Successful enrichment scheme for young students returns to Holywell for summer holidays

Ysgol Treffynnon and primary school, Ysgol Maes Y Felin, in Holywell have joined forces to enable a popular summer holiday scheme to take place again this year, with a host of activities for year 7 students and year 6 pupils due to start at the high school in September.

This will be the fourth time that the schools have successfully run the SHEP (Summer Holidays Enrichment Programme) Food and Fun Summer Scheme, in partnership with the Welsh Local Government Association and Flintshire County Council. It provides a great opportunity for primary pupils to get to know Ysgol Treffynnon students and become familiar with the school.

The scheme will run for the first three weeks of the holidays and will provide a free breakfast, snack, and lunch each day. The scheme also promotes parental engagement by providing a recipe book, recipe box and parent lunch at the end of each week.

As well as learning about healthy eating and taking part in fun cooking sessions, children will have the opportunity to enjoy a wide variety of indoor and outdoor sport and physical activities. This year’s activities include workshops in science, graffiti art, wellbeing and spray painting.

The scheme will be coordinated by Leah Wild and supported by four members of staff from both Ysgol Maes y Felin and Ysgol Treffynnon. The scheme works alongside Catering and Cleaning, Flintshire Healthy Schools Teams, officers from Aura Leisure and Libraries, and Betsi Cadwalader University Health Board Dietetics team.

Miss Wild, Lead Coordinator, was involved with the SHEP scheme in 2019 and 2021. She said: “The Food and Fun SHEP Programme is a great opportunity for year 6s to transition into their new high school.

“Due to COVID last year, we were unable to have any outside workshops come in. This year we are able to open our doors to the community and have a jam-packed timetable full of fun activities!

“We have chosen to include the year 7s again this year, so they can show the year 6’s the ropes. It is always nice to have a familiar, friendly face on the first day of school! Myself and my team are really looking forward to starting the programme!”

The scheme will start at 9.00am and finish at 1.00pm from Monday to Thursday. A recipe book made by the children will be sent home with every child at the end of the first week. Food boxes containing healthy and delicious recipes, together with all the ingredients and handy recipe cards, will be given to every child at the end of the second week. Parents will be invited in on the last week to have lunch with their child(ren).

The SHEP scheme is only open to Ysgol Maes Y Felin and Ysgol Treffynnon students. Places are limited and are filling up quickly. Please email SHEP@yt.flintshire.sch.uk to check availability.