YSGOL GYFUN GYMRAEG BRYN TAWE

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE

GOVERNING BODY TO

PARENTS

SUMMARY REPORT

Autumn Term 2013

CONTENTS PAGE

1. Welcome from the Chair of the Governing Body. 2. List of the members of the Governing Body. 3. Summary of the school budget 2012-13. 4. Results of examinations and assessments of pupils in years 9, 11 and 13. 5. Pupil attendance over the past year 2012-13. 6. Sport and extra-curricular activities. 7. Dates of Parents' Evening 2013-14. 8. Holiday and Term Dates 2013-14

A COPY OF THE FULL REPORT IS AVAILABLE TO ALL PARENTS FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE

Dear Parent/Guardian Once again the school has enjoyed one of its best years. Thanks to all who prepared so well

for the Estyn Inspection: the excellence of the school was recognised.

This followed placing the school at the top of the Government’s scoring system for Wales’

schools. Although this system has many inadequacies, it was a pleasure to receive the

honour of being the best school in Wales

We are looking forward to seeing the school continue in Band One this year. The

examination results have again been good.

Many of the school’s achievements are noted in this report, and it is a pleasure to witness

the feats of our students in many fields. The schools offers them a full education, with a

wealth of activities outside the class. Thanks are due to the staff for going the extra mile.

Parents have a more important role than the school, and we take admire the school’s

parents for giving their children every opportunity to make the best use of their talents.

We also take pleasure in hearing pupils using Welsh in school and outside school. The

school on its own cannot guarantee the high standards of its pupils, and their use of the

Welsh language.

Eventually, it is the use of Welsh in the home that will safeguard the Welsh language: so do

use your Welsh whenever you can, even if you only have a little knowledge.

The primary schools feeding the school are still growing, and we look forward to continuing a

creative partnership with them.

I would also like to thank my co-governors, who give of their time freely for the benefit of the

pupils. It was extremely sad to lose our vice-chairman, Wyn Jones, who had served the

school well for many years.

Heini Gruffudd (Cadeirydd)

COMPOSITION OF THE GOVERNING BODY 2012-2013

Chair of Governors: Mr Heini Gruffudd c/o Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bryn Tawe Heol Gwyrosydd Penlan Swansea SA5 7BU

01792 560600

Clerk to the Governors: Mrs Eirian Leonard

Enw Status End date

Mr Heini Gruffudd CO 03/11/2015

Mrs Sarah East CO 22/11/2015

Mrs Davida Lewis CO 03/11/2015

Mr Dewi Tomos CO 04/10/2015

Mrs Sarah Lynn CO 06/11/2016

Cllr Mitchell Theaker LEA 01/11/2016

Vacancy

Cllr Geraint Owen LEA 10/12/2016

Rev. Eirian Wyn LEA 01/10/2015

Mr John James LEA 01/10/2015

Mrs Jan Reynolds PARENT 04/10/2015

Mr Gwyn Thomas PARENT 15/11/2013

Mrs Helen Gibson PARENT 04/10/2015 finished April 2013

Mrs Jayne Lewis PARENT 04/10/2015

Mrs Eryl Maunder PARENT 04/10/2015 finished April 2013

Mr Wyn Jones PARENT 04/10/2015 * deceased

Mr Ian Rees Staff 01/10/2015

Mrs Nerys Vaughan Teacher 01/10/2016

Mr Peter Lloyd Teacher 06/02/2015

Mr Graham Daniels Head teacher -

Mrs Eirian Leonard Clerk -

SUMMARY OF THE SCHOOL'S BUDGET FOR 2012-13

OPENING BALANCE 01/04/2012 207,617 (X)

EXPENDITURE

STAFFING 2,950,842

BUILDINGS 264,568

GOODS AND SERVICES 66,389

CURRICULUM 268,697

EXAMS 94,961

TRANSPORT 42,383

RATES 31,418

SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT 139,984

TOTAL EXPENDITURE 3,859,242 (Y)

INCOME

FINANCE 3,432,782

GRANTS 281,168

OTHER INCOME (including BAC money) 116,680

TOTAL INCOME 3,830,630 (Z)

RESERVES 12/13 179,005 (X) + (Z) - (Y)

No mileage or maintenance costs were claimed by members of the Governing Body. The Governors are grateful to the school for the provision of light refreshments including tea/coffee and biscuits for the Governing Body meetings. We would also like to thank the PTA for their tireless and regular work in raising money for school resources.

EXTERNAL EXAMINATIONS 2013 The Governors wish to congratulate the pupils and staff at the school on their achievements once again this year in the external examinations. GCSE

% of pupils who were awarded 5 or more GCSE grades

A* - C A* - G

Bryn Tawe 2013 93 99

Bryn Tawe 2012 93 100

Bryn Tawe 2011 77 100

Swansea 2013 79 94

Wales 2013 77 93

% of pupils who were awarded 5 or more GCSE grades including Mathematics and Welsh or English

Wider average point score for each pupil (the 8 best results)

% of pupils who attained the Core Subject Indicator (at least a C grade in Welsh or English, Mathematics and Science)

Bryn Tawe 2013

69 366 56

Bryn Tawe 2012

79 370 73

Bryn Tawe 2011

59 339 57

Swansea 2013

55 338 52

Wales 2013 52 331 48

A LEVELS

% of pupils registered for 2 or more subjects and who were awarded 2 or more Advanced Levels

A* - C A* - E

Bryn Tawe 2013 65 97

Bryn Tawe 2012 78 100

Bryn Tawe 2011 76 96

Comparative figures with Swansea 2013 - A* - C 75%. Wales 2013 A* - E 98.4% Percentage of the cohort that received an offer of Higher Education who received a place: Bryn Tawe 2013: 100 %

END OF KEY STAGE 3 YEAR 9 ASSESSMENTS 2013 In order to attain the Core Subject Indicator, pupils need to attain at least a level 5 in Mathematics, Science and either Welsh (first language) or English.

Percentage of pupils who attain KS3 Core Subject Indicator

Bryn Tawe 2013 % Swansea 2013 % Wales 2013 %

85.3 76.5 77.0

GCSE

Subject Number of entrants % A* -C

Welsh Language 121 87.7

Welsh Literature 111 77.5

English Language 121 66.4

English Literature 118 65.3

Mathematics 122 71.3

Science 122 71.3

Physical Ed 35 65.7

Religious Ed 28 57.0

German 5 100

Catering 18 77.8

Business Studies 22 100

Media Studies 10 80.0

Art 29 86.2

Music 13 84.6

Geography 22 86.4

Dance 8 75.0

Drama 25 88.0

Resistance DT 15 60.0

Textiles DT 7 85.7

Electronics 11 100

French 20 100

Leisure & Tourism 8 100

History 46 76.1

Health and Care 11 63.6

Spanish 13 100

ICT 37 29.7

BTEC RESULTS

Subject Number of entrants

% Merit/Passed

% of certificates in

the unit

Sports 5 100 0

Child Development 16 94 6

Public Service 13 92 8

PRE-VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATION

Subject Number of entrants

% attaining the qualification

Building 8 73

AS LEVEL

Number of Grades

Subject A B C D E U

Physical Education 0 1 1 1 0 0

Religious Studies 0 1 0 0 2 0

Media Studies 0 1 0 1 3 0

Biology 1 2 1 3 5 5

Applied Business 1 3 3 3 1 0

Art and Design 1 2 1 0 0 0

Chemistry 2 4 4 3 1 3

Music 1 0 0 1 1 0

Welsh 5 3 5 3 0 0

Geography 2 1 3 1 0 1

Drama 2 5 0 0 0 0

Product Design DT 0 0 0 0 0 1

Electronics 1 1 2 4 1 0

Physics 2 0 0 3 1 2

Politics 2 2 0 1 0 1

History 1 7 2 0 0 1

Mathematics 3 5 1 1 6 9

English Language 1 0 0 3 4 1

English Literature 3 0 3 1 1 1

Psychology 0 1 2 0 0 4

Applied ICT 0 0 2 2 2 0

Law 0 0 0 0 1 3

A LEVEL

Number of Grades

Subject A* A B C D E U

Physical Education 1 0 2 1 2 0 0

Business Studies 0 0 0 2 0 0 0

Religious Studies 0 0 1 2 2 0 0

Biology 0 0 1 3 2 0 0

Art and Design 0 1 2 1 1 0 0

Chemistry 0 0 1 2 1 0 0

Music 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

Welsh 0 0 4 2 3 0 0

Geography 1 2 0 0 0 0 0

Drama 0 1 1 1 0 0 0

Product Design DT 0 0 1 2 1 0 1

Electronics 1 1 1 1 0 0 0

Physics 0 0 2 1 1 0 0

Politics 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

History 0 1 1 2 0 0 0

Mathematics 0 1 2 1 4 1 1

English Language 0 0 1 2 2 1 1

English Literature 1 2 2 1 1 0 0

Psychology 1 0 0 3 1 1 0

Music Technology 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

Applied ICT 0 0 0 1 0 1 1

Law 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

WELSH BACCALAUREATE QUALIFICATION

Number of entrants % who attained the diploma

Higher Level 36 94

Two pupils failed the BAC as they failed to achieve the level 3 threshold BTEC RESULTS

Subject Number of entrants

% Praise / Achieved

% unit certificate

Sport Level 3 1 100 0

Child Care Level 3 3 100 0

Public Service Level 3 5 100 0

Public Service Level 2 Diploma

1 100 0

Engineering Level 3 2 100 0

NATIONAL CURRICULUM ASSESSMENT RESULTS KEY STAGE 3 AT THE END OF YEAR 9 - 2013 % of pupils attaining level 5 or above

Bryn Tawe 2013 Swansea 2013 Wales 2013

Welsh 89.2 87.6 87.6

English 89.9 82.3 82.9

Mathematics 88.4 82.4 83.9

Science 92.3 85.9 87.0

SCHOOL TARGETS Key Stage 3 % of pupils attaining level 5 or above

Targets Outcomes Future Targets

2013 2013 2014 2015

Welsh 83 89 93 93

English 83 90 92 92

Mathematics 81 88 92 92

Science 83 92 93 93

Core Subject Indicator 73 85 85 86

Difference between the boys and girls in the Core Subject Indicator

-5 1.7 -2 -2

Key Stage 4 - GCSE

% of pupils 15 years old

Targets Outcomes Future Targets

2013 2013 2014 2015

Attaining at least 5 A* - C grades 78 93 83 84

Attaining at least 5 A* - G grades including language/mathematics

62 69 70 71

Attaining at least 5 A* - G grades 97 99 99 99

Core Subject Indicator - each pupil 58 56 68 69

Difference between the boys and girls in the Core Subject Indicator

-5 -6.9 -5 -5

(The KS4 Core Subject Indicator is attaining grade ‘C’ or above in Mathematics, Science and either first language Welsh or English.) ATTENDANCE Number of pupils on the register January 2013 – Yrs. 7 -13 = 745

Attendance %

Authorised Absences % Unauthorised Leave of Absence %

Yr 7 94.5 5.4 0

Yr 8 93.65 6.25 0.1

Yr 9 92.65 6.8 0.4

Yr 10 94.5 5.35 0.1

Yr 11 91.55 7.5 0.65

Attendance %

Authorised Absences % Unauthorised Leave of Absence %

Whole School 93.3 6.25 0.25

Swansea 92.30 7.7 1.1

Wales 92.63 7.4 1.3

School's attendance target: 94% EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT The governors are extremely pleased to see the variety of extra-curricular activities provided by staff for the pupils and they are proud of the achievements in sport, eisteddfodau, concerts, competitions, humanitarian campaigns and many other areas. Warm congratulations to all the pupils for their achievements and a special thank you to the staff for their continued efforts to ensure such a rich extra-curricular curriculum is provided. Here are some examples of the achievements during the year:

As usual, a Chairing Ceremony was held to celebrate the

first of March. Congratulations to Sioned Dafydd who won

the chair and to the other winners from each year in the

poetry and prose competitions.

Congratulations to the ‘Clwb

Cywaith’ that won the first

prize in the Urdd Eisteddfod

this year.

It was lovely to welcome several authors to the school

during the year - Gwenno Hughes, Catrin Dafydd and

Caryl Lewis. Pupils from various years had the opportunity

to ask questions and to learn more about their work. T.

Llew Jones Day was also celebrated. I wonder if future

authors were inspired?

Junior and Senior Recitation

Groups were formed for the Urdd

Eisteddfod. Congratulations to the

Senior Group for reaching the

final round!

Our 'Tafodau Tawe' Club (our Letter

Club) went ten pin bowling and

enjoyed a pizza before Christmas

and they invited Ysgol Pantycelyn to

visit us in the Summer to see our

school and to enjoy another pizza!

World Book Day was

celebrated by creating a

DVD of the staff

discussing their favourite

books, holding a World

Book Day assembly, Tŷ

Tawe's Shop sold goods

and various competitions

were held. A group of

year 10 pupils also went

to Penlan Library to hold

a reading session with

pupils from Ysgol

Tirdeunaw.

An "iPad Challenge" was held

during the Summer with a

chance for pupils to turn a book

into an iMovie Trailer.

A Public Speaking

Competition was held in

the Autumn for the school's

older pupils and after the

South West Wales

Competition, Mabli, Gwen

and Sioned qualified for the

Final round at the

Assembly in Cardiff Bay.

Every pupil in the

school had the

opportunity to write

blogs for Wales' 100

Word Challenge.

A series of ‘cynghanedd’

lessons for the school's

older pupils (and staff!)

during the summer term

with the Prifardd (Chief

bard) Robart Powell. Who

will be the first of us to win

the chair?!

A group of year 9 pupils went to Glan-llyn

in the Autumn Term to

enjoy the activities there and to visit Capel Celyn.

English Department’s Successes 2012-13 Certainly, the past academic year has been a very busy one for the English faculty. During the Autumn term, a creative writing workshop was held for some pupils from years 7-13 with the author Cynan Jones. The two days were very successful as the pupils experimented with the author’s method and benefited from a public author’s expertise. There is no doubt that the creative talents of our pupils have made a very good impression on Cynan! Also during the Autumn term, the Scholastics’ Book Fair was held in the school library. A wealth of exciting books were on sale and the activity was very popular with KS3 pupils. It is a pleasure to announce that Joseph Lumber, a sixth form pupil, has visited the English department at Cambridge University during the summer term, as part of the HE+ scheme. Joseph enjoyed the experience greatly and he’s looking forward to studying the subject at university. During the Summer term a national poetry competition was held “Poetry Rivals” for pupils across the key stages. Over 30 applicants took part and we are waiting to hear the results. It is a pleasure to announce that we have attained our first A* grade in English Literature at A level. Huge congratulations to Christian Webb on his astonishing success. Christian is now studying History at Cardiff University.

Mathematics Department’s Successes 2012-13 Once again this year there has been great interest in mathematical competitions. 20 Year 7 and 8 pupils took part in the "UK Junior Mathematical Challenge", 20 Year 9 and 10 pupils took part in the "UK Intermediate Mathematical Challenge" and 10 pupils from years 11-13 took part in the "UK Senior Mathematical Challenge" during the summer term. Congratulations to the pupils who won bronze and silver certificates. Year 8 took part in the Wales Mathematics Competition in Bangor University in April. The test was quite a challenge and we wish to congratulate everyone who won a certificate. Four pupils from years 9 and 10 took part in a Mathematics Master Class at Swansea University this year. Six sessions were held on Saturday morning during the spring term, therefore a great deal of commitment was needed. The main aim of the sessions was to introduce young people to mathematical topics beyond the usual curriculum in the classroom. The team work depended on previous understanding and it was an academic challenge for all of them!

Science Department’s Successes 2012-13 During the past year, many extra-curricular activities were held. During the science week, many interesting activities were held. Physics, Biology and Chemistry workshops were held all week to promote the pupils’ interest in the subjects and many scientific activities were held at lunch time. A competition was held for KS3 pupils at the Cilfynnwr hall.

The weekly science clubs were very popular with many of the pupils taking part in experiments every Thursday.

Weekly training was provided for KS5 students of medicine and Oxbridge. The ‘Undergraduate Ambassadors’ project between the Physics department and Swansea University continues. Undergraduate students attend the school one day a week for 8 weeks to support and promote the study of Physics.

New sessions were organised for our ‘More Able and Talented’ (MAT) pupils. They included sessions based on subjects not included in the syllabus and the training was provided by sixth form pupils.

Year 10 girls had the opportunity to attend the BBC Academy (Women in Engineering). They had the opportunity to learn HAML and use broadcasting equipment.

Once again, year 12 had the opportunity this year to attend a Spectroscopy and Analysis workshop at Swansea University under the leadership of Dr Peter Douglas, who is a lecturer there. The day gave an opportunity for the pupils to experience practical university work and it corresponds with the A Level specification.

In February, Years 12 and 13 had the opportunity to take part in 'Spectroscopy in a Suitcase' workshops which are held by the Chemistry Association. The association came to the school to hold two workshops with undergraduate students leading the sessions. It was an excellent

opportunity to see technical methods being used and once again it contributed to their understanding of parts of the AS and A Level Courses. Pupils from Years 9 and 10 took part in a Human Science Quiz which was held in Cardiff University in July. The first round was against Ysgol Gyfun Bro Morgannwg and Bryn Tawe won that competition. The final round will be held on 20 September at the university.

Humanities Faculty Successes 2012-13 Poland Trip 25-28 October 2012 The Faculty of Humanities and 50 pupils from years 9-12 went to Poland to visit the Holocaust sites in October. A full programme of activities was held there including a tour of the city of Krakow on foot, visiting the concentration camps in Auschwitz I and Auschwitz Birkenau, visiting the Wieliczka Salt Mine Museum, the Schindler Factory Museum, Wawel Cathedral, Wawel Castle and Kasmirez synagogue. Both the pupils and staff had unforgettable experiences!

Year 9 pupils' trip to Big Pit, December 2012 In the Christmas Term, year 9 pupils visited Big Pit. The pupils were very keen to go underground to reinforce what they had already

learnt in their History lessons. The pupils had fun wearing the bright yellow helmets on their heads and wearing a large belt that carried life saving equipment. The trip underground lasted about 3/4 hour and the pupils enjoyed it very much. After year 9 had their lunch, the pupils spent time in the museum and walking around Big Pit, learning even more about the work of the horses underground and, of course, the work of the women who supported the coal mining families. Surely, this kind of trip had reinforced the History curriculum, and we intend to visit again soon.

Political Conference in the Senedd in Cardiff Bay 6/2/13 On Wednesday 6 February, year 12 students who study AS Government and Politics visited the Senedd in Cardiff Bay. A Political Conference was attended in the chamber and the pupils were delighted to join in with the discussions and debates and took part in a range of challenging workshops during the day. Well done year 12!

Religious Studies Conference, Trinity College St David 21/3/13 On 21 March 2013 the year 12 Religious Studies group went to a conference at Trinity College St David. The pupils had a lecture about Buddhism and Islam by a lecturer at the College, concentrating on the themes studied within the AS Religious Studies course. While there, they had the opportunity to have a discussion with the lecturers, to ask questions, receive advice on how to succeed and they received a tour of the campus. The pupils enjoyed and left with the feeling that they had broadened their knowledge and understanding. Humanities Club The Humanities Club was held during the lunch hour every Friday last year. The pupils had a lot of fun playing geographical and historical games and learning more about various religious holidays. Here's a picture of the club creating Christmas decorations in December. Holocaust Memorial Day 27 January 2013 A special assembly was held to remember the Holocaust on 27 January by the Head of the Humanities Faculty and members of the Sixth Form who study History and Religious Studies. Also, various activities were held every lunch time that week including watching documentary programmes about the event in the History room.

Geography Field Work As part of the AS Geography course, year 12 students from Bryn Tawe and Gŵyr went on a joint river field trip during September. A very successful day was had studying the Ilston river on the Gower peninsular. They learnt about field work techniques by collecting data for their physical research on the effect of controlling the channel on discharge. Year 11 pupils who were studying Geography last year took part in human field work. They were questioning the residents of Swansea on maters concerning the diversity in the quality of life across the city. This research was a coursework task worth 25% of their GCSE grade. The study was completed successfully with outstanding results. Every pupil achieved an A*-B grade in their coursework. Well done!

Design Technology Department’s Successes 2012-13 A group of Year 9 boys have built a robot out of lego. The robot could sense a flower from far away by using an ultrasound system which decided to water the flower if the colour was correct. The team were part of Technocamps competition in Morgannwg University. The school was given a kit as the adjudicators were impressed at the exceptionally high standard of the pupils programme. Two previous pupils who are studying product design in Cardiff returned to see the current pupils in the department to share their experiences and skills with the able and talented group from Year 9. Many of the pupils were inspired to study the subject further. The CAD clubs were very popular once again, the pupils were able to use CAD/CAM and lazer cutter to create products of their choice. Clocks, decorations and attractive signs were created. A group of Year 8 pupils visited the Liberty Stadium in May for the Teen Tech day. It was an opportunity to discover what exciting careers were available in Engineering and Technology. There were tasks for the pupils to complete and numerous National and International companies to visit.

Modern Language Faculty Successes 2012-13

‘DIA DE LA HISPANIDAD’ CAFÉ (NATIONAL DAY OF SPAIN) - KS3

Year 7, 8 and 9 pupils enjoyed Spanish delicacies on Spain’s National Day on 12 October 2012. They learnt what the Spaniards do on their national day as well as having a quiz on the traditions of Spain and other Spanish speaking countries. Year 7, 8 and 9 pupils were very enthusiastic about assisting and tasting things in the CAFÉ ESPAÑA during break time and lunchtime. Without a doubt CHURROS CON CHOCOLATE was the most popular food!

WOLFSTONE TRANSLATIONS – YR 11

Workers from the Wolfstone Translations company were invited to school to speak with Yr 11 pupils who are studying GCSE Modern Foreign Languages. The company is a national translation and interpreting company which has offices around Europe. Very fortunate for us, they have an office in Swansea city centre. During the company’s visit, the translators discussed the numerous advantages of being bilingual or multi-lingual, and the vocational paths possible when you study foreign languages. We also had language activities related to the world of work. It was nice to see Year 11 pupils throwing themselves into these tasks with so much energy and enthusiasm. We look forward to inviting the company back to the school soon to promote studying Modern Foreign Languages.

BAC LANGUAGE WEEK – YR 12

As part of the Welsh Baccalaureate, Year 12 pupils have to study 20 hours of a new language. In accordance with the annual custom, we arranged a Language Week in June for the pupils. The languages included in this year’s week were German, Sign Language and Mandarin. It was a very busy week with 20 hours of language sessions as well as traditional activities on the languages learnt. The German and Mandarin group tasted traditional snacks and soft drinks from the respective countries such as Spezi from Germany and Chinese Dumplings! At the end of this busy week, a ceremony was arranged for Year 7 pupils where Year 12 pupils demonstrated the language skills that they had chosen to study. This mainly consisted of sketches prepared by the German and Mandarin groups and a song by the Sign Language group. The week was a lot of fun and valuable for Year 12 pupils. BASTILLE DAY/ NATIONAL DAY OF FRANCE – YR 7 On 14 July, we celebrated Bastille Day here at Bryn Tawe. During the morning, we learnt about the French Revolution and the history behind the celebrations on this key date. In addition, a French breakfast was arranged for break time where the pupils (and teachers!) took advantage of the French delicacies. In the afternoon we were very fortunate to have the sun shining on us because Year 7 had the opportunity to play a traditional French game in the open air. A BOULES tournament was held on the school’s front yard and it was great to see so much natural talent whilst playing the game! FANTASTIQUE!

Drama and Dance Department’s Successes 2012-13 It’s been a busy year once again for the Dance and Drama Department.

The year started with Yr 10 pupils creating and performing an original piece of theatre which

was to go on tour around the primary schools. A theatre in education piece was prepared

which taught Yr 6 pupils about all the opportunities and experiences available to them at

Bryn Tawe.

Some weeks later, we had another fantastic performance by Yr 9 and 10 pupils of Macbeth

by William Shakespeare. The production was part of a Shakespeare project for schools. It

was a superb evening and it was wonderful to see our pupils on stage at Taliesin performing

in front of an audience of 300, enjoying and more importantly understanding the master’s

work.

Throughout the year, the pupils had the opportunity to attend a number of live performances.

We saw performances ranging from original work by Rhian Staples, who won the drama

medal at the National Eisteddfod at Wrexham in 2011 and slightly lighter work, “Hairspray”.

The year came to an end with the amazing fashion show! It was wonderful to see over 50

pupils and teachers modelling on the evening. It was also great seeing dance and singing

performances of “All That Jazz” and “Curiad yn y Gwaed”.

Closing the evening with “Curiad yn y Gwaed” was a lovely way of finishing the year and it

gave the audience a taste of what is to come in December 2013, namely the whole school’s

production of “Hairspray”.

Physical Education Department’s Successes 2012-13 Triathlon Some Yr 7, 8 and 9 pupils had the fun experience of taking part in a triathlon on Ashley Road playing fields. Everyone who took part received a bag containing a T shirt, a swimming cap as well as a medal. Well Done You!

Italy Trip At the start of the Whitsun half term holidays, a crew of Yr 7-10 pupils went on a successful trip to Italy. It was a sports trip and the pupils received the opportunity to have some excellent training from experienced coaches. The under 13 and under 14 football teams were successful, winning every match. The netball team also played in a tournament. We had three teams taking part in the tournament and the winning team from our school was team C. There was also a chance to visit the area, and it was lovely to visit Verona, Lake Garda and the San Sero Stadium. Without a doubt this is an unforgettable experience for the staff and pupils. Athletics Congratulations to Tomas Hughes-Whealan (Yr 9) and Katie Phillips (Yr 10) for being the county's athletics champions. Tomas won the 800m and Katie was victorious in the triple jump. Both will go on to represent the county in the Welsh championships next month. There were a number of other good performances, with Callum Pattmore (Yr 9) coming 3rd in the high jump, Jacob Kennedy-Evans (Yr 9) coming 2nd in the weights, Iestyn Davies (Yr 9) 2nd in the javelin, Annest Phillips (Yr 10) 3rd in the 800m and the 1500m. Well done you and to everyone else who competed!

Yr 8 adventure course A crew of Bryn Tawe Yr 8 pupils had a great time at Rhossili Adventure Centre at the end of June. During the week the pupils had the experience of hill walking, rock hopping, orienteering, surfing, climbing and abseiling. It was an extremely fun week and an outstanding experience for everyone. Bryn Tawe Skiing Trip Over Easter the annual skiing trip took the Physical Education Department out to Saalbach-Hinterglemm in Austria. Having watched several films trying to get a bit of sleep on the long bus journey, we arrived in Hinterglemm, where the skiing conditions were excellent. The party was split into 4 groups of skiers and had hours of skiing every day led under the instruction of local instructors and there were a number of fun activities during the evening.

It was an extremely fun week and an outstanding experience for everyone. Football Big congratulations to Keiran Evans, a pupil from Year 9 at Bryn Tawe. Keiran's had quite a bit of success in the world of football this year and has had the privilege of representing the Wales under 16 team. During recent months, Keiran has played against Poland, Switzerland and Belgium. Keiran has also signed with the Swans until he is 18 years of age. All the best for you in the future.

Cai Owens, a pupil in Year 11, received the outstanding news that he has been chosen as part of the Swans' youth squad for the next two years. As part of the scholarship, Cai will practise full time and continue with his studies. Big congratulations and the best of luck to him.

The Yr 10 football team had quite a bit of success in the National Urdd football competition in May. The team beat Amman Valley, Strade, Ferndale, Bro Ddyfi, Penweddig and Preseli on the way to the final against Glantaf. Unfortunately the team lost in the final by 1-0 in a close fought game. The squad was:- Gwion James, Tomos Jenkins, Gruffydd Brenton, Lewis Hopkins, Luken Lahetjuzan, Sam Hancock, Jo Campisi, Callum Williams, Jordan Wright, Keiran Evans (Yr 9).

Congratulations to Joe Dyer, Isaac Thomas, Jack Sullivan, Keiran Evans, Taylor Evans. These boys have been chosen to be part of Swansea Schools' football squad. Netball Congratulations to the following girls:- COURTNAY ANDREWS – under 14 county netball team FFION MORRIS – under 14 county netball development squad Table Tennis Lawrence John (Yr 10) and his sister Lydia John (Yr 7) have had quite a bit of success in the world of sport. Both have been part of the Welsh table tennis squad and practise every week in Cardiff with the Welsh team. Over the summer, Lawrence went out to Germany with the Welsh squad to practise and compete against the Germans.

Parents' Evenings 2013-14

Yr 7 – pastoral. 2 October

Yr 7 - progress. 20 March

Yr 8 – progress. 18 March

Yr 9 – choices. 6 March

Yr 9 – progress. 28 January

Yr 10 – progress. 20 November

Yr 11 – progress. 14 November

Yr 11 – post-16 choices 21 January

Yrs 12 and 13 – progress. 10 December

SCHOOL TERM AND HOLIDAY DATES 2013-2014 Autumn 2013 Term starts: 2 September Term ends: 20 December. Half Term Holiday: 28 October - 1 November Spring 2013 Term starts: 6 January Term ends: 11 April. Half Term Holiday: 24-28 February Summer 2014 Term starts: 28 April Term ends: 18 July. Half Term Holiday: 26 – 30 May The school will be closed to pupils on the following days for staff training:

02 September

15 November

06 January 2014

21 February

21 July