TUCKED away in Pontypool, Padre Pio Roman Catholic Primary School is surrounded by picturesque views of the ancient vicinity.

The site, which is named after a Franciscan monk and saint, opened 11 years ago, following the amalgamation of St Albans Primary and St Francis Primary.

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Paul Welsh, who was appointed head teacher in 2006, said: “We opened in September 2008 and we were all very excited for this new chapter.

“The name was chosen because Padre Pio was a Franciscan monk. Franciscan monks did a lot of good work in this area when they came in the eighteenth century. It was they who set up the church in the Pontypool area and that is why the school was named after this individual.

“We are now in our eleventh year. It is going very well. There was a very smooth transition during the amalgamation, for which I am still very grateful for.”

He added: “The issue we had for a brief time were pupils identifying themselves with their old schools. But that has now gone.”

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For Mr Welsh, ensuring that every pupil is given a voice in the running of the school is important.

As a result, the School Parliament was established which consists of many committees.

“We felt that not enough pupils were able to have a say in how to make the school an even better place,” he said.

“The parliament has a number of committees. Some of the committees include health and well-being, sport and fitness, Criw Cymraeg, curriculum and learning spaces and Mini Vinnies. Mini Vinnies looks to help the community. They did a project recently which saw them create Christmas Cards and sold them to raise money for the homeless.

“All pupils from year two to six can choose which committee to be in.

“The purpose of the parliament is so children can make decisions for the school. New play equipment is just one of many things which they have brought in.”

He added: “Pupils are at the centre of what we do and the parliament has given them a bigger voice.”

Pupil Harry Felton-Smith is a member of Criw Cymraeg and he said: “I enjoy it very much. We have been learning about World War One and Wales.”

And another pupil Carys Davies added: “My favourite part is when we do assemblies and help out at the Eisteddfodd. My Welsh has improved.”

The school offers many subjects to pupils, but an emphasis is placed on both Welsh and ICT.

Mr Welsh said: “In a digital age, it is important that our pupils have very good ICT skills.

“At Padre Pio, they have access to iPads, e-books and other electronic items.

“Welsh is also a big focus for us. We were recently given the bronze award by the EAS.

“We had to meet certain targets to get it. For instance, using Welsh in every day class.

“All pupils are proud of this school and it is ultimately down to them that we achieve these awards.”

And the success of pupils is what Padre Pio Catholic Primary School aims to achieve, said the head teacher.

He said: “This school strives to make our pupils a success. We achieve this in many ways.

“Firstly we focus on spirituality and follow Christ’s teaching – doing this allows pupils to develop virtues.

“We also encourage everyone to be compassionate to others.

“We are a small school and get to know all our children really, really well. That way we can adapt our provision and help them to succeed. All of these things allow our pupils to be happy so they can go on to achieve big things.”