SSCE Cymru journal

The SSCE Cymru team is currently updating our free resources, including the school tools,  which are available on our website. In an effort to ensure we get things right, we have reached out to experts for their help and guidance.

Our Participation Lead Officer, Jo was kindly invited to the launch of the Service children – Your Views Project, that the Learning Links Team from the Vale of Glamorgan local authority has been working on with the Little Troopers Club at Ysgol Y Ddraig. 

The SCiP Alliance annual conference 2024: Inspiring Impact was hosted in Wales, which is the first time that it has been held outside England. The event brought together 100 delegates, many of whom were first-time attendees, including teaching staff from some of the schools that have achieved their Armed Forces Friendly Schools Cymru status. It was wonderful to see so many of you there. The day focussed on the SCiP Alliance's vision to inspire impactful work that supports thriving lives for Service children.

At Ysgol Cefn Meiriadog in Denbighshire the school had a visit from a local soldier who has spent 30 years working for the army. He shared information about his work, his medals and the importance of remembering. 
  
All classes learnt more about Remembrance Day and decorated the cabin outdoors with all of their work so members of the community and families could see what had been done. 
  
Older learners also took part in the live assembly on Remembrance where they listened to stories and found out more about who we remember and why. 
  
The whole school fell silent at 11am for a 2 minutes silence. 
  
Head pupils laid a wreath at the Service of Remembrance on behalf of our whole school community. 
 

Pupils from Golden Grove School in Pembroke laid a wreath and joined others at the war memorial in remembering the fallen.  
At the going down of the sun 
And in the morning, 
We will remember them. 
 

Llanfair Primary Schools in the Vale of Glanmorgan marked Remembrance day with a whole school assembly and a Service for their Service children.

At Prestatyn High School the Forces Life Club gathered to make poppies, reflect and share their personal experiences of being a Service child whilst remembering the fallen.

At Pontarddulais Primary School in Swansea students took part in a range of activities to commemorate Remembrance Day. Poetry and art activities included reading the poem Flanders Field, identifying powerful vocabulary used by the author and creating their own art work based on the poem as well as work on their ‘Garden of Remembrance’ and handmade metal poppies. Students also visited the War Memorial to pay their respects, observe the messages left, participate in the two minute silence and place their own flowers as a tribute to say thank you.  
 

At Milford Haven School the Humanities ambassadors worked hard to raise awareness and sell poppies during the week. Remembrance Assemblies took place in which all pupils from all years listened as we gave thanks to our fallen. Head Prefects and other members of the school community laid a wreath and joined the rest of the town in remembering those who gave their tomorrow for our today at Milford Haven Town Remembrance Service at the Cenotaph.

Haverfordwest high were represented by their superb Senior Prefect Team at the Remembrance Service in Haverfordwest. Head Boy Harry and Head Girl Lily read beautifully.  
 

Children and young people across Wales aged 11-25 are being called upon to take part in the new Young Wales initiative called "The BIG conversation" and a group of Service children/young people from Haverfordwest High VC School were invited to add their voices to the conversation. The group met with some members from the Children in Wales and SSCE Cymru teams to discuss what mattered to them.  

Thank you to the amazing young people for participating, the brilliant staff at HHVCS for organising and hosting us and the Children in Wales team for including a group of Service children/young people living in Wales to be part of the converstaion. It certainly allowed them the opportunity to share their thoughts and experiences on issues that effect their lives. We had a wonderful morning. 

Team Teulu with support from the staff, pupils and members of the Little Troopers Club at Ysgol Gynradd Baglan Primary School, welcomed Service children/young people from other local schools to their Forces Festival. 

Jo (SSCE Cymru Participation Lead Officer) and Mrs Leah Burnett (Brecon High School’s Family Forces Officer) were pleased to be invited to visit members of Haverfordwest High School’s Forces Life Club on their Summer camp.

The SSCE Cymru team had a great time at the Wales Airshow in Swansea on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th July in Swansea. Saturday morning also featured Armed Forces Day 2024!!!

The annual Brecon Military Show is always a calander highlight. Hosted by the Infantry Battle School, in Dering Lines, Brecon. It is an opportunity for civilian and military families within the local community to come together to share in a day of fun filled activities.

Towards the end of May, the SSCE Cymru team were visiting some of our Armed Forces Friendly schools across East, West and South Wales to complete our filming days with CLECS Media. 

Millie, Programme Manager, and Cara, School Liaison Officer, have had a fantastic few days up in North Wales visiting Ysgol Glan Clwyd (Denbighshire) and Ysgol Pen y Bryn (Conwy) with filming company Clecs Media, to capture some new good practice and Service children story films.

Ysgol Cefn Meiriadog are a school in Denbighshire, North Wales, with one Service child. Please see below a quote from Headteacher, Laura Martin, and some lovely photos of what they got up to in April to celebrate Month of the Military Child!

Haverfordwest High VC School are a secondary school in Pembrokeshire, West Wales, with 60 Service children. 

Ysgol Penygloddfa, a primary school in Powys with 4 Service children, had a busy month full of Month of the Military Child celebrations during April. Service children and their peers took part in hosting charity bake sales, sporty activities such as zumba and wheelchair basketball, arts and crafts sessions which included creating dandelion art sculptures and a banner for purple up day to name a few! 

Please see below some wonderful photos of the children enjoying activities that took place and a quote from ALNCo Tammy highlighting the positive impact of these acitvities on their Service children.