STARTING AT MAESTEG SCHOOL
WELCOME YEAR 6!
#MAESTEG24 #MOTIVATEDTOSTRIVE
HEADTEACHER’S WELCOME
MRS HELEN JONES
I am delighted to welcome you to Year 7 of Maesteg School and look forward to greeting you all in September!
Our simple motto is ‘Motivated to Strive’. This means that we expect you to work hard at school and at home. We want you to develop a love of learning so that you enjoy life at Maesteg and get the best out of what we have to offer you.
You will study a wide range of subjects so will have lots of opportunities to show us what you are good at. Although classroom achievement is important, we also value our pupils who work hard at other aspects of school life such as sport, music, drama and creative arts. We want you to get involved in after school activities to explore and make the most of your talents.
Although Maesteg School is a much bigger school than your primary school, we will get to know each and every one of you as an individual. Our school is a warm, caring, friendly school where there are excellent relationships between our pupils and teachers.
I am proud of Maesteg School pupils and teachers and I look forward to September where you too will become part of our happy, hard-working and successful school.
Your Progress Leaders
Miss Sarah Taylor
Miss Hannah Baty
Mrs Lisa Ward
Mr Tom Davies
Mr Sean Cronin
Your main contact for information or to discuss any problems is your form tutor.
If your form tutor is not able to help, then you should contact your Progress Leader.
You can find the Progress Leaders in their teaching rooms or the Progress Leaders’ office which is located on the first floor, near the library.
Your Progress Leaders will run assemblies throughout the year which will celebrate your achievements.
My School Uniform
For what to wear and where to buy it, follow the Uniform Information link.
WHAT IF I AM LATE? BE PUNCTUAL
Punctuality is a key indicator that you are well organised and can manage your time effectively. It is an essential skill that you will need to develop both in school and for the rest of your life. There should be no reason for you to be late to lessons or late with homework if you remember our one simple rule of RESPECT. Respect deadlines and respect start times and you shouldn’t have a problem with punctuality. However, it can sometimes happen to even the most organised of us. If you are late into school in the morning, you must go straight to MAIN RECEPTION where you must sign in. You will then be told to go immediately to your lesson. If you are already in school but late to your lesson, you must apologise to the teacher and explain your lateness.
WHAT IF I NEED TO GO TO THE TOILET?
Year 7 toilets available for pupil use on the ground floor. Pupils, just like teachers, are expected to use the toilets during break and lunchtime. You are not allowed to use the toilets during lessons unless it is an emergency. Then, you should ask a member of staff for permission to use the toilet and you will be issued with a pass. No pupil should be outside of class during lesson time – you will always need a ‘pass’ if you are outside of the classroom for any reason.
HOMEWORK
Homework is an essential part of developing and improving your independent learning skills. Although you learn whilst you are in school, real learning takes place when you re-learn it on your own or at home. All students at Maesteg School will have homework from a range of subjects. It will be very important that you organise your time to make sure that you complete all homework to the best of your ability and meet the deadlines set. Your teachers will record all homework on Assignments on Teams. Your teachers will inform you of the nature of the homework and set the deadline for handing in your work.
If you have any difficulty with the homework, make sure you speak to your teacher about it BEFORE the deadline not after it.
You can also stay in school from 3:00-4:00 to do your homework in the school library where you will have access to printers, photocopiers, and support from staff.
HOW SHOULD I BEHAVE?
We have high expectations of our pupils at Maesteg School and this is most important when it comes to behaviour. Follow our simple code of conduct: we expect you to RESPECT.
Respect your teachers
Respect other pupils
Respect your environment
Respect deadlines
Respect your uniform
Respect yourself
We all have ‘bad days’ so in order to guide you, we also have the Maesteg School Charter of 5 simple rules to L E A R N
LEAVE Mobile phones at home
Valuable items and large sums of money should not be brought into school. Their loss will be your responsibility.
ENSURE that you have the right equipment, and you are ready to learn.
Bring the right equipment for all your lessons. Make sure you have a bag for your books, writing equipment, folders, and PE kit. You must always have a pen, pencil, ruler, rubber and a reading book. Bring in your Chromebook and charger every day.
ARRIVE on time.
Late arrivals disrupt learning, so be on time for registration and lessons. If late, apologise and provide an explanation to your teacher. If you have been absent, you must bring in a note for our Tutors or your parents must telephone the school.
Do not ask to leave lessons or tutor time. Go to the toilet during break and lunch time not during lessons and never leave school premises without the permission of your Progress Leader.
RESPECT all staff, pupils and your learning environment
Please move around the school quietly, opening and holding doors for other people. When the teacher talks to the class, be quiet and pay attention. Don’t distract others or stop other pupils from learning.
Bullying has no place in Ysgol Maesteg – report any incidents to staff.
You can read our Anti-Bullying Policy here: Anti-Bullying at Maesteg School
Respect your uniform smartly and with pride. Value and respect our school, grounds and equipment. Look after the school properly. Keep classrooms tidy.
Litter is the responsibility of everyone. Pupils are expected to undertake litter picking during break and lunchtime. Use the bins in the school building and in the yard and remember that chewing and eating are not allowed in classrooms.
NOW work hard and strive to produce your best
Enjoy your success. Take advantage of the opportunities provided for you. Encourage and support each other. Become fully involved in school life. Develop your talents in sport, music and serving others. Look for ways you can support each other, your House, your school and your community. Follow the Maesteg motto which is “Motivated to Strive”. Meet all deadlines for classwork and homework. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Respect yourself! Aim to succeed. Work hard.
What will I study?
You are joining the school at such an exciting time as we continue to develop the new Curriculum for Wales.
We will further develop all the skills you have learnt in primary school. You will be working closely with your English teacher and other teachers so that you improve your literacy, numeracy and digital competency skills. We will challenge you to set yourselves ambitious standards in your learning. We will ensure in your lessons you will question yourselves and your teacher. You will become expert problem solvers. We will provide opportunities for you to use digital technologies creatively. At Maesteg School we will enable you to take risks in your learning. You will also become knowledgeable about Wales, our culture and heritage as well as looking to the world beyond. Your lessons will be dynamic and will develop your self-confidence, resilience, and empathy with other pupils in our community at school and in our local community.
All your teachers are so excited to welcome you to Maesteg School and cannot wait to begin the next stage of your educational adventure together.
What should I do at lunchtime?
We have ½ hour (30 minutes) for lunch in the school dining hall. You can either have a meal in the school Dining Area or you can bring sandwiches from home if you prefer.
We also have a Breakfast club where we serve tea and toast from 8:00am every day. There is also hot food available during morning break.
Our canteen is very popular and almost all our students choose school dinners because they enjoy the food that is on offer and the atmosphere of the school canteen.
School Grants and Free School Meal Applications
Follow the link for information and guidance about grants available for eligible pupils within Bridgend County Borough:
WHAT CAN I DO WITH MY SPARE TIME?
We run school clubs, ‘Power Hour’ and much more.
The Library
Developing a love of reading is one of the most important life-long skills you can learn. If you choose the right books, it can also be one of the most enjoyable. You will always need a reading book with you to make sure you can benefit from our DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) sessions. You can borrow books from the library and earn House points for the amount of reading that you do throughout the year. As well as a wide range of books the library also has a quiet reading area and computers with internet access that you can use to complete homework.
School Clubs + Power Hour
We have a wide range of clubs that you can join at Maesteg School. We have a school orchestra, a school choir, a drama club, sports clubs for football, rugby, netball, hockey, athletics, gymnastics and dance. There are also clubs at lunchtime and after school for revision, catch-up and controlled assessments. There are lots of other extra-curricular activities. Keep an eye on our Activity board in school and on our website and go along and try something new!
What do I do if I’m unhappy?
We hope that this never happens once you begin your life at Maesteg School; although you will be part of a much larger school, you will be part of a House and a valued member of a Tutor group.
If you do feel sad, not included or just unhappy, then please tell someone. Problems cannot be solved if no one knows about them. Your form tutor should be your first point of contact, but your Head of Year should also be able to help. If they are not able to solve the problem or make you feel happier, we have trained counsellors at the school who you can make an appointment to speak to.
We are a ‘TELLING’ school and bullying is not tolerated at Maesteg. If you are aware that anyone is being bullied, you must tell a teacher. Each child has a right to feel safe and happy in school and we will not allow bullies to make any child unhappy in Maesteg School.
GETTING TO SCHOOL
Many of our students walk to school or bring their own bicycles, which you can keep safe in the bike storage areas of the school.
All bus passes are issued by the Local Authority. Questions relating to transport must be directed to Mr Tony Hart at BCBC.
You can phone BCBC on 01656 642653 or email via the link below:
Getting to know Maesteg School:
Tommy’s Letter
Current Year 7 pupil Tommy reflects on how he settled into life at Maesteg School.
Elijah’s Letter
Elijah shares his thoughts on the transition from primary to secondary school.
A Warm Welcome
We would like to extend the warmest of welcomes to all our year 6 pupils who will be joining Maesteg School in September 2024. Our transition programme takes place in the summer term with Helping Hands sessions, guided visits for pupils and our Transition Day.
We have designated this area of our school website specifically for you to learn more about our school and what you can expect to happen in the first few months of year 7 at Maesteg School. We would encourage you to look at the Transition presentation with your child and direct any questions you may have to the email addresses listed and we will do our best to answer them.
Moving from primary school to secondary school is a time of anxious excitement as pupils will not know the layout of the school or the systems used. It is natural for this change to cause anxiety, as it is the fear of the unknown. However, the school is a building that, with help, all our Year 7 pupils get to know very quickly. As for our systems, there are so many people here to help you settle in, after a few days, you will wonder what worried you. No doubt, many of you will be excited to meet new friends and to take advantage of all the new activities and opportunities that we have to offer you. We want you to settle so that you can love the learning you will be undertaking in your classes.
Please check this section of our website regularly as we will be uploading documents throughout the Summer Term. Please do not hesitate to contact the school on the email addresses below. If you follow us on X, (previously known as Twitter), you will find updates that direct you to the website for additional information, and capture the essence of day to day school life. We now have an Instagram account and most recently a Facebook page too.
We are so looking forward to meeting you all – it is always a highlight of the year.
With our warmest regards,
Mrs Helen Jones Headteacher and Mrs Tania Hill Assistant Headteacher
Video: Welcome Year 6
Mrs Hill talks us through information that all year 6 pupils need to know before they start at Maesteg School:
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Video: Tour our School
Our Year 9 Active Young People Department (AYPD) Wellbeing team have created a video to inform Year 6 pupils about life at Maesteg School, before they join us from their primary schools this September…
Helping you to Succeed and Smile
If your child requires some extra help and support in their learning – below are some of the areas in our school where they will go. We have a fantastic team of support staff who are dedicated to helping our learners achieve.
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- Mrs Ackerman's area
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- Mrs Ackerman's area
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- Literacy & Numeracy Hub
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- Literacy & Numeracy Hub
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- The Oasis
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- The Oasis Sensory Room
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- The Oasis
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- The Oasis
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- The Oasis
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- The Oasis
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- The Oasis
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- The Oasis
Getting to know you
If your child has additional learning needs, please click on the link and download the transition booklet here. There are pages for learners and parents/carers to complete. We really want to get to know you.
Once you have completed it, please email it to: [email protected]
We look forward to learning all about you and ensuring a smooth transition and successful start at Maesteg School.
Helping Hands
Sometimes we feel a little bit more anxious about starting at Maesteg School and that is quite normal, especially during these unusual times.
If you are feeling extremely anxious, we are hoping that the Helping Hands Powerpoint video and booklet (both below) will help you feel a lot better about expressing your opinions and remembering who you can speak about how you are feeling.
Read the Helping Hands booklet here.
Contacting us
If you have any queries regarding transition, then please do not hesitate to contact us. We’ve set up an email address to answer all your questions. Get in touch at: [email protected]
We look forward to hearing from you and can’t wait to meet you all at the start of the new autumn term.