MILFORD HAVEN SCHOOL has announced its new Prefect Team for the 2026/27 academic year.

The school said there had been an exceptional number of applications from pupils keen to take on leadership roles.

Following an application and interview process, Annabelle Griffiths and Oliver Phillips have been appointed Head Prefects.

The Deputy Prefects for 2026/27 are Millie Lewis, Izzy Roberts, Elif Evans-Browning and Freddie Sturley.

The wider Prefect Team is made up of Rishi Dutta, Seren Carridge, Diya Joshi, Damien Dyson, Lewis Reynolds, Jemima Kenny, Megan Lewis, Finley Jenkins, Ellie Lawlor, Charlotte Lacey, Teleri Mathias, Erin Dando and Harmony Blissett.

The team will help mentor younger pupils, support school events, promote pupil voice and help maintain a positive and respectful school environment.

Acting Headteacher Mr John said: “We are immensely proud of every pupil who applied for a prefect position. The standard of applications this year was exceptionally high, reflecting the dedication, enthusiasm and leadership qualities of our students.

“It was inspiring to see so many pupils willing to contribute their time and talents in the service of the school community.

“We are confident that our new Prefect Team will be outstanding representatives of Milford Haven School and will play a key role in fostering a positive, inclusive and supportive environment for all.”

Milford Haven School also thanked the current 2025/26 Prefect Team for their hard work and dedication over the past year.

Caption:

Milford Haven School has announced its new Prefect Team for 2026/27 (Pic: Milford Haven School).

PUPILS at Holy Name Catholic Primary School in Fishguard are celebrating after the school’s Breakfast Club received a generous grant from CK’s Supermarket.

The funding was awarded through CK’s Making a Difference initiative, following nominations from parents.

Staff said the children were delighted to hear the news and are now putting together a wish list for items that could benefit the club.

The school thanked CK’s and the parents who supported the nomination.

A spokesperson said: “Breakfast Club pupils at Holy Name School, Fishguard were delighted to hear the news that, thanks to parent nominations, we were awarded a very generous grant from CK Supermarket as part of their Making a Difference initiative.

“The pupils and staff would like to thank CK’s and the parents that nominated us, and are excitedly thinking about putting together a wish list.”

GMB says protective equipment should be considered where risk assessments show staff could face blades

SCHOOL staff should be given access to knife blankets where there is a clear risk of violent incidents involving blades, a union has said, amid growing concern over safety in schools and youth settings.

The call was made at the GMB Congress on Tuesday (Jun 9), where delegates warned that school support staff are increasingly being expected to deal with serious behavioural incidents, safeguarding crises and violent confrontations without proper protective equipment.

The debate will resonate strongly in west Wales, where recent incidents have brought the issue of youth violence into sharp focus.

In February, Milford Haven School was placed into lockdown after a teacher was assaulted during an incident involving a pupil reportedly armed with a bladed article. A 15-year-old boy was later charged with grievous bodily harm and possession of a bladed article on school premises.

The case followed the shocking attack at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Ammanford in April 2024, when two teachers and a pupil were stabbed. A teenage girl was later convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to 15 years in custody.

More recently, four youths aged between 13 and 17 suffered stab wounds during violence at Tenby railway station in April. British Transport Police later confirmed a number of arrests in connection with the incident.

GMB said the issue was not about creating fear in schools, but about recognising the reality faced by staff who are often first on the scene when serious incidents unfold.

Jonathan Coles, a GMB delegate, told Congress: “Support staff frequently manage challenging behaviour, respond to safeguarding crises, and undertake de-escalation work.

“Yet they are expected to do this without appropriate protective equipment.

“That’s why GMB is calling for the establishment of clear national standards requiring all academy trusts, local authorities, and specialist education providers to provide knife blankets wherever risk assessments identify potential exposure.

“Knife blankets, alongside consistent training on their use, offer a practical measure for the protection of education staff.”

Knife blankets are designed to help protect staff from slashes and stab wounds during emergency situations. The union says they should not be seen as a replacement for prevention, behaviour support, mental health services or proper staffing levels, but as one part of a wider safety plan.

Figures cited by GMB suggest more than 700 knife-related offences were recorded by police in schools in England and Wales last year.

The union is calling for clear national standards, proper training, and risk assessments which reflect the changing nature of violence faced by education staff.

The issue is likely to raise difficult questions for councils, schools and Welsh Government ministers about how far schools should go in preparing for rare but potentially catastrophic incidents.

Supporters of the proposal argue that staff should not be left defenceless when violence erupts.

Others may worry that protective equipment such as knife blankets risks normalising the idea that schools are dangerous places.

But after serious incidents in Milford Haven, Ammanford and Tenby, the debate over how best to protect staff and pupils is unlikely to go away.