Each year, depending on the weather we review the wearing of PE kit as a summer uniform. In response to weather reports we will be allowing all pupils to wear PE kit to school after the Easter Holiday.
I would like to be clear that pupils in have two options only. To wear normal school uniform or to wear normal PE kit. Inappropriate garments such as Crocs, hotpants and normal sportswear will not be permitted, and my team will be contacting home where pupils do not respect our policy. Our full uniform requirements are set out in full here: https://bit.ly/YBBUniform
If pupils do not have the correct PE kit, then they must wear their normal school uniform.
I would ask that Year 11 continue to wear uniform to their formal examinations which begin in May. The examination hall has air conditioning.
We hope this compromise to our uniform policy will support pupils to be more comfortable in class without compromising our expectations for high standards.
As you know from our previous letter in October 2024, the Year 11 End of Year Celebration Evening is on Tuesday the 24th of June 2025. Full details below:
The School Nursing Team will be visiting school soon to deliver the HPV Vaccination to all eligible year 8 pupils.
There will be pupils who have missed their vaccination in previous years. We may have consent forms for these pupils, in Years 9- 11, and these pupils will be called on the day of the session at school. At the same session, we will be offering the MMR Vaccination to all pupils who have missed a dose, from year 7-11.
Documents, consent and further information can be found in the documents below:
The SEND project consists of psychoeducational courses for young people, parents and carers, as well as siblings of young people who have been on the ND assessment waiting list for over 12 months. (e.g. ASD/ADHD).
Mr A. D. Thomas the director of education has written to all parents to stress the importance of good attendance and the support on offer to help improve attendance.
Welcome to the final update of 2024!! I would like to thank all pupils, staff, parents and carers and governors for their continued support throughout 2024. I hope whatever you have planned over the next two weeks, you are able to relax and a have a fabulous time.
Just a few reminders:
Monday 6th January is a designated INSET Day for staff so all pupils will return to school on Tuesday 7th January 2025.
Please ensure that pupils attend school as much as possible and are punctual. There have been improvements in both these areas during 2024 which we very much appreciate but attendance remains below pre-COVID figures still. Welsh Government guidance means that any pupil with less than 90% attendance is classed as being a persistent absentee. The school and Education Attendance Service will continue to work closely with pupils and families in 2025. Pupils must also adhere to the school uniform policy which can be accessed via the school website.
I also need to bring to your attention an increase in the price of the set meal from the start of the Spring Term from £2.90 to £3.00. We always endeavour to keep prices as low as possible, however in light of continued increases in food costs, we have had to increase the set meal along with a small increase to menu choice options. These will be available to view via the school website.
On Tuesday 10th December pupils in year 10 who have completed all their sections for their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award were invited to the Princess Royal Theatre to be presented with their badges and certificates. Pupils have successfully completed 6 months of volunteering, physical activity and developing a skill. The group completed a practice expedition in Margam Park before their final expedition around the Gower in the summer term. Congratulations to everyone on your achievement!
CyberFirst Girls Competition
Four girls from 8JLE took part in the The CyberFirst Girls Competition which aims to inspire girls interested in technology to pursue a career in cyber security. Girls worked together as a team in school as well as at home for 5 days straight. Girls have done really well in the competition scoring over 4500 points! Even though they didn’t make it to the semi-finals, the girls have still learnt plenty of new skills. When the competition concluded, two of the pupils decided to apply for the Digital Leaders recognition within the school with success.
Top of the Bench Chemistry Competition Swansea University 2024
Two mixed teams of year 8 to year 11 pupils attended Swansea University on Thursday December the 12th to take part in the prestigious ‘Top of the Bench’ Chemistry Competition. The event involved competing in a Kahoot quiz against pupils in the same year group from other schools. This was followed by a team practical activity in the lab using indicators and titration method. Both teams did fantastically well in the Kahoot’s quizzes! We gained 4 podiums; Samuel Gibbon and Dylan Jarvis each taking 3rd place, Tanisha Hussain 2nd place, and Maisie-Kate Rowland gaining 1st place in year 10 out of 61 teams!
Both teams gained maximum points for safety in the lab, and displayed excellent teamwork and practical skills throughout the lab session!
Students Participate in the National GCHQ Christmas Challenge 2024
This holiday season, students from Year 7 to Year 11 took part in the national GCHQ Christmas Challenge 2024. The competition featured seven tricky puzzles designed to test the students’ problem-solving and teamwork skills. Both students (and some of our staff) enjoyed working together to solve each puzzle, aiming to uncover the final Christmas message. The challenge was a great way for everyone to engage and have fun during the festive period. One of our Year 11 teams stood out by completing all the codes and revealing the message in an impressive time of just 1 hour and 49 minutes! Their quick thinking and collaboration made them the fastest team, achieving something many thought would be near impossible. Congratulations to the Year 11 students for their outstanding performance! Well done to all the participants for their hard work and enthusiasm in making this year’s challenge a success.
Yr Ysgol Ganol/Middle School
Year 7&8 have been working hard in preparation for Christmas. There have been lots of fun activities such as Christmas Jumper day and a 2 km Christmas Fun Run for year 8 in order to raise funds for charity. 6 pupils each from Year 7&8 were invited for their half termly Hot Chocolate with the Headteacher in order to acknowledge the hard work and effort they consistently put in. Well done to those! Finally, as the last week of term approaches, there will be an awards assembly to celebrate a number of achievements across the year groups and many pupils will be invited to watch a Christmas film as a reward for their efforts this term.
Huge well done to year 8 for running their Christmas Charity Run in aid of the eye cancer charity CHECT today, great effort by all in raising money for this deserving cause.
Christmas Netball
A lot of fun was had in the Christmas Netball competition
THIS WEEK
As far as the last week of term is concerned, throughout the week there are activities planned for different year groups. When these activities are not going ahead there will be normal timetable with normal lessons as far as possible, but teachers will also be responding to the level of attendance in a class.
Art Department Non-Examination Assessments
This week our Year 11 pupils who are studying GCSE Art, Photography and or Textiles will be completing their final non examination assessments. This will provide them with the opportunity to complete all work to the highest possible standard before starting the examination Unit in January. The timetable for this is:
Monday Dec 16th
11A Art AJH EA7 8:55 – 14:55 11B Art DNO EA6 8:55 – 14:55
Please click on the link to access a letter regarding information about the Year 9 Option process at YBB. Letter Mr Williams has already spoken to pupils in their individual classes.
I will write again to parents and carers later in the week to provide some important information/reminders for the start of the Spring Term 2025. Remember that Monday 6th January is an INSET Day for staff and all pupils will return to school on Tuesday 7th January.
Throughout the week next week flu vaccinations will take place for secondary phase pupils.
The Patient Information Leaflet is included below and can be downloaded.
If your child has asthma & been unwell with a wheeze or has had to use inhalers more often in the last 72hrs &/or they have needed oral steroids in the past 2 weeks, then you need to notify the School Nurse on SBU.schoolnursing@wales.nhs.uk or 01639 862801”
WAW! Am ymateb i’n hymgyrch Mr X 2024. Diolch o galon i bawb sydd wedi cyfrannu eleni, mae’r nifer o anrhegion yn anhygoel. Mae ein cymuned ysgol wedi bod yn garedig iawn wrth ddarparu’r anrhegion i rhai sydd angen dros yr ardal. Llongyfarchiadau enfawr i’n cyd-lynydd Miss Preedy am ymgyrch hynod o lwyddiannus unwaith eto eleni! What a response to our Mr X 2024 appeal. Heartfelt thanks to all who contributed, the number of presents is amazing. Our school community have been extremely generous in providing these presents to those in need across the area. Huge congratulations to our co-ordinator, Miss Preedy, on a hugely successful campaign once again this year!
Braf iawn oedd croesawu AS Aberafan David Rees i’r ysgol heddiw am sesiwn holi ac ateb gyda grwp o ddisgyblion blwyddyn 7,8,9 a 10. Roedd ein disgyblion yn wych wrth ofyn cwestiynau aeddfed a phwysig. It was lovely to welcome AM for Aberafan David Rees to school today for a Q&A session with group of our year 7,8,9 and 10 pupils. Our pupils were great, asking important and mature questions.
Diolch yn fawr i Mr Wallace am gynnal proses detholi ardderchog ar gyfer ein Harweinydd Digidol newydd. Edrychwn ymlaen yn fawr at weld y grwp yn datblygu sgiliau TGCh disgyblion, staff a rhieni. Huge thanks to Mr Wallace for holding an excellent selection process for our new Digital Leaders. We are looking forward to seeing the group developing the ICT skills of pupils, staff and parents.
Rydym hynod o falch ar ol derbyn y Wobr Arian Siarter Iaith heddiw! Llongyfarchiadau enfawr i’n disgyblion, staff, corff llywodraethu, rhieni a’n partneriaid cymunedol, diolch yn fawr i Mr Rhys Locke am ei ymweliad dilysu hynod o gadarnhaol. We are exceptionally proud after receiving the Welsh Language Charter Silver Award today. Huge congratulations to our pupils, staff. parents and community partners. Diolch yn fawr to Mr Rhys Locke for his extremely positive validation visit.
Hyfryd iawn oedd gweld disgyblion a chyn ddisgyblion Ysgol Bae Baglan yn serennu yng Ngwyl Shakespeare yn Neuadd Gwyn, Castell Nedd ar y penwythnos. Da iawn i Mrs Helen John am ei gwaith anhygoel gyda’r grwp. It was lovely to see past and present Ysgol Bae Baglan pupils starring in the Shakespeare Festival at the Gwyn Hall, Neath on the weekend. Well done to Mrs John on her amazing work with the group.
The whole school came together to hold a very special Remembrance Service on Tuesday. Our pupils were respectful and dignified in supporting the service and some played significant roles in the event. It was lovely to welcome S4C to the school and there was a fabulous bulletin of our service on Heno Tuesday evening
Blwyddyn 8/Year 8
This week has marked Armistice Day and in order to support the Royal British Legion Mrs Challenger’s form have been busy selling poppies. Pupils and staff have been very giving and we are able to make a generous donation to the charity.
This week’s Seren Yr Wythnos has been awarded to Alana Hughes and Lily Collins both of 8ACH. This is due to their ongoing dedication in promoting the Welsh language across the school! Well done girls. Finally, Year 8 are still busy collecting for our annual Mr X Appeal and we would greatly appreciate any donations of gifts via your child’s form tutor if you are able to.
Huge congratulations to our Criw Cymraeg who won the Neath Port Talbot Schools Dragon’s Den competition. They won a prize of £1000 to spend on developing the use of Welsh across our school and local community. Their bilingual presentation was very professional, highlighting their obvious passion for our language. Many thanks to Miss Holland, Mrs Thomas and all staff for their support to the crew.
Blwyddyn 7
SerenYr Wythnos: Llongyfarchiadau i Livie Davies for her excellent animal cell homework made entirely out of cake and Riley Parker for excellent efforts in History.
Cystadleuaeth Ffotograffiaeth Eisteddfod Y Cymoedd Photography Competition
Huge congratulations to Ceirion in class 7MLA who recently won the Year 7-13 photography competition at the Valleys Eisteddfod in Caerphilly.
12 pupils attended a SEREN event in Bro Dur on Wednesday 13th November which was a preparation day for the NPT debating competition. All pupils thoroughly enjoyed and can’t wait to start working on their debating technique in preparation for Januarys competition.
Children In Need 2024
The whole school came together last Friday to help raise money for the annual Children in Need campaign. There were a variety of activities including wearing non-uniform and stalls and activities at lunchtime. We managed to raise over £1,500 which is a tremendous effort. A big thank you in particular to Miss Jenkins and the Year 11 Leaders who worked so hard to make it a successful day.
YBB Garden
As the seasons change, it is lovely to see the success of the gardening completed over the last few months. We have used the money raised to plant over 200 daffodils and we have had great results from the gardening completed during work experience week. A big thank you to 11JMA and who completed a lot of hard work this autumn and HEAT who fundraised in the summer.
Sports Results (week beginning 11th -15th Nov)
Tues 12th – Year 7 Boys rugby development festival – Won 2/Lost 2
Year 9 Netball v Maesteg – Won
Year 11 Netball v Maesteg -Won
Year 8 boys football v St.Josephs – Won
Year 10 boys football v St Josephs – Won
Year 9/10 Girls Basketball Tournament (Won 2/Lost 1 – County Runners-Up)
Weds 13th – Year 7 boys rugby v Llangatwg – Lost
Thurs 14th – Year 7 girls rugby festival – Won (Unbeaten)
This Week
On Thursday 21st November, the school’s Christmas Celebration returns!! It will be held in the atrium area between 4-7 p.m. All are welcome.
