Author: pencoedcomp

New Headteacher

Dear Parents, Guardians & Carers,

I am delighted to share the news that following a successful assessment and interview process, our current Deputy Headteacher, Mrs Natasha Charles, has been appointed as Headteacher of our school, and will take up post at the commencement of the Autumn Term September 2026. 

The appointment will follow the retirement of our current Headteacher Mr Edward H. Jones after nine years of loyal service to the school.  

Mrs Charles, who joined Pencoed Comprehensive as Assistant Headteacher in 2012 and became Deputy in 2017, continually displays a strong vision of leadership, dedication and commitment to the school.

The Governing Body are confident that Mrs Charles will successfully work with all stakeholders and endeavour to build on the successful reputation of our community school.

I am sure that you will join me in congratulating Mrs Charles on this well-deserved appointment.

Mr Andrew Rea

Chair of Governors

Year 9 Girls Shaping the Digital Future at the BBC

On 23 April 2026, the BBC celebrated International Girls in ICT Day, joining young people around the world to explore how technology can make a positive difference. This year’s theme was “AI for Development: Girls Shaping the Digital Future”, all about showing girls how they can use technology to change the world.

The day was organised by the BBC WiSTEM (Women in STEM) team, working with BBC STEM, and welcomed schoolgirls to BBC sites in Cardiff, London, Salford, Birmingham, and Glasgow

The day was packed with exciting, hands-on activities designed to show how fun, creative, and powerful technology can be, starting with a tour of the BBC Central Square.

Our learners took part in interactive AI workshops led by experts from BBC Research & Development. Using easy-to-understand tools like Sofie, they learned how artificial intelligence works—and how it can help people, not just computers! They also took part in a workshop activity that involved them helping to make an Eleven Labs AI Agent, then using Notebook LN to create an interactive podcast.

They also had the chance to step into the world of TV and radio; observing a live radio show recording like BBC Wales Cymru, crafting and uploading filmed footage from the day, and learning how technology supports storytelling behind the scenes using SOFIE inhouse software.

In special “Meet the Tech Heroes” sessions, learners met women working in technology at the BBC, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). They shared what their jobs are really like and how they got into careers such as software engineering, data science, and media and broadcast technology.

International Girls in ICT Day is led by the ITU and celebrated all over the world. In 2026, there was even a live international link between Albania and Brazil, which students could join online. One of the key messages of the day was clear: girls are not just technology users – they are future creators, designers, and leaders.

Learners hold their certificates of attendance from the day.

By focusing on AI for development, the event encouraged girls to think about how technology can be used fairly, safely, and creatively to help communities and solve real-world problems. The day gave our learners the confidence to imagine themselves as the future of technology—and the future of change.