Education
Savvy Pembrokeshire students on research placement
TWO savvy STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) students from Pembrokeshire College replaced four weeks of their summer holidays for a research placement via the Nuffield Foundation – a charitable trust working to improve social well-being by funding research and innovation in education and social policy.
College A-level students Sarah Cooper and Amy Staff were two of only 75 students to be selected for a summer placement out of more than 300 applications. Nuffi eld Research Placements (previously Nuffi eld Science Bursaries) provide over 1,000 students each year with the opportunity to work alongside professional scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians.
Placements are available across the UK, in universities, commercial companies, voluntary organisations and research institutions. Sarah and Amy didn’t take long to understand that this type of work experience would catapult their chances of getting into the university of their choice. Both students had exposure to high profi le research projects, including The Barcode Wales Project, which aims to catalogue all 1,143 species of native fl owering plants based on their unique gene sequence.
Sarah and Amy praised the foundation for their high quality placements saying they were; “amazing”, “so worthwhile” and “a great stepping stone to university.” Sarah has her sights fi rmly set on studying a Masters programme in Ballistics at Kent University so she was more than pleased to have won a place at Aberystwyth University to work on a project researching the transference of particles on fi bres led by forensic scientist Dr Deborah Croft.
“Only 75 students were placed this year so I feel honoured that I had such a valuable placement” said Sarah. Sarah also achieved 82% for her project work, the summer school’s highest grade and is now set to receive The Crest Award for young scientists. It wasn’t all hard work for the students however; both were involved in recreational activities – cinema trips, meals out and day trips including The Royal Welsh Show. Amy Staff’s placement was working on the Barcode Wales project at The National Botanical Gardens of Wales.
The project led by Dr Natasha De Vere gave Amy a real insight into wildlife conservation, a subject that she hopes to study at the University of West England (UWE) next year. “I was delighted to be given an opportunity to work on the DNA barcoding project and contributed to it by preparing Herbarium specimens, I also attended a seed collecting course led by Dr Stephanie Miles from Kew Gardens and a bee-keeping course.” Both Amy and Sarah received £80 per week and additional travelling expenses were paid by the foundation. Both students received a possibly life-changing experience, which will ultimately pay off when they commence their university studies next year. Who said swapping four weeks of sun for a lab coat wouldn’t be worthwhile!
Education
Don’t miss out on help with school essentials
88% of those eligible have claimed their free School Essentials grant to help with costs like school uniform, shoes, bags, sports kit and equipment. Have you claimed yours?
Children of families on lower incomes who receive certain benefits, those seeking asylum and children in care can claim £125 per year to help with school costs. Because of the extra cost families might face when their children start secondary school, £200 is available for eligible pupils going into year 7. It could also mean extra funding for your school.
There’s still time to check eligibility and apply for this year’s funding now before applications close on 31 May.
You can apply every year for each of your children. Pupils from all kinds of education settings are eligible as long as they are aged 5-16. This applies to pupils in all schools and settings, including special schools and pupil referral units.
Headteacher of Ysgol Gymunedol Trimsaran, Steffan Jones, explained how the grant helps pupils at his school: “You want every child to be treated the same, and you want every child to have the same experiences. These grants do help, so that all children can get involved and enjoy their time at school, not just those who can afford it.”
The grant can be used to pay for:
- school uniform, including coats and shoes.
- school activities, like learning a musical instrument, sports kit and equipment for after school activities.
- classroom essentials, like pens, pencils and bags.
Even if your child already receives a Free School Meal, you still need to check eligibility to access the School Essentials Grant and extra funding for your school. To find out more about the Schools Essentials Grant and to check eligibility, visit Get help with school costs | GOV.WALES
Charity
Bags of Books returns to Milford Haven and surrounding areas this Easter
THE INFAMOUS Bags of Books is set to return to Milford Haven and surrounding areas over the Easter holidays.
Milford Haven School who launched the project with Milford Youth Matters over 3 years ago are continuing in their bid to improve literacy skills and encourage a love of reading for pleasure by giving away over 700 books.
Thanks to funding from the South Hook LNG Community grant they have purchased books for young people of all ages and reading abilities and will be hanging them on the fences of the schools in their catchment area.
The community are invited to come and choose a book from the following locations over the Easter holidays:
- Neyland Community Primary School – Monday 25th March
- Johnston Community Primary School – Tuesday 26th March
- Coastlands Primary School – Wednesday 27th March
- Gelliswick Primary School – Tuesday 2nd April
- Milford Haven Community Primary – Wednesday 3rd April
- St Francis Community Primary – Wednesday 3rd April
Milford Haven Secondary School will also hang over 150 books on their fence after the Easter Holidays on Wednesday 10th April for those in our community who cannot attend the other locations.
Education
Milford Haven School’s Aspire Celebration Evening 2024
THIS week, Milford Haven School celebrated the achievements of Year 11 pupils from the Class of 2023 at the Milford Haven School’s Aspire Celebration Evening.
Chair of Governors Dayle Gibby opened the evening by welcoming past pupils, parents and carers and guests from the community as they joined together to proudly celebrate the outstanding achievements of their past pupils. Mr Gibby said “Tonight is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate your achievements academically, and achievements that go far beyond the classroom like sporting, musical, through drama, enterprise, environmental and those that reach into the heart of community. Throughout your time here you have all showed, resilience, determination, and aspiration. With these attributes you have set yourself targets and goals to achieve, manage difficult problems and overcome unexpected events.”
The annual Aspire Celebration evening recognises the exceptional talents, dedication, and hard work demonstrated by these pupils throughout their academic journey. The evening was an enjoyable one that showcased the remarkable accomplishments of the young people, highlighting their academic excellence, leadership skills,and contributions to the school and wider community. Among the many accolades awarded were prizes for outstanding academic achievement, extra-curricular participation, personal development and services to the community.
One of the highlights of the evening was the inspiring address from guest speaker and former pupil of the former Milford Haven Grammar School Ms Makala Jones. Pupils, staff and guests were captivated and inspired by her stories of cold water swimming and how joining the world renowned Blue Tits changed her life and played a big part in her accomplishments of recently swimming the English Channel completely solo. Her motivational speech, insights and personal anecdotes resonated deeply with the entire audience, encouraging them to pursue their passions fearlessly, love themselves completely and embrace opportunities that lie ahead.
As pupils received their well-deserved awards, there was an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment filling the room. Headteacher Ms Morris said “This evening is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our young people. We are incredibly proud of their accomplishments and the positive impact they have made on our school community. I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the prize winners. I have no doubt that you will continue to excel in whatever task you choose to do next. I am personally proud of each and every one of you and wish you continued success in your future endeavours.”
For more information and a full list of prize winners please visit: www.milfordhavenschool.co.uk/aspirecelebrationevening
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