SCHOOL OF THE WEEK: Waunfawr Primary

With several generations attending the same school throughout the decades, community remains a strong ethos at Waunfawr - so much so that parents are regularly invited in to learn alongside their children.

From a £37,500 grant transforming the “traditional yard” into a sports complex, to the eclectic range of clubs, societies and activities, Waunfawr’s small workforce dedicate their lives to helping pupils achieve their full potential.

Head teacher Joanne Cueto came to Waunfawr in January 2013, facilitating the school’s transformation from claustrophobic classrooms and flooded outdoor areas to a modern centre for learning and play.

One of her biggest achievements was the MUGA development, multi-use games area, which “looks a little out of place” in the yard but is considered the first step on the schools path to modernity.

Mrs Cueto said: “Our goal is to continue updating the school and we will continue to keep updating the outdoors further.

“The school was a quite old fashioned and there were lots of old wooden partitions but the work we have done both indoors and outside has made the school a lot lighter, brighter and bigger.”

Small corridors snake through the building opening up into expansive rooms bursting with colour and character, including the canteen which crackles with conversation, laughter and energy.

High church-like ceilings tower over the school’s main classrooms, which combine computer corners, libraries and presentation areas in a relaxed open-plan arrangement.

It was in these classrooms that year six pupils Efan Passmore and Rebecca Walkley made their presentations to become elected council members for the school in a “secret ballot.”

Under their tenure the ten-year-olds have answered the concerns of other students through a suggestion box, using Parent Teacher Association funding to choose and buy “wet play box” items for each school year.

Alongside the school council, Waunfawr also runs after school clubs every evening and at lunchtime, except Friday, including a news team of 12 year six students who publish a newspaper every term.

Mrs Cueto explained: “Bearing in mind we have a very small staff, when I first got here there was a club every day of the week and every lunch time which delighted me.

“External providers also come in to do a drama club and we have sports clubs, lego clubs and a new film club where a national organisation sends us films and we discuss them with the pupils after.

“The children are fab, really lovely individuals and they are grateful for the opportunities they are given.”

With an investment in 30 new laptops in September and a popular online reading club that distributes homework via email, Waunfawr is also a school that is also keen to harness the learning capacities of the internet.

Mrs Cueto added: “While investing in technology is great it sometimes comes with its problems and we do a lot of work with parents, such as hosting online safety meetings.

“However laptops motivate children so much – especially some of the boys.”

Despite the technological push, community is the life and soul of Waunfawr with parents and grandparents having a personal investment in the school, the children and the building's history.

The school’s most recent opening morning had 42 children bring parents and grandparents in to sit in on lessons.

For head teacher Mrs Cueto, the Waunfawr tries to open its doors and bring parents in as much as possible.

She added: “We have two grandparents come in at night to do flowers and although their grandchildren have grown up they still maintain links with the school.

“They are like fairies because they do their work early at morning or late at night and nobody sees them.

“All of a sudden hanging baskets will appear and it’s so generous.”

The grandparents, who are CRB checked also accompany the school on trips to help out.

The selfless, giving nature of the Crosskeys community is evidently passed down through the generations, with pupils donating food collected from its harvest fundraiser to Risca foodbank.

Furthermore, the pupils have worked with Caerphilly County Borough Council to win their first green flag award for environmental awareness.

Alongside bringing a physical facelift to Waunfawr, Mrs Cueto also revised the school motto, with parents, children and staff getting together to design a new logo.

The new motto “unlocking excellence” is represented in a design referencing the valleys, smiling children and crossed keys within cogs, mirroring the teamwork and core values that make the school such a local treasure.

This motto also applies to the midday supervisors working in the canteen, who are take part in a Phrase of The Week challenge to help them develop their Welsh skills.

With a roster of Christmas events, including a Christmas fair, carol services and visits from Newport County football club and Gwent Police, December looks to be a busy month for the school.

Deputy head Jo Richards started at Waunfawr in September and is also hoping to use her “good working relationship with Joanne” to keep the momentum of school improvements going.

She said: “sometimes when you sit down and talk about the work you do as a school you really do realise the amount of improvements you have made.”

Joanne also thanked the hard work of pupils, staff, governors, parents and volunteers for “making the school what it is today.”

She said: “The staff and teaching assistants would do anything for the children and give over and above all the time.

“We are a small school but everybody chips in and whenever anyone asks the school for help with fundraising the children instantly want to do something.

“We will continue to improve our school to provide the best opportunities for all our pupils to allow them to reach for the stars and have happy and fulfilling futures.

“I can honestly say I feel privileged to work here.”

Fact File

Headteacher, Mrs Joanne Cueto.

Pupils, 181.

Age Range: 3 – 10

Staff: 6 teachers, 7 teaching assistants

Head of Governors: Mr Michael Gray

Motto: Unlocking Excellence.

Last Report: 2012.