Thursday 11th February 2010

28 January 2010

Sir Thomas Picton School underwent an Estyn inspection in November where a team of inspectors scrutinised every aspect of school life.  Mrs Bessant and her staff are delighted to receive the full report today which confirms, and celebrates, the excellent work done by pupils and staff alike.  The full report can be read on http://www.estyn.gov.uk/inspection_reports/Sir_Thomas_Picton_School_November_2009.pdf 

We truly do have an outstanding school!

20 January 2010

The snow was not going to stop us from undertaking our latest ICT trip to EuroDisney, Paris.  29 exceedingly excited pupils and three of their very brave teachers left school on Monday 11th January to begin the journey.  On arrival we were greeted by a fantastic “all you can eat” buffet meal at the Hotel Cheyenne followed by a thorough exploration of Disney Village.  The Tower of Terror, Space Mountain and Rock N Roller Coaster were waiting for us on Tuesday morning and we spared no time getting ourselves into the park and onto the rides.    After our thrilling day in the park we met up ready for the lecture on Hotel Information systems and Data Protection.  Time to change and prepare ourselves for the notorious Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show where everyone enjoyed the show, the authentic food and the fun and games.  The return journey began on Wednesday where we couldn’t believe how quickly the time had flown.  What a tremendous group of pupils who did themselves proud on the trip, a huge thank you from Mrs Price, Mr Evans and Miss Dennis to them for making the trip such a huge success.

20 January 2010

10 December 2009

In line with the school’s desire to be an environmentally friendly place for all to enjoy, pupils now take responsibility for ensuring litter is a thing of the past.  Every form group spends 15 minutes once every half term picking up any stray pieces of rubbish using specially provided mechanical pickers and gloves.  The scheme is organised by the Site Management team and prizes are available for the most effective form group.  Keep picking- you’re making an impact!

       Christmas Fayre

10 December 2009 Christmas Cheer at STP

Thursday evening 10 December 2009 saw the school’s hall transformed into a Winter Wonderland for the annual Christmas Fayre.  This event was introduced last year to provide Year 12 Welsh Baccalaureate students with a trading opportunity to run their enterprises but the event has now grown out of all recognition.  The event was extensively covered by Radio Pembrokeshire who were broadcasting live from the school during the day and were ever present on the night.  shoe shining and caricature drawing- there really was something for the whole family.  Over £2000 clear profit was generated on the night for STP’s Home School Association and the school is extremely grateful for everyone’s support.  Next year’s event is already being planned.

5 December 2009

The Geography department recently braved an extremely wet day to visit Broad Haven. The trip was arranged to observe the coastal landforms and sea defences as follow up work to support the coastal landform module. Whilst there, all students had to draw field sketches of arches and cliffs and carried out field work to evaluate the performance of the sea defences and how the beach is managed. Even though all got a bit wet, it was a very rewarding trip.

3 December 2009

STP was delighted to discover that it has recently been awarded the Best Regional Film prize in the prestigious media4schools awards held recently in Cardiff.  The school was nominated for its first production called The Vibe which showcases the phenomenal amount of talent at STP.  The media4schools initiative requires pupils to totally produce their own media productions including the planning, filming and editing of a final product.  The video can be seen on the school’s website at http://www.stp.pembrokeshire.sch.uk/Video/STP%20TV%20The%20Vibe.mov    

2 December 2009

Year 9 pupils recently took part in activities to raise awareness of the issues of Transport, Biodiversity and Global Citizenship.  One workshop involved Mr Tim Brew from the West Wales Eco Centre giving a lecture on the impacts of transport on the environment.  Pupils followed this by writing their own transport policy. 

In another activity, National Park Ranger Mr H Garlick accompanied pupils out to STP’s outdoor classroom to look at grassland and pond ecosystems.  The groups identified many species ranging from common newt to catching mice in the grassland. 

Another session led by Miss A Walker and Mrs L Gibbs followed on from the topic of millennium development goals in Geography lessons.  Each group had to act out a series of photos to illustrate a millennium development goal to the beat of a drum.  A big thank you to all those people who helped on another very successful environment day at Sir Thomas Picton School

1 December 2009

Twelve Year 9 pupils recently travelled to Carmarthen to participate in an Engineering Challenge day.  The day was organised by Mr Lee Elson, STP’s Technology teacher who also takes responsibility for the school’s new Motor Vehicle Studies course.  The pupils took part in engineering based activities which concluded in building a bridge from materials provided.  Individuals were placed in groups with pupils from other schools and the bridges were judged on build quality, cost of build and aesthetics. STP, as expected, had pupils in the first, second and third place teams with everyone winning a book voucher and gaining a certificate.  The pupils were inspired and engaged throughout the day and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

1 December 2009

As part of Sir Thomas Picton’s enrichment programme for our More Able and Talented pupils, the school has joined the ranks of the many other forward-thinking institutions who house a “Buzz Club”. The rationale behind this was to provide opportunities to challenge and develop pupils’ skills.  The first “Buzz” activity for Key Stage 3 took the form of two public speaking workshops which led to a “debate session”, mooting the topics “The media has been the ruin of written communication” and “School councils are an effective method of airing student voice”.  This Buzz activity will be closely followed by a Key Stage 4 workshop leading to participation in STP’s new forum for airing student voice: A Lunchtime Speakers’ Corner.  Here, pupils will put forward their points of view on topics they feel strongly about and engage with responses from a live and challenging audience!

1 Tachwedd 2009

Mae’r Adran Gymraeg yn edrych ymlaen at groesawu Cwmni Theatr Arad Goch i’r ysgol i berfformio eu cynhyrchiad diweddaraf “Tafliad Carreg”.  Bydd cynulleidfa o flynyddoedd 10, 11 a’r chweched dosbarth yn siwr o fwynhau cynhyrchiad bywiog a chyfoes gan y cwmni theatr profiadol hwn. 

30 November 2009

STP’s attempts to provide its pupils with an opportunity to sample the world of work have recently extended to its enterprise programme.  The school now boasts two trading sheds on the school yard that pupils can “rent” for a nominal amount.  A whole host of enterprises have already generated significant levels of revenue for its entrepreneurs.    Successful businesses to date have included a milk shake bar, a healthy ice cream parlour, a Fairtrade kiosk and a maths equipment shop.  STP is well aware of how essential potential entrepreneurs are to a rural economy and is doing its bit to accommodate the Pembrokeshire “enterprise bug”.  Watch out Richard Branson!

25 November 2009

xtr@stp, Sir Thomas Picton’s out of hours provision has gone from strength to strength again this term.  The school has entered into a partnership with Pembrokeshire Youth Service and now offer our clubs to our pupils in Neyland Youth Centre.  Centre Manager, Mandy Davies, said “We are delighted to be linking in with Sir Thomas Picton School to offer these after school clubs.  I am sure the young people coming to our centre will really enjoy what is on offer”. 

The clubs on offer are:

Monday-               “Get Cooking” and “Film Making”

Tuesday-              “Film Club” and “Hair and Beauty”

Wednesday-        “Gadget Club” and “Baby Sitting Skills”

23 November 2009

This year’s Year 8 Crime Prevention Team was today named Pembrokeshire Champions in a very tough competition against all other secondary schools in the county.  The team now proceeds on to the Dyfed Powys regional round in January.  Well done team- Welsh final here we come (hopefully!)

14 November 2009

STP pupils were out in force during the recent Pembrokeshire Schools’ Music Festival held on 14 November.  Competitions ran for voice and all types of instruments and the school walked away with many of the accolades.  From many successes, the following were placed first in their respective competitions:   Jessica Cale- Open Vocal, Ryan Howells- Open Brass, David Crane- Open Jazz, Rosanna Cale- Non classical vocal years 10-13, Ceri-Ann Absolam- Grade 5 woodwind, Jessica Lewis- Grade 3-5 jazz, Mari Lewis- Grade 4 piano.  Well done to all who took part. 

STP students take on climate change

18 Nov 2009

Mark Venables, Steffan Evans and Alan Stephens of the Lower sixth took part a special ‘Model United Nations Climate Change Conference’ at the Civic Centre in Swansea.
The event, which is organised by the Council for Education in World Citizenship-Cymru in partnership with Oxfam Cymru, will allow students to discuss climate change through a range of roleplay exercises. The students represented the country North Korea and they had to research, prepare speeches and formally debate the issues regarding climate change with the Kyoto Protocol due to expire in 2012.
Every year the CEWC-Cymru organise model UN conferences for young people across Wales, providing realistic settings in which they can debate some of the most significant contemporary world issues.

17 Nov 2009

Mae’r Adran Gymraeg yn edrych ymlaen at groesawu Cwmni Theatr Arad Goch i’r ysgol i berfformio eu cynhyrchiad diweddaraf “Tafliad Carreg”.  Bydd cynulleidfa o flynyddoedd 10, 11 a’r chweched dosbarth yn siwr o fwynhau cynhyrchiad bywiog a chyfoes gan y cwmni theatr profiadol hwn. 

14 Nov 2009

STP pupils were out in force during the recent Pembrokeshire Schools’ Music Festival held on 14 November.  Competitions ran for voice and all types of instruments and the school walked away with many of the accolades.  From many successes, the following were placed first in their respective competitions:  Jessica Cale- Open Vocal, Ryan Howells- Open Brass, David Crane- Open Jazz, Rosanna Cale- Non classical vocal years 10-13, Ceri-Ann Absolam- Grade 5 Woodwind, Jessica Lewis- Grade 3-5 Jazz, Mari Lewis- Grade 4 Piano.  Well done to all who took part.

12 Nov 2009

STP was delighted to discover that it has recently been awarded the Best Regional Film prize in the prestigious media4schools awards held recently in Cardiff.  The school was nominated for its first production called The Vibe which showcases the phenomenal amount of talent at STP.  The media4schools initiative requires pupils to totally produce their own media productions including the planning, filming and editing of a final product.  The video can be seen on this website

12 Nov 2009

Twelve Year 9 pupils recently travelled to Carmarthen to participate in an Engineering Challenge day.  The pupils took part in engineering based activities which concluded in building a bridge from materials provided.  Individuals were placed in groups with pupils from other schools and the bridges were judged on build quality, cost of build and aesthetics.  STP, as expected, had pupils in the first, second and third place teams with everyone winning a book voucher and gaining a certificate.  The pupils were inspired and engaged throughout the day and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

10 Nov 2009

1 Nov 2009

As part of Sir Thomas Picton’s enrichment programme for our More Able and Talented pupils, the school has joined the ranks of the many other forward-thinking institutions who house a “Buzz Club”. The rationale behind this was to provide opportunities to challenge and develop pupils’ skills.  The first “Buzz” activity for Key Stage 3 took the form of two public speaking workshops which led to a “debate session”, mooting the topics “The media has been the ruin of written communication” and “School councils are an effective method of airing student voice” .  A head to head rebuttle session was then used as a decider with best speakers for the day: Cara Watson (8R), Caitlin Thompson (9I), and Daniel Weller (9O).

30 Oct 2009

xtr@stp, Sir Thomas Picton’s out of hours provision has gone from strength to strength again this term.  The school has entered into a partnership with Pembrokeshire Youth Service and now offer our clubs to our pupils in Neyland Youth Centre.  Centre Manager, Mandy Davies, said “We are delighted to be linking in with Sir Thomas Picton School to offer these after school clubs.  I am sure the young people coming to our centre will really enjoy what is on offer”. 

The clubs on offer are:

Monday -      “Get Cooking” and “Film Making”

Tuesday -     “Film Club” and “Hair and Beauty”

Wednesday-“Gadget Club” and “Baby Sitting Skills”

25 Oct 2009

“At the end of October, a group of fifteen excited students and two teachers, who already regretted agreeing to this, set off from STP on a journey that would last no less than nineteen hours and take them to Morocco on a surfing extravaganza.  Two minibuses, one aeroplane, several donkeys, endless mopeds and a minor car crash later, the tired group of travellers were stared at by locals as their minibus spluttered through mountainous Morocco and finally pulled up in Taghazout, Agadir, just as the sun began to set over its beaches.  A week spent on the beach allowed everyone to improve their surfing whilst also riding camels, haggling for dozens of pairs of board shorts and failing in attempts to ignore countless peanut- selling locals.  Fabulously fresh and expertly cooked food was enjoyed by all back at the apartments as the group hosted a special surfing award ceremony.  What an amazing, life changing experience.”  Eden Way Year 13   

21 Oct 2009

The Sixth Form held a pink day on Wednesday 21st October 2009 to raise awareness and funds for the Breast Cancer Campaign.  The day was very successful with over £250 being raised for the Wear it Pink campaign.  The students’ efforts provide even further community participation evidence for their Welsh Baccalaureate qualification.

23 October 2009

A group of 48 pupils from Year 9, accompanied by 5 members of staff, visited France during the Half-Term holidays. The trip was designed as a combined History and French excursion to the Picardy region of Northern France. Pupils were given the chance to experience French culture, language and cuisine (yes, frogs' legs and snails were sampled by the brave). Through visits to the local town of Rue and the city of Amiens, use of the French language was actively practised. Visits to a local goat-farm and chocolate factory were further opportunities to perfect the local lingo. A sombre pilgrimage was made to the trenches of the First World War and pupils had the unforgettable experience of entering actual trenches used by Canadian forces during the conflict. One lucky pupil even had the chance to dress up in full uniform and webbing worn by the British troops. All pupils and staff had a thoroughly enjoyable and memorable time, but the overall concensus was that France can keep its snails!

14 October 2009

Today sees the school holding its annual Open Evening for prospective new pupils and their parents.  The school looks forward to this annual event to showcase the outstanding work going.  Innovative displays for all to see include, amongst many others, the French and German cafes, gymnastics displays, Maths lessons for parents and rockets being launched in Physics.  Miss it at your peril!

8 October 2009

As part of the PSE and Citizenship curriculum, all pupils now take part in a 15 minute litter pick just before registration in the afternoon.  Equipped with brand new mechanical grab arms and the desire to have the tidiest school in the area, each form in Years 7 to 13 takes a turn.  With everyone realising that dropping litter means someone has to pick it up, the aim is to get to the position where no rubbish is left behind.  Keep picking!

7 October 2009

Every Year 9 pupil took part in STP’s annual Environment Day today.  Revolving around the Recycle, R R theme, pupils worked through an informative and exciting carousel of sustainability activities before taking part in a drama presentation after lunch.  Thank you to Mr Thomson and his team for organising the day- what a green school we are!

28 September 2009

The senior rugby team has started off the season well this year winning all three of the games played so far.  Tasker Milward School 37-3, Pembroke 49-0 and Pembroke (Cup) 58-7.  Keep going boys! 

22 September 2009

Year 12 students have to run a mini-enterprise as part of their Welsh Baccalaureate studies and to help them finance their start-up costs, STP today ran a Dragons’ Den initiative.  Made up of a panel of local professional business people and financed by Pembrokeshire Lottery, every student had to make their sales pitch to apply for a loan. Every team was successful and are all now in a position to start trading.  Move over Richard Branson- STP has 120 new Pembrokeshire entrepreneurs all competing for success!  

17 September 2009

STP pupils travelled to Oberkirch, Haverfordwest’s twin town, today to take part in the annual German Exchange.  It was organised by Frau Stevens, STP’s Head of German, and pupils from Year 10 were eager to experience shopping expeditions, local theme parks and to take part in celebratory concerts, and all whilst developing their language skills.  An excellent time was had by all- Genießen!       

Helen Weatherburn L62, representing the school as well as Wales, competed recently in the UK Schools’ Games in the Judo Competition.  She was selected last year and gained a bronze and this year she improved on that to gain a place in the final, achieving a silver medal, only narrowly missing the gold.  Next year – she’s going for gold!

2 September 2009

17 July 2009

Mrs Bessant and her staff wish all pupils a happy and safe summer break.  School resumes for pupils on Wednesday 2 September 2009.

9 July 2009

Sir Thomas Picton School now has its own hair and beauty salon to rival those found in the most glamorous of trendy cities.  With six stations, the fully kitted out facility offers pupils the opportunity to work in a professional environment whilst developing their skills and knowledge.  A recent visit by an external verifier from City & Guilds confirmed that this was the best school facility they had seen to date.  The school will be offering the Level 1 City & Guilds certificate in Salon Services from September and the course will be run by a professionally qualified practitioner employed from outside the school.  There is already a long list of volunteers and models waiting for their free makeovers.

9 July 2009

Today STP celebrated its well established links with a school in Zanzibar by holding its own African Day.   The day coincided with a visit to the school by three Zanzibari teachers and pupils enjoyed a slide show in assembly and Zanzibari themed lessons taught by all departments.

7 July 2009

As we come to the end of STP’s first year offering the Welsh Baccalaureate qualification, it has been an extremely busy and exciting time for all our Year 12 students.  A Faith Day started the proceedings with several workshops providing insights into Middle Eastern faiths, including Bhangra dancing, meditation, Divali sweet making and an Indian lunch kindly provided by The Bridge Inn in Narberth.

The language module has also been a focus and recent activities such as aerobics with instructions in Italian and Spanish, multilingual bingo and preparation of foreign meals, were followed by the culmination of the whole year’s activities in the form of a two day study tour of Cardiff.  Staying in Cardiff University’s Halls of Residence, the tour included a visit to St Fagan’s, an innovative foreign language treasure hunt around the market, a meal in an Italian or Spanish restaurant, a visit to Swansea Marina and a talk from the University on Higher Education issues. 

4 July 2009

STP had nine athletes competing in the Welsh Schools’ Athletics Championships in Cardiff on Saturday 4th July.  An outstanding five medals were won.

For hurdles, Adam Phillips achieved a bronze at the senior boys’ level with

Tom Morrissey also achieving a bronze at middle level.  Jonathan Stowell was awarded a silver in the hammer and Matthew Richards also achieved the silver in the steeple chase.  The best result was achieved by Heather Lewis, from Year 10, who won the gold in the 2000m walk, breaking the national record by nearly two minutes. 

Jonathan, Matthew and Heather should now gain selection for the International event being held in Belfast during mid July.  Mr Med Richards, the school’s joint Head of PE confirmed “These outstanding results at national level confirm STP’s position as a front runner in the Welsh Schools’ Athletics world. Well done to all involved.”

1 July 2009

It was all bryl cream and beads at STP recently for the school’s dazzling Bugsy Malone extravaganza.  Led by Miss Amy Walker, STP’s newly appointed Drama teacher and Mr James Olyott, the school’s Head of Performing Arts, the production fully embraced the wealth of talent available and the tremendous state-of-the-art facilities at STP.  Plans are already taking shape for the next production!

25 June 2009

STP’s innovative outdoor classroom has been officially opened with a celebration that saw invited dignitaries marvelling at our new fantastic resource.  The classroom is located in a totally enclosed quadrangle and was launched to the sounds of a funk band, champagne corks and the running water in the lily pond.  The traditionally made woodland shelter, using larch poles and a group of hard working pupils’ newly acquired skills, is now available for teachers to book and for pupils to enjoy during lunch breaks.

Congratulations to our Junior Chefs 2009.

Catrin Elston, Rhea Hrysicos and Joseph Cope.

Three young chefs who have shown great enthusiasm and created some very tasty dishes.

 Keep cooking!

19 June 2009

STP was delighted today to be provisionally awarded the prestigious Phase 6 of the Welsh Network of Healthy Schools’ National Quality Award.  The school is the first in Wales to achieve this level of achievement and Mrs Emma Richards, our Healthy School co-ordinator has prepared the school.  Pupils, staff and governors were involved in the very thorough assessment of the seven modules- including Food and Fitness, Mental and Emotional Health and Wellbeing, Personal Development and Relationships, Substance Use and Misuse, Environment, Safety and Hygiene.  Extremely well done to everyone involved.      

11 June 2009

All of Year 7 pupils today travel to Techniquest in Cardiff as part of the Mathematics department’s innovative Mathamagic campaign.  Here, workshops and activities revolving around mathematical skills will be enjoyed by all.

10 June 2009

As part of the Welsh Assembly Government’s initiative to stop smoking, 8N and other forms entered the 2008-2009 smoke free class competition.  Classes entering the competition pledge and sign on a monthly basis to confirm that they have not tried smoking for the duration of the competition.  8N received £100 prize as part of the final draw.  Well done all of you and keep going!

8 June 2009

STP today welcomed a party of 30 visiting German pupils and their teachers from our partner school in Oberkirch near Strasbourg.  An action packed programme of activities and visits to local attractions is planned for the week which culminates in a concert, put on by STP pupils, on Thursday night in The Picton Centre.  Frau Stephens, STP’s Head of German, has organised the visit. 

4 June 2009

STP participated again in the annual Haverfordwest Enterprise Fayre held in the town centre.  The school’s efforts extended to four separate stalls this year with impressive entrepreneurial spirit shown for, amongst others, a jewellery stall, a sustainable product stall, a cake stall and a toy/book stall.  Year 9 pupils led the way following an enterprise/ sustainability programme followed as part of the recent Geography curriculum.  Thank you to Mrs Foss and Mr Hodge for coordinating the school’s campaign where over £500 was generated.

3 June 2009

Another phenomenal set of results for Sir Thomas Picton’s School’s annual athletics campaign.  The school ranked top in every category in the team results including all sub-junior, junior and middle boys’ and girls’ teams.  STP’s position at the top of the overall placings for all schools in Pembrokeshire was again testimony to the enormous amount of talent in the school and the commitment of the PE staff.  Extremely well done to all who took part.

1 June 2009

STP is proud to announce that it is the most successful school in Wales for accrediting pupils with the St John’s Young Life Savers qualification.  This internationally recognised first aid qualification has been achieved by almost 200 Year 10 pupils.  The ongoing tuition and assessment has been done by STP’s Mrs Vicky Stevens. Well done everyone. 

21 May 2009

School closes for half term for the week 25 May - 29 May.  In addition, Friday 22 May and Monday 1 June are INSET days.  Pupils should return on Tuesday 2June for a week 1 timetable. Mrs Bessant and her staff hope all have a good break.

12 May 2009

All Year 9 pupils travelled to Margam Park in Port Talbot today to participate in a full day of army activities.  The pupils were treated to a range of interesting and exciting exhibitions and all enjoyed the experience.

7 May 2009

It was all glitter, false tans and limousines for STP’s first Year 11 Prom held tonight in the school hall.  Organised by the pupils themselves with the help and guidance of Mr Gravelle, the evening was a tremendous success and will now become a permanent event on the school calendar.  22 members of staff supported the event and the organisers would like to thank everyone involved.

6 May 2009

STP’s annual whole-school Sports Day was held today.  Despite constant threats of rain, the annual event was enjoyed by all and some long-standing school records were broken.  The event has grown every year and now employs sophisticated scoring technology to ensure accuracy and high tech mobile loudspeaker facilities.  The PE staff work hard to organise the day which provides the vital springboard for the range of forthcoming county sports events.  Well done to everyone involved    

5 May 2009

Ryan Howells from Year 11 has recently been awarded a £200 grant from The High Sheriff of Dyfed at a formal award ceremony held recently at Llandovery College.  The award recognises outstanding work and achievement and is provided to enable young people to go on an overseas expedition.  Ryan was nominated for this award by staff at Pembrokeshire Young Carers.  Well done Ryan

1 May 2009

Over 180 Year 10 pupils recently participated in a full day of enterprise activities arranged by Mrs Althea Edwards, STP’s Work Related Education coordinator.  The day revolved around a Dragons’ Den format where 25 teams prepared sales pitches to convince a panel of experts that they should provide some start-up capital.  Teams were provided with a small cash amount provided by Mr Williams and this is to be used to set up their mini enterprises.  All teams will trade during the lunch breaks on 14th & 15th May.  

30 April 2009

Slebech Park was the venue for this well established annual celebration for sixth formers at STP.  The spectacular setting provided the perfect back drop for the wonderful gowns, dinner suits and hairstyles adorned by our students.  Many members of staff also attended and the night was an excellent chance for all to relax before the pressures of this year’s examination season.   

30 April 2009

In its efforts to promote bilingualism and to improve communication, STP has recently taken delivery of three large plasma screens.  The screens, which were provided at a large discount by a local retailer, have been suspended from the ceiling along the main corridor and are already providing pupils with information about events, successes and news. Thank you to our local supporters.

27 April 2009

This year’s senior prefects have recently been elected following a democratic voting process involving staff and students.  This year’s officers are:

Caitlin Percy, Head Girl. 

Jonathan Morgan, Head Boy.

Jessica Cale and Katherine Hannah, Deputy Head Girls.

Greg Brown and Matthew Jones, Deputy Head Boys. 

20 April 2009

Fifteen pupils covering Years 7 to 13 recently accompanied Mr Gelly James to Haverfordwest Golf Club where they participated in a charity golf competition.  It was a charity event and over £650 sponsorship was raised for Shelter Cymru.  Best performance on the day was from Liam Lynch in Year 11.  Well done to all involved.

19 April 2009

Last term finished on a high with this year’s STP Factor competition being held in the hall.  The whole school was treated to an extravaganza of singing talent and almost £500 was raised for the Wales Air Ambulance charity.  Jack Morgans from Year 11 won the competition with his rendition of James Brown’s I Feel Good.   Quite a performance.

3rd April 2009

School breaks up today for the Easter holiday.  All pupils return on Monday 20th April with a week 2 timetable.  Mrs Bessant wishes everyone a happy and safe holiday.

1st April 2009

STP was the venue for the annual county wide Yr 7 & 8 netball tournament with all eight secondary schools in Pembrokeshire participating.   We, as host school, were delighted that our girls performed so well, winning every game played.  Yr 7 and Yr 8 county champions- another success story for the ultra successful PE department.  Well done all those involved.

30th March 2009

Following the recent county Eisteddfodau, success continues for our recitation group of Glesni Edwards, Catrin Elston (Yr 7) Jess Anderson, Louise Davies, Alex Lucas, and Abi Severn (Yr 8) and our group of disco dancers Robyn Bergson, Fleur Buck, Angela Manalaysay, Naomi Pearce, Kim Tiglao and Imogen Williams (Yr 8).  Awarded 1st place, and earning the right to represent Pembrokeshire, they go on to compete against all other counties at the National Eisteddfod held in Whitsun half-term.  In the music competitions judges commented on the extremely high standard of performances in close decisions which saw 2nd places awarded to Alex Lucas (Yr 8) and Alyx Phillips (Yr 10) for Woodwind Solo, and to Ryan Howells (Yr 11) for Brass Solo and a 3rd place at county level for Kathleen Harries (Yr 11) for Woodwind Solo.  Well done to all who competed, and 'pob lwc' to those going to Cardiff Bay!

30th March 2009

All Year 9 pupils recently participated in a mock election initiative run in collaboration with Pembrokeshire County Council.  The exercise was organised as part of the democracy element of the PSE programme.   There were 6 candidates campaigning for their fellow pupils’ votes and all put forward their convincing manifesto speeches before facing the vote.  There were joint winners. Elinor Crane, (9O) who was represented on the day by Richard Burden, and Tom Parry (9N).  Both will now be subjected to a question and answer session from their peers.

27th March 2009

Following our recent successful bid for the Eco-Schools’ bronze award, STP is delighted to announce that it has also been presented with the prestigious Sustainable Schools’ bronze award.  The school was visited by two external assessors who interviewed a panel of pupils and observed the considerable amount of work taking place across the departments.  Well done to everyone involved including Mr Thompson, Mrs Foss and Mrs Richards who lead the Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship working party.

26th March 2009

STP’s annual Easter concert was held this evening in the school hall.  Orchestral, ensemble and solo performances were enjoyed from pupils across the year groups.  This celebration of STP talent is now a well established addition to the school’s busy calendar.

25th March 2009

The school was delighted to discover today that it has been successful in its quest to be accredited with the Eco-Schools’ Bronze award.  This prestigious honour was awarded for the school’s considerable environmental activity and there are already ambitious plans to pursue the Silver award.  Well done to all involved. 

20th March 2009  

The tension associated with the Upper School Guitar Hero challenge recently climaxed with a lunch time final.  Winners, who all received giftcards, were Josh Watts (yr 10), Craig Sanders (yr 11), David Crane (yr 12) and Michael O’Hara (yr 13).  Well done to all who participated.

18th March 2009

Wednesday 18th March saw the introduction of the Lower Sixth Alternative Eisteddfod to the STP school calendar. This new inter-form competition will now form an integral part of the Sixth Form Welsh Baccalaureate qualification. Within the space of just one week students put together a varied programme of entertainment, including music, recitation, comedy sketch presentation and the design of a new Welsh costume in readiness for a catwalk show.

The winning forms were as follows 3rd L6/1, 2nd L6/5, and 1st L6/3.  However, all students should be commended for their willingness to participate with enthusiasm and good humour. Ambitious plans are already in place for next year’s extravaganza! 

12th March 2009

Following the recent Welsh Schools’ Cross-country championships, three of our athletes have been selected for the Welsh team.  Josie Lewis (Yr 9) will run for the junior girls following her 7th placing, whilst Matthew Richards and Alex Matchett (Yr 11), in finishing 7th and 8th respectively, book their places in the middle boys’ team.  They will compete against England, Ireland and Scotland in Bangor on March 28th.  Only one other school in Wales provides three athletes to the Welsh squad.  Well done all and best of luck!

12th March 2009

Eisteddfod yr Ysgol

This year’s inter-form Eisteddfod, took place on Friday 6th March with years 7, 8, and 9 once again enjoying a varied programme of entertainment and competitions. Two new competitions were introduced this year – Drama in Year 7, and an IT competition, planned initially for Year 7 but extended to include Years 8 and 9.  The morning’s activities culminated in the prestigious chairing ceremonies. Daniel Cole of 8N received the Prose award and Hayley Thorpe of 8T received the Poetry title. The winning forms with most points within each year group were 7P, 8T and 9P. Pupils in 9P were deservedly proud of themselves having now won the Eisteddfod for three consecutive years. Well done to all competitors, who made this year’s Eisteddfod a hugely successful event. Da iawn i chi i gyd.

Clwb Cymraeg

The Welsh Department is delighted to have formed a ‘Clwb Cymraeg’ within school, in partnership with Menter Iaith Sir Benfro. The club meets on a Wednesday lunchtime, and is intended to give pupils an opportunity to speak Welsh in an informal social setting. All levels of ability are welcome – the only requirement is a willingness to ‘have a go’ and get talking! Activities so far have included tag rugby, Ready Steady Cook, and ‘Siôn a Siân’ (a bit like speed-dating).

9th March 2009

The Year 8 hockey squad have made it into the county final following a very successful set of pool matches.  They won their pool convincingly by beating Fishguard1-0, Pembroke 1-0 and Tenby 3-0.  They will now face Preseli in the final.  Well done girls!

9th March 2009

Following a very successful Wii Guitar Hero challenge run for all pupils in Years 7-9, the same opportunity is now being provided for pupils in Years 10 and 11.  A lunch time competition is being run by Miss Dennis in aid of Comic Relief and the standard of playing is most impressive.  Watch this space for results on Friday!

9th March 2009

The U18 hockey squad put up a fantastic show of effort and determination in the recent Welsh Schools’ Finals under difficult circumstances.  They played well in their first match against Caerleon and were unlucky to come away with a 0-0 draw.  Having beaten Porthcawl 2-0, the 0-0 draw with Glan Clwyd in the last pool match meant they went into the semi-finals as runner up.  This semi-final turned into a repeat of last year’s against a very strong and physical Gorseinon College.  After an incredible performance where every player gave their all, the result at the end of full time was 0-0.  Gorseinon College eventually won 3-1 on penalty flicks.  STP girls did the school and the county proud- extremely well done all.

6th March 2009

Today saw the climax of the Year 7 inter-form quiz competition.  Following a very tense and closely run final, 7C were named champions, winning themselves a visit for the whole form to Sealyham Activity Centre in the summer term.  This prize has been provided by STP's 5x60 officer, Mr M Freeman.  Well done everyone who participated.

4th March 2009

Year 12 students were today treated to a twmpath provided by visiting folk band Jac Y Do.  This was arranged as part of the Welsh culture experience as required by their Welsh Baccalaureate studies.  The school hall was buzzing with enthusiasm and the standard of twmpath dancing was most impressive, from students and staff alike.

3rd March 2009

Twelve Year ten pupils represented the school in attending the 'Military Challenge'. During the day they took part in competition activities that improved key skills and built on teamwork. The pupils completed all tasks successfully and earned a second place in the competition.

The pupils who attended the challenge thoroughly enjoyed it and performed exceptionally well. Due to their excellent performance they have been invited back for the final of the competition on April 1st. Congratulations to all the boys and girls that took part.

Welsh Schools

Athletic Association

24 February 2009

Following the recent Welsh Indoor Championships Jonathon Stowell and Matthew Richards of Year 10 gained selection to the Welsh Schools U16 team and competed in the Celtic International in Cardiff last weekend.

U14 Hockey

Squad

24 February 2009

Congratulations to the U14 Hockey Squad who became Dyfed Champions recently.  The squad will now go on to play in the Welsh Finals in Swansea on 19th March.  Well done to all.

13 February 2009

In the recent Pembrokeshire Schools' Cross Country Championships, STP students came away with 10 of the 24 medals.  In the Year 7 girls race the top three places went to Poppy Lewis, Charlotte Rees and Tilly Richards.  Poppy went on to gain 2nd place in Dyfed.  Jack Rees claimed the Gold in the Year 7 boys with Morgan Smith Year 9 becoming the Junior Boys Champion.  In the Junior girls race Josie Lewis came away with the Bronze.  The Middle girls race saw Heather Lewis claim a silver, while in the Middle boys Matthew Richards and Alex Matchett gained the top two spots with Matthew going on to become Dyfed Champion.  The final medal of the day went to Senior boy Jake Watson who also became Pembrokeshire Champion.

9 February 2009

Congratulations and good luck must go to STP’s U16 Hockey and Netball squads.  Both teams recently became Pembrokeshire and Dyfed champions and now go on to compete at national level.  This is a truly exceptional achievement for this cohort who have shown top level skills in more than one sport. 

These results are in addition to the U18 Hockey squad also being named county champions after beating Preseli 3-0 in a recent final.  Notable personal hockey performances have included Ceri Jenkins and Sophie Rees being selected for the Welsh U18 and U16 squads respectively. They have been attending training sessions and are waiting to see if they will be included in the teams to play in the European and Home Nations’ Tournaments.  Good luck to all concerned - flying the flag for Pembrokeshire and Sir Thomas Picton School. 

19 January 2009

A group of Year 10 pupils has just returned from an ICT study tour to Eurodisney in Paris.  The group, led by Head of ICT Mrs Vicki Price, studied the park’s control and communication systems before enjoying their spare time on the rides.  An excellent time was had by all.

18 January 2009

The school was represented by three teams in the Welsh Street Dance finals at the St David’s Hall in Cardiff.  All three teams performed to a very high standard in what were extremely competitive age groups.  All pupils deserve a round of applause for their hard work and dedication put in over the last eight months.

16 January 2009

Following their win at county level in November, the Year 8 Crime Prevention and Safety Awareness team travelled to Police Headquarters in Carmarthen to represent Pembrokeshire in the regional final.  Despite it being a very difficult competition, the team was delighted to be named overall winners again.  They now proceed to the national final being held in the Copthorne Hotel in Cardiff during February.  The team members were Ffion Richards, Caitlin Thompson, Mrinmayi Morje, David Omoregie and Ella Staden Coats.  The very best of luck!

12 January 2009 - This year’s Year 9 Options Booklet is now available.  It can be accessed on

http://www.stp.pembrokeshire.sch.uk/htdocs/information/careers/year10.html

19 December 2008

Mrs Bessant and her staff wish all pupils a happy and safe Christmas break.  School resumes for staff and pupils on Monday 5th January.

17 December 2008

Six Year 10 girls recently competed at the Area Hairdressing competition based at Pembrokeshire College.  This is a UK wide event and the pupils placed first, second and third at this level will be going forward to the Welsh finals in Deeside in late January.  The standard of work was very high from all but the results were as follows: 1st- Sarah Nash, 2nd- Melissa Watts, 3rd- Abby Jones and 4th- Genna Woodford.  Well done to all.

15 December 2008     

The last week of term is a very busy time indeed at STP for pupils and staff alike.  Monday sees the school’s annual grand concert in the school hall, Tuesday is the carol concert at St Martin’s Church at 7pm and Wednesday is the annual presentation evening, again held in the school hall.  

12 December 2008     

The exciting Media4Schools initiative run for Year 10 pupils recently staged a Ready Steady Cook challenge in collaboration with the Technology department.  Overseen by professional judges Mrs Pointer and Mrs Vaughan, the Year 11 boys’ team, made up of James Phillips and Steffan Evans, were victorious.  Watch out for the edited film on the website’s front page.   

11 December 2008     

The PE department’s results continue to flow in.  This time, the under 18 and under 16 hockey teams have both been named as county champions following recent convincing wins against Preseli.  The school is now in the unique position of going forward to represent the county at under 18,16 and 14 levels.  Well done again!

11 December 2008

STP’s grand Christmas Fayre takes place on Thursday evening 11th December from 5.30pm to 7.30pm in the School Hall.  The school is pulling out all the stops to ensure the night provides fun and entertainment for all the family.  Attractions include over 65 trade stalls, Father Christmas in his new Central Haverfordwest grotto, cocktail and food demonstrations, fairground rides, caricature drawing, face painting and much, much more.  See you there!

7 December 2008

On Sunday 7th December, three teams from STP competed in the 5x60 West Wales Schools’ Street Dance championships.  The teams were delighted with the results with one Year 8/9 team being the overall winner, the Year 10/11 team coming second and another Year 8/9 team being placed eighth.  All three teams now proceed to the final in January to compete to be named Welsh champions.  Well done to all involved.

5 December 2008

The PE department’s success stories continue to roll in.  Today, it was the turn of the Under 14 hockey team to be titled county champions.  Results were a win against Fishguard 1-0, a draw with Greenhill 0-0, a win against Pembroke 3-0 and a win against St Davids 6-0.  Well done team.

4 December 2008

STP is delighted to confirm that Mr Meredith Richards, Head of Boys’ PE, has been titled the Secondary Sports Teacher of the Year in the recent prestigious Sport Pembrokeshire Awards.  The award was sponsored by Folly Farm and everyone at STP is very proud of Mr Richards’ well deserved recognition.

25 November 2008

A Year 8 team from STP today won the Pembrokeshire All Wales Crime Prevention final.  Despite it being a very difficult competition, the team consisting of Ffion Richards, Caitlin Thompson, Mrinmayi Morje, David Omoregie and Ella Staden Coats had a comfortable win.  They now proceed to the Regional Final being held in Police Headquarters in April.  Well done all.

15 November 2008

The Support Department’s series of Saturday excursions continued today with an action packed visit to Sealyham Activity Centre.  Today’s visit, organised by Mrs Alison Moules and accompanied by Mrs Grice and Mr Coombes, got pupils involved in a series of team-building exercises including the high ropes.  The visits are sponsored by local businesses and reward good behaviour and progress whilst developing pupils’ self-confidence and communication skills. 

15 November 2008

A trio from STP were today named as winners of the Open Vocal Ensemble competition in the prestigious Pembrokeshire Schools’ Music Festival.  The trio included Jessica Cale from Year 12, Katie Iles from Year 11 and Rosanna Cale from year 10. 

14 November 2008

Kirsten Jones of Year 13 recently represented Pembrokeshire in a disability gymnastics competition in Cardiff.  Despite stiff competition, Kirsten was delighted to walk away with a bronze medal for the vault, a silver medal for the beam and another silver medal for the floor competition.  Well done Kirsten!

14 November 2008

Children in Need day saw STP pupils involved in a series of money-raising activities that ranged from sponsored teacher-sponging to Trinny and Suzannah style make-overs.  Within just over an hour of activity, over £3500 was collected and the amount contributed to the Children in Need appeal continues to rise.

7 November 2008

Both our Year 7 and Year 8 rugby teams recently became Pembrokeshire Schools’ champions at their respective tournaments.  The Year 8 side was unbeaten and did not concede a single point.

6 November 2008

The S4C television programme “Sgorio” recently visited the school to conduct a short football workshop for forty Year 7 and Year 8 boys.  Malcom Allen- ex Newcastle and Wales, gave the boys an insight into life as a Premiership and International player.  The day culminated on a “shootout” against Malcolm Allen with the only scorers being Noah Harvatt- Year 8 and Benedikt Weber- Year 7.

5 November 2008

Our Year 8/9 boys’ tennis team has made it to the Welsh Final.  Having won the Pembrokeshire and Dyfed titles, they travelled to Wrexham to play Llanfyllin High.  With the match tied at 3 sets all, the boys won on games 2 4, 2 3.  The team included Matthew Brady, Daniel Cole, Tom Parry, Rhys Clutterbuck and Jonathan Phillips.

5 November 2008

Adam Pullen from Year 11 has recently won a place on the Welsh Yachting Association’s prestigious South and West Wales squad.  The purpose of the Welsh Squad program is to feed talented sailors into national competitions and Adam will train over the winter and compete in the summer.  Well done Adam, we wish you all the very best. 

10 November 2008.  Year 9 sponsored water carry.

This week at STP, Year 9 pupils have taken part in a sponsored water carry “African style” as part of their RE module of “Rich World, Poor World”.  Each day a different class carried over 100 litres of water around the school and fund raised as they went. All were quick to realise how precious every drop would be if this was the only way of getting the water they needed for everyday use.  Over £1700 has been raised so far, with special mention going to Keryn Hawkins of 9C who raised over £1000.  Well done to everyone involved.

21 October 2008

Oliver Irving, Form 9P, recently attended a week long international music course in Bordeaux, France. Oliver, who is currently studying for his Grade 8 cello examination thoroughly enjoyed the course and managed to improve his French at the same time.  “L’ensemble Pierre Taconne Internationale” were delighted at having a Welsh representative at their course and have already invited Oliver back next year.

20 October 2008 Jeans for Genes Day

Pupils at STP recently raised over £970 for Jeans for Genes day by wearing denim on a non-uniform day.  The charity aims to change the world for children affected by genetic disorders.

20 Oct 2008   

As a result of STP’s exceptional performance in the most recent Pembrokeshire cross country league, it has just been confirmed that the school achieved a “run-away” victory in the overall positions’ table coming a clear first by a sizeable margin. Keep up the good work! 

15 Oct 2008   

Pembrokeshire Judo player Helen Weatherburn, of Neyland Judo Club and Year 11 STP pupil, was selected to represent Wales at the recent UK School Games in Bath.  Helen, at 15 years old, fought in the under 18 category and did well to come away with Bronze medal for her country.  Sheffield hosted the British Championship on 12th October where Helen was one of 850 young people competing in the two-day contest.  Fighting again in the under 18s, she received a well-deserved bronze medal and, as the championship was part of the selection process, has placed herself in contention for a place in the junior British Judo Team.  Well done Helen!

15 October 2008  

The school opens its doors this evening to prospective new pupils and their parents.  The annual Open Evening sees all departments proudly on display and over 250 present pupils can be seen hard at work.

11 October 2008

A group of mainly lower school pupils enjoyed a Saturday visit to the BlueStone Leisure complex today in recognition of their excellent progress and behaviour.  The group, led by Mrs Alison Moules and attended by Heads of Year Mr Harries and Mr Thomas, was funded by generous support from local businesses.  An excellent time was had by all.

10 October 2008

This week at STP, Year 9 pupils have taken part in a sponsored water carry “African style” as part of their RE module of “Rich World, Poor World”.  Each day a different class carried over 100 litres of water around the school and fund raised as they went. All were quick to realise how precious every drop would be if this was the only way of getting the water they needed for everyday use.  Over £1700 has been raised so far, with special mention going to Keryn Hawkins of 9C who raised over £1000.  Well done to everyone involved.

3 October 2008         

All Year 7 pupils enjoyed a full day developing their learning skills through the annual Spy Challenge.  A number of workshops ran throughout the day providing pupils with a range of transferable skills including mind mapping, listening skills and memory techniques.  The workshops were followed by a number of challenges and presentations all revolving around a James Bond theme.  All agreed that the skills gained would be useful in all of their subjects.     

1 October 2008

Stephanie Smith from last year’s Year 13 has just been accepted into the BBC Chorus of Wales.  An excellent achievement.

30 September 2008

Internationally renowned professional violinist Ruth Waterman visited the school today to run a workshop with the String Quintet in preparation for the Pembrokeshire Schools’ Music Festival.     Ruth is known for her engaging way of exploring music in her lecture-recitals and radio programmes.  STP was really lucky to benefit from her advice.

29 September 2008

Members of the STP School Nutrition Action Group (SNAG) recently gave a presentation at the Pembrokeshire Healthy Schools’ Celebration Day.  The presentation featured what the group had achieved over the year and was made in front of local councillors, Pembrokeshire County Council officials and other dignitaries. 

29 September 2008

The Welsh department is delighted that STP pupils’ work has been published in September’s edition of “IAW”- a monthly national magazine for Welsh learners.   The letters page features examples from pupils now in Year 8: Luke Griffiths-Dawes, Sophie Harries, Shaun James, Emma Jenkins, Cloe Thomas and Hayley Thorpe.  More examples can be found on www.urdd.org

22 September 2008.   Congratulations to the following pupils who recently competed for the Welsh Triathlon team in an inter-regional competition in Aldershot: Alex Matchet Year 11, Jake Watson Year 12, Caitlin Thompson Year 8.

18 September 2008.  Take a look at STP's brand new Art department website.  It can be accessed on:

web.mac.com/stpartanddesign

12 September 2008.  Simon Evans from Year 11 recently competed for the Welsh Motor Sport go-karting team in Le Mans.  Driving constantly for 6 hours, his team achieved a creditable 12th position out of 40.  Simon, who trains regularly in Cardiff, was named Welsh Karting Champion in 2004 at the age of 12.  Watch this space for more information on his achievements.  Well done Simon.

11 September 2008.     All three of STP’s representatives at the UK School Games- Ricky Watts, Matthew Richards and Helen Weatherburn (as featured many times in this news section previously!) performed exceptionally well at the end of August.  The school is proud that its pupils were selected to compete at this international level.  Helen went on to gain a bronze medal in her judo weight category.

6 September 2008.  Kathryn Slade from Year 11 was successful in her application to attend an innovative Motorsport Engineering course run at Swansea Metropolitan University during the summer holidays.  Kathryn intends to pursue a career in engineering and her week long experience provided her with an invaluable insight into the practical aspects of design and technology.  Well done Kathryn!

5 September 2008. The Welsh Baccalaureate has been successfully launched for all Year 12 students with an action packed week of activities.  Tuesday was briefing on the qualification and ice-breaker competitions aimed at team building and problem solving.  Wednesday was spent at Pembrokeshire Activity Centre with raft building and physical challenges.  Thursday followed with Enterprise Day where entrepreneurs visited the school with useful advice on how best to set up mini businesses.  Friday was to be an Army challenge day but this was unfortunately rained off- subject lessons started early!    

Mrs Bessant and her staff wish all pupils a happy and safe summer break.  School resumes for staff on September 1st and pupils start on Tuesday September 2nd at 8.50am.

AS/A2 results issued on 14th August and GCSE results available on 21st August.

7 July 2008.  Best set of results at Welsh National Athletics level.

Brecon was the venue for the Welsh Schools’ Track and Field Championships recently.  Six pupils from STP competed and produced probably the best ever set of results for the school in these national finals.  Ben Charles (Year 13) finished 4th in the senior boys’ triple jump.  Also placing 4th was Lawrence Hancock (Year 9) in the junior boys’ high jump and Matthew Richards (Year 9) helped the Dyfed relay team gain a bronze medal.  Excellent results indeed but the highlights of the day were four gold medals won by STP.  Heather Lewis (Year 9) comfortably won the junior girls’ 1000m walk, while Jonathan Stowell (Year 9) took the hammer title.  In the middle boys’ section, Matthew Richards (Year 10) won the 1500m steeplechase by 70m and Ricky Watts (Year 11) held on to win a thrilling 400m final.  Matthew and Ricky will now go on to represent the Welsh Schools’ U16s’ Team in the Home Schools’ International in Bedford on July 19th.     

25 June 2008. Year 10 Fish Workshops.  Duncan Lucas, world famous four times winner of British Fishmonger of the Year, and his partner Sue carried out fun and practical workshops with forty Year 10 pupils.  All had the opportunity to fillet mackerel and plaice, cook them and eat their morning’s work