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    • School Blog Friday 4th September 2026

    Welcome Back!

    We hope you all had a wonderful summer filled with fun, laughter and special family memories. It has been fantastic to welcome everyone back, and the new school year has already got off to a great start with our exciting Launch Day activities.

    Over the summer holidays, our staff team has been working incredibly hard to enhance our learning environments and create even more opportunities for our children to thrive. We are delighted to unveil several new and exciting areas around the school, designed to inspire curiosity, creativity and a love of learning.

    One of our most exciting developments is our beautiful new Nursery classroom. This thoughtfully designed space has been purposefully created to support Early Years play and development, providing an engaging environment where our youngest learners can explore, imagine and build the foundations for future success. We cannot wait to see the wonderful adventures and learning journeys that will take place there this year.

        

    This week also saw the launch of our Autumn Term topic, "Attenborough's Animal Kingdom", and what a fantastic start it has been! The children were captivated by an inspiring performance from Bigfoot Drama Productions, who brought the remarkable life of Sir David Attenborough to life and helped us learn more about his passion for the natural world. The day sparked lots of curiosity and excitement about the incredible animals and habitats we will be exploring over the coming months.

    We would also like to say a huge thank you to Animal Cwtch, who truly wowed both children and staff with their amazing animal visitors. Our pupils had the unforgettable opportunity to meet and hold a variety of fascinating creatures. There were smiles, squeals of excitement and lots of brave faces as children got up close to the animals. We still can't believe just how squishy a snake was!

    As we continue our learning journey together, we would like to remind families about our Tea Time STEM Event next Monday. This is a wonderful opportunity for parents and carers to join their children in school and work together on creative STEM challenges. We hope you can join us for an afternoon of exploration, problem-solving and fun.

    Over the past year, we have listened carefully to feedback from our families. As a result, we will be focusing on providing more memorable learning experiences and fun trips for our pupils, while reducing the number of school events we hold. Our aim is to make the events we do organise even more meaningful, enjoyable and well-planned for everyone involved.

    We are also excited to continue working closely with our Pont Rheni Parent Group. Their support and ideas help strengthen our school community and create the very best opportunities for our children. If you would like to share your thoughts or ideas, we encourage you to join their next meeting and get involved.

    At Llanrhidian Primary School, we believe the best outcomes happen when school and families work together. Thank you for your continued support as we look forward to another happy and successful year of learning.

    The Llanrhidian Primary School Team 🌟

    Looking Ahead

    We have lots to look forward to this term, with exciting learning experiences, trips and key school events already planned. To make sure you don't miss anything, please take a look at our school calendar and subscribe using the link provided. By subscribing, any updates and new events will automatically appear in your calendar, helping you stay up to date throughout the year.

    We look forward to sharing another fantastic year of memories with you and your children! 📅✨

    Click Here to View All Our Upcoming School Events!

    Ready for Any Situation: Fire Drills and Lockdown Procedures

    At Llanrhidian Primary School, the safety and wellbeing of our pupils is our highest priority. We take pride in how confidently and calmly our children respond during regular fire drills, demonstrating their preparedness for emergency situations. But safety doesn’t end with evacuation — knowing how to re-enter the building swiftly and safely is just as important.

    While lockdown procedures are often associated with external threats, they are more commonly triggered by nearby incidents such as fires or road accidents. That’s why we ensure our pupils are familiar with both evacuation and re-entry protocols, equipping them to respond appropriately to a range of scenarios.

    To maintain this high standard of readiness, we conduct these drills twice a year, in line with guidance from our local authority. Your child’s safety is always our top priority.

    Pod Pili-Pala Updates

    Welcome back. Please refer to this section of the blog for all upcoming Pili-Pala updates, news, and important communications.

    Pod Pengwin Updates

    In Pod Pengwin, we have 2 reading books. One that stays in school and one that goes home. Today the younger Pengwins chose their books to go home. You can send the 'home' books to school any day and your child can change them for a new book to go home. 

    Staff will read with your child on a Monday or Tuesday afternoon and will use the book that is kept in school so that there is consistency, and you don't have to worry if you forget to send it in.

    Pod Pysgodyn Updates

    Welcome back. Please refer to this section of the blog for all upcoming Pysgodyn updates, news, and important communications.

    Pod Pry Cop Updates

    Don't forget every Friday to bring in your wet weather clothing as we head out for Estuary Education!

    Reading Books -make sure reading books are brought in every week, so children can read with an adult.

    Pupil Question: What are you most excited about the new school year?

    Pili-Pala - The painting area is big.

    Pod Pengwin - We get to go into the kitchen and there is new grass on the floor.

    Pod Pysgodyn - We have lots of space, and we get to go into the orchard in the afternoon.

    Pod Prycop - The hall is really cool to work in as we have really comfy chairs that we can sit and read in.

    Attendance Matters

    Attendance Matters

    Improving attendance is one of our key priorities this year. Our current whole-school attendance remains below the Local Authority target of 95%, and we know that being in school every day gives children the best opportunity to learn, make progress and build friendships.

    To support this work, our Education Welfare Officer (EWO) from the Local Authority will be working alongside us to help improve attendance across the school. If you are experiencing difficulties that are affecting your child's attendance, please get in touch. We can arrange support and appointments with the EWO to help identify barriers and find positive solutions.

    We would also like to remind families about the importance of punctuality. Arriving late means children miss important learning and can disrupt the start of the day for both themselves and their class.

    Thank you for your support. By working together, we can help ensure every child is in school, on time and ready to make the most of every learning opportunity. 🌟

    School Fundraising

    Be sure to check back here for the latest fundraising news, updates, and opportunities to get involved.

    Harvest Collection 2026 - Can You Help?!

    We are getting in touch from a local charity on Swansea High Street called Matthew’s House. We are a home in the heart of the city that has been offering a warm space for the homeless and most vulnerable since we opened in 2017. We have a café, showers, laundry, and dignity packs available for anyone who needs them. Each year we get in touch with schools to support our pay-as-you-feel café called Matt’s Café and our dignity packs, with an essential top up of food and toiletries donations. Regardless of the difficulties people might face, we find that Swansea is so generous and willing to give. If this has been you… THANK YOU ðŸ˜Š  

    These donations are essential to keeping us going throughout winter. Every week we serve over 700 meals to people who may otherwise go hungry and share 40-50 dignity packs as the pressure to afford the basics gets tougher. We know that many schools will choose to support charities and groups local to them which is amazing! But, if you are planning to celebrate harvest and don’t know where to donate, or would like to support us again, we would LOVE it. 

    Please see the list below of the items we find the most useful along with a video from our Project Leader, Thom:

       

    We appreciate that times are incredibly tough, so we will be thrilled with any amount of support you are able to give! If your school, group, organisation or any individuals would like to get involved, please get in touch with us via email friends@matthewshouse.org.uk or text 07708115903.  

     Thank you! 

     Warmest regards,

     The Matthews House Team

     

    School Essentials Grant Now Open

    As we look ahead to the new school year, many families will be thinking about the cost of school uniforms and equipment.

    The School Essentials Grant is now open and may be able to help eligible families with children from Reception to Year 11 with the cost of uniforms, shoes, PE kit and other school essentials.

    Even if your child receives Universal Primary Free School Meals, you will still need to check your eligibility and apply separately for the grant.

    Find out more and apply here:

    School Essentials Grant – GOV.WALES

    We encourage all families who may be eligible to take a look and access the support available for September. 🎒📚

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