Officers work with learners on personal safety and online awareness at alternative provision setting

POLICE officers from Dyfed-Powys Police have visited Cherry Grove Learning Centre in Pembrokeshire as part of a programme aimed at supporting learner wellbeing, personal safety, and online awareness.

The visit saw PC Morris and PCSO Griffiths, from Haverfordwest Police Station, working directly with pupils in sessions described by the centre as calm, supportive, and age-appropriate. Topics covered included staying safe in the community, recognising online risks, and understanding who to turn to if something does not feel right.

Cherry Grove, which provides alternative education for learners who find mainstream school environments challenging, said safeguarding and wellbeing remain central to its approach. The centre stressed that it is non-faith-based and does not promote political or religious beliefs, focusing instead on creating a safe and inclusive learning environment.

The police engagement comes against a backdrop of increased scrutiny of alternative provision across Pembrokeshire and Wales more widely, with recent inspections and council reviews highlighting the importance of strong safeguarding arrangements, clear governance, and external partnership working.

Education and safeguarding experts have repeatedly emphasised the role of community-based support, including liaison with police and youth services, in helping vulnerable learners build confidence and make positive choices.

Cherry Grove thanked the officers for their time and support, saying the sessions were designed to help learners feel reassured, informed, and supported both inside and outside the classroom.

PEMBROKESHIRE LEARNING CENTRE has been placed in special measures after inspectors raised serious concerns about standards and leadership at the pupil referral unit.

The Centre is a pupil referral unit (PRU) run by Pembrokeshire County Council and operates across three sites in the county:

• Neyland (main site)
• Penally
• Pembroke Dock

It provides education for pupils aged five to sixteen who are unable to attend mainstream school, often due to exclusion, anxiety, or complex additional learning needs.

Estyn confirmed the decision following a recent inspection of the centre, which supports pupils who are unable to attend mainstream school. The move means the provision will now be subject to increased monitoring, with inspectors returning to assess progress.

Pembrokeshire County Council said it has accepted the inspection findings in full and has begun implementing urgent improvement measures.

The council and school are required to submit a detailed post-inspection action plan to Estyn by February 5, 2026, setting out how each recommendation will be addressed. Work on the plan is already underway.

According to the council, immediate actions include increasing staffing across Pembrokeshire Learning Centre to strengthen leadership and classroom support, along with urgent planning to resolve site condition issues highlighted by inspectors. Governance arrangements are also being reinforced through the appointment of additional members to the centre’s management committee.

The council said these early steps are intended to ensure pupils are educated in a safe, supportive environment and receive teaching that meets their needs.

Cabinet Member for Education and Welsh Language, Guy Woodham, said the authority had acted swiftly following the inspection.

“Our priority is the wellbeing and success of every pupil,” he said. “We have moved quickly to strengthen leadership, improve facilities and enhance governance, and we will continue to work closely with Estyn to raise standards at Pembrokeshire Learning Centre.”

While identifying significant weaknesses, Estyn also highlighted areas of strength within the provision. Inspectors noted that leaders promote a clear vision centred on pupils’ wellbeing, supported by a trauma-informed approach, and that many pupils who attend regularly report feeling safe due to positive relationships with staff.

The inspection also found that the qualifications offer for older pupils has improved since the previous visit, helping learners progress into further education, training or employment.

Pembrokeshire Learning Centre, based in Neyland, plays a key role in supporting some of the county’s most vulnerable learners. The council said parents, carers and the wider community will be kept informed as improvements are implemented.

Further details of the post-inspection action plan are expected to be published in the coming weeks.

What went wrong at Pembrokeshire Learning Centre?

Inspectors have identified serious weaknesses at Pembrokeshire Learning Centre following a critical inspection that resulted in the pupil referral unit being placed in special measures.

The inspection found that leadership oversight across the Centre’s three sites in Neyland, Penally and Pembroke Dock has been inconsistent, limiting leaders’ ability to ensure standards are applied evenly. Senior leaders were largely based at the main site, reducing their visibility and impact at other locations.

While leaders were praised for setting out a clear vision centred on pupils’ wellbeing and trauma-informed practice, inspectors concluded that this vision has not been translated consistently into classroom practice. In many lessons, expectations were found to be too low, with pupils insufficiently challenged and making uneven progress.

Teaching quality was reported to vary widely. Inspectors said only a minority of lessons were well-planned, engaging and effective, while most lacked pace, clarity and appropriate challenge. As a result, too many pupils were not making the progress expected of them over time.

Curriculum planning was also highlighted as a major weakness. The Centre was found to lack overarching schemes of work, meaning teaching is often driven by individual staff rather than a consistent, centre-wide approach. This has led to fragmented provision and unequal learning experiences for pupils.

Attendance remains a significant concern. Inspectors found that attendance levels are too low, with inconsistent monitoring of reduced timetables and Pastoral Support Plans. Fixed-term exclusions were described as unacceptably high and have increased sharply compared with the previous year.

Learning environments were another area of concern. Inspectors said that many areas are not fit for purpose and in some cases do not provide safe learning spaces. At one site, public access to the grounds means pupils have no secure outdoor learning environment.

Safeguarding systems and reporting processes were generally found to be in place, but inspectors raised specific safeguarding and site management concerns during the inspection, which were formally reported to the local authority.

Support for pupils with additional learning needs was described as variable. While Individual Development Plans contain detailed information, inspectors found that these plans are not always delivered effectively in practice, limiting the support some pupils receive.

Despite these shortcomings, inspectors also identified positive aspects of the provision. Many pupils who attend regularly reported feeling safe, supported by strong relationships with staff. The qualifications offer for older pupils has improved, helping many move on to education, training or employment.

However, inspectors concluded that insufficient progress has been made since the previous inspection in 2017, and that urgent and sustained improvement is now required.

As a result, Pembrokeshire Learning Centre will be subject to regular monitoring visits, with inspectors returning to assess whether leadership, teaching standards, attendance and learning environments are improving.

Schools and colleges throughout Wales are gearing up for gold stars thanks to an additional £20 million funding allocation to support essential capital repairs and maintenance.

The funding, which is part of the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme, will support large scale maintenance works such as the replacement of roofs, window systems, heating and ventilation systems, and electrical works.

The Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme has already rebuilt or refurbished 20% of the school estate over the last decade, and the funding for capital maintenance during 2025-26 now totals £50 million. 

The Welsh Government’s total 2025-26 investment allocation through the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme is now £391 million – the highest annual investment since commencing in 2014. 

The programme also assists Wales’s climate goals as all maintenance works funded through this allocation must help reduce energy use and carbon emissions. The funding aids improvements such as better insulation, efficient heating and energy-efficient windows creating more sustainable learning environments that are cheaper to run and better for the environment. 

“Maintaining our schools and colleges in good condition is essential for providing the best learning environments for our young people,” commented the cabinet secretary for education, Lynne Neagle.

“Since 2018, we have invested £314 million  in maintenance for schools and colleges across Wales. This additional £20 million will help local authorities and colleges address maintenance needs and demonstrates our continued commitment to ensuring our education estate is fit for purpose whilst driving forward targets for a net zero carbon Education Estate in Wales.”