At Ysgol Bro Taf, we believe in fostering leadership skills from a young age. Our Middle School offers a range of pupil leadership opportunities designed to empower students, build confidence, and encourage a sense of responsibility within the school community.

School Council Members

Pupils can be elected by their peers to serve on the Middle School Council, where they will represent their tutor group, voice opinions, and work with the head of middle school on decisions that impact the school community.

Middle school council members 2024-25

As a school we place huge importance on attendance and punctuality. There is clear evidence to demonstrate that high attendance rates equates to high attainment in school. However, school is about so much more than academic attainment. We believe that children who attend school regularly are more likely to feel settled in school, maintain friendships, engage in enrichment activities, keep up with their learning and gain the greatest benefit from their education. We want all our pupils to have the very best start in life, ensuring the highest attendance and punctuality rates is crucial to this.

Absences

Pupils are not expected to attend school when they are not well enough to do so, whether as a result of short term, long term or recurring illness. However, we request that parents/carers inform school of any illness absences via Class Charts.

If you are unsure of whether to send your child into school or not, Public Health Wales provides guidance on specific illnesses and isolation periods where needed.

Long-term absence for physical or mental health reasons must have medical evidence in order to be recorded as authorised absence.

We ask all parents/carers to endeavour to make all medical and dental appointments outside of school hours, however we do accept that there may be exceptional circumstances that require pupils to attend appointments during school time.

We request that parents/carers communicate clearly with the school to ensure absence can be recorded accurately.

Holidays in Term Time

The local authority and school strongly advises parents and carers that pupils should not take holidays during term time, due to the negative impact that this can have on their learning.

There are special considerations for when holidays in term time are authorised. Please see below:

• Families of serving armed forces personnel where they are unable to take a holiday during the coming school holiday period
• Parent or child experiencing a life limiting illness that requires them to go on holiday at that time and not during a school holiday period
• Families that have suffered an acute trauma in the recent past.

Holiday request forms are available on the school website or by emailing attendance@brotaf.cymru.

Persistent absence/Concerning attendance rates

As a school we monitor attendance rates closely throughout the school year, if a pupils attendance drops below 92% you will receive a letter to alert you that attendance rates are at a concerning point.

We encourage open and honest communication between school and home to ensure attendance rates improve. As a school we will ensure robust support systems are in place to improve attendance to school.

If attendance rates continue to decline the school will link closely with the Attendance and Well-Being Service for further intervention.

At Ysgol Bro Taf, we are committed to support pupil’s education both in and out of the classroom. A well-structured home learning policy is essential in supporting our pupils’ academic growth, fostering effective study habits, and reinforcing the learning that takes place in the classroom.

It extends learning beyond the school day, providing opportunities for pupils to practice and consolidate their understanding of new concepts. This practice not only helps to reinforce what has been learned but also encourages independent learning and critical thinking skills.

In Year 7 to 9, pupils will receive weekly spellings to learn at home to support with the development of their literacy skills. Spelling lists will be handed out during tutorial sessions and will also be available on our school website for parents/carers to view weekly. Pupils will complete a spelling test every week during tutorial time.

Pupils will also be encouraged to develop their numeracy skills by completing one piece of Maths work per week. Pupils will be set this via the online platform Mathswatch and this will be closely linked to the curriculum being delivered to your child in lessons. This will be set by individual Maths teachers.

Pupils who do not have access to ICT equipment or pupils who need additional support with any home learning will be encouraged to attend ‘Skills Club’ during a lunch time and/or an afterschool session.

Finally, pupils will also receive one piece of additional home learning every half term from other areas of learning. This will include Expressive Arts, Humanities, Languages, Science and Technology. This will be issued to pupils during lesson time by their classroom teacher.

Pupils will not be sanctioned for failing to complete their home learning. We believe that other valuable activities such as attending local clubs and spending time with family and friends is important in becoming a healthy, confident individual.

However, pupils who complete their home learning will be praised and rewarded regularly. Pupils will receive ClassCharts points for the completion of home learning and this will be frequently celebrated on a whole-school level.

RCT Catering Services provides a tasty and nutritious menu to all schools within Rhondda Cynon Taf.

• Middle and Upper School Menu
• Middle and Upper School Price List

Middle School and Upper School catering operates on a far larger scale than Lower School, and the choice of food on offer is far greater. It is not practical to implement the same special diet procedure that was applied in Lower School.

Pupils may need advice on which food items are suitable for consumption and should discuss their dietary needs with the Catering staff who can check packaging and allergen matrices (for composite dishes). Staff can also provide advice or restrictions on food handling practices as this may affect the suitability of the product.

Complex cases, which may need additional measures can be discussed with the Catering Support Officer.

Please note: We procure food that is absent of nuts as a declared ingredient. However, even with proactive cross contamination control measures, multiple handling processes in the supply chain do present the potential for trace ingredients to remain present. We cannot control the food brought into the Dining environment by other customers.

A residual risk remains that food provided by RCT Catering Services ‘may contain traces of nuts and nut derivatives’, and customers who have a nut allergy should consider the risk before purchasing/consuming any food.

At Ysgol Bro Taf, we are dedicated to providing an inspiring, nurturing, and inclusive environment where every student can thrive. As a 3-16 all through school, we are proud of our strong academic curriculum offer, extensive extracurricular activities, and commitment to developing ambitious and capable individuals who are ready to face the future with confidence.

Why Choose Ysgol Bro Taf?

• Outstanding Academic Excellence: Our dedicated teachers ensure that every child discovers their brilliance and reaches their full potential, offering a broad curriculum that caters to individual learning styles.
• Pastoral Care: We prioritise pupils well-being through a robust pastoral system, ensuring every pupil feels valued and supported throughout their educational journey.
• Enrichment Opportunities: We provide a range of extracurricular activities through our Bro Taf promise which includes sports, music, drama, and clubs, aimed at fostering talents and interests beyond the classroom.
• State-of-the-Art Facilities: Ysgol Bro Taf is equipped with modern learning spaces, facilities, and technology to enhance the pupils experience and prepare them for a successful future.

Year 6 Transition Opportunities

Transitioning from primary to secondary school can be both exciting and daunting for pupils and parents. We are proud to be working extremely close with our cluster primary schools which include:

• Cefn
• Coedpenmaen
• Craig yr Hesg
• Coedylan
• Maesycoed
• Trerobart
• Trehopcyn

We also have strong working relationships with other primary schools that are situated out of our catchment and welcome pupils from all areas within the local authority and beyond.

At Ysgol Bro Taf, we ensure a smooth and welcoming transition process for pupils through a range of activities throughout the year. Please see our transition calendar for full details. Our main transition opportunities include:

• Transition taster days: Year 5 and 6 pupils are invited to spend time at Ysgol Bro Taf, experiencing secondary school life in our excellent state-of-the-art facilities and engaging in lessons across different areas of learning.
• Transition evenings: We run a series of events during the evening which are designed to help pupils get to know the school environment, meet key staff and build positive friendships with future classmates.
• Parent and Carer Evenings: We invite parents and carers to information sessions where they can meet our leadership team, learn about the school’s ethos, and ask any questions they may have.

We understand the importance of choosing the right secondary school for your child and are here to help make that decision easier. We invite you to explore everything Ysgol Bro Taf has to offer and look forward to welcoming your family to our school community.