19th January 2022

Dear Parent/Carer,

Recently we have dealt with a very small number of incidents involving pupils’ vaping on school premises. The purpose of this letter is to inform you of the issue, as well as alert you to potential sanctions if a pupil engages in vaping on school property. We take this issue very seriously due to the negative health effects vaping can have on pupils, and we often find that our parents are often not aware of the risks around vaping. Pontarddulais Comprehensive School, is a non-smoking site, which includes the use of electronic cigarettes/vaping.  Any pupil found smoking/vaping on the school premises will be sanctioned appropriately and parents/carers will be informed.

Vapourizers or e-cigarettes come in all different shapes.  The devices are very small and can easily be hidden on a person or blend in with normal backpack items. Like cigarettes, stores should not sell vaping items to people under the age of 18. However, pupils report that they purchase the devices online or buy from older siblings or friends.

Vaping is prohibited by our anti-smoking policy, which is accessible here: Anti-Smoking Policy and is part of our home-school agreement that all pupils and parents/carers sign to acknowledge their understanding of the rules at Pontarddulais Comprehensive School.  If you feel it is appropriate, we encourage you to have a conversation with your child about this topic. We have reinforced this message today in a virtual whole school assembly.

Please be assured that such cases of pupils vaping in school are exceptionally rare, however, we have, and shall continue, to apply robust sanctions such as exclusions (kept on pupils’ School Records), in line with our school policies if required. We hope you find this letter informative and that you understand our concerns about this potentially harmful issue. By acting now and working together we can continue to keep pupils safe and well educated on these matters. Our goal is always to partner with parents/carers to support our pupils in making positive decisions for themselves and their future.

Yours sincerely,

Mr. G. Rees

Headteacher