Education Secretary describes Connah’s Quay school Initiatives as ‘sector leading’

Cabinet Secretary for Education paid a visit a Connah’s Quay school’s whose health initiatives she described as ‘sector leading’.

Kirsty Williams visited Ysgol Bryn Deva on Linden Avenue on the invitation of local Assembly Member Carl Sargeant.

She was welcomed by head teacher Tamasine Croston, school governors and Summer Williams and Alex Chaney from the school council.

The Cabinet Secretary enjoyed a video created by the school council outlining what the school does to make Bryn Deva a healthy school.

She met with pupils from key stage two and the foundation phase, including five-year-old Angela Sang who has written her own book called Handa’s Surprise, and was presented with a card signed by all of Angela’s class.

The school showed the Cabinet Secretary the Bryn Deva 100 mile challenge, the Touching the Sky health and fitness programme and the Clwb Seren Bach nurture group.

The Touching the Sky programme has seen pupils exercise early in the school day and has resulted in improved concentration levels. Activity is rewarded and those with the highest number of points recently enjoyed a trip up Snowdon to celebrate.

She was treated to musical performances by the school’s clarinet and flute sections, whom she heard had only started playing in September.

She said: “I used to play the clarinet so I know how hard that is, clarinet and flute are not easy – you’ve done a brilliant, brilliant job, we need to do more to make sure we can have music everywhere.”

The Cabinet Secretary was impressed with what she saw and told the head teacher that what the school is doing in this respect is sector leading.

Carl Sargeant said he was delighted to welcome the Cabinet Secretary to his constituency and show her all the wonderful initiatives Bryn Deva’ staff, pupils and governors have been working so hard on.

Steve Thomas, Bryn Deva PE Leader, said:

As a school, we really want to promote a healthy lifestyle including physical activity and a healthy diet, to improve our children’s overall well-being. So far it has had a really positive effect on our pupils.

The school also set up ‘Clwb Seren Bach’ in order to improve the academic and social performance of pupils in the Foundation Phase who were struggling to cope in whole-class settings.

Cabinet Secretary for Education Kirsty Williams said:

The new curriculum in Wales will put issues of health and wellbeing at the core of education – I want all of our young people to leave school as healthy confident individuals. The work going on here at Bryn Deva is fantastic and it was a pleasure to speak to children and staff.