Dear Parents and Carers
It has been a pleasure to welcome our pupils to school this week and I have been very pleased with the start to the new school year so many have made. Our new pupils are settling well, and it has been lovely to welcome back our older pupils. Please find attached 2022/2023 key dates for your diary including parents evenings, INSET days and school term dates.
Thank you for your support in ensuring high uniform and punctuality standards. Nearly all pupils are dressed correctly and smartly in their full school uniform. Thank you to those of you who have donated good quality, second hand school uniform items to the school. We welcome all donations (please leave these in reception), as we wish to keep a good stock which our pupils can swap, borrow or take. Attendance and punctuality has also been good in all year groups. Your support in ensuring excellent attendance, punctuality and uniform standards throughout the school year is appreciated.
We have further expanded our Pupil Wellbeing and Support Team, providing expert wellbeing, mental health and behaviour support for pupils across our school. This team is led by Mr Harrison, Assistant Headteacher KS4/5 who is also our Safeguarding Officer, and Mr Dickinson, Assistant Headteacher KS3 who is our Deputy Safeguarding Officer. You will find a full staff list on our school website, including Heads of Year and Department Teams. Your child’s form tutor or Head of Year will often be your first point of contact, and please do not hesitate to be in contact with them as and when you wish too.
If you think your child may qualify for free school meals, please complete a CCBC online application https://www.caerphilly.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals. Free school meals can be applied for for children in Years 7-13. If you are already claiming free school meals for your child, you do not need to reapply each year. Children in Y7-Y11 who qualify for a free school meal also qualify for a grant to help with school uniform, school visit costs, and equipment purchases. In year 7 this grant is £300, and in years 8-11 it is £225. Information regarding this grant (Pupil Development Grant PDG Access) can also be found on the link above. If you would like any assistance with your application, please contact your child’s Head of Year or one of our Pupil Support Team who will be happy to help.
We are keen to further develop and expand our range of after school clubs and activities this year and we would welcome your ideas. If you have a suggestion for an after-school activity, or the name of a provider you would recommend for consideration, please let your child’s Head of Year know. Our Pupil Senedd will contribute to these discussions, and applications to be a member of our Pupil Senedd will open soon.
As you know, we expect all to Aspire and Achieve here at St Cenydd. We have started the school year by talking to all pupils about the small and positive choices they make each day with regard to our one, simple school rule – Ready, Respect, Safe i.e. pupils should be ready to learn by arriving on time, with the right equipment and positively contributing to their learning; pupils should show respect for themselves, others and their environment; pupils should be safe and behaving in a sensible manner.
Thank you for your continued support.
Yours sincerely
Miss Collins
Headteacher
