The Girl, my daughter who is the first child with Down Syndrome to attend Cardiff High School, has just commenced Year 11. Like so many of her peers, she is already having to think about what and where she will be studying in Years 12 and 13. When her mother, The Boss, and I were The Girl’s age it was a straightforward choice; we would enter the sixth form and thereafter go on to sit ‘A’ levels and attend university….

Howardian Primary in Cardiff have been revealed as one of the funniest schools in the country. Class 5HB has been shortlisted as one of the ten finalists in Beano’s hunt for Britain’s Funniest Class 2021. Their joke ‘What did the pen say to the rock? Nothing, because pens can’t talk’ was specially chosen by Beano’s panel of expert judges and is now being put to a public vote on Beano.com to decide the ultimate winner. The nationwide initiative, in partnership with Young Minds, the children and people’s…

  Around 120 children from 6 special schools competed in The Lady Taverners inter-school sports day at the National Indoor Athletics Centre in Cyncoed. Heronbridge, Meadowbank, Ty Gwyn, Riverbank, Ysgol y Deri and The Hollies competed in sports from wheelchair races, long jump, table tennis, skittles and egg and spoon races. The event finished a relay race and a lap of honour with all the children taking part. Face painting was kindly provided by Acorns Nurseries. Glamorgan County Cricket Club…

The Explore Learning Writers’ Awards are now open for the eleventh year and will be judged by best-selling author, singer, dancer and TV presenter, Alesha Dixon! Whether they’re a reluctant writer or a budding Roald Dahl, this competition will inspire children from across the UK to get creative and write their very own short story. Children are tasked with creating a 500-word story all about how they could transform the world, whether that’s by making waves to save the planet,…

Cardiff’s Willows High School has received more than 30 laptops from Circle IT, which has introduced a scheme to regenerate a range of IT consumables and donate them to local schools across South Wales. Cardiff Gate-headquartered, Circle IT, made the donation as part of its commitment to benefiting those in the local community and it’s now hoped that many of Willows 600-plus pupils will benefit from the opportunities the technology offers. The laptops will replace the aging IT desktop equipment…

    Almost 50 children from a Cardiff primary school took part in a free Food and Fun/Bwyd a Hwyl programme this summer, set up to ensure all children have access to enrichment experiences, sport and educational activity sessions, as well as benefitting from two healthy meals each day during the long break from the normal school routine. Hwyel Dda Primary School in Ely was visited by Cabinet Secretary for Education Kirsty Williams AM who was keen to see how the…

Nearly a quarter of girls aged 14 (22%) said they had self-harmed in just a year according to a new report by The Children’s Society. One in six (16%) of more than 11,000 children surveyed reported self-harming at this age, including nearly one in 10 boys (9%). The self-harm statistics follow new analysis included in the charity’s annual Good Childhood Report, which examines the state of children’s well-being in the UK.  The report looks at the reasons behind the unhappiness…

  Over a thousand people voted for Option B in the consultation, to introduce a feeder school system to tackle the over-subscription problems that have caused controversy in Cardiff in recent years. Over 1,200 people took part in this consultation as opposed to just 50 last year. Despite the overwhelming majority of people voting for option B, in a report (1) released on Saturday 10th March, Nick Batchelar (the Director of Education and Lifelong Learning at Cardiff Council), advised that…

  Wales Air Ambulance landed at Mount Stuart School in Cardiff Bay to provide an educational workshop about how to call 999. Mount Stuart School is the first of several primary schools across Wales to receive the special assembly from Wales Air Ambulance, the only air ambulance dedicated to serving the people of Wales. Having helped some of Wales’ youngest patients through its specialist division, the Children’s Wales Air Ambulance, the charity wanted to make sure that young people know…

Oakfield Primary School attends Kellogg’s Breakfast Club awards at Westminster Houses of Parliament to collect national trophy A primary school in Cardiff has won ‘Best Breakfast Club in Wales’ and received £1,500 in prize money for their breakfast club. Oakfield Primary School’s breakfast club came top of the class for providing a healthy and creative approach to breakfast for their attendees and ensure each child feels involved and able to participate in activities. The winning school bagged £1,500 prize money…