It’s Friday morning at Cadoxton Primary in Barry and a group of pupils are busy serving roast dinner and crumble to members of the public. The pay as you can “junk food cafe” serves anything but junk and is just one of many projects run by the school to help the local community in the cost of living crisis.
Cadoxton, which also runs pay as you can food, clothes and uniform shops, as well as a laundrette, has gained international recognition for its work overcoming adversity in its community. It is one of six schools in the UK on the top 10 shortlists for the global T4 Education World’s Best School prizes.
Headteacher Janet Hayward is pleased her school has been shortlisted, but the real prize is seeing the difference it has made to children and their families, she says. She believes the projects have helped pupil attainment not just because of giving them better nutrition, but also by teaching them skills such as cooking, marketing, planning, and communication.
