02 July 2021

Dear Colleagues,

Happy Friday, I hope are all well and looking forward to the weekend.

It has been another busy week here in the Vale, but one which has produced more good news and achievements that I’d like to share with you all.

Firstly, congratulations to Cadoxton Primary School who last week won the ‘Community and Collaboration’ award at the Tes School Awards. The judges remarked that the school “illustrated what going the extra mile really means” during the pandemic. Examples of the school going the extra mile to support the community included their pay as you can shop, the Big Bocs Bwyd initiative and junk food café. All of which are initiatives to provide families with fresh food at a lower cost. Cadoxton also provides up to 20 work placements per year for trainee teachers, providing them with what must be inspiring real school experiences. Da iawn i chi gyd!

Some of you may be aware that Y Daith, the service that has managed the pupil referral units at Amelia Trust Farm and Cowbridge, will cease to do so from the end of this term. To celebrate its legacy Y Daith has asked a small group of ex-pupils to share their experiences and memories from the farm. It’s great to hear that all of the pupils who struggled for various reasons in mainstream education had fond memories of Y Daith and felt it made a difference to them. Thank you to all of the staff and former pupils for making Y Daith a special place for so many. A new specialised Centre of Learning and Wellbeing is being established under the management of Ysgol Y Deri and will be operated on the existing sites, pending the development of a bespoke learning campus, anticipated to open in 2023. I hope the next chapter is just as successful.

On another educational note, this week is ‘Youth Work Week’, which is a is a great opportunity to reflect upon the excellent work of the Vale’s Youth Service.  During the pandemic the Youth Service has responded effectively in supporting young people across our communities, with a real emphasis on engaging with the most vulnerable.  The Youth Service has undertaken a range of activities that have made a real difference to the lives of young people.  Both our Universal Team and our Targeted Team have prioritised responding proactively to the impact of the pandemic.  This has included working in partnership with our pupil referral unit to deliver food and essential products to vulnerable and isolated young people.  Some examples include:

• Social media activities and engagement including video uploads, links to live sessions and access to activities which promote active lifestyles with an emphasis on enjoyment;
• Digital themed activities delivered in the place of youth clubs/provision in order to respond to covid related restrictions; and
• Pop up outdoor youth clubs in parks across the Vale of Glamorgan.

Well done to the Vale’s Youth Service team and thank you for your contribution during difficult times.

On the subject of Wellbeing, the Wellbeing Champions have arranged a series of Woodland Wellbeing sessions. These take place once a month at parks in the Vale of Glamorgan and are an opportunity for staff to get out in the fresh air, enjoy nature and lend a helping hand at our parks and gardens. The next session will be taking place on Friday 16 July, b

etween 12:00pm – 2:00pm at Porthkerry Country Park. Please visit the wellbeing section on Staffnet+ to find out more and register your attendance.

All staff should have received an email from me on Wednesday afternoon, which provided an update on our plans for future working arrangements for office-based staff. The Welsh Government guidelines, and our position, remains that staff should work from home for the majority of the time. However, I recognise that some teams may need to return to the workplace either on a permanent or rotation basis for specific operational needs. And for others, it may be the case that working from the office is better for their wellbeing. In these circumstances it is reasonable for colleagues currently working from home to work from one of our office locations, as long as this is done in a Covid-safe way and with their line manager’s approval. We also prov

Of course, the most Covid-safe measure we can all take is to get vaccinated. More than 600,000 doses have now been issued across Cardiff and the Vale. For anyone living or working in the Vale of Glamorgan who has not yet received their first dose walk-in appointments are available at the Holm View Mass Vaccination Centre in Barry. The walk-in sessions run from 8:30am to 7:30 pm across this weekend (02 – 04 July).ided guidance for managers to help support their teams if they need to return to the office over the next few weeks.

Finally, although it was a disappointing result for Wales in their last 16 match against Denmark on Saturday, it was heart-warming to see all of the videos of school pupils singing Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau. Ysgol Sant Curig and St Andrews Major Primary school featured on the FAWs compilation video, which was shared on social media ahead of the match. Da iawn chi!

I hope you all have an enjoyable weekend. Take care.

Diolch yn fawr,

Rob.