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Elfed High School, Buckley

The school was buzzing with excitement last week, as parents and carers attended the Year 7 Welcome Evening.

A taste of Italy at the Elfed High School Year 7 Welcome Evening.

The event gave families the opportunity to meet their children's form tutors and learn more about the start their children have made at the school.

The evening was a chance for families to connect with staff, ask questions, and gain insights into the wide variety of opportunities available to their children at Elfed High.

Deputy headteacher, Sarah Roberts, opened the evening with a brief welcome speech, highlighting the positive transition Year 7 students have made since starting their secondary education.

A taste of Italy at the Elfed High School Year 7 Welcome Evening.

She praised the students for their enthusiasm and resilience during their first weeks, noting how quickly they have adapted to new routines, subjects, and friendships.

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In addition to meeting form tutors, families were treated to an array of delicious Italian-themed food, adding a delightful touch to the event. Pizza and pasta dishes, prepared by the school’s catering team, were served by students from Years 10 and 11. This was a proud moment for the older students, who showed their leadership skills while offering their help in a fun and sociable way.

A taste of Italy at the Elfed High School Year 7 Welcome Evening.

The students received compliments for their friendly service and professionalism, making the evening even more enjoyable.

The Year 7 Welcome Evening helps foster a sense of community between staff, students, and their families, and highlights the school's commitment to nurturing both academic and personal growth within a supportive and caring environment.

On October 3, Elfed High School are inviting parents and carers of Year 5 and 6 students to visit for their Open Evening.

Ysgol Rhiwabon, Wrexham

The school has been awarded PTI Subject Mark for outstanding teaching in maths, science and history, under the PTI Department Development Programme Subject Mark for outstanding teaching.

PTI Subject Mark for outstanding teaching in maths, science and history at Ysgol Rhiwabon.

The PTI launched the Department Development Programme in 2007 to recognise and reward school departments that develop inspirational ideas and activities which enhance the teaching of art, design and technology, English, geography, history, maths, modern foreign languages, music, PE and science, regardless of their pupils' backgrounds or abilities.

Headteacher Melanie Ferron-Evans, said: "We are delighted to have been awarded the PTI Mark for our maths, science and history department's innovative work and will be proud to carry the Mark on our stationery and website as evidence of our commitment to inspirational teaching."

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The PTI's Department Development Programme is open to all state secondary schools. To become members, school departments must demonstrate their commitment to increasing teachers' subject knowledge, and to furthering their students' understanding of and enthusiasm for the subject, regardless of their background or ability.

To achieve The PTI Subject Mark, departments have to demonstrate they have increased the challenge within their subject curriculum, developed their staff's specialist subject knowledge, developed subject-based links outside school and enthused their pupils through subject-based activities beyond the curriculum.

After three years of Department Development Programme membership, departments may choose to conduct a Department Development Project by devising an advanced multi-year programme in one of these areas.

To find out more about the Department Development Programme, visit www.ptieducation.org.

Swap Shop and free items at Ysgol Rhiwabon.

• The Ysgol Rhiwabon Swap Shop and free items event began last week, offering free uniform to all parents and students across all year groups, including winter coats, bags and other clothing items.

This was a great success and saw many people come and go during the afternoon after school.

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In addition, there was free stationary (following a large donation to the school) and sanitary products available to help with daily cost pressures families face.

The event will return every Tuesday afternoon from 3.15pm-4.15pm during the school term.

St Mary's Church in Wales School, Overton on Dee

The Wrexham primary started the school year with lots of change, including a new headteacher.

St Mary's School pupils with new headteacher Darren Morris.

Darren Morris expressed his enthusiasm and pride in being appointed as the head in July. He said: "I am incredibly proud to be appointed head at our amazing school. St Mary's is a place that is close to my heart, and I can't wait to continue working alongside our wonderful pupils, staff and families."

As part of some of the changes, the school has embarked on a new classroom identity, with all its classes named after lakes in North Wales, from Llyn Elsi to Llyn Alwen and Llyn Tegid as part of their sense of belonging to Wales, Cynefin.

The Reading Boat at St Mary's School.

They are already to set sail on a new adventure in Llyn Alwen and Llyn Brenig, and have overhauled a 75-year-old Mirror Dinghy to become a Reading Boat.

There has also been plenty to celebrate, with recent achievements including Tesco Award of £1,375 from Stronger Starts Grant.

Children in upper junior classes have previously received training from ActiveWrexham in a range of games suitable for playtime at school.

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They have started to teach traditional playground games and some with a slightly more modern twist, yet have limited in their resources to provide the games.

Equipment such as skipping ropes, balls, hula hoops, large playground clock faces, sensory equipment, hopscotch and marble game markings permanently painted on the playground is to be purchased with this grant funding.

Outstanding Conservation School awrd for St Mary's School.

St Mary's School was also awarded Outstanding Conservation School by The National Conservation Education Awards at a ceremony at Chester Zoo in the summer and are thrilled with such an incredible accolade.

Over the last year the PTA raised £3,221, which will fund ICT equipment, a PA system and subscription to a range of online learning support for each child in school. Still to come is a new outdoor fire and tool area to add to the forest school area.

The school welcomes current or prospective families to an open event on October 2, from 9.30am-10.30am or 1.30pm-2.30pm.

Flint High School

AS part of a summer holiday programme, a group of pupils learned a new skill and created a series of attractive willow structures that are on display in their school garden.

The School Holiday Enrichment Programme (SHEP) is a school-based programme delivered across Wales which provides healthy meals, food and nutrition education, and physical activity to children in a fun social environment during the school summer holidays.

The children with their finished work in the quad garden.

Claire Evans, acting assistant headteacher and art teacher, has been leading the programme for three years along with a team of staff. It is free of charge and open to Year 5 and 6 pupils, and those attending are provided with breakfast and lunch, as well as fruit snacks during the day.

This year, the school welcomed 40 children over the course of the scheme, and one of the popular activities within the programme put together by Ms Evans was ‘Twig Twisting’ using willow.

The activity was led by artist, Sarah Gallagher-Hayes, who is the founder of Twigtwisters. Sarah has exhibited her work at shows and locations including Chelsea Flower Show, RHS Hampton Court, Tatton Park, Blenheim Palace, and Chatsworth House.

One of the willow flowers for the display.

Ms Evans said: “As an art teacher, I thought it would be lovely for children from the summer school to create a piece of artwork to transform our school garden quad area. Over the years, the science department has created a fishpond, and I was keen to create a piece of art to enhance this space.

“Working with Sarah was a wonderful experience; she provided all the materials and, as a group, we created a large six-foot dragonfly along with several smaller two-foot dragonflies and flowers, which took around three hours to create.

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“The sculptures were put on display for all to see in time for pupils returning to school in September. Sections from an old cherry blossom tree in the quad area, that sadly had to be cut down over the summer, have been repurposed to frame the willow sculptures, which makes a fitting way to finish off the display and remember the tree we were all so fond of.

“The pupils involved, now our Year 7s, were so enthusiastic and worked really hard; I’m so proud of what they achieved and it’s great they can now look at their work every day.”

Nercwys School

Pupils at the Flintshire primary school have been working with Groundwork North Wales for some Wellies in The Woods sessions.

Wellies in The Woods sessions at Nercwys School.

Children, and their parents, have been busy creating stick dogs and egg box mushrooms using natural materials.

They also had fun naming trees and matching the leaves to the right tree, and made leaf and bark rubbings.

This was a great opportunity for parents to learn alongside their children in the school's outdoor area. Even the pouring rain couldn't dampen their enthusiasm.

Ysgol Tŷ Ffynnon, Deeside

Teaching assistant Sue Bonney and members of the school council on the cake stall.

The School Council organised a MacMillan Coffee Morning on Friday. They served cakes and made the event a success. With the support of staff and parents, £173 was raised for the charity MacMillan Cancer Support.

Teaching assistant Sue Bonney and some members of the school council worked the cake stall.