Category: News

PARCH Show Racism the Red Card!

Pencoed turned red shortly before half term, with staff and students showing their support for the Show Racism the Red Card initiative.

Our PARCH (Pencoed Anti-Racist CHampions) led the way, holding a bake-off cake sale, which raised a fantastic £185 for the cause!

Members of PARCH stand behind their cake stall.
Learners' posters, made in support of Show Racism The Red Card
Show Racism the Red Card cupcakes!

In addition, we are also very proud to announce that Mrs Davies and the PARCH group have been recognised as finalists in the Mastering Diversity Awards 2025!

Mrs Davies, finalist for the Mastering Diversity Award 2025.

Led by learners, PARCh aim to make the school environment more inclusive, and to celebrate diversity.

European Day of Languages 2025

We’ve had a fabulous time celebrating European Day of Languages! As always, our International Languages department got the whole school involved, for two days of celebration!

Last week, learners worked hard creating beautiful artwork, decorating the covers of thier workbooks with all things Spanish! Congratulations to Lillie, Emily, Amelia, and Lilli for taking first to fourth place!

Learner's book, decorated with 'day of the dead' skeleton, chillis and tacos.
Learners' book, with covers decorated with Spanish flags.
Learner's book cover, decorated with palm trees, and sugar skulls.

Festivities continued on Friday, with staff across the school dressing up to represent different countries within Europe.

Mr Avaient in his lederhosen!
Staff dress up as different countries; striped t-shirts and berets for France, flamenco dresses for Spain.
Mr Bolton and Mr Pownall share their love of languages in French and German outfits.

At lunch time, learners got in on the act. The photobooth, complete with European langauge themed props was a hit with all year groups!

Three learners pose inside a photo frame, holding cardboard cut-out fan, castanets, bowler hat and moustache.
Two learners pose inside a photo frame, holding a cardboard cut-out fan, and speech bubble saying 'Oh la la!'.
Three learners pose, holding cardboard cut-out bulls nose, bowler hat, croissant and moustache.
Two learners pose, holding cardboard cut-out glasses, bowler hat and Cordobés hat.
Three learners pose inside a photo frame, holding cardboard cut-out fan and moustaches.

Finally, Monday saw the annual ‘European Bake-Off’ take place, in what is fast becoming one of the most hotly contested competitions of the year! Year 7 learners baked an array of treats, from biscuits to cakes, suitably decorated to celebrate different languages and cultures. Entries were incredibly impressive; from Italian volcanos, to sushi made from cake! Thankfully, we had an independent adjudicator to judge: Ozzy from Sandwich Co.!

A cake decorated to look like a map of the world, with mini flags sticking up, representing different countries in Europe.
Cupcakes, decorated with different flags from Europe.
Cake, decorated with food and drink from European countries, made outof fondant; including cheese, pizza, and baguettes.
Learner collects money at cake sale for European Day of Languages. On the tables there are cupcakes decorated with French flags, and Welsh cakes.
Learners fill a classroom to buy cakes. There are lot of cakes, baked and decorated in the theme of different European countries.

Appearances weren’t everything though, as Mrs Davies’s packed classroom shows! The cakes went on sale during break time, and there was so much demand, Mrs Davies had to open shop again at lunch! Da iawn to Lucy, Anayah, Chloe, Meredith and Sophie, who won Ozzy’s vote for first to fifth place, and Evelyn for being the crowd’s favourite with her Encanto cake, and Zane for the ‘most delicious’!