, leaving everyone in awe of their exceptional performances. They sang and danced with enthusiasm, showcasing their hard work and dedication in every note and step.

The Brangwyn Hall provided the perfect stage for our young stars to shine, and they did not disappoint! The concert was a true celebration of unity, and demonstrated the spirit of cooperation and teamwork.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the pupils, teachers, and parents/carers for their unwavering support in making this event a success. Congratulations to our amazing pupils for making us proud.

School Fete:

We are thrilled to share the tremendous success of our school's Summer Fete! It was an afternoon filled with laughter, joy, and community spirit, making it a truly unforgettable event. The overwhelming support and participation from pupils, parents/carers, staff, and the local community contributed to its outstanding success.

We are immensely grateful to our dedicated Parkland Parent Association, whose tireless efforts and commitment made the fete possible. Their hard work in planning, organising, and executing this event were nothing short of commendable. Thanks to their dedication, the fete not only brought us all together but also raised a substantial amount of funds for Parkland.

Local community:

Commemorative Bench:

The unveiling of a beautiful community space adorned with clay plaques created by our talented Year 3 pupils was a moment of immense pride. The bench, thoughtfully designed by our pupils, now serves as a comforting spot for hospital patients and their families at Morriston Hospital. A select group of pupils who participated in the project attended the unveiling ceremony which was an unforgettable experience for all involved.

Primary Partners Concert at the Grand Theatre:

Our school orchestra delivered an outstanding performance as they took the stage to open the Swansea Primary Partners Concert. With talent and dedication, our young musicians left the audience in awe with their brilliant performance, making us immensely proud of their achievements. Congratulations to our remarkable orchestra for setting the stage alight with their musical brilliance!

Brilliant performers:

As you are aware that our pupils in Parkland all have wonderful talents. I would like to take this time to congratulate Maddie (from Upper Phase) who represented Wales in the Dance World Cup. She and her team performed brilliantly whilst representing her country in Portugal. We are really proud of her achievements and look forward to seeing what she will do in the future. Camille (from Upper Phase) also did herself and the school proud when performing in the National Eisteddfod where she got to perform on stage in front of a huge audience. Her talent and confidence was clear to see. Well done both!

Year 6 Leavers:

Congratulations to our incredible Year 6 pupils for putting on a mesmerising show, "Alex in Wonderland." The stage came alive with their exceptional talents, dedication, and hard work. It was heartwarming to see our pupils shine brightly, filling our hearts with pride. The appreciation shown by everyone in the audience were a testament to the unforgettable experience we all shared. Well done to all involved!

Now, as the academic year draws to a close, we bid a fond farewell to our wonderful Year 6 pupils who are embarking on an exciting new chapter in their educational journey. To each of you, we extend our heartfelt wishes for a future filled with success, happiness, and fulfillment. It has been a joy and privilege to watch you grow and thrive during your time at Parkland.

We would like to end by expressing our gratitude to the entire school community for making this year a memorable one. Your unwavering support and commitment have truly made a difference. We wish everyone a restful and rejuvenating summer and look forward to welcoming new and returning pupils in September. Best of luck to our Year 6 leavers, and thank you all for a great year!

With very best wishes, 

Headship Team.

Headship Blog: 23.5.23

Here’s an update on all that’s happened during this short summer term 2. 

Celebrations: 

The term began by celebrating Eid. Our school embraced the spirit of this special occasion, fostering cultural understanding and appreciation. Thank you to all who contributed to making it a memorable celebration. 

Residential trips: 

Year 6 pupils recently embarked on an exhilarating residential trip to Manor Adventure. The experience was an absolute success, filled with adventure, teamwork, and personal growth. The children whole-heartedly embraced every moment and returned with lots of long-lasting memories, we have no doubt. We extend our appreciation to the dedicated staff who made this trip possible. Such experiences are invaluable in shaping our pupils’ characters and resilience. We are immensely proud of their enthusiasm and determination. Well done, Year 6! 

Local community: 

St Paul’s Church: 

We are excited to announce that on Thursday 25^th May our Year 1 and 2 pupils will be visiting the local church for a special event – our own coronation! This immersive experience aims to bring history to life as the children step into the shoes of monarchs and partake in a regal ceremony. Through this interactive activity, our pupils will gain a deeper understanding of the significance of coronations and the traditions associated with them. We extend our gratitude to the St Paul’s church for their collaboration in making this event possible. We can't wait to witness the enthusiasm and joy on our young monarchs' faces! 

School Inspection: 

We wanted to take a moment to update you on the recent inspection that our school underwent (wb 15^th May). While we are unable to share the outcome at this time, we want to express our gratitude for your unwavering support throughout the process. Your trust and encouragement mean the world to us. We assure you that we remain committed to providing the best education and nurturing environment for your children. As soon as we receive the official report, we will share the details with you. We are expecting to for the report to be published the week beginning 17^th July. Thank you once again for being an essential part of our school community. 

Upcoming Dates: 

The final half term of this academic year is fast approaching and we have a busy few weeks ahead of us. Please see below for some key dates of events taking place over the next few weeks. 

Nursery and Reception Intake Meeting: 

This is an opportunity to meet the nursery and reception staff, visit the settings and to ask any questions you might have in addition to use sharing information with you. 

Wednesday 21^st June –  

• • Rising 4s (Nursery)- 5 pm (school hall – enter via the school office) 
  • Reception – 6 pm (school hall – enter via the school office) 
    
    Friday 23^rd June –  
  • Reception – 9 am (school hall – enter via the school office) 
  • Rising 4s (Nursery)- 1:10 pm (school hall – enter via the school office) 
    
    Together Concert:  
    
    Thursday, June 22^nd – 6 pm at the Brangwyn Hall 
    
    Pupils from rising 3s to year 6 will be performing together to celebrate Parkland School and our school community. Tickets for this event will be made available shortly. 
    
    Sports Day: 
    
    First dates:  
    
    Tuesday 27^th June –  
  • Years 3, 4, 5, and 6 – 9:10 am (parents/carers to enter and exit via KS2 gate – please be aware the gate will be locked after admission for security reasons) 
  • Years 1 and 2 – 1:10 pm (parents/carers to enter and exit via pencil gate – please be aware the gate will be locked after admission for security reasons) 
    
    Wednesday 28^th June –  
  • Nursery and Reception – 9:10 am (parents/carers to enter and exit via pencil gate – please be aware the gate will be locked after admission for security reasons) 
  • Rising 3s and Oaktree – 1:10 pm (parents/carers to enter and exit via pencil gate – please be aware the gate will be locked after admission for security reasons) 
    
    In the event of inclement weather on the dates above we aim to run will run sports day on the following dates. 
     
    
    Second dates:  
    
    Monday 10^th July –  
  • Years 3, 4, 5, and 6 – 9:10 am (parents/carers to enter and exit via KS2 gate – please be aware the gate will be locked after admission for security reasons) 
  • Years 1 and 2 – 1:10 pm (parents/carers to enter and exit via pencil gate – please be aware the gate will be locked after admission for security reasons) 
    
    Wednesday 12^th July–  
  • Nursery and Reception – 9:10 am (parents/carers to enter and exit via pencil gate – please be aware the gate will be locked after admission for security reasons) 
  • Rising 3s and Oaktree – 1:10 pm (parents/carers to enter and exit via pencil gate – please be aware the gate will be locked after admission for security reasons) 
    
    Summer Fete:  
    
    Friday, July 7^th 
    
    Meet the Teacher/Open Evening (Years 1 to 6): 

     

    5:00 pm (rooms it is taking place to be confirmed):
    - This is an opportunity to meet your child’s/children’s class teachers and to ask any questions you might have. Between 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm, you will also have the opportunity to visit your child’s/children’s classrooms to look at their books.

     

    Thank you once again for your continued support of the school. 
    
    With very best wishes,  
    Headship Team. 

Headship Blog: 2.5.23 

Here’s an update on all the wonderful learning activities the pupils have experienced during spring term 2. 

St David’s Day: 

The half term began with the whole school celebrating St David’s Day. We held a school Eisteddfod where the winners and runner-ups of a range of competitions were revealed. The school choir, dance group and orchestra performed also for the school and did brilliantly. This Eisteddfod ended with the Chairing of the Bard ceremony where 2 children from Years 2 and 6 were announced as winners – a huge well done to them. 

Urdd: 

A range of pupils took part in different Urdd competitions. The local round took place here at Parkland. A number of children took part in choir competitions as well as individual recitations. The children did the school so proud and performed brilliantly. A huge congratulations to those who took part and to those who were successful in getting through to the regional round. 

During the regional rounds all children performed excellently again. The choir and Year 6 pupil did fantastically and we are pleased to report that a Year 3 child was successful in getting through to the national heats (you know who you are!). We can’t wait to support them in the May half term. Congratulations once again to all involved. 

World Book Day: 

As usual we celebrated World Book Day in style. Pupils dressed up as their favourite book characters and shared their favourite books with on another. The older pupils went and shared a story with the younger pupils which they absolutely loved. Teachers also dressed up and showed how you can do it on a shoe-string budget. A fun time was had by all. 

Residential trips: 

Parkwood: Year 5 visited Parkwood Adventure and took part in a range of outdoor activities. The teachers who attended reported that the pupils did brilliantly – being brave and ambitious when learning new skills. The children had a wonderful time and thoroughly enjoyed every minute. 

Llangrannog: Year 4 visited Llangrannog for 2 nights during spring term 2. Here the children had lots of opportunities to stretch themselves both physically and mentally as well as develop their independence skills. They also had lots of opportunities to develop their Welsh speaking skills too. Once again the children did the school proud and conducted themselves in a polite and courteous manner. 

Big Welsh Rhyme Time: 

Pupils from Year 1 and 2 took part in Book Trust Cymru’s Big Welsh Rhyme Time. Here the pupils took part in reciting lots of different rhymes. Lots of fun was had by all. 

Pupil Voice: 

Hopathon: The Health and Safety Squad arranged a whole school Hopathon to coincide with the school’s celebration of Easter. All pupils were involved in activities and helped the school in acquiring items for class mindfulness areas. 

Sponsored Run: The Money Makers held a practice for a sponsored run that will be taking part in the summer term. They intend in using the money raised to support a local charity. 

Safer Internet Day: The Digital Heroes delivered an assembly during which they shared the importance of remaining safe online and how to be safe online. Pupils took part in activities about this across the school. 

Easter Bonnet Parade: 

Pupils from across Foundation Phase treated the staff and the pupils from year 3 to 6 to a wonderful treat on the last Friday of half term. They showed off their amazing bonnet creations during a parade – unfortunately the rain prevented us from doing this outside but it certainly didn’t dampen our spirits. Thanks to the parents/carers who helped the children with such marvellous creations. 

Local community: 

The children have continued to have the opportunity to explore the local area and use the range of facilities available to support their learning. 

• Visit to Parkland Church: Upper Phase pupils visited Parkland’s Church to learn about the Easter story. A big thank you to the members of the church who welcomed the children and put on a fun and engaging range of activities. 
• Clyne woods: The children have visited Clyne Woods yet again – this time Year 5 and 6 children visited and took photographs of the local environment – looking at different styles and framing. 
• Post Office: Upper Phase visited Sketty Post Office to see that types of things that take place there and how and why they are used. 
• Library: Reception children continue to visit Sketty library weekly – encouraging an enjoyment of reading and exposing them to a wide range of books and reading materials. 

We cannot believe that we are heading in to the third and final term of this academic year AND it’s going to be a busy one we’ve no doubt. There will be transition activities, school fete, Sports Day, school performance in the Brangwyn Hall… and lots more. We are looking forward to it and raring to go! 

We would like to end by thanking you once again for your continued support of the school. 

With very best wishes,  

Headship Team. 

Headship Blog – 17.02.23 

We have reached the half way point of the academic year. We really can’t believe how quickly this year is going. It’s probably because it’s been another busy half term with lots going on once again. 

Internet Safety Week: 

This half term we have celebrated Internet Safety Week across the school. The pupils enjoyed the assembly led by our Digital Heroes. The theme of the assembly was – Want To Talk About It? During Internet Safety Week pupils learned how to stay safe online and how to deal with different situations that they might come across when online. 

The Big Welsh Rhyme Time: 

Our younger learners also enjoyed taking part in The Big Welsh Rhyme Time. This is a national week-long celebration during which bilingual rhymes, poems, and songs are shared with children. Sharing rhymes and songs is an important early years activity and can help pupils develop their speaking and listening skills. It can also support their concentration as well as develop their language and communication skills, including giving them a head start when they begin to learn to read. It can also build their confidence to speak, sing and join in. 

Children’s Mental Health Week: 

Children’s Mental Health Week took place between 6^th and 12^th February and the theme was Let’s Connect. The children also took part in a whole school assembly about this. 

Empathy Lab: 

This term we have begun to develop the pupils’ empathy skills through assemblies. Each fortnight all classes read the same story which focuses on empathy. Then the pupils have an opportunity to explore and discuss these stories in a whole school assembly. So far this term we have read the following books and stories: Nilly and Grey Go Elephant Riding and Amara and the Bats. We have also looked at clips from Inside Out. 

Eco Committee: 

Eco committee planted fruit trees in the school grounds this term. They worked hard to do this and we are all very excited for the when it is time to harvest the fruit. 

Parkland Performers: 

Parkland Performers have continued to hold lunchtime performances again in the spring term. Pupils from across the school have the opportunity to show off their talents to an audience of their peers. 

Book Compendiums: 

Pupils are continuing to share their favourite stories and their favourite books with their classmates. We have been amazed by the creative ways the children have done this and it has really got them excited about reading. 

Trips around our locality: 

Phases have continued to explore the locality to enhance the curriculum. Reception have visited Sketty library a number of times this half term. Years 3 and 4 walked to Sketty Cross to visit the Post Office and Years 5 and 6 trekked all the way to The Secret to enjoy a hot chocolate. 

Fund Raising: 

On Wednesday 15^th we held a non-uniform day to raise money to support aid efforts following the dreadful earthquake in Syria and Turkey. We had a fantastic response and we extend a big thank you to you all for your generous donations. The total raised was a whopping £990.30. The money raised will be passed on to the Disaster Emergency Committee fund. 

Next term: 

There are a number of exciting events on the horizon. We will of course be celebrating St David’s day and World Book Day on the 1^st and 3^rd March. Year 4 pupils will be staying overnight at Llangrannog and Year 5 are visiting Parkwood Adventure. Parents and carers will have updates on their child’s progress also through pupil progress reports and parents’ evening. There will also be a Book Fair on the 1^st and 3^rd March – please come along if you wish to buy some high quality books. 

We hope that you have an enjoyable half term. See you all on the 27^th February. 

Headship blog – 23.12.22

Well it’s the 23^rd of December and we have reached the end of the term… finally! It’s been a long term full of exciting activities. Christmas concerts were performed by every class in school… from Oaktree and Rising 3s all the way up to Year 6. We really hope you enjoyed coming in and seeing the children perform to such a high standard. We were extremely proud of their efforts and they certainly helped spread the festive cheer. A big thank you to all of you for providing costumes and a big thank you to the staff too for all their efforts.

The school’s choir and chamber orchestra have visited many local residential homes over the last couple of weeks. They have been performing a number of well-liked Christmas tunes which I know have been very popular with residents. The children represented the school brilliantly and once again we were really proud of how well they did. The school’s orchestra also put on a show and my oh my… what a long way they have come! When considering the orchestra have not been able to meet and perform together over the last number of years they performed brilliantly. We are delighted to say that the orchestra currently has over 40 musicians in it and we are hoping that it will continue to grow.

We have held a number of pre-loved uniform sales this half term. Don’t forget that they take place on the first Tuesday of every month and take place on the junior yard. Parents and carers can purchase uniform by donating as little or as much as they like. We are also happy to receive uniform donations if you have any spare.

The first edition of Parkland School’s Tattler magazine was published this half term. The school’s magazine was written and edited by Parkland’s Reporters Club and we are all eagerly awaiting the next issue. The first edition can be found here: https://www.j2e.com/parkland-primary-school2/LauraS/Issue+1.pdf/

The children enjoyed attending the WinterFest disco. The turn out was fantastic and the children had a blast! A big thank you to Parkland Parents’ Association for putting on this event and making it an enjoyable experience for all.

We really hope that you and your family have a great holiday. See you all in the new year.

Headship blog – 10.11.22

We hope you had an enjoyable half-term.

Autumn Term 1:

Last term was jam-packed full of exciting activities for pupils and parents/carers.

School Council Elections:

All children from Reception to Year 6 took part in School Council Elections and elected a school council representative for each class. Before the election candidates spoke with their classmates about why they would make an effective school councillor. All those elected will have a busy year as part of the School Council.

Just One Tree:

Children wore non-school uniform or something green to school on Friday 14^th October. The money raised was to fund the planting of trees and making a big difference to the world. A big thank you to the school’s Eco Club for organising and to the family and friends of Parkland for raising so much money for such a good cause.

Reading launch day:

On the 26^th October we held our reading launch day. During this day pupils had many opportunities to engage with different literature. All pupils received a book from Book Council Wales as well as book marks. Pupils took part in a book quiz with the winning class being awarded a trophy. Everyone is really excited to find out who will win next time. On the same day pupils were shown the book compendiums which each child will be able to take home throughout the year to share their favourite book with their classmates. As well as this children from across the school read together whilst others visited the local library – phew what a busy day it was! We really hope that regular events like this will really engage the children and get them excited about reading.

Sponsored read:

Many pupils have been involved in the Ready Steady Read competition run by Usborne. This sponsored read encourages and celebrates a lifelong love of reading at home and school. A big thank you to all those who were able to raise money as this will help the school purchase reading resources. We were delighted with the amount raised with the final amount being shared with all parents/carers shortly.

Parents’/Carers’ Evening:

All parents/carers were invited in to speak with their child’s class teacher to see how well they have settled into their new class, to see the learning taken place as well as see the progress that they are making.

Harvest:

On the 28^th October we celebrated harvest by coming together as a school community and holding a harvest assembly. We thank all families who donated food for the harvest festival and these donations were gratefully received by Sketty Food Bank and will make a big difference to members of the local community.

Parent/Carer Workshops:

On the 24^th October we held a Squiggle while you Wiggle Workshop. This workshop helped parents/carers understand how Squiggle while you Wiggle, Squiggle me into a Writer, Dough Disco and Digit Dance activities support our younger learners to develop their gross and fine motor skills. These skills are essential pre-cursors for writing. On Wednesday 26th October we also held a reading workshop. During this workshop the new reading band system, that is being used in school, was introduced. Parents and carers were able to learn about how to best support their child’s reading at home too and ask class teachers any questions they had about this.

Autumn Term 2:

Uniform shop:

We have been busy already this term – our first uniform shop of the year took place on Tuesday 8^th November. These will continue to take place on the first Tuesday of every month going forward. It gives parents/carers the opportunity to purchase school uniform at any price – we simply ask for a donation. Please come along next time and grab yourself a bargain!

Remembrance Day:

We held a remembrance assembly for pupils on 11th November and considered all those who have made huge sacrifices now and in the past to help us.

Anti-bullying Week

During the week of the 14th to 18th November we celebrated Anti-Bullying week and this year’s theme was Reach Out. During the assembly pupils were reminded of the importance of speaking up and reaching out for help if they themselves are ever bullied or to report it if they were ever to witness bullying taking place. They were reminded of who in the school that they can go to if ever worried or anxious. Pupils also wore odd socks to school on 14^th to help show how people can be different from one another but still need to remain respectful and kind to everyone.

Emotional Health Parent/Carer Workshop:

We held an extremely informative parent/carer workshop focusing on emotional health vs mental health on Monday 14^th November led by Amy Glass an Emotional Health and Wellbeing Practitioner. Thank you to all those who attended.

Children in Need:

We celebrated Children in Need once again this year. The theme was ‘Wear a Rainbow.’ The children enjoyed taking part in the different competitions across the school as well as working with their classmates whilst competing in the Children in Need quiz. Thank you once again for all your generous donations.

Christmas concerts:

In the coming weeks we will, of course, be preparing for the upcoming Christmas concerts the dates and times of which can be found on the flyer below:

Tickets are available via sQuid and the money raised will be used to support the delivery of the Expressive Arts curriculum. We thank you for your support in such matters. If any families are experiencing difficulties in paying for tickets then please speak with us about this as we do not want to put any additional financial burden on families at this time.

WinterFest Disco:

The school’s Parents Association is holding a Christmas Disco on Wednesday 7^th December. It is the first time we have held an event like this since Covid so we are really looking forward to it and hopefully the children are too.

We look forward to seeing you these events.

Headship Blog 27.09.22

A warm welcome to all new pupils and parents/carers and welcome back everyone else! We hope that you have had a great summer holiday and that you have been able to find time to have fun, relax and unwind. Hopefully, everyone is re-energized and ready for another busy year at Parkland. 

A lot of work has taken place at the school over the summer holidays. We have replaced all windows with more energy-efficient ones and these windows run from Mrs. Hughes’ room all the way to the Partnership Room. Mrs. Hughes’ classroom has been extended and now includes a space that our younger learners can use. This space has a calming sensory area that the children thoroughly enjoy using. The Key Stage 2 library has been reinstated in a larger room and will be used regularly by the children for a range of activities. You will have noticed that the football yard has also been resurfaced and is much improved. 

The school term has kicked off with a bang with many of our year groups have been on their school trip already to introduce their topic. Early on this term Years 5 and 6 visited the Senedd and learned about Welsh democracy. Years 3 and 4 visited Big Pit to learn about the lives of miners in the past. They also took a trip around Clyne Woods to find evidence of the mining that took place in our local area too. We would like to thank Clyne Valley Community Project who supported us with this by conducting a tour. Years 1 and 2 visited Blackpill and took a trip on Bar Rider too! 

We are looking forward to a busy half term which will include seeing you all again during Parents’ Evening. See you soon!

Headship Blog 22.07.2022

What another busy term it has been! We ended by saying goodbye to our wonderful Year 6s. They have been an amazing asset to our school throughout their time here and it was very sad to see them move on to pastures new. They topped off their final year with a most amazing concert – Peter Pan. The children were wonderful! They really did a brilliant job and entertained the audience thoroughly! Everyone was so proud. The year 6s were not the only ones stunning audiences of course – every year performed a short concert for their family and friends. It was great to have parents and carers back in the school building. The money raised through these concerts will be used to purchase more musical instruments and to support the Expressive Arts curriculum. 

We also said goodbye to some staff too. Mr. Scott Cadmore has left to pursue a career in teaching. Also, Miss Rebecca Collins has completed her NQT year at Parkland. Earlier in the term, Miss Lucy Asquith, Mr. Conor Lloyd, and Mr. Liam Leahy also left to further their careers. We wish them all the very best for next year and beyond. We thank them for their hard work over the years. 

This half term we have also been able to complete sports days where, once again parents, carers, and family were able to celebrate with the children. The weather stayed fine and the pupils had a great time competing against and celebrating with their friends. We also opened our doors for Open Evenings so that parents and carers were able to see their child/children’s work. Something we have not been able to do for 2 years! 

There has been a change in classrooms across KS2 with all year 3 and 4 classrooms now being found downstairs and year 5 and 6 upstairs. A map of the school has been shared on Dojo to help come September, however, there will be staff on hand the first day back to help you and your child know where to go and staff photographs will be placed on the relevant entrance doors. The library has been reinstated and will be used by all pupils next term. 

The Parkland Parents’ Association put on a spectacular summer fete which raised just shy of £3,000. A big thank you to all those who helped make the event so successful. 

A special thank you to Mr. Fan who has collected money and donated the sum of £283.31 to Parkland Primary. Past donations have been used to purchase resources for playtime and we are very grateful for his continued support. 

There are a number of developments taking place in Parkland over the summer including the replacement of the original windows alongside the junior toilets and Mrs. Hughes’ classroom. The development of a Cwtch Bach to support pupils’ learning and resurfacing the football playground. 

We would like to end by saying a big thank you to you – for continuing to support our school in the way you do. We wish you a happy holiday and hope that you are able to enjoy a well-earned rest. See you in September. 

Headship Blog 27.05.2022

The summer term has been a welcome return to normality or as close to normality it has been since Marche 2020. Pupils are now mixing in their year groups indoors and there was much excitement across the school when the children were allowed to spend time in the school halls for year group assemblies and lunch times. Extra-curricular clubs have returned and lots of children have taken up the opportunity to join them. Earlier this week it was wonderful to open the school grounds to hold a friendly football match between Parkland and Hendrefoilan. The boys and girls who participated did the school proud and played brilliantly. It has been fantastic that so many parents have given consent to allow their child/children to visit local areas to enhance their learning. The school can now be flexible with its plans and make these visits according to the weather. So far pupils have visited the beach, the woods, as well as the immediate residential areas. There will be more and more opportunities in the next half term also. 

The Year 6 pupils had a fantastic residential trip to Manor Adventure in Abernant and spent 5 days there. They were able to experience many different activities and outdoor pursuits such as paddle boarding, abseiling, and fencing! The food was apparently very good and much fun was had by everyone. We are delighted that we can begin to plan such activities for the children and witness all the different skills and personalities that opportunities like this help us see. 

The extension is complete. It looks wonderful and the year 2 children are really excited about moving into their brand new classrooms for the next half term. There is a brand new quad that the pupils will be able to use as well as a contained outdoor space. 5J will also move to a classroom, previously occupied by one of the years 2 classes and we will be establishing a library and multi-functional room in the other classroom occupied by the other year 2 class. 

We are looking forward to another busy half term during which we will have sports days, meet the teacher events, year group concerts, and lots more – by the end of it we will all be ready for a well-earned break! 

Headship Blog 28.2.22 

Congratulations to everyone for reaching the end of the last half term! The pandemic has meant that it has continued to be a challenging time in school but we are pleased to report that things are getting closer to ‘normal.’ Hopefully, in the coming weeks, further restrictions will lift and the school will look more like ‘business as usual than it has done over the past 2 years.  

The last 2 half terms have been very busy as you have hopefully heard. Autumn Term 2 began with a bang – quite literally – as the whole school learned about Guy Fawkes and the Gun Powder Plot. The entire week had a creative spin and the children seemed to thoroughly enjoy their learning and were, without exception, very engaged. Activities ranged from creating models of the Houses of Parliament, Gunpowder Plot trials, collaging, green screening, creating bottle rockets, and much more besides. The week ended with an assembly during which the children’s work was shared across the school. 

Another significant event that we celebrated as a school was Christmas. The children were treated like film stars during the filming of the different concerts and all children enjoyed being back in the hall and performing on the stage. It was absolutely fantastic being able to open our gates this year to parents and carers so that each class could perform a mini outdoor performance. Each class really enjoyed performing for their family members - the rain didn’t even dampen their spirits!  It was wonderful for the children to have an audience. Thank you to all those who were able to join us for those few minutes at the end or beginning of the school day, as it meant a lot to the children to see you there and celebrate with them. 

Moving into the spring term there was much uncertainty but thankfully all pupils were able to return to school and continue as they had before. We continued to have playtimes in year groups so that children could mix and play outside with their friends from different classes. Pleasingly, we have also started to go on school trips again. Years 3 and 4 and Mrs. Hughes’ class visited Swansea Mosque and more trips are planned for the next half term. We are continuing to meet virtually every week as a school, for our whole school assemblies. During such times we have been learning about different cultures and celebrations and special events and reflecting on our school values. We are really looking forward to celebrating St David’s Day, World Book Day, and Red Nose Day in the coming weeks too.  

We would like to let you know that the school has recently purchased a number of instruments to support our music curriculum. We now have many recorders, TooTs and DooDs to compliment our growing collection of instruments. The teachers are very excited to be providing pupils the opportunity to develop their skills using these instruments. The recorders will be used in year 2, TooTs in year 3 and DooDs in year 4. Year 5 and 6 will continue to use glockenspiels, keyboards and ukuleles, but we also looking to purchase pBones, pBuzzes and brass and large stringed instruments to compliment our stock of violins. The purchasing of this equipment has been made possible by the kind donations from one of our governors who is a local councillor. This donation will also be used to purchase an outdoor structure which will be used as an outdoor classroom for a range of learning activities. We have started offering free music tuition to pupils who have chosen to play the violin and will be extending this to pupils who wish to play other instruments, following learning on the TooTs, DooDs, pBones and pBuzzes. 

We hope that you have noticed the great progress made with the building work over the last few months. The building is now watertight and electrics have been installed over half term. The building team are hoping to have the works completed by the end of March. The new spaces created are fantastic and will make wonderful new classrooms for our year 2 children.   

Please keep your eyes out for a new uniform shop and book bank that we will be setting up this half term. The uniform shop will allow parents and carers to buy used uniform which has been donated back to us. A nominal fee will be asked for these items and an honesty box will be placed alongside it. The Book Bank will be an opportunity for children to choose a book to keep – it would be great if it could work on a ‘give one, get one’ system. For example, a child will leave a book of their own before taking a book that they would like to read. We hope that this will ignite their passion for reading and see it as an exciting opportunity to explore new stories.  

We would like to end by thanking you once again for your continued support of the school and continued assistance in these challenging times. 

With very best wishes,  

Headship Team

Half term update

This half term has been a busy one and I can’t believe we’re already at the end of it. The children seem to have enjoyed returning to school and meeting their new teachers and classmates. They have settled in well and have pleased us all with their learning – they should be very proud of themselves. We are all enjoying our weekly assembly which we hold on Friday mornings through Teams. The pupils have enjoyed seeing their friends from across the school this way as well as taking part in the discussions and quizzes we have. Many of the school’s assemblies have focused on the school’s vision:

Parkland Primary is committed to everyone thriving in a safe, happy, nurturing, and stimulating environment. We believe that everyone should learn to care for and respect themselves and others and become healthy and confident. We provide rich experiences and encourage ambitious, capable, creative learners who adapt to and embrace challenges; equipping pupils for lifelong learning. Diversity is valued and celebrated and learners are supported to become ethically informed. Our curriculum reflects and responds to our learners and the community

The children have so far thought about how to be healthy, confident individuals as well as the importance of being respectful. We, of course, celebrated Harvest also. So much food was very kindly donated and the HOP Food Bank was very grateful to receive it. So, a big thank you to you all for your kind donations.

We also celebrated Shwmae Day with pupils dressed in red, white, and green and undertaking Welsh-themed learning and activities in the classrooms.

You might have noticed that we have continued to develop some of the outside areas. Hand sanitizing stations have been placed down the Dell and the small woodland area outside Mrs. Hughes’ classroom has been developed into an outside classroom. We will continue to develop the grounds as much as we can in the coming months.

The build for the new extension has begun today - 22^nd October – we can’t wait for the benefits this will bring to the school! It is very exciting and we look forward to it being completed. In the meantime, the builders have kindly agreed for the children to visit the site (from time to time) to see the progress and the type of work being completed.

They will be able to ask the builders questions and learn about the building process. Risk assessments will obviously be put in place for this to ensure the safety of everyone. New routes around the school will be established because of the building works taking place. Please see an explanation of this posted on Dojo this week.

I will end by saying that we hope you and the children have a fun and relaxing half term and look forward to seeing you all again on Tuesday, November 2^nd.

Welcome back, everyone!

We were delighted to open our gates once again and welcome the pupils and staff back to school this September. We have many exciting things in store for the coming weeks and terms and we are eager to get started.

We have a busy half term ahead of us and the staff continues to develop their skills and practice. During the September INSET days, staff completed emotion coaching training and learned about how best they can support pupils’ emotional needs as they grow and develop. We are also beginning a 3-year project with Thinking Matters this term. This project looks at developing a robust whole-school approach to metacognition. When used well metacognition and self-regulated learning can have a significant impact on pupil progress. The staff is excited and keen to begin this learning journey.

As many of you may have noticed we have materials on site needed to begin building our extension at the end of the Foundation Phase block. Unfortunately, we were unable to start this work in the summer holidays as hoped and work will now begin in October half term. Please remember that Friday and Monday on either side of half term are INSET days. It will be hugely beneficial to have all Foundation Phase pupils in one area of the school and it will also free up space within the Key Stage 2 department for a substantial and well-appointed library as well as quiet learning spaces for intervention sessions.

Whilst it is a new term many of the same restrictions that we have had in place for the last year still remain. Pupils continue to remain in class ‘bubbles’ at the moment and lunch and playtimes are staggered across the school. However, the children are now able to play with others from their year group in the yards at playtimes… hooray! We are hoping that further restrictions can be reviewed and removed in the coming weeks and that we are able to return to ‘normal’ as soon as we can. However, as ever, we will only make cautious changes when we know that it is safe to do so and follow guidance from the local authority. I would like to end by saying a big thank you to you all for, once again, complying with our requests when dropping off and collecting your children. Your support is appreciated very much.

Summer News

Parkland school has wonderful grounds and we have had a program of development to make the most of our amazing setting. The areas shared below have been developed as educational resources as well as an area for play and relaxation. Mental health and wellbeing are a priority at Parkland and spaces such as these are invaluable to all. 

The children have, of course, had their sports’ days, in their contact groups. We were very lucky with the weather and all events were able to take place as planned. Although very different from our ‘usual’ sport’s days all involved had a great time. Here are a few action shots of the various events!

Latest News 14th May 2021

School Visits and Trips

Guidance around trips and visits has relaxed a little, with us being allowed to take the children on visits, which consist of only short transport journeys. However, the specific length of travel time is not specified. As such, we will continue to make greater use of our beautiful grounds which are very accessible and used by all classes. If we decide to take the children on a visit, we will seek areas we can walk to, until the guidance becomes clearer.

Development of Outdoor Areas

We have been busy developing areas within our grounds to offer the children interesting and new experiences. We have developed puddle ponds with seating in various areas and also cut back overgrowth around an apple tree, creating a path and seating for children to sit beneath the tree. We will continue to enhance areas around the school to make the outdoors as interesting as we can.

National Tests

This year the Welsh Government has told us that we do not have to administer the national numeracy and literacy tests if we have concerns over a child's well-being. As a result, we will not be administering the tests in Parkland. As the tests are adaptive tests, we had a number of children who were upset the last time we administered them, after the tests were set online. This was because children could not get to the end of the tests as work became increasingly harder following correct answers and children were then attempting questions that were not suitable, due to their adaptive nature. As no child could complete the tests, it left a number of children feeling that they had not performed well, even though they had. Additionally, the IT skills needed by the children for the test seemed, at times, to be more crucial than the literacy and numeracy skills being tested. We have been administering our internal assessments in school this year, and these provide us a view of progression over time, which we do not feel the national tests have provided following the tests becoming online. Please be assured we never use test data to decide upon a child's provision. Teachers' daily assessments are far more rounded and current in terms of informing provision and we also use our pathways system for this, which is based on ongoing collaborative assessments between each child and their teacher.  

Transition

We will be undertaking transition activities this year, in readiness for next year. The children will be able to meet the adults working with them next year and also their classes. We are also discussing transition with our secondary colleagues and can assure you there will be transition activities taking place geared to introducing the children in Year 6 to their new routines and environments. Although activities look like they will be virtual in the main, we are aiming to arrange for the children to meet some teachers and support staff from the secondary schools in person, in a safe way. We will send more information to Year 6 parents/carers and children, as plans are developed.

Classes for Next Year

Closer to the end of the term your children’s class teacher will contact you to discuss friendships for classes next year. We are very hopeful that at some time next year we will once again be able to mix across the year groups. We have to reset the classes yearly as we cannot have the same children in the mixed-age classes each year. However, we always aim to have good, social groups in all classes, but especially the mixed-aged classes. This year I will be sending a list of teachers and the classes they will be teaching so it is clear who is teaching each class.

This week we are submitting plans to the local authority’s planning department to have a two-class extension built onto the infant building to bring the two Year 2 classes currently in the juniors back to the infant side of the school. I must stress this is still in the planning phase, but we are hopeful it can be built in the summer holiday, depending on planning approval and time scales for ordering building resources for the build. We are also planning on have three Year 5 classes and three Year 6 classes, enabling us to have smaller classes in Years 5 and 6 as we do in nursery and reception. We feel this will provide the children in Parkland with a good start in school and a positive consolidation at the end of the school, bolstering the opportunities for the children and providing the children with opportunities to achieve their best.

Handwashing

We have had a number of parents mention to us that their child/children’s hands are getting sore and dry due to the handwashing routines we have in place. We have today ordered hand soap which is bactericidal but it is unperfumed, contains an emollient and states it’s gentle to the skin.  We are also allowing the children to put the anti-bacterial hand gel on the palms of their hands if they have sore, dry skins on the top of their hands.

InSET Days

There are three InSET days left:

Monday, June 7^th

Thursday, July 15^th  

Friday, July 16^th

Eid

Finally, I would like to wish a happy Eid to all of our friends in the Parkland family who celebrate Eid. I hope you have had a wonderful time.

Latest News March 2021

School reopening to FPh pupils: 

It was an absolute pleasure opening our doors again to our Foundation Phase pupils at that the start of this half term. All the children looked extremely happy to be back and were delighted to see their friends. The children were fantastic and remembered all the rules to help them stay safe in school. They have been busy since they have returned and making the most of the finer weather we have been having. 

St David’s Day: 

Despite not being able to celebrate St David’s Day in the usual fashion we still tried to celebrate in style. The Foundation Phase pupils all dressed up and took part in St David’s Day activities throughout the day including a socially distanced twmpath on the infant yard. It was great to see the pupils all joining in with others to celebrate plus the sun came out too! If you have not seen this then make sure you check it out on the school’s Twitter feed @ParklandPrimary.  

Although the Key Stage 2 children were not in school they also celebrated during their live daily sessions and dressed up. Online competitions ran across the school which included photography, music, art and many more. The quality of the entries this year were outstanding and can also be seen on the school’s Twitter feed – make sure to take a look. 

World Book Day:

March 4th was World Book Day and the children and staff dressed up, or wore non uniform to celebrate. A range of book related activities took place across the school, for foundation phase in school, and at home for key stage two, who were still undertaking distanced learning. Activities across the school included making book marks, The Masked Reader, extreme read and a kahoot quiz.  

School reopening to Key Stage 2 pupils: 

On Monday 15^th March we reopened the doors to all our pupils from Year 3 to Year 6. Once again, it was fantastic to see all the children return with big smiles on their faces as they were really excited to see their friends once more. Once again they have been busy making up for lost time and taking part in many creative and curriculum immersion activities, such as the year 5 and 6 Celtic life day the children participated in, using our outdoors. We are, as always, extremely proud of how all the children have conducted themselves these past few weeks and how well they have coped with the transition back to school life. 

Red Nose Day: 

On Friday 19^th March the school celebrated Red Nose Day with school council members organising a range of fun activities for all pupils to be involved in and prizes to be won! In Foundation Phase there was a competition to design a super hero red nose and pupils were able to dress up as a superhero or wore something red. In Key Stage 2 pupils took part in a Red Nose Day themed quiz. All classes met virtually online and competed with one another. Well done to 5L, 3/4M and 3P for coming in the top 3. All the children really loved this and asked if they could do more so… watch this space. Finally, each class shared their favourite joke for some much needed fun – these can be found on the school’s Dojo and Twitter accounts. 

The school helped raise money for Red Nose Day as well as collecting food from families to give to the local foodbank – thank you for all your many generous donations. 

Miss Ali is leaving: 

Miss Ali is getting married! Whilst we are very excited for Miss Ali we are also a little sad as it, unfortunately, means that Miss Ali will be leaving Parkland Primary School. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Miss Ali for all that she has done and contributed to over the past 2 years whilst she has been with us. She has been a fantastic member of staff and is extremely dedicated and committed. We will be very sorry to see Miss Ali go but we wish her the very best and we are excited for her and look forward to seeing what her future holds and hearing about it. 

Easter Parade: 

We had our socially distanced Easter Parade on Wednesday March 24th. Al the foundation phase children made or decorated something to wear on their heads and then paraded around the junior yard, in their contact groups. The junior children were a wonderful audience, watching and waving from either their classroom windows or just outside their classrooms or from areas on the football yard. The infant children marched around the yard to the song Easter Parade. They looked very proud indeed.  We planned to live stream it to Twitter, but unfortunately the wifi signal let us down. We have recorded it and will upload the recording on Twitter for all to see. 

Parents/Carers Questionnaire Responses:

Thank you to those of you who completed our questionnaire relating to the development of Parkland Primary School’s vision. There have been insightful observations and very useful suggestions which we will now follow up, look into and then provide feedback upon how we have used the information. I can honestly say there was information and ideas included in the responses which we were not aware of and had not considered and this information will be used to further help us strengthen what we do in Parkland to benefit the children.

Easter Holidays: 

All in Parkland wish you a very well earned break over Easter, if you are working, we hope all runs smoothly for you. We will see you back in school on Monday April 12th. 

PARKLAND REOPENING

 26th June 2020  Felicity P

Good evening,

We are very much looking forward to opening our doors once again on Monday 29th June and seeing the pupils once more. Many preparations have been made to ensure the site, staff, pupils and parents are ready. We will continue to support those pupils who are not returning just yet with distance learning activities also.

We thought it might be useful to parents to have all the information that has been sent out these past few weeks in one place. Please find below correspondence sent out regarding reopening:

Digital media shared from Parkland Primary:

Reopening Parkland Video: 

https://www.j2e.com/parkland-primary-school2/FelicityP/Reopening/Reopening+Parkland.mp4

Reopening Parkland Parent Information Pack:

https://spark.adobe.com/page/Q8c31H3SjjB4A/

Playtimes at Parkland Video: 

https://www.j2e.com/parkland-primary-school2/FelicityP/Reopening/Playtimes+at+Parkland.mp4