CREATIVE media students at Pembrokeshire College have showcased their impressive talents in an annual video competition run in partnership with Pembrokeshire County Council.

The Road Safety Competition challenges students to produce a 45-second film or animation highlighting one of the ‘Fatal 5’ causes of road traffic collisions. The winning entries are used in the council’s social media campaigns to promote safer driving and help reduce casualties on local roads.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s Road Safety Officer, Sally Jones, said: “We are very proud to be working with the Creative Media students at Pembrokeshire College once again for our annual Road Safety media competition.

“All the students worked very hard and impressed the judges with their unique and innovative videos. The overall winner, Silas, delivered a very impactful video which we look forward to sharing via our social media channels.”

Silas Roberts was awarded a £100 cheque for his video Stay Alive! Don’t Drive Distracted, which highlights the dangers of texting while driving. Speaking after the win, Silas said: “I am really pleased that the client liked my video. I wanted to create something simple that would get the message across, and the fact that I was chosen as the winning entry shows that I was successful in achieving that.”

Runners-up Sabrina Semaani-Rodriguez and Taya Fouracre were each awarded a £50 Amazon voucher for their outstanding contributions.

The competition not only raises awareness of key road safety issues, but also provides students with real-world experience in working to a live client brief.

Course lecturer Denys Bassett-Jones added: “I am absolutely delighted with the outcome of this year’s competition. Every year the standard gets higher and the students never cease to amaze me with their ideas.

“Working in partnership with PCC gives learners the opportunity to develop their skills in a real-world context, which is a fundamental part of creative education at Pembrokeshire College.”

Miss Finn to take over as Mr Edwards retires

A NEW headteacher has been appointed at Ysgol Bro Gwaun in Fishguard as the school prepares for a change in leadership this September.

Current deputy headteacher, Alana Finn, will step into the role following the retirement of headteacher Paul Edwards at the end of the academic year in July.

Miss Finn, who grew up in Tumble, Carmarthenshire, has worked at the school for 23 years. She began her career at Ysgol Bro Gwaun as a newly qualified teacher after studying Welsh and history at Aberystwyth University, and has since held various management roles before becoming deputy head.

The school’s board of governors confirmed Miss Finn’s appointment after what was described as a “rigorous selection process.”

Miss Finn said she was “honoured and excited” to take on the role.

“This school has such potential,” she said. “I am looking forward to working with the excellent staff, our pupils, families, the governing body, and the wider community.

“I want not just staff but pupils as well to be innovative in their thinking. We are working towards excellence, but excellence has a different meaning for every child. We are telling pupils they can achieve whatever they want, and the school will support them.”

She said the school’s inclusive and nurturing ethos is what makes Ysgol Bro Gwaun special.

“Everybody who comes in says there is a nice feeling about the place. We listen to the voice of the pupils, and every pupil is cared for as an individual. We work as a family here, and I want to continue building on that ethos while also driving standards.”

Miss Finn is well-regarded for her commitment to school improvement, the development of a strong bilingual ethos, and her work on safeguarding and wellbeing.

She said her appointment had been warmly received by the school community.

“So many of the pupils have been coming up to congratulate me,” she said. “It was announced in assembly and then they were all at my door!”

She also paid tribute to her predecessor.

“I want to congratulate Mr Paul Edwards on his achievements at Ysgol Bro Gwaun and I wish him a very well-deserved retirement. I’d also like to thank my family, friends, and the whole school community, past and present, for their continuous support.”

Wendy Raymond, chair of governors, said: “On behalf of the governing body of Ysgol Bro Gwaun, we look forward to supporting and working with Miss Finn and are confident she will be a great leader of our school community in Fishguard and the surrounding area.

“We also extend heartfelt thanks to Mr Edwards for his dedication and outstanding service. We wish him good health and happiness in his retirement.

“As Ysgol Bro Gwaun embarks on this new chapter, the school community is enthusiastic about a future that honours its roots while embracing fresh opportunities for growth and excellence.”

PUPILS at Golden Grove School in Pembrokeshire are diving into the world of renewable energy and marine conservation through the immersive Minecraft Education world Offshore Wind Power Challenge—a collaboration between The Crown Estate and Microsoft UK.

Available in both Welsh and English, the virtual world enables students to design and build their own offshore wind farms to power a coastal village. Along the way, they gain insights into climate change, environmental protection, and careers in sustainability, engineering and conservation.

The initiative has now been expanded with new classroom resources tailored for younger learners and aligned to the Welsh curriculum. Lesson plans for teachers are also being provided to support the integration of the material into everyday teaching.

As part of their focus on developing green skills in schools across Wales, The Crown Estate partnered with education specialists Dosbarth to create the new learning content. The organisation is currently delivering taster sessions across the country, including to Year 5 and 6 pupils at Golden Grove.

Wales is emerging as a leader in renewable energy, with new floating offshore wind farms set to be developed in the Celtic Sea under The Crown Estate’s latest seabed leasing round. These projects have the potential to generate up to 4.5GW of electricity—enough to power more than four million homes. Independent research estimates the economic value of these developments could reach £1.4bn, supporting up to 5,300 jobs.*

Rebecca Williams, Director of Devolved Nations at The Crown Estate, said: “This is an exciting collaboration that brings new educational content to schools through the best-selling game of all time. This Minecraft Education world provides students and teachers with a fun way to explore the opportunities and challenges of our energy transition while protecting the natural environment, through the languages that matter most to them.

“The Crown Estate is committed to creating partnerships that have a positive impact. We hope this initiative will inspire young people to develop their skills and discover the green careers of the future.”

Karen Jones, Managing Director of Dosbarth, added: “By creating new materials for younger audiences that align with the Welsh curriculum—and providing accessible lesson plans for busy teachers—we believe these resources will inspire even more pupils across Wales to become the next generation of environmental leaders and problem-solvers.”