Dosbarth Elwy

Croeso i Dosbarth Elwy – Derbyn a Blwyddyn Un

“Every day is a chance to learn something new.”

Meet the staff

Miss. Barry – Class Teacher
Miss. Mytton – Class TA
Ms. Parr – Class TA Afternoons
Mrs. Davies – Class TA Mornings
Mrs. Johnson – Level 4 TA (PPA Cover)

Croeso cynnes i Dosbarth Derbyn a Blwyddyn Un. My name is Miss Barry, and I am absolutely delighted to be your child’s class teacher this year! In Dosbarth Elwy, we are supported by a fantastic team; working alongside me are our dedicated teaching assistants, Miss Mytton, Mrs. Davies who works in our class each morning, and in the afternoons we are joined by Miss Parr. On Monday and Thursday afternoons, Mrs. Johnson leads our Forest School and P.E. sessions.

We strive to ensure that every child’s journey in Dosbarth Elwy is a resounding success, filled with meaningful and “hands-on” experiences. Every milestone your child reaches from the fine motor skills of holding a pencil to the curiosity of exploring our “Mini Zoo” is a vital building block for their future. Our mission is to nurture ambitious, capable learners who are eager to achieve high standards, while encouraging them to be enterprising, creative contributors who can solve problems and share their unique ideas.

Through our outdoor adventures and classroom investigations, we support the children in becoming healthy, confident individuals who lead fulfilling lives, as well as ethical, informed citizens who show kindness to others and respect for the world around them. By immersing our pupils in creative and physical challenges, we ensure they leave our classroom with the skills, character, and confidence to embrace the world.

If you would like more information on how you can support your child at home please see below.

elwyDownload

Homework

At Ysgol Sant Dunawd, we believe in a little and often and that practice makes progress! The children will be sent home frequently with Phonics Sounds practise sheets, and when they have progressed through their initial sounds and are blending appropriately, pupils will have a reading book and diary. We encourage the children to read a few pages of their reading book each night, aloud to an adult. Adults are encouraged to sign the diary and write a brief comment.

Sneak peak inside Dosbarth Elwy!

Read Write Inc Phonics

Your child will be learning to recognise letters and sounds before gradually progressing to blending sounds together to make words. Following this stage, pupils will then learn to recognise words and start to read whole sentences. It is important to note, that every pupil will progress at different times throughout the Foundation years.

For more information about Read Write Inc, and to find out how you can help at home, please click here or visit our dedicated Read Write Inc. page.

Read Write Inc.

I have attached below a short video link for parents to be able to use the same correct sounds that we use with our Read, Write Inc scheme in school, I hope you find this useful.

Our INSPIRE Inquiry Summer 1 2026

🐜 Mini Zoo 🦋

Science & Technology Topic – Summer Term 1

This term, Dosbarth Elwy’s exciting new topic is Mini Zoo! We are turning our gaze toward the tiny creatures in our garden and exploring the wonderful world of minibeasts, habitats, and life cycles. Following the children’s keen interest in animals and “slimy things,” we will become habitat detectives and junior zookeepers.

We will be:

  • Exploring Habitats: Identifying where different animals live and understanding what they need to survive.
  • Observing Life Cycles: Watching the incredible transformation from a tiny egg to a beautiful butterfly.
  • Becoming Coders: Learning how to give clear instructions and “code” movements using Bee-Bots and J2E.
  • Caring for Creatures: Developing a sense of responsibility and kindness toward all living things.
  • Investigating Sequences: Learning how to order events using the days of the week in both English and Welsh (Dydd Llun, Dydd Mawrth…).
  • Scientific Questioning: Interviewing experts and using magnifying glasses to find “evidence” in our environment.

What will learning look like?

Our learning will be practical, digital, and based outdoors! Activities will include:

  • The Butterfly Garden: Observing real caterpillars in our classroom as they grow and change.
  • Habitat Detective Walk: Going on a local safari to find where minibeasts hide and recording our findings on iPads.
  • The Very Hungry Journey: Retelling our “Journey Tale” with actions and creating our own versions of the story.
  • A Special Animal Visit: Meeting chickens and eggs to compare different animal life cycles first-hand.
  • Building Bug Hotels: Designing and making “junk model” habitats to keep our garden friends safe.
  • Digital Explorers: Using Bee-Bot emulators and chalk coding to master direction and position.

The children will present their learning through digital videos on Seesaw, creative junk modeling, and “Gallery Walks” where they explain their discoveries to their peers. We will be expanding our vocabulary with “expert” words like observe, requirement, sequence, and habitat.

Did you know…? The River Elwy (Afon Elwy in Welsh) is a river in Wales forming a tributary to the River Clwyd. The river can be found in North Wales, not far from our school: