Education

AM backs Milford Haven School’s ‘Challenge Cymru’

Published

12 years ago

May 23, 2014

A LOCAL Assembly Member, Rebecca Evans, has backed Milford Haven School in Pembrokeshire after it was announced that it would be part of the Schools Challenge Cymru programme announced by the Welsh Labour Government this week.

Called ‘Pathways to Success Schools,’ Education and Skills Minister Huw Lewis announced that Milford Haven School is one of forty secondary schools benefiting from the Welsh Labour Government’s multi-million pound improvement programme to increase performance in Welsh schools.

Schools have been chosen using a range of performance data and information that reflect the challenges they face in terms of their circumstances and stage of development. They have been also been chosen because they have the potential to deliver swift and positive improvements for learners.

Working with their own Schools Challenge Cymru advisor, each Pathways to Success School will be given the opportunity to access proven expertise to deliver a package of support that is individually tailored to meet each school’s needs and the needs of their learners. The programme will be backed by around £20 million of Welsh Government funding.

The programme will also provide targeted support to participant schools cluster primaries in order to address challenges at the earliest opportunity and improve transition between these key stages of education.

Mrs Evans said:

“I wish Milford Haven School all the best as it takes part in the Schools Challenge Cymru programme.

“I hope that the substantial amount of targeted support that the school will receive will help to take the school to the next level in terms of what it offers pupils and how it supports them to achieve their full potential. This is a very exciting time for the school.

“The Welsh Labour Government is committed to raising standards across the board in our education system and the Schools Challenge Cymru programme is part of that.”

Making the announcement Welsh Labour Education Minister Huw Lewis said:

“Today is a landmark day for Wales as we announce the forty schools which are going to be taking part in our Challenge.

“This programme will help raise achievement at schools who will get the support and challenge they need to take the next steps in their school improvement journey.

“I’ve made no secret of my desire for a relentless focus on improving the quality of teaching and learning here in Wales. These schools have been chosen as we believe they have the potential to make swift and lasting improvements which will benefit learners in the short term and long into the future.

“What we’re doing here in Wales is really special. We’ve learned from the most successful parts of the London and Manchester Challenges and delivered something specifically tailored for our young people in Wales.

“We must drive up educational standards in Wales for all our learners, raising levels of literacy and numeracy and, in so doing, breaking the link between educational attainment and poverty.

“Today’s announcement is a major step forward in making that happen.”

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Education

Pembrokeshire College students praised for road safety films

Published

2 days ago

April 12, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Creative Media learners recognised after producing hard-hitting videos to warn young drivers about the dangers of peer pressure

PEMBROKESHIRE COLLEGE has praised its Creative Media learners after students produced a series of powerful short films as part of an annual road safety competition run in partnership with Pembrokeshire County Council.

The project challenged learners to create short social media videos highlighting one of the main causes of serious road traffic collisions, with this year’s theme focusing on the dangers of peer pressure. The films were designed to help raise awareness of road safety issues among young people across the county.

Aliyah was named overall winner for her video, Peer Pressure Doesn’t Need a Voice, and received a £100 prize.

Noah was recognised as a runner-up for his film, Don’t Treat the Road Like a Toy, while Lily was also commended for her entry, Don’t Give in to Peer Pressure.

The college said the competition gave learners the chance to respond to a real-world brief while producing work with an important public safety message.

Lecturer Denys Bassett-Jones praised the standard of the entries and said the issue of peer pressure was a major factor in young people’s lives, making it an important theme to highlight to new drivers and their passengers.

Sally Jones, Road Safety Officer at Pembrokeshire County Council, also praised the students’ work and said the group had produced interesting and dynamic videos while rising well to the brief.

The college said projects like this continue to give learners valuable practical experience while supporting wider efforts to reduce serious collisions on local roads.

Education

Additional Learning Needs support in Wales under strain, says Audit Wales

Published

1 week ago

April 7, 2026

Tom Sinclair

THE SYSTEM supporting children and young people with Additional Learning Needs in Wales is facing serious pressures that could threaten its long-term sustainability, according to a new report from Audit Wales.

Published on Tuesday (Apr 7), the report examines support for children and young people with Additional Learning Needs, or ALN, in the context of changes introduced under the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018.

Audit Wales said public bodies do not have a full understanding of demand, workforce capacity, skills, costs or outcomes, leaving them without the information needed for effective planning, budgeting and value-for-money assessments.

The report raises concerns about whether the current system is performing well enough to help learners achieve their full potential.

In 2024-25, 48,257 learners aged from nought to 25 were recorded as having ALN or Special Educational Needs. However, Audit Wales said that figure is incomplete and does not capture the full picture across all settings.

Available data shows the number of school learners recorded as having ALN or SEN fell by 58 per cent between 2018-19 and 2024-25, although the reasons for that drop are disputed. Over the same period, the number of school learners receiving statutory support through a statement of SEN, or now an Individual Development Plan, increased by 164 per cent.

The report says spending on supporting learners with ALN has also risen significantly, adding pressure to already stretched public budgets. While Audit Wales said it could not put an exact figure on total spending, identifiable annual costs are approaching £1 billion, with the true figure likely to be higher.

Councils’ budgeted expenditure on ALN or SEN rose by 34 per cent in real terms between 2018-19 and 2025-26.

Audit Wales said its conclusions were based on evidence showing that the system lacks good enough data to understand growing demand and complexity, while patchy workforce information makes it harder to assess staffing capacity and skills gaps. It also found that public bodies do not have a strong enough understanding of costs, raising concerns about financial sustainability.

The report adds that although the goals of the ALN system are clear, there is only limited evidence on whether it is delivering strong outcomes for learners, and that the system remains adversarial despite some signs of improvement.

Its recommendations are aimed mainly at the Welsh Government, particularly in its national leadership role, although Audit Wales said successful implementation would require action from a wide range of public bodies.

Auditor General Adrian Crompton said: “Children and young people with Additional Learning Needs include some of the most vulnerable people in society.

“There has been a significant amount of work involved in efforts to reform the system for the better over recent years. However, the system remains under strain and there is still a lot more that can be done to ensure it does as well as it can for our children and young people, both now and for future generations.”

The 2018 Act introduced a new system designed to create a more integrated, collaborative and person-centred approach to supporting learners with ALN. It extended statutory provision to learners aged nought to 25 and replaced the previous separate systems for under-16s with SEN and post-16 learners with learning difficulties or disabilities.

A major part of the reform was the introduction of Individual Development Plans, which replaced both non-statutory SEN support and statutory statements of SEN. Under the new system, every learner with ALN is entitled to an IDP.

Audit Wales stressed that the figure of 48,257 learners does not include all settings for learners aged nought to 25, including further education, meaning the overall scale of need may be higher than official data suggests.

For more information, contact Rhian Jones at Audit Wales on 02920 320 575 or by email at [email protected]
.

Community

Music in the air as record numbers join school festival

Published

2 weeks ago

March 31, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A RECORD number of young musicians from across Pembrokeshire took part in this year’s Valero Primary Music Festival, with nearly 600 pupils showcasing their talents.

The event, organised by Pembrokeshire Music Service, was held at Ysgol Caer Elen on Saturday (March 14), drawing a large and enthusiastic audience.

The festival’s overall winner was Hafan y Môr pupil Carys Meiring, who impressed judges with a standout trombone performance of Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off. She had earlier secured victory in the open brass class.

Young talent shines

The afternoon Spotlight concert opened with an energetic performance from the county’s Second Steps ensembles, bringing together young players from across Pembrokeshire.

Winners from the day’s open classes also took to the stage, highlighting the depth of musical talent across local schools.

Osian Kite, of Roch CP School, won the open woodwind class with a performance of Sentimental Serenade on alto saxophone.

Cadi Marshall-Jones, from Ysgol Bro Preseli, claimed the open piano and harp title with Over the Sea to Skye, while Roch CP School cellist Mari Broomfield won the open strings category with Vamoose.

In percussion, Ysgol Caer Elen’s Aled Hooper secured first place in the open class with a drum kit performance of Are You Gonna Go My Way.

The open ensemble prize went to Tavernspite pupils Finn Hickman and Evelyn James, whose piano duet of Handel’s Passacaglia impressed both judges and audience.

Building confidence through music

Head of Pembrokeshire Music Service, Philippa Roberts said the festival continues to play a vital role in developing young performers.

She said: “Pembrokeshire Music Service is proud to deliver the Valero Music Festival, offering an exciting opportunity to nearly 600 young performers from across the county.

“Providing children with the chance to perform, shine, and receive supportive feedback from professional musicians is incredibly powerful and helps build lasting confidence.

“In line with the Music Plan for Wales, we remain committed to creating meaningful musical experiences for children throughout Pembrokeshire. Our sincere thanks go to Valero for their fantastic support.”

The festival forms part of a wider effort to promote music education across Wales, encouraging participation and nurturing the next generation of performers.

Photo caption:

Talented performers: Overall winner Carys Meiring is pictured with fellow category winners and organisers (Pic: Pembrokeshire Music Service).