6 Mehefin 2025
Croeso
It’s been an incredibly busy and exciting week across the school, filled with celebration, achievement and connection. From welcoming our new Year 7 families and students, to waving off our wonderful Year 11s in style at their prom, the spirit of our school community has truly shone through. We’ve seen sporting triumphs, student leadership in action and even preparations for a Guinness World Record attempt! There’s so much to be proud of, and as always, we’re grateful for the energy, enthusiasm and commitment of our students, staff and families. Read on to catch up on all the highlights from another brilliant week at Castell Alun.
Year 7 New Intake Parents’ Evening
On Tuesday evening, we were delighted to welcome our new Year 7 families to the school for the New Intake Parents’ Evening. It was a wonderful opportunity for parents and carers to meet key staff, learn more about life at our school and find out what to expect as their children take this exciting next step in their education.
Throughout the evening, families had the chance to ask questions, gain valuable information about the curriculum, taste the culinary delights of the canteen and explore the support and opportunities available to help every student settle in and flourish. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, and it was a pleasure to see both students and families making connections and feeling a part of the school community. We’re really looking forward to seeing our new Year 7s in September and supporting them every step of the way as they begin this exciting chapter!
Today, we were delighted to welcome Year 7 students into school for their Transition Day. We’ll be sharing highlights from their visit in next week’s blog—watch this space!
A Night to Remember
Last night, we celebrated our Year 11 Leavers’ Prom at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Chester—a truly unforgettable evening to mark the end of an important chapter. Students arrived in style, with an impressive range of vehicles on show, from newly polished trucks to Ferraris and even a moped!
Everyone looked absolutely stunning in their elegant dresses and smart suits. It was clear just how much thought and care had gone into every detail. They truly did themselves proud and made the evening feel extra special.
The venue was beautifully decorated, with stunning balloon displays generously created by Holly’s mum, adding a personal and celebratory touch to the room. Guests enjoyed a fantastic buffet, and the free ice cream van was a clear highlight of the evening. The photobooth added extra fun, capturing memories that will be cherished for years to come.
A huge thank you goes to Mr O’Connell, Head of Year, for his outstanding organisation and commitment in making the event so special. We’re also grateful to the many teachers who came along to support and celebrate with the students—it was wonderful to see the whole school community coming together.
We are so proud of our Year 11s and everything they have achieved. We wish them every success and happiness in the exciting journeys that lie ahead!
“Just Be”
On Friday the 20th of June a group of 14 students from Castell Alun visited Flint High School for Flintshire County’s annual celebration of identity and inclusivity, this year with the theme “Just Be”.
Students attended a variety of workshops during the morning, such as being inclusive about how people self-identify and how to be supportive of their identities, as well as about identifying and preventing hate crimes at all levels. Other, more creative workshops, included sessions about graffiti art with local artists, gymnastics and acting with groups like Theatr Clwyd. In the afternoon, students were able to browse an information fair run by local organisations before partaking in group Zumba and watching performances by Flint High School students.
Over the next few weeks these students will be feeding back. This will help the school to build resources and achieve the Rainbow Flag Award, which we aim to complete over the next academic year.
Cooking Our Way to a Record!
Mrs Molloy and our Year 9 students are excited to announce that we’re joining an incredible global event. They will attempt a GUINNESS WORLD RECORD™ title for the Largest Cookery Lesson.
On Tuesday 1st July 2025, thousands of people around the world will be cooking together at the same time . We are proud to be a part of it! We’ll be starting promptly at 10:45am for an 11:00am BST kick‑off. This will be followed by an hour of cooking, connecting and making history together. We can’t wait for this special, record‑breaking experience!
Student Council Leaders Shine
We are incredibly proud of three of our students—Dan, Sibella and Liv. They have recently represented our school at the Flintshire Youth Voice event. They took part in a range of important discussions, and were also invited to chair the final session of the day. This was no small task—they led conversations and gathered feedback on several key issues affecting young people today, including:
School Food & Drink in Wales
Equality and Inclusion
Period Proud Flintshire
Each of our students rose to the occasion with confidence and maturity. Their ability to lead discussions, listen to a range of views, and summarise key points was nothing short of amazing. It was fantastic to see them engage so passionately with topics that really matter to their peers and their community.
Well done, Dan, Sibella, and Liv—you were outstanding ambassadors for the school, and we couldn’t be prouder!
Sporting Success
Year 12 student, Evan Shaw, made an impressive debut for the Wales National Counties (North) Adult cricket team this week. He played a match against Staffordshire. His accurate and economical bowling played a key role in helping the team secure victory. Just two days later, he featured in a match against the RAF at Shifnal Cricket Club, where he continued to impress by scoring valuable runs and claiming a wicket. Saw diawn to Evan!
It’s been a fantastic week for our sports teams! We had a brilliant day at Deeside for the Year 7 Athletics Competition—thankfully, the rain held off! Our Year 7 girls put in an outstanding performance, finishing 1st overall, while the boys also impressed, securing 3rd place.
Elsewhere at Deeside Athletics Stadium, our Junior Boys, Junior Girls, and Middle Girls proudly represented Flintshire Schools in the North East Wales round of the team event. We’re thrilled to share that the Junior Girls finished 1st and the Junior Boys came 2nd, meaning both teams will go on to represent North East Wales at the Welsh Schools Final in Aberdare this July. Our Middle Girls also performed brilliantly, narrowly missing out with a strong 3rd-place finish.
Our Year 7 rounders team competed against four other schools in a friendly and competitive evening of sport. Well done to all students involved. You’ve done the school proud!
Upcoming Events
Year 7 Parents Evening – Thursday 3rd July
We’d like to highlight a fantastic upcoming show featuring many of our talented dancers. Students from across the school are taking part, and we’re incredibly proud of their involvement.
You can see our full range of upcoming events by heading over to our Events Calendar page.
Climbing for Castell Alun
A reminder that one of our teachers, Lauren Robinson is preparing to climb Mount Kilimanjaro this July. It will be an incredible six-day trek to the summit at 5,895m—to raise money for the Castell Alun Friends Association. The climb is entirely self-funded, meaning every penny donated will go directly towards supporting enriching experiences and learning opportunities for our students. Please be so kind as to donate if you are able via this link below, and help us spread the word by sharing the story widely. Diolch o galon!
In Closing
As we head into the final few weeks of term, there’s still so much to look forward to and celebrate. Thank you, as always, for your continued support. It makes a real difference to the experiences we can offer our students. Keep an eye on next week’s Blog for more updates, stories, and successes from across the school.
Diolch yn fawr / Many thanks.
Safeguarding
If you have any safeguarding concerns, please contact our Designated Safeguarding Officers: Mr Ellis, Mrs Davies or Mr Stewart. You can reach them via the School Office or by using our Contact Form.
