Latest News

Vaccines now require electronic consent, please read (Y9 parents).

Fri 23 Jan 2026

Teenage 3-in-1 Booster and MenACWY Year 9 Pupils

Dear Parent or Guardian,

The School Nursing Team will visit your child’s school on 05/02/26 to offer year 9 pupils the Diptheria Tetanus, Polio (known as 3-in-one booster) and Meningitis ACWY vaccination. The NHS recommends that your child receives the vaccine to protect against life threatening illnesses. This consent form must be completed by a parent or a guardian with parental responsibility for the child. For current information about the Vaccines please click on the link School age children and young people - Public Health Wales

As is already standard practice in man other Health Boards across Wales, we will be piloting an Electronic-consent (E-consent) for this vaccination programme. We have worked closely with colleagues in the Health Board and Local Authority to make sure this new consent process is simple, convenient, and most importantly secure.

Please click on the link or scan the QR code in Welsh or English to complete the electronic consent form:

https://d2e9adtx5us38g.cloudfront.net/ty-gwyn-edu-centre-secondary/index.html?form=1160b7e5-2a43-4d83-b468-f20ba9102a3f

If you have more than one school age child in year 9, please complete one form per child. The form must be completed prior to the school nurses visiting your child’s school to deliver the vaccination. This gives our staff time to check each individual form.

We encourage parental engagement and consent wherever possible for young people. However, everyone aged 16 years and over is presumed to have the capacity to give consent themselves, unless the opposite is demonstrated. If a child under the age of 16 fully understands what is involved, they are legally able to make an informed decision to consent from the age of 13. They are advised to inform their parent/guardian. However, they have the right to not disclose this information if they wish.

If you have consented to this vaccination and for any unforeseen reason your child is unable to be vaccinated on the day of the session, you will be contacted with an alternative opportunity.

Should your child receive the vaccination elsewhere please inform the school nursing service as soon as possible. CTM.SchoolNursesImmunisationTeam@wales.nhs.uk If you experience any difficulties with accessing the form, please contact the School Nursing team. Alternatively, your child’s school will also be able to support with accessing the form on a school device

Following the completion of our E-consent pilot, we will be sending out an evaluation form to all parents/carers, to capture your feedback on the E-consent form and your experience of using it.

Immunisations your child receives will be recorded within the NHS for the purpose of record-keeping and vaccine-monitoring. To find out how the NHS uses your information, visit 111.wales.nhs.uk/AboutUs/Yourinformation/ We will share your child’s name and date of birth with the school to ensure smooth running of the session.

Spring Newsletter

Sat 17 Jan 2026

Please see the Newsletter tab for the Spring edition. A copy has been sent to every pupil. Please get in touch if you have any questions!

NEW ALN Toolkit for parents and carers of children and young people with ALN

Mon 22 Dec 2025

Welsh Government has announced the launch of the Welsh Government’s ALN Parent and Carer Toolkit. Developed in collaboration with parents, carers, and professionals across education, health, social care, local authorities, and the third sector, this resource explains how the ALN system works and where families can access support.

The toolkit is available in English and Welsh, with accessible formats including Easy Read, please see the ALN section of our website or use the following link:

https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2025-11/a-guide-for-parents-and-carers-of-children-with-additional-learning-needs.pdf

Winter Water Safety advice

Mon 15 Dec 2025

Young people urged to stay safe around open water this winter

Tragically 54 people drowned in Wales in 2024, an increase from 2023, with many taking place during winter months.

We at Water Safety Wales, would like your support in raising further awareness of our water safety messages to children and young people on the importance of staying safe around the coast and inland waterways including rivers, lakes and reservoirs during the winter period.

One drowning is too many. We would urge your teaching staff to reiterate our simple live saving messages to your learners and families to help them stay safe around open water. Knowing these tips can save a life.

Key Messages:

· Stay Away from the Edge: Keep back from slippery banks and avoid walking on ice. Stick to well-lit areas and plan your walks during daylight. Avoid walking or driving through floodwater.

· Keep Children and Pets Close: Teach children to stay off the ice and avoid floodwater. Keep dogs on a lead near ice and slippery banks.

· If You Fall Through the Ice: Keep calm and call for help. Float on your back until you feel calm, then try to climb out. If you cannot climb out, continue to float and keep your head clear of the water.

· If You See Someone in Trouble – Call 999: Do not enter cold water, ice, or floodwater to rescue someone. Try to reach them from the bank using a rope, pole, tree branch, or clothing tied together.

· Flood Safety Updates: Check your local flood risk on the Natural Resources Wales website. Sign up for flood warnings and stay informed about weather conditions and flood warnings.

Resources: Please share the attached leaflet with parents and guardians and the social media messages on your schools accounts.

Winter is a beautiful season, but it also brings certain risks, especially around water, with flooding and ice being major concerns. By working together, we can significantly reduce the number of water-related incidents and ensure the safety of our children. Your support in this initiative is invaluable, and I am confident that with your help, we can make a meaningful difference.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need further information.

Chris Cousens, Chair, Water Safety Wales

https://nationalwatersafety.org.uk/water-safety-wales

The latest figures from the Water Incident Database (WAID), which is maintained by the National Water Safety Forum, highlight drowning trends from 2024. Key accidental drowning death WAID insights for Wales include:

· Males continue to be overrepresented with 82% of accidental fatalities.

· Males aged 20-29, 50-59 and 70-79 were the highest groups for accidental fatalities.

· Recreational activities, such as adventure sports, angling, boating, and waterside activities, accounted for 67% of all accidental fatalities.

· Accidental fatalities occur at both inland (lakes, rivers, canals, reservoirs and quarries) and coastal waters, with 56% occurring at coastal locations.

· Of the 193 accidental fatalities in the UK, 18 were in Wales, 136 were in England, 33 in Scotland and 6 in Northern Ireland.

Education & Inclusive Services - Draft Strategic Plan 2026-30 Consultation

Sun 30 Nov 2025

Please see attached information regarding the RCT Strategic Plan for Education and Inclusion Services.

Parents, carers and families are encouraged to read the plan and take the opportunity, should they wish, to offer feedback.

Thankyou. Please see the parent tab of the website for the document.

https://rctcbc.welcomesyourfeedback.net/s/5nzsd4

Christmas Fayre

Mon 24 Nov 2025

All are welcome!

Christmas Fayre 11th December 1pm

School Hall

Christmas crafts and refreshments, bring your pennies!

Operation Christmas Child shoebox collection

Tue 11 Nov 2025

Ty Gwyn staff and pupils have collected small toys, notebooks, pens, socks and gloves for the Operation Christmas Child appeal. We have boxes for all ages, boy and girl, children who live in circumstances where they would have nothing, will now have a gift from our part of Wales at Christmas.

Thank you to the staff and governors that contributed.

We will be going to the donation point at the Oasis Church Aberdare on Friday morning with some of our children and young people as part of our Rights Respecting Schools work. Please see our pictures, we filled 41 shoe boxes!
Pupils E and D accompanied by Lisa and Vicky filled the car in the awful weather and made our donation!

RCT have launched their Active Travel Toolkit for children and young people!

Thu 06 Nov 2025

Many children and young people who attend Ty Gwyn Education Centre attend via school transport, we do have a number who come to school on foot or in parent/carer vehicles. A lot of young people are also out and about in the community after school and on weekends and holidays, please follow the link and share the information, especially about safety, with your child or young person, especially as the dark nights are here.

https://www.tygwyneducationcentre.cymru/useful-links/

Harvest Festival Food Collection

Fri 17 Oct 2025

As part of our autumn term Rights Respecting Schools work Mr Thomas helped us organise donations for the Trussell Trust Foodbank in Pontypridd.
We have a lot of great items that will really help families in need. Our thanks to everyone who sent items in.
Ms Rigby and Ellie our Family Engagement Officer visited the Food Bank with Leo and Darius today to hand over the collection and see how the Food Bank works. See below for our pictures.

The boys had the opportunity to collect goods and fill a list for a person in need, counting and weighing the parcel, showing great focus and concentration. Well done boys, making such a good impression, we have been invited back!