Annwyl bawb

I have a trilogy of items regarding uniform for you this week, and an invitation for you to share your views:

First, you will know that summer uniform has started, which entails blazers being optional until the end of the academic year. It has been particularly welcome in the warm weather this week.

Second, many thanks for your responses to our questions on uniform supply. A desire for a physical shop came through strongly, and so we are pursuing that as a matter of urgency, especially as Magic Cottage has closed in Monmouth, which previously sold pre-loved uniform. 

Third, I am writing to ask for your views regarding skirts as part of the uniform policy. You can watch my video here about this – the issue of increasingly short skirts has moved beyond isolated incidents and become a broader challenge for our school community. This is not simply about enforcing a dress code; it is about safeguarding, student dignity, and the wellbeing of our staff and students. 

Through our discussions and feedback from staff, students, families and the wider public, several key considerations have emerged:

• Peer Norms and Social Belonging: Many students tell us they feel significant peer pressure to roll their skirts. In adolescence, the need for social belonging is powerful. We want to remove the pressure to conform to these norms in this particular circumstance.

• Clarity vs. Ambiguity: A policy only works when expectations are clear and easy to follow. Currently, the ambiguity around skirt length creates subjective and socially uncomfortable interactions between staff and students. We want to move away from this and toward a systematic solution

• Respecting the Learning Environment: Teachers are currently spending a disproportionate amount of emotional energy and time addressing skirt length. By resolving this issue, we can return that focus to where it belongs: on high-quality teaching and learning and the wider wellbeing of all.

• Supporting Development: We recognise that students naturally seek ways to express their identity and test boundaries. However, our duty of care is to ensure that the school remains a safe, professional environment where every student’s dignity is protected both at school, as well as in our local community.

Our Approach to Change

I want to be clear that this consultation is not about policing or shaming. It is about finding a sustainable solution that avoids adversarial situations on a topic that many find uncomfortable.

We have attempted incremental changes in the past, such as introducing pleated skirts, but these have not resolved the underlying challenges in the long term. Therefore, as part of this consultation, we are canvassing views on several options, including a move toward trousers or tailored shorts only. This approach would remove the issue from daily school life entirely, providing a universal, gender-neutral standard that supports everyone’s dignity and comfort.

Staff, students and families are all being consulted in order to inform discussions with the Governing Body on the way forward.

Have Your Say

Your perspective as parents and carers is vital. We want to hear your views on how we can best support our positive, focused, and respectful learning environment for all. Please click here to share your views.

Many thanks - I hope you enjoy the Bank Holiday weekend.

Cofion cynnes

Hugo Hutchison
Headteacher

Congratulations to Sixth Former Will Chalk who was selected to run for Team Wales at the British Road Championships as part of the TCS London Mini Marathon last weekend.

It’s been a busy tennis weekend for Max and Lyra Swayne. 

Firstly, congratulations to Max for coming runner-Up in the Mens Grade 3 tournament at Swansea TC, narrowly missing out on winning as it came down to a match tie break in the final.

Secondly, congratulations to Lyra for winning the Road to Wimbledon venue stage 14U singles event at Penallt TC. Next round is the South Wales County Finals held in June.

Good luck for the next stage, Lyra.

Congratulations to Lucy Southwell, Dosbath Glas, who has been awarded an Arts Award Discover certificate from Trinity College, London.

As well as developing their knowledge and understanding of the arts, Arts Award Discover boosts children's creativity, curiosity, confidence and communication skills.

Well done Lucy, a fantastic achievement.
 

On Saturday 25th April, Monnow Swimming Club delivered a standout performance at the prestigious Cotswold Series A Final, held at Hutton Moor Leisure Centre. The event marked the culmination of a highly competitive series that has been running since January and featured 20 teams from across the region.  The Cotswold Series format sees each team compete in four gala rounds, as well as hosting one round themselves. Teams accumulate points based on their finishing positions at each gala. After the four rounds, the top eight teams progress to the A Final, the next six to the B Final, and the remaining six to the C Final.

Monnow Swimming Club’s rise in recent years has been remarkable. In their debut season last year, they qualified for the A Final in 7th place but exceeded expectations by finishing 5th overall. This year, they entered the A Final in joint 5th position alongside local rivals Cwmbran Swimming Club.  In a thrilling and closely contested final, all eight teams contributed to an electric atmosphere. Monnow’s swimmers rose to the occasion, delivering exceptional performances across the board to secure 1st place overall, finishing just one point ahead of Severnside Tritons. Cwmbran claimed 3rd place, ensuring that two Welsh clubs featured in the top three.

Monnow Swimming Club continues to build on its success, both competitively and within the local community. Based in Monmouth, the Club trains four evenings a week at St Catherine’s Pool at Haberdashers’ School, as well as one evening and Saturday mornings at the local leisure centre.  The Club welcomes new members and supporters. Anyone interested in joining, supporting or learning more about Monnow Swimming Club is encouraged to get in touch via email at membership@monnowsc.co.uk.

With this latest achievement, Monnow Swimming Club has firmly established itself as one of the region’s leading competitive swimming clubs—and their momentum shows no signs of slowing.

Congratulations to all swimmers who took part in the series:  Theo Bancroft, Eva Blythe, Layla Carter, Lydia Close, Seb Jones, Oliver Lee, Leo Lilette, Finley McGrath, Eleanor Mackenzie, Rhodri Maidment Cardenas, Danny Meyrick-Laud, Izzy Munslow, Seren Munslow, Carys Parker, Ava Powell, Lara Swayne, Sam Willis.

Congratulations to the Monmouth Town U13 squad who have remained undefeated all season.

Squad: Mason Abercrombie, Owen Brain, Sebastian Breakwell, Elliot Cotton, Tom Gould, Harri Haines, Kingsley Jones, Will Jones, Brody King, Owen Lee-Smith, Lucas Powell,

Second-hand Uniform

The Magic Cottage shop has closed, so access to second-hand uniform is temporarily unavailable.  Friends are currently looking for a new partner and will advise parents, through this newsletter, once a new partner is in place.

Please do continue to drop off at school any uniform that you no longer need.

Following a Welsh Cup run to be proud of, the Year 8 lads were hungry to finish the season with silverware in the Newport Cup. We arrived at Ponthir FC on a windy, grey afternoon with both the optimism and confidence to take on Caerleon. Despite this, the boys found it difficult to unlock the Caerleon defence in the first half, as playing against the wind proved a real challenge.

Otto made a series of excellent saves and claimed numerous crosses, but one ball held up in the wind and dropped into the back of our net, giving Caerleon a 1–0 lead at the break.

Fortunately, the game became a tale of two halves. The team kept their composure and desire to win, building the momentum needed to showcase their quality. Evan reacted quickest to a loose ball in the box, smashing home from a corner to level the game. Moments later, Owen produced a superb trivela on the half‑volley to put MCS 2–1 ahead.

After playing the first half in midfield, Seb returned from the bench to lead the line for the final ten minutes. Within two minutes, he held the ball up brilliantly, turned his defender, and slotted home to give MCS a cushion. 3–1.

The game was sealed when Noah — who had been delivering dangerous crosses all match — fizzed the ball across the box for Kingsley to finish.

Final score: Monmouth 4–1 Caerleon.

This victory is a testament to the hard work the squad — and all attendees of after‑school Year 8 football — have put in over the past two years. As their coach, I couldn’t be prouder, and I hope the players carry this memory with them for years to come.

Mr Oldale

Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat Club Shines at Junior Interregional Regatta

MCSBC is delighted to announce the outstanding performances of its crews at the Junior Interregional Regatta, where they proudly represented Wales and WAGS.

Both the J15 4x+ and J16 4x crews demonstrated remarkable toughness and resolve, securing their places in the fiercely contested B finals.

The J15 4x+ crew (George Asbury, Sam Graefe, Charlie Grove, Ioan Kear, James Lawrence-Preston) delivered a thrilling finish, igniting their afterburners in the final 500 metres to surge from the back of the field and claim a well-earned fourth place—nearly snatching third in the closing strokes. Their determination and early push were a testament to their commitment and pride in representing Wales.

The J16 4x crew (Henry Barrett, Mark Probert, Tomos Thorpe, Lucas Walker), despite limited time together, performed valiantly in their final. With a spirited, devil-may-care approach, they attacked the race with ambition and flair, ultimately finishing sixth. This result marks an ambitious overperformance for a crew that overcame significant challenges, further underscoring their dedication to their team and country.

Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat Club is immensely proud of its athletes, whose efforts at the Junior Interregional Regatta exemplify the values of teamwork, resilience, and Welsh pride. Their achievements are a source of inspiration for the entire school community and a celebration of their commitment to representing Wales on the national stage.

Reading Ambassadors: Thank you!

A massive thank you to our wonderful Year 12 and 13 Reading Ambassadors as they finish or pause their duties in advance of their exams. Working with them this year has been a pleasure and a delight, and we cannot thank them enough for their enthusiasm, dedication and passion, both for the actual reading sessions on Tuesday mornings and for the extra-curricular trips that they have kindly volunteered their time and support to help with. Year 7s have been incredibly lucky to work with them this year, and it has been lovely to watch their relationships with the Sixth Formers grow over the course of the year; we hope that it has inspired Year 7s to read more on their own outside of school.

The Year 12 Reading Ambassadors will be returning after half-term, and we will be recruiting more Year 12s to fill the current Year 13 slots for the rest of this academic year. In September, current Reading Ambassadors will move forward into Year 8 with our students and carry on their reading sessions, and we will also be recruiting from the new Year 12 cohort for the new Year 7s. 

This programme has been a brilliant opportunity for the current batch of Reading Ambassadors to hone their leadership skills, broaden their horizons, and get some excellent experience to put on their UCAS forms or use as part of their Welsh Baccalaureate volunteering. We look forward to welcoming our next cohort soon.

As the warm weather approaches, we would ask that all students come to school with a bottle of water or refillable bottle to ensure they remain hydrated during the day.

Bottles of water may be purchased from the Food Hall, but parents may wish to ensure that refillable bottles are brought from home, to ensure student allowances are not eaten into by constantly purchasing them from school. Additionally, this reduces the use of single-use plastics at school.