Dear Parents and Carers,

What a busy few weeks we've had at Romilly!

As we reach the end of what has felt like a very long first half term, I wanted to share some of the lovely things that have been happening across our school, as well as a few reminders about what's coming up.

There is certainly no shortage of things happening at Romilly, and with just one week to go until half term, we're not slowing down just yet!

Harvest Festival – Diolch yn Fawr!

Today we celebrated our Harvest Festival, and what a wonderful occasion it was!

A huge diolch yn fawr to all our families who have so generously donated food to support our local foodbank. This year, we have been particularly collecting cereal, coffee and UHT milk, and it has been lovely to see our school community coming together to help others.

Harvest is a wonderful opportunity to remind our children about the importance of kindness, generosity and looking after those around us. These are values that are incredibly important to us at Romilly.

A special thank you to our House Captains, who have been busy collecting donations throughout the week, and to the staff and children who helped make today's celebrations so special.

We will share the final amount of food collected once everything has been weighed. Thank you for making such a difference to families in our local community.

PTA Boo Bash – Last Few Tickets Remaining! 🎃

There's lots of excitement building for next week's PTA Boo Bash Halloween Discos, taking place on Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st October!

Our PTA has been working incredibly hard behind the scenes to organise what promises to be a fantastic couple of evenings for the children.

A reminder of the disco times:

Tuesday 20th October

• Nursery – celebrations during the school day

• Year 2 – 3:30pm–4:30pm

• Year 4 – 4:45pm–5:45pm

Wednesday 21st October

• Reception and Year 1 – 3:30pm–4:30pm

• Year 3 – 4:45pm–5:45pm

• Years 5 and 6 – 6:00pm–7:00pm

There are just a few tickets remaining, so if you haven't already booked, please don't leave it too late!

Book your tickets here:
https://www.pta-events.co.uk/romilly/index.cfm?event=event&eventId=123983

A huge thank you to our PTA and all the volunteers who give up their time to make events like this possible. I'm sure the children are going to have a brilliant time!

£1,000 of New Playground Equipment – Thank You, PTA!

If you've seen our PTA's social media this week, you'll have spotted some very happy children enjoying our new playground equipment!

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our families and the fundraising efforts of our PTA, we have been able to purchase £1,000 worth of new outdoor play equipment for the children.

Playtime is such an important part of the school day. It's where children build friendships, learn to cooperate, develop confidence and, of course, have lots of fun!

It has been wonderful to see the children already enjoying the new equipment, and we're looking forward to seeing it used across the school.

This is a fantastic example of how the money raised through PTA events goes directly back into improving our children's experiences at Romilly.

Diolch yn fawr to our PTA and to every family who supports their fundraising. It really does make a difference.

Read Write Inc. – Helping Your Child Become a Confident Reader

Reading remains one of our biggest priorities at Romilly. We want every child to develop the skills, confidence and enjoyment that come from becoming a successful reader.

On Monday 19th October, we will be holding two Read Write Inc. workshops for parents and carers.

9:30am – Early Reading and Phonics

This session is aimed at parents of children in Reception and those in Years 1 and 2 who are still developing their early reading and phonics skills.

2:30pm – Developing Reading Fluency and Comprehension

This session will focus on how we help children move beyond early phonics, including reading longer and more complex words, developing fluency and improving their understanding of what they read.

Both workshops will give you an insight into how we teach reading at Romilly, along with some practical ideas that you can use to support your child at home.

We know how much of a difference it makes when school and home work together to support reading, so we would love to see as many of you there as possible.

Pre-Loved School Uniform Sale

We know how quickly children grow out of their school uniforms and how expensive replacing everything can become!

Our Pre-Loved School Uniform Sale is a fantastic way for families to pick up good-quality, affordable uniform while helping to reduce waste and support our school.

The sale takes place at 3:00pm on the first and last Friday of each month.

There are lots of benefits to buying pre-loved uniform. It saves money, helps the environment and gives perfectly good clothing a new home.

Please do come along and have a look. Whether you need an extra jumper, a spare polo shirt or a complete change of uniform, it's well worth a visit.

Thank you to everyone who donates uniform and helps keep this brilliant initiative going.

Important Changes to School Dinner Arrangements

We wanted to let families know about some important changes to school dinners that will come into effect when we return after half term on Monday 2nd November.

Alongside the introduction of our new school dinner menu, there will also be a change to how meals are ordered.

Parents and carers will no longer need to order their child's school meals in advance through ParentPay.

Instead, children will choose their meal each morning in class, with their teacher recording their selection.

To help make this change as smooth as possible, we would be grateful if you could spend a few moments looking through the new menu with your child and talking about the options available.

This will help children know what they would like to eat before coming to school and make the morning ordering process much easier, particularly for our younger children.

View the new school dinner menu here:https://www.romillyprimaryschool.co.uk/page/?title=School+Meals&pid=139&action=saved

Thank you for your support as we introduce these new arrangements.

One More Week Until Half Term!

I think we're all beginning to feel that this has been a particularly long first half term!

It has certainly been a busy one, with so much happening across the school, and I know that our children and staff will be looking forward to a well-earned rest.

Before then, we still have another exciting week ahead, including our Halloween discos and lots of learning taking place across the school.

A reminder that our final day of this half term is Friday 23rd October, and children will return to school on Monday 2nd November.

Free School Meals

All children from Reception to Year 6 at Romilly Primary School are entitled to a free school meal every school day through the Welsh Government's Universal Primary Free School Meals scheme.

There is no charge for these meals.

However, families receiving certain benefits are still encouraged to register for benefit-related Free School Meals, even though their child already receives a free lunch.

This is important because eligible families may also qualify for additional financial support, including the School Essentials Grant, which can help towards the cost of school uniform and other school essentials. Registration can also help secure additional funding for our school.

Find out more and apply for Free School Meals – Vale of Glamorgan Council

https://www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/en/living/schools/Free-School-Meals.aspx

A Final Word

As we head towards half term, I wanted to take the opportunity to say a genuine thank you to all our families for your continued support.

One of the things I feel most strongly about is that schools are at their best when children, families and staff work together. That sense of community is so important, and it's something I want us to continue strengthening at Romilly.

Whether it's donating to our Harvest collection, supporting our PTA, coming along to a reading workshop or simply encouraging your child each morning, all these things make a difference.

There is so much to celebrate across our school, and I continue to be incredibly proud of the enthusiasm, kindness and energy that our children bring through the gates each day.

Have a lovely weekend, everyone. Just one more week to go!

Diolch yn fawr,

James Griffiths
Headteacher
Romilly Primary School

Learning, Growing, and Succeeding Together

Headteacher’s Blog

Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been another busy week at Romilly, and once again I want to begin by saying thank you for the fantastic support we continue to receive from our families.

It was lovely to welcome so many of you to our Macmillan Coffee Afternoon this week. Thank you to everyone who came along, donated and helped us raise money for such an important cause. A particular thank you goes to our Year 6 families for the incredibly generous donations of cakes, to our Year 6 pupils who did a brilliant job helping to serve, and to Mrs Hopkins for organising the afternoon. It was a lovely example of our school community coming together.

We have also received a very generous donation of Mac computers, monitors and accessories from Cardiff Met University. A huge thank you to Dr Nina Jones, one of our Romilly parents, for helping to organise this for us, and to Nick Young and colleagues at Cardiff Met for their generosity. We are also exploring an exciting partnership with the university which could see students from its Primary Education Studies programme joining us on placement and supporting children across the school. We are incredibly grateful for opportunities such as these.

Looking ahead to next week

Next week is another particularly busy one!

Our Parents’ Evenings take place on Tuesday and Thursday. Thank you to everyone who has booked an appointment. When you arrive, please make your way directly to your child’s classroom at your allocated time, where their teacher will meet with you. We are looking forward to having the opportunity to talk with you about how your child has settled into the new school year and the progress they are making.

On Wednesday, we will hold our PTA AGM. Nominations for the Romilly PTA Committee for 2026/27 have now closed and we have emailed families with details of how to vote. Thank you to everyone who has put themselves forward for a role. Our PTA makes such an important contribution to school life — organising events, raising funds and, just as importantly, strengthening the relationship between school and our families. Please do take a few minutes to cast your vote if you haven’t already done so.

We are also holding an open afternoon for parents interested in our new Nursery wraparound provision, which will open after half term. We are really pleased to be extending what we can offer our Nursery families and look forward to sharing more about the provision with you.

Then, on Friday, we are inviting parents and carers to join us for a Parent Help-Out Day in our outdoor areas. There are always jobs to be done around such a large site, so if you are able to give us some of your time and lend a hand, we would be extremely grateful. More information will follow.

Finally, an important diary change: our Colorfoto school photographs will now take place on Tuesday 17 November. We appreciate that this is later in the term than originally planned. However, Colorfoto have confirmed that their turnaround is quick, so photographs should still be available in plenty of time if you are hoping to order them as Christmas presents. More details to follow.

There is certainly a lot happening at Romilly over the coming weeks. Thank you, as always, for the many different ways in which you support the school. Whether it is attending an event, donating a cake, volunteering your time, joining the PTA, supporting learning at home or simply working in partnership with us, it really does make a difference.

Have a lovely weekend, and I look forward to seeing many of you next week.

James Griffiths
Headteacher

Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been another busy and positive week at Romilly, and there is plenty to look forward to over the coming weeks.

Improving communication

Thank you for the positive feedback we have received about our weekly year-group blogs and curriculum overviews. We know that keeping track of school information can sometimes feel challenging—particularly for families with children in different year groups—so we are continuing to make our communication clearer and easier to access.

Our aim is for the school website and newsletter to become your main places for news, dates and updates. We have also produced a parent-friendly overview of the key dates for the year. Other events will be added as they are confirmed, so please continue to check the school calendar regularly.

BulliesOut workshops

We are delighted to welcome BulliesOut to Romilly next week. They will deliver age-appropriate assemblies and workshops for pupils in the Plaza and Years 3, 4 and 5, focusing on kindness, courage, speaking out and changing attitudes.

BulliesOut will return on 20 October to work with Years 2 and 6, followed by training for our new Playground Pals on 21 October. These sessions will complement our continued work on positive relationships, respectful behaviour and ensuring every child feels safe and valued at Romilly.

You can find out more about their work at bulliesout.com.

Year 6 Secondary School Applications

Applications for children transferring to secondary school in September 2027 open on Friday 18 September 2026.

Parents and carers can find all the necessary information and apply online through the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s website:

🔗 Secondary School Admissions

The closing date for applications is Thursday 29 October 2026. The online application system is the preferred method, as it allows families to view or amend their application at any point before the deadline. Application notifications will also be sent by email.

You can check which secondary schools serve your home address using the Council’s catchment-area checker:

📍 Check your catchment-area schools

As part of the coordinated admissions arrangements, families can also apply for a place at St Richard Gwyn Catholic High School through the same online application service.

All applications for Stanwell School must also be submitted through the Council’s online admissions process. Transitional feeder-school arrangements apply only to eligible pupils who attended Albert, Evenlode, Sully or Victoria Primary during the 2023–2024 academic year.

Parents and carers who cannot access the online portal may request a paper application form. For application forms, further information or support, please contact:

📧 admissionssecondary@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk

After-school clubs

Our new programme of after-school clubs begins next week. Thank you to everyone who has registered through Arbor. It has been wonderful to see such an enthusiastic response, and we hope the children enjoy the wide range of opportunities on offer.

Every Minute Matters

Strong attendance and punctuality give children the best possible opportunity to learn, thrive and feel part of school life. Thank you to all our families who support children in attending school every day and arriving on time. Every day—and every minute—really does matter.

Changes to the school lunch menu

Big Fresh Catering has asked us to share the following update with families.

In preparation for the Welsh Government’s new Healthy Eating Regulations, which come into effect in October 2026, Big Fresh will introduce a new two-week menu featuring a selection of popular hot meals.

As part of this change, baguettes, sandwiches and wraps will no longer be available as part of the usual lunchtime menu. Big Fresh has explained that this is intended to encourage more pupils to choose and eat a hot, nutritious meal each day, particularly during the autumn and winter months. The menu may be expanded in the future as pupils become familiar with the new choices.

Grab bags will remain available for school trips. These must be ordered at least one week in advance so that Big Fresh can arrange supplies and ensure that all allergen and special dietary information is provided.

Please note that the school lunch menu is planned and provided by Big Fresh Catering and is not decided by the school. We understand that some families may have questions or concerns about these changes. As a school, we have shared our own feedback and concerns directly with Big Fresh Catering. Big Fresh has confirmed that it welcomes questions and feedback from parents and carers, so if you would like to discuss any aspect of the new menu, please contact the company directly:

📧 hello@bigfreshcatering.co.uk
🌐 Contact Big Fresh Catering

Help with school costs

Financial support may be available to help eligible families purchase school uniform, sports kit, stationery, equipment and other school essentials through the Welsh Government’s School Essentials Grant.

We would encourage families to check whether they are entitled to support, even if they have not applied previously. Further information is available at Get help with school costs.

PTA Annual General Meeting

Our PTA AGM will take place on Wednesday 7 October from 3.30–4.00pm, straight after school pick-up.

Following a fantastic first year—including RomFest, discos and many other community events—we are keen to build on this brilliant momentum. All parents, carers and family members are welcome to attend, volunteer or become a class representative.

If you would like to stand for one of the nine elected committee roles, please send a short biography to romillyprimarypta@hotmail.co.uk by 30 September. Further details are available in the dedicated PTA news item.

Dates for families

Please take a look at our new parent-friendly overview of the year’s major dates, including parent evenings and key transition information. We will continue to add events to the online calendar as arrangements are confirmed.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. There is a great deal happening across the school, and it is lovely to see our children settling into the new term so positively.

Have a wonderful weekend.

James Griffiths
Headteacher

Headteacher’s Blog

A wonderful start to the new school year

What a fantastic start we have had to the new school year at Romilly!

It has been wonderful to see the children return to school so positively and settle back into their classes and routines. There has been a real buzz around the school this week and I have been incredibly impressed by how quickly our pupils have settled into their learning.

A particularly warm welcome goes to all of our new Nursery and Reception children, as well as the many new pupils who have joined Romilly across different year groups. We hope you and your families will very quickly feel part of our Romilly community.

Thank you, too, to our staff for the enormous amount of work that went into preparing classrooms and learning spaces ready for the children’s return.

Romilly Together – Safe, Ready, Respectful

This year we are introducing three simple school rules that will provide a consistent approach across the whole school:

SAFE • READY • RESPECTFUL

We want these words to become part of everyday life at Romilly.

Being Safe means looking after ourselves and others and making choices that help everyone feel secure.

Being Ready means being prepared to learn, having the right attitude and making the most of every opportunity.

Being Respectful means treating other people, our school and ourselves with kindness and consideration.

Importantly, these are not simply behaviour rules. We will be helping children understand what being Safe, Ready and Respectful looks like in the classroom, on the playground, in the canteen, online, during assemblies and throughout every part of school life.

Alongside these rules, we will continue to help children understand and live out our school values so that they become thoughtful, confident and caring members of our community.

Wellbeing Fortnight

During this week and next, all classes are taking part in our Wellbeing Fortnight.

Children will be thinking about what helps us to feel happy, safe and ready to learn; developing positive relationships; understanding our emotions; learning how we can support one another; and thinking about the choices we make.

It is also an opportunity for each class to establish positive routines and relationships at the beginning of the year and explore how our values and our Safe, Ready and Respectful rules can be lived out every day.

We know that children learn best when they feel safe, valued, included and ready to learn, and this will continue to be an important part of our work at Romilly this year.

PE Days

PE lessons will begin next week.

This year, PE will be taught by class teachers rather than being linked to STEAM sessions. This means that each year group will have a clearer designated PE day.

Our PE days are:

Monday – Plaza
Tuesday – Nursery and Year 3
Wednesday – Year 5
Thursday – Year 4
Friday – Year 2 and Year 6

Please ensure that children come to school wearing the appropriate PE kit on their PE day.

Our school PE kit is:

Plain white T-shirt
Black leggings, joggers or shorts
Grey hoodie
Appropriate footwear, such as trainers

We are not expecting families to purchase house T-shirts or house jumpers. We recognise that this is an additional expense that is not necessary. However, children who already have these items are, of course, welcome to continue wearing them.

School Uniform

Uniform is an important part of school life at Romilly. It helps establish high expectations, creates a sense of belonging and helps children feel part of our school community.

Our school uniform is:

Burgundy jumper or cardigan – no hoodies please
Yellow or white polo shirt/T-shirt
Black or grey smart trousers, shorts or skirts
Black school shoes

We know that the cost of living continues to put pressure on families, so we do not insist on branded school uniform. Suitable uniform can be purchased from local supermarkets as well as Ruckleys on Holton Road.

We also have pre-loved uniform available through school for a small donation.

If you would like to order name labels for your child's clothing, please visit Label Planet and quote our PTA fundraising account number 17006. The PTA receives commission from each purchase.

School Meals

School meals continue to be free for all pupils from Reception to Year 6.

Meals are prepared by Big Fresh and served in our school canteen.

You can view the current menu here:

https://www.bigfreshcatering.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Menu-Sept-26.pdf

We apologise for the difficulties some families experienced ordering meals through CYPD this week. This appears to have been a wider system issue rather than one specific to Romilly, and we have been reassured by Big Fresh that the problems have now been resolved.

Thank you for your patience.

Every Minute Matters – Punctuality

Our school gates open at 8.45am and children should be in their classrooms ready to learn by 8.55am.

Being punctual really does matter.

Arriving just five or ten minutes late might not seem significant, but repeated lateness quickly adds up and can mean children miss important instructions, phonics, registration activities or the introduction to a lesson.

It can also make the start of the day more difficult for the child when everyone else has already settled into learning.

Please help us by ensuring that children arrive in plenty of time each morning.

Attendance Matters

Our whole-school attendance target is at least 94%.

Every day in school matters. Good attendance gives children the best possible opportunity to learn, build friendships, develop confidence and make progress.

When children miss school regularly, gaps can quickly develop in their learning and it can become harder for them to keep up with their classmates.

We appreciate that children will occasionally be too unwell to attend school. However, whenever children are well enough to be here, we want them in school, learning and enjoying everything Romilly has to offer.

Throughout the year we will continue to work closely with families to support strong attendance.

After-School Clubs

We are currently putting together a programme of school-led enrichment clubs for the autumn term and will share further information about these with families next week.

Alongside this, we already have two independently run, fee-paying clubs available to Romilly pupils:

• Art with Sarah – creative art sessions for children aged 5–11, with collection from Romilly available. Sessions run on Mondays and Thursdays, 4.00–5.00pm at the 10th Barry Guide Hall opposite the school.
• Dawn Dobbs Active Futures After-School Sports Club – held in the Romilly Sports Hall from 3.30–5.00pm, with Years 3 and 4 on Wednesdays and Years 5 and 6 on Thursdays. Sessions are booked in five-week blocks.

Information about both clubs has already been shared with families and bookings should be made directly with the providers.

We hope that, together with our own school enrichment programme, these opportunities will give children a wide range of ways to develop their interests, creativity and sporting skills beyond the school day.

I think this works better for the newsletter because it makes it crystal clear that these are external, paid-for clubs, while the school’s own club programme is separate and still to come.

📸 Celebrating Learning at Romilly

At Romilly, we love celebrating the wonderful learning, achievements and experiences of our children and sharing these with our school community.

Throughout the year, we may take photographs and videos of pupils during lessons, activities, trips, performances and other school events. These may be shared through:

• our weekly year-group blogs;
• the school newsletter;
• the Romilly Primary School website; and
• our closed school Instagram account – @rps.barry.

Our Instagram account is private, and follow requests are only approved for parents and carers of children currently attending Romilly.

The privacy and safeguarding of our pupils is always a priority. We do not publish a child’s full name alongside their photograph and, wherever possible, we share photographs showing groups of children enjoying their learning and taking part in school life.

Please complete our Photo & Video Consent Form

A huge thank you to the 200+ parents and carers who have already completed the form.

If you have not yet done so, please take a moment to let us know your preferences by completing the Google Form linked here.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdIEIlQRTYuFIDIJTsv79YlnTo-IyAf1Cgkx_pd--8zCWx36w/viewform?usp=header

Your responses help us make sure that we respect every family’s wishes while continuing to celebrate the fantastic things happening across our school.

Please complete the form for each child attending Romilly Primary School.

Thank you for helping us celebrate everything that makes Romilly Together such a special community.

Finally...

Thank you to everyone for such a positive first few days.

Starting a new school year is always exciting, but what has struck me most this week is the warmth across the school. Children have returned smiling, staff have worked incredibly hard and there is already a lovely atmosphere around Romilly.

There is a great deal to look forward to during 2026–27 and I am excited about what we can achieve together.

As we begin the year, our message to the children is simple:

Learning, Growing and Succeeding Together!

Be Safe. Be Ready. Be Respectful.

And above all, remember that we are Romilly Together.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mr James Griffiths
Headteacher

As we head into the final week of another busy and successful school year, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank our wonderful children, families and staff for everything they have contributed this year. It has been a year full of learning, achievements, new opportunities and memorable moments, and I couldn't be prouder of what our school community has accomplished together.

The final week is always a special one, with plenty happening before we break for the summer holidays.

Transition Morning

On Wednesday morning, children will spend time with their new teacher in their new classroom to help them feel excited and confident about September. This is an important part of helping everyone have a positive start to the new academic year. A small number of classes will meet their new teacher at a different time as we welcome colleagues who are returning to school after a period away.

Celebrating Our Year 6 Pupils

Our Year 6 pupils are preparing to leave Romilly and begin an exciting new chapter at secondary school.

Their Leavers' Concert will take place on Tuesday at 9:30am and 1:45pm, and we are looking forward to celebrating their many achievements with families.

On Thursday, Year 6 will enjoy a special fish and chips lunch followed by ice cream on the field, kindly funded by the Year 6 Prom Committee. It is a lovely way to celebrate their time at Romilly before they say their goodbyes.

We wish every one of our Year 6 children every success and happiness as they move on. They will always be part of the Romilly family.

PTA Meeting

Our final PTA Meeting of the year will take place on Tuesday at 3:40pm in the school canteen. Everyone is very welcome to come along. Whether you've attended before or would like to get involved for the first time, we'd love to see you there.

ROMFest - The Last Day of Term

We are all looking forward to ROMFest on the last day of term! Children can come to school dressed in festival clothing or their own clothes (unless families have chosen to opt out through the Google Form). It promises to be a fantastic day packed with music, creativity and fun as we celebrate another successful year together.

Thank you to everyone who has helped organise this special event—it is a wonderful example of our school community working together- see more information in our news feed article.

Looking Ahead to September

We are currently putting together our school calendar for the new academic year, which will include key dates, events and celebrations. This will be shared with families early in the autumn term.

Academic Year 2026–2027

Autumn Term

• INSET Days (School Closed): Tuesday 1 September & Wednesday 2 September
• Children return: Thursday 3 September
• Half Term: Monday 26 October – Friday 30 October
• Christmas Holidays: Monday 21 December – Friday 1 January

Spring Term

• INSET Day (School Closed): Monday 4 January
• Children return: Tuesday 5 January
• Half Term: Monday 8 February – Friday 12 February
• Easter Holidays: Monday 22 March – Friday 2 April

Summer Term

• INSET Day (School Closed): Monday 5 April
• Children return: Tuesday 6 April
• Half Term: Monday 31 May – Friday 4 June
• Last Day for Pupils: Friday 16 July
• Summer Holidays begin: Monday 19 July

Additional INSET Days

• Monday 19 July 2027
• Tuesday 20 July 2027

Around Romilly...

🎭 Finding Nemo

Congratulations to every member of our Drama Club on their outstanding production of Finding Nemo. The performances, singing, costumes and confidence shown by our children were simply fantastic.

The children were absolutely unforgettable, and their success is a testament to the dedication, hard work and care shown by our staff, who generously gave up evenings, weekends and countless hours to help our children develop their confidence, creativity and talents.

Thank you also to the families who supported rehearsals and performances. It was a truly special production and one that will be remembered for many years. You have all made Romilly incredibly proud.

⚽ World Cup Day

On Friday, children enjoyed our World Cup Day by coming to school in sportswear or football kits and taking part in a range of football-inspired activities throughout the day. It was wonderful to see so much enthusiasm, teamwork and sporting spirit across the school.

🎨 Creating Our New School Mural

This week, the winners of our Jenny Lambert Art Competition enjoyed a very special workshop with local artist Jenny Lambert, helping to create a beautiful mural that will take pride of place in our newly renovated school canteen.

The standard of entries in the competition was absolutely outstanding. Jenny spent time with the children exploring their ideas and has incorporated many of their creative suggestions into the final design, making this a truly collaborative piece of artwork.

A huge thank you to our fantastic PTA, who have generously funded half of the cost of this exciting project. Their continued support helps us create inspiring opportunities and lasting improvements for our children.

We are also delighted to share that all of the competition entries will be displayed around the school so that everyone can enjoy the incredible creativity and imagination shown by our pupils.

We can't wait to unveil the finished mural to our school community in September—it's sure to become a colourful and lasting celebration of everything that makes Romilly special!

Finally, thank you once again for your support throughout this year. Working together with our families makes such a difference, and we are incredibly proud of the caring community we continue to build.

Have a wonderful final week and, for those we won't see again until September, I wish you all a safe, happy and relaxing summer holiday.

Learning, growing and succeeding together.

Headteacher's Blog

Thank You for Your Support During This Week's Heatwave

Firstly, I would like to thank all of our families for their understanding, kindness and support during this week's extreme heat and Red Weather Warning.

The last thing we would ever want to do is close the school. We fully understand the impact that any disruption has on children and family life. Our decision to close for most children at 1:00 pm on Wednesday and Thursday was not taken lightly. Unfortunately, temperatures in some classrooms during the afternoons rose well above 30°C. At this point, our classrooms became not only uncomfortable places for teaching and learning, but unsafe environments for both children and staff.

A similar situation arose today. Although the outside temperatures were forecast to be lower, the residual heat left in our Victorian buildings meant that some classrooms were exceptionally warm from as early as 8:00 am.

I would like to sincerely thank everyone for their support and understanding as we put these emergency measures in place. We are hopeful that next week will bring more normal temperatures and that our usual calendar of events can continue unhindered.

Looking Ahead to Next Week

We have a busy and exciting week ahead!

Sports Days

• Monday 29th June – Reception Sports Day – 9:15 am
• Monday 29th June – Year 4 Sports Day – 1:30 pm

We look forward to welcoming families to cheer on our children.

🪩 PTA Summer Discos

Our fantastic PTA Summer Discos take place next week:

Tuesday 30th June

• Year 1: 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
• Year 4: 4:45 pm – 5:45 pm

Wednesday 1st July

• Nursery: 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
• Year 3: 4:45 pm – 5:45 pm

Thursday 2nd July

• Reception: 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
• Year 2: 4:45 pm – 5:45 pm
• Years 5 & 6: 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

These are always brilliant events and are a real highlight of the school year. Every ticket purchased helps raise money for our exciting new school library, so please come along and support the PTA if you can.

🎟️ Purchase tickets here:
https://www.pta-events.co.uk/romilly/

💛 Can you help?
The PTA is also looking for parent volunteers to support with running the discos. If you are able to lend a hand, please email:

📧 romillyprimarypta@hotmail.co.uk

A huge thank you to Amy and the PTA team for everything they do for our school community.

Sponsored Bounce

Our PTA Sponsored Bounce has now been rearranged and will take place on:

📅 Monday 6th July and Tuesday 7th July

We will share further information about arrangements and sponsorship shortly.

Inset Day Reminder

Please remember that school will be closed to pupils on Friday 3rd July as staff will be undertaking professional learning and training in school.

A Little Ice Lolly Apology!

Finally, an apology from us regarding our promised ice lollies this week.

We promised the children an ice lolly each day during the heat warning. We were able to purchase some for Tuesday, but despite ordering additional supplies for next-day delivery, they have not yet arrived due to exceptionally high demand across the country.

We will absolutely ensure that the children enjoy these treats as soon as they arrive!

I would also like to apologise for Wednesday, when children having school dinners received an ice cream or lolly as part of their meal, while children with packed lunches did not. This was never intended to be unfair and we are sorry for any upset this may have caused.

Looking ahead, ice cream will be available on:

🍦 Thursday next week
🍦 Friday 10th July
🍦 Friday 17th July

If you would like your child to receive one, please remember that all children are entitled to a free school meal and meals can be ordered through ParentPay.

Thank you once again for your continued support. We are incredibly proud of how our children, families and staff have pulled together during what has been a very unusual and challenging week.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and enjoy some slightly cooler weather!

Mr James Griffiths
Headteacher