Judges praised Cadoxton Primary School in Barry for its “fantastic” work at the heart of the community and the positive impact it has had on other schools in the area. The staff have worked tirelessly to confront poverty and ensure that pupils, their families and the wider community have been supported during the pandemic.

The school has established a “pay as you can” shop, run by parent volunteers, to ensure that no child goes hungry. As well as this, pupils run a “junk food café” to develop their cooking and entrepreneurial skills, making and selling snacks from food that would normally go to waste.

Both shops have proven so popular and beneficial that the school set up the “Big Bocs Bwyd” project to support eight other schools with similar projects. Its work was featured on Wales Online.

The school has established highly positive relationships with parents and carers, providing bespoke courses in attachment and cookery, with links to accredited courses at Cardiff and Vale College. It has also developed a secure relationship with its local care home to embed intergenerational links in the community.

Cadoxton Primary is a lead partner school with the University of Wales, Trinity St David and plays an active role in supporting trainee teachers, helping to train up to 20 students per year.

Judge Sir Tim Brighouse said: “Cadoxton Primary School illustrated what ‘going the extra mile’ really means, whether by the allotment it runs or by its ‘pay as you can’ scheme or the many meals for those families in straitened circumstances.

“It has collaborated with eight schools to spread these ideas, as well as providing what must be inspirational places for university students training to be teachers.”