Romilly Together 

Dear Parents and Carers,

Another busy week at Romilly, and with just two weeks to go until half-term, there is certainly no sign of things slowing down!

Firstly, a huge thank you to everyone who attended our parents' evenings on Tuesday and Thursday. It was lovely to see so many families coming into school and having the opportunity to talk with teachers about their children's learning, progress and wellbeing. These conversations are so important, and we really value the partnership we have with our families.

I also want to thank our wonderful staff. Parents' evenings make for very long days, particularly alongside the usual demands of teaching, but I know how much care, thought and preparation goes into every conversation. Thank you to everyone for making the evenings such a positive experience.

There is plenty to share this week, including some exciting developments in outdoor learning, news from our fantastic PTA and a very special member of staff who will sadly be leaving us at half-term.

Looking Ahead to Next Week 

There is another busy week ahead at Romilly!

Monday 12th October

• Year 5 NM visit to Slade Farm

Thursday 15th October

• Shwmae Day – remember to start your conversations in Welsh!

• Children's flu vaccinations in school

Friday 16th October

• Harvest Festival

• Final day for Vale Foodbank donations

Coming up after that:

• Monday 19th October – Read Write Inc. parent workshops

• Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st October – PTA Halloween Discos

• Friday 23rd October – Last day before the half-term break

• Friday 6th November – Outdoor Learning Help-Out Morning

Developing Outdoor Learning at Romilly 

One of the areas we are really keen to develop at Romilly is our outdoor learning provision.

We are incredibly fortunate to have some wonderful outdoor spaces, including our forest area, allotment and dedicated outdoor learning areas for all our Nursery, Reception and Year 1 classes.

Outdoor learning provides so many valuable opportunities for children. It supports wellbeing, creativity, independence, teamwork and problem-solving, while allowing pupils to make meaningful connections between their classroom learning and the world around them.

We want outdoor learning to be an important and purposeful part of our curriculum, rather than simply an occasional activity.

Mrs King, one of our Year 5 teachers, is now leading outdoor learning sessions across the school for one day each week. We have also launched a dedicated Outdoor Learning Blog so that families can follow the exciting experiences children are enjoying.

 

We are particularly keen to rejuvenate our forest area, which has become somewhat neglected over recent years, and bring our allotment back to life so that children can experience growing, caring for and harvesting their own produce.

Today, we had planned a parent volunteer morning to help clear the allotment. Unfortunately, the weather had other ideas! With torrential rain and strong winds, it was completely understandable that many of our volunteers were unable to join us.

However, Mr Cho, one of our Plaza parents, braved the dreadful weather and worked alongside Mrs King to make a fantastic start on clearing the allotment area.

A huge thank you to Mr Cho for giving up his time and getting thoroughly soaked in the process! We really do appreciate it. I would also like to thank the parents who supported our outdoor areas during the summer term. Your help has made a real difference.

We are planning another Outdoor Learning Help-Out Morning on Friday 6th November, when we hope the weather will be a little kinder! We would love more parents and carers to get involved.

There is something really special about bringing our school community together to improve the environment and opportunities for our children.

Year 5 Explore Food and Farming at Slade Farm 

This week, our Year 5 pupils enjoyed a fantastic visit to Slade Farm as part of a year-long Food Literacy Programme, funded through Vale Food, a local authority initiative.

The children had the opportunity to learn more about where our food comes from, how it is grown and produced, and why sustainable farming and locally sourced food are so important.

Through hands-on learning experiences, pupils explored the journey food takes from farm to fork, the role farmers play in our communities and how our food choices can affect the environment.

This is just the beginning of an exciting learning journey. Over the academic year, Year 5 will return to the farm at different times of the year, experiencing the changing seasons and developing their understanding of food production and sustainability.

A huge thank you to everyone at Slade Farm and Vale Food for providing this wonderful opportunity. We look forward to hearing what the children discover on their next visit!

Another Year 5 class will be visiting Slade Farm on Monday.

Thank You to Our Wonderful PTA! 

On Wednesday evening, our Friends of Romilly PTA held their Annual General Meeting, where the volunteer team for 2026/27 was confirmed.

I am delighted to congratulate and thank the following parents who have volunteered to support the school this year:

• Zoe Hyland-Buckeridge – Chair

• Jessica Cooper – Vice Chair

• Ruby Price – Secretary

• Amanda Hawkes – Treasurer

• Emily Barrett – Events

• Hannah Harries-Gale – Social Media & Communications

• Amy James – School Liaison

• Vanessa-Mae Miller – Fundraising

• Katy Hamana – Grants

The Friends of Romilly make such an important contribution to our school community. From organising events that bring families together to raising funds for additional resources and experiences, their work benefits every child in the school.

In fact, we have already seen the impact of their generosity this week, with the PTA purchasing a fantastic range of new playground equipment for children across Foundation Phase and Key Stage Two.

We are really excited about this! Playtimes are such an important part of the school day, providing opportunities for children to build friendships, develop social skills, be active and, of course, have fun.

We look forward to sharing photographs of the children enjoying their new equipment next week.

A massive diolch yn fawr to our PTA and to all the families who support their fundraising efforts. We are incredibly grateful and look forward to working together over the coming year.

Supporting Vale Foodbank This Harvest 

Harvest is always a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the importance of kindness, generosity and supporting others in our community.

This year, we are once again supporting Vale Foodbank, helping local families who may be experiencing difficult circumstances.

Our House Captains, supported by Mrs Hopkins, are leading this year's collection, and we would love the whole Romilly community to get involved.

Vale Foodbank has asked us to focus particularly on three items this year:

• ☕ Coffee

• 🥣 Cereal

• 🥛 UHT milk

Of course, other suitable non-perishable food donations are also very welcome.

Last year, the Romilly community donated an incredible 290kg of food. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could beat that total this year?

Please send donations into school by Friday 16th October, when we will celebrate our Harvest Festival.

Every donation, however small, makes a difference. Thank you, as always, for your generosity and kindness.

Saying a Fond Farewell to Mrs Nerys Evans 

It is with great sadness that I share the news that Mrs Nerys Evans, one of our much-loved Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HLTAs), will be leaving Romilly at the October half-term.

Nerys joined the school in 2005 and has given almost 21 years of dedicated service to our wonderful school community. During that time, she has made an enormous contribution to school life, touching the lives of countless children, families and colleagues along the way.

Over the years, Nerys has taken on so many important roles. She has led our nurture provision, offering care, encouragement and support to children who have needed it most, and has worked closely with families through our Families First initiative.

More recently, she helped establish our lunchtime Snug, creating a calm, welcoming and nurturing space for children who benefit from a quieter and more supportive lunchtime environment.

Nerys has also been the driving force behind our pre-loved uniform shop, dedicating her time to sorting, washing and organising donated and unclaimed uniform so that families can access good-quality school clothing at affordable prices.

Her creativity and artistic flair have always been a real asset to Romilly, whether through inspiring art lessons, wonderful displays or the many creative activities she has brought to school life.

She has also played an important role in supporting teaching and learning across the school, delivering lessons through our STEAM programme, covering teachers' planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) time and stepping in to support classes, often at a moment's notice! Her flexibility, enthusiasm and willingness to help wherever needed have been invaluable.

But above all, it is Nerys's warmth, kindness, sense of fun and genuine care for our children that have made her such a special member of the Romilly family.

She always has time for others, brings creativity and positivity to everything she does and, as many of our children will know, she can even do a pretty impressive cartwheel!

After almost 21 years, it is difficult to imagine Romilly without her. She will be greatly missed by pupils, families and colleagues alike, but she leaves behind a wonderful legacy and so many happy memories.

On behalf of everyone at Romilly, I would like to say a huge diolch yn fawr to Nerys for everything she has given to our school. We wish her every happiness and success as she begins an exciting new chapter.

Once part of the Romilly family, always part of the Romilly family! 💙

Shwmae Day – Thursday 15th October 

Next Thursday, we will be celebrating Shwmae Day, a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the Welsh language and encourage everyone to use a little more Cymraeg in their everyday conversations.

We will be challenging children and staff to start every conversation with a friendly "Shwmae!" or "Sumae!"

Whether you are fluent in Welsh or just beginning to learn, everyone can join in!

Our Criw Cymraeg will be encouraging pupils throughout the day, and we will be celebrating those who make a special effort to use Welsh.

Why not join in at home or when you arrive at school next Thursday? Even a simple "Shwmae!" makes a difference.

Halloween Discos – Don't Forget Your Tickets! 

There is plenty of excitement building for our Friends of Romilly Halloween Discos, taking place on Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st October.

The arrangements are as follows:

Tuesday 20th October

• Nursery – Celebrations during the school day

• Year 2 – 3:30pm to 4:30pm

• Year 4 – 4:45pm to 5:45pm

Wednesday 21st October

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

• Year 3 – 4:45pm to 5:45pm

• Years 5 and 6 – 6:00pm to 7:00pm

Tickets can be purchased through the Friends of Romilly PTA website:

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

Book your Halloween Disco tickets here

A huge thank you to our PTA volunteers for organising what promises to be a fantastic couple of evenings for the children.

Finally...

As we approach the final two weeks of this half-term, I want to thank our families for your continued support.

There is so much happening across Romilly, and what stands out to me time and again is the strength of our school community. Whether it is parents attending meetings, supporting fundraising events, donating to our Foodbank collection or braving the rain to help clear an allotment, these contributions make a genuine difference to our children.

It is also wonderful to see the enthusiasm, creativity and hard work of our pupils and staff every day.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend, whatever you have planned, and I look forward to another exciting week at Romilly.

Diolch yn fawr iawn,

James Griffiths
Headteacher
Romilly Primary School

Dysgu, Tyfu a Llwyddo Gyda’n Gilydd

Learning, Growing, and Succeeding Together