Headteacher’s Update – 10th February 2025

Events This Term

As we begin the new year, we have lots of our partners visiting lessons offering their specialist knowledge of various topics to keep our community healthy and safe. Year 7 currently have a visitor from the NPT Youth Service talking about body parts, year 9 had a very informative presentation from NPT Road Safety and year 8 have the Fire and Rescue Service. We encourage pupils to share their learning with those they live with, the photo below includes a phone number for a free safety check and smoke alarm from the Fire and Rescue Service.

Year 10 personal wellbeing classes have been undertaking workshops with Barclays Life Skills, exploring personal strengths for employment, that can guide successful career choices, understanding behaviours for work, positive workplace communication, building a positive online reputation and growth mindset.

Years 9, 10 and 11 have had assemblies from British Transport Police on all aspects of safety on the railways (Yrs 7 and 8 will have this next week).

Year 9: 12 pupils attended a Swansea.com Stadium tour to celebrate their success on the Swansea City Foundation project they have recently completed.

Upper school have had visitors into assemblies to talk about Child Mental Health awareness.

We have had visitors in from Mathematics Support Programme Wales. 7SGO learnt about codes and ciphers and 7AHA made a trihexaflexagon!

Some of our pupils’ photography work is currently on display at the Queen Street Art Gallery in Neath, showcasing the incredible creativity and talent of our pupils. The exhibited pieces were produced following a photo shoot trip to Swansea. Back in the art room, they transformed these photographs into stunning digital collages, combining technical skill with artistic vision.

Year 10/11 Girls took part in the county round of the Anne Smart Netball Tournament, played exceptionally well against tough opposition.

Esport Wales

We held an Esports Wales event in school on Thursday 6^th February, where we invited all NPT schools to attend for year 10 pupils. Pupils spent 90 minutes listening to how Esports can be a career they can go into. They also designed a logo that could be placed the chest of an Esports player. Pupils then spent 90 minutes moving around different game consoles (new and retro) to show how playing computer games can be a sport and how it can be used to be a career.

The Welsh Secondary Schools WRU/Hwb esports league has started with pupils for 8JLE representing the school in it. The “YBB Wolf Pack” have played 3 matches so far, taking on Brynteg, Cwmbran High and West Monmouth, and have come away victorious in all their matches. The matches take the form of a Minecraft build competition, a 30 minute build time on a given a theme. Each match is judged by a representative from either Hwb, WRU, Esports Wales or Minecraft Education. Points are awarded on the build’s creativity and incorporated elements, as well as a commentary from an assigned team member (bringing oracy into it). We are hoping that we will qualify and get the opportunity to attend the finals in Cardiff next term.

Visit by 160 (Cymru) Brigade Engagement Team

On Monday 3^rd February we welcomed members of the 160 (Cymru) Brigade Engagement Team into school to deliver a Careers in the Army assembly for year 10. Many thanks to our guests for an excellent presentation, really engaging our pupils as reflected in the Q&A session following the brief. We look forward to further collaboration in school and at outdoor training locations during the spring and summer. Diolch yn fawr to Mrs Abby Challenger, our School Service Champion, for her tireless work in supporting our service children across the school.

Pupils have been busy all week trying to help free Mistar Urdd. In order to free him they have undertaken lots of puzzles about Wales and Welshness to retrieve a code. The four rooms were booked up all week with year 7, over 100 pupils took part. We hope to offer it again during St David’s week to year 8. Diolch i’r Criw Cymraeg for running the rooms.

Dydd Miwsig Cymru/Welsh Music Day

The school community enjoyed a week of celebrating Welsh music with song of the day being sent out from our Criw Cymraeg and a fantastic day in school on Friday. Huge thanks to Miss Kate Bayliss from the Neath Port Talbot Music Service for amazing Welsh harp performances in our lower and middle school gigs and additionally for the workshop carried out with our Lower School Criw Cymraeg.

Diolch yn fawr iawn to Mr James Hamm for entertaining our pupils with a mix of rock and pop songs in Welsh. Diolch yn fawr to our Head of Music, Mr Sean Lewis, for co-ordinating our celebrations.

Ysgol Bae Baglan Cluster Eisteddfod

We had the real pleasure of welcoming pupils and staff from our feeder schools for the inaugural Ysgol Bae Baglan Eisteddfod on Wednesday. It was a lovely event, celebrating our language, history and culture with fabulous recitation, singing and instrumental performances from the pupils. Congratulations to Ysgol Baglan and Ysgol Blaenbaglan, joint winners for 2025. Diolch yn fawr to our primary school staff for all the hard work in preparing the pupils, to Mrs Mel Harries for co-ordinating the event, to our amazing year 7 pupils for running the Eisteddfod in Welsh and to our judges on the day, Mr Rhys Locke and Mr Sean Lewis.

Eisteddfod Caerdydd/Cardiff Eisteddfod

33 pupils from across year 7-11 travelled across to Ysgol Glantaf to compete in Eisteddfod Caerdydd 2025 on Friday evening. They enjoyed a very successful evening and another fabulous opportunity to use and hear Welsh in an authentic context. Our pupils competed in individual and group recitation competitions on stage and Welsh literacy competitions off stage. Diolch yn fawr iawn to Mrs Mel Harries for training up the group and providing another fabulous experience for our pupils.