FRESH doubts have been cast over the refurbishment of Milford Haven Secondary School.

At a meeting of the Schools and Learning Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Thursday, January 21, it was announced that it could be delayed until 2024.

The school had been earmarked for refurbishment but after costs were escalated due to the building’s poor state, it has been suggested that a new-build would be needed.

Cllr Viv Stoddart said she was ‘very disappointed’ by the new information and said that Milford Haven was coming out ‘second-best’.

Cllr Bob Kilmister said: “We are doing the prep work for Milford Haven in terms of where we go.

“The 21st Century Schools budget goes up to 2024 and there is a £15m gap at the moment. So if nothing happened we would need to fund £15m. That is unaffordable.

“I have been in contact with the Welsh Government to ask if they can expand our budget of £106m upwards. The extra budget gap would be £5m and that would be affordable.

“They have said they cant do that at the moment as we are not far enough down the program.

“We are looking at the options for Milford Haven. It was down as a refurbishment but that is just not an option that is viable. It would be very poor use of money.

“This administration’s intention is to try and complete the whole of the programme.”

Cabinet member for Education, Cllr Guy Woodham added: “There was an increased figure in the refurbishment of the building. That was still less than a new build but it did close gap.

“It was almost a no-brainer to go with the new build over the refurbishment.

“Both the secondary and primary schools in Milford Haven are in Band B which runs until 2025 but we are trying very hard to ensure we deliver all projects. I remain optimistic that we should be able to deliver all Band B projects.”

Cllr Stoddart responded saying she was ‘very pessimistic’ about it adding: “It has been at least two years since we had a meeting in Milford Haven School, we’ve had the problem with the
learning resource centre. I find this information very disappointing.”

Cllr Woodham added that Haverfordwest had been the main project in Band B and that the next one on the list was Milford Haven.

Cllr Ken Rowlands said that the people in Milford should have the same sort of facilities that are on offer elsewhere in the county and that they shouldn’t be ‘short-changed’.

A FIGHTER JET was most of the day on Tuesday circling in the clouds above Pembrokeshire as part of a RAF training exercise

The F-35 flew in from RAF Marham in King’s Lynn in Norfolk and while the weather made it impossible to see the aircraft due to cloud cover it was heard by many locals.

The noise had subsided by Tuesday afternoon. However, on Wednesday, it was two US F-15s from RAF Lakenheath making all the noise as part of a different training exercise.

The two USAF F15 jets have now departed Pembrokeshire to head back home to their base, with more expected later, weather dependant.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence told The Pembrokeshire Herald that the exercise was not hosted by the Castle Martin Range in Pembrokeshire. They said: “We can confirm a RAF F-35 Lightning from RAF Marham was conducting routine training in the area on the day in question (Jan 19).”

(Image by Andy Jones USAF F-15E Strike Eagle – Stock photo)

TEACHERS are set to decide GCSE, AS and A-level grades in Wales after a system replacing end-of-year exams was axed, the Welsh Government has confirmed.

Education Minister Kirsty Williams told The Herald in a statement that the pandemic had left her “no choice” in scrapping the classroom assessments.

It has now been decided that grades determined by schools and colleges based on the work covered would be “simple and clear”

The following has been confirmed:

Schools and colleges will now be able to use a range of evidence to determine the grades to be awarded to their learners, including coursework and mocks. The WJEC exam board will also offer a set of adapted past papers to enable schools to carry on assessing their pupils

Schools and colleges can access an assessment framework set by Qualifications Wales to help set grades and their plans will be quality assured by WJEC

Deadlines for coursework or “non-exam assessment” are being removed and will not be moderated by WJEC

WJEC will publish guidance and oversee schools and colleges’ internal quality assurance processes and will have a role in quality assuring their implementation. Teachers and lecturers will be offered training so they are applied “consistently, equitably, and fairly”

The grades are then submitted to the WJEC who will not change them. Appeals about grades will go to a school or college
Learners in Year 12 will also be awarded a “Centre Determined” grade but it won’t contribute to the final A level. It won’t apply to Year 10 unit assessments, but will apply if they are finishing a qualification