Smarties at Ysgol Golwg Pen Y Fan

05/09/2026

I thought I'd share this as they have Sunday morning children's films or maybe a treat for yourselves.

Enjoy.
Ms Jo

04/09/2026

Beacons Tots starts Tuesday for our younger siblings and younger community. Come along for a cuppa and a play and a forest school session to!

We are looking forward to re-starting Beacon Tots again on Tuesday 8th September at Ysgol Golwg Pen y Fan - Mount Street Infant Campus - no bookings necessary.

01/09/2026

We are ready!

The first week always comes with a few little teething issues, especially with admissions taking place over the summer break. If you have any questions, please get in touch with us over the next few days and we’ll get everything sorted.

We can’t wait to see you all tomorrow and welcome everyone back to Smarties!

31/08/2026

Ms Jo 1 – Plants 0

I’m delighted to report that the plants have successfully survived their summer holiday at Ms Jo’s house! 🪴

Despite my questionable plant-parenting skills, they have made it through the holidays and are ready to return to class tomorrow for inset day.

Two more sleeps!

30/08/2026

HELLO SMARTIES FAMILIES!

Well… here we are! The last weekend of the summer holidays! 😭 but... we are nearly ready!

I just wanted to pop on and touch base with all of our lovely Smarties families before we open our doors and start another very exciting year together.

Existing Smarties children will return on Wednesday, while our new Smarties will start on the date stated in the email you have received.

We have deliberately staggered our starts so that we can make the transition into Smarties as calm, gentle and happy as possible. New faces, new surroundings and new routines can be a LOT for little people (and sometimes their grown-ups too! 😅), so there is absolutely no rush.

The team and I will spend this first week getting to know the children, building relationships and, most importantly, helping them to feel safe, happy and at home at Smarties.

During the week commencing 7th September, you will receive a letter letting you know who your child's key person is.

The first few weeks are such a special time. We will be getting to know everyone's personalities, interests and friendships, while gently establishing our routines and getting back into the rhythm of Smarties life.

And parents… PLEASE DON'T PANIC! 😂

You may look at everything we usually get up to and wonder when on earth we are going to fit it all in!

Forest School
Library visits
Reading
Welsh
Messy play
Outdoor adventures
And all the other wonderful things we have planned…

Slowly, slowly! We will introduce everything back in over the coming weeks. Our priority initially is simply settling, belonging, relationships and PLAY.

So for now, your Smarties checklist is very simple:

- A named pot of fruit
- A named water bottle
- Spare clothes
- Wellies

And one VERY important request…

PLEASE NAME EVERYTHING! 😂

Snack pots, coats, jumpers, shoes, bags, water bottles… EVERYTHING!

Because if there are three identical water bottles sitting on the shelf, I can guarantee that all three children will insist “THAT'S MINE!” 🤣

We cannot wait to see our returning Smarties and welcome all of our new families. Here's to a new year full of adventures, friendships, muddy knees, big imaginations, curiosity, laughter and lots and lots of PLAY!

See you Wednesday onwards...

Love,
Ms Jo, Ms Kate and Ms Stephens ❤️

18/08/2026

Name stones ✔️

Name stones are a wonderful daily tool for supporting name recognition while also providing children with another meaningful sense of belonging. They help children recognise their own name and those of their friends, while reinforcing that they are an important and valued part of our setting..

17/08/2026

Ohhh, it’s all coming together nicely!

A couple of new resources here, some new areas there, and a little splash of paint and Smarties is really starting to take shape!

And we have some VERY exciting news!

Following a recent application, we’re absolutely delighted to have been awarded a grant for a full redecoration of Smarties, inside AND out!

We cannot wait to see it all come together and give our little setting the fresh, welcoming feel it deserves.

Smarties is going to be looking super-duper!

16/08/2026

Getting Ready for September... eeeekkk!!

We’re busy getting everything ready for our new and returning children for September, and we’ve been adding some lovely new resources for the children to explore!

Maths through play is a big focus for us this year. We’ve added resources such as digital scales and a Roman numeral clock to encourage children to explore numbers, measurement, time and problem-solving naturally through their play and everyday experiences.

Plants, plants and more plants! We’ve been adding lots of greenery to our environment because plants bring so much to our setting. They encourage curiosity, responsibility and conversation, support children’s wellbeing and help create a warm, welcoming space where children feel comfortable to explore.

Everything we add to our environment has a purpose, creating opportunities for children to play, investigate, wonder, question, discover and learn at their own pace.

18/07/2026

🌱 Just popped in to water our plants and look how they're flourishing!

A huge thank you to Ms Stephens for keeping us all on track with the watering over the last few months. Your reminders have certainly paid off!

We can't wait to see what else is ready to harvest. Our little gardeners are going to be so proud when they return in September!

15/07/2026

Evening Smarties families!

Just a little reminder that it's our Parttttaaaaa! tomorrow morning from 9:30am–10:45am. 🎉

Parents and carers are invited to join us for games, fun and food... and I promise there won't be any paint in sight! 😄

Please come to the Smarties gate on arrival, where you'll be asked to sign in.

Just a gentle reminder that there will be no afternoon educational session tomorrow.

We can't wait to see you all!