Education

Council leaders to allow schools to move to distance learning

Published

4 years ago

December 11, 2020

COUNCIL leaders in Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion are allowing schools across the region to move to distance learning in the run-up to Christmas.

It follows a meeting between the Association of Directors of Education and Welsh Local Government Association representatives with the Education Minister Kirsty Williams this afternoon (Thursday, December 10) in which she announced that all secondary schools and colleges move to online learning from Monday, December 14 as part of a ‘national effort to reduce transmission of coronavirus’.

However, due to rapidly increasing coronavirus cases within the Hywel Dda footprint area, all three councils have decided on a regional approach.

Carmarthenshire council is allowing all primary and special schools the choice to move to distance learning or remain open from Tuesday, December 15.

However, in Ceredigion all primary and special schools will move to distance learning from Tuesday, December 15.

In Pembrokeshire, all primaries will move to distance learning from Tuesday, December 15.

Council leaders are concerned the situation will only get worse in the coming week if no action is taken and have made the decision in the best interest of staff, pupils and their families.

The rising number of cases in the community is having a significant effect on staff and pupils having to self-isolate, leading to major staffing issues within schools as well as putting considerable pressure on the Test Trace Protect teams.

All local authorities are working closely with headteachers and Chairs of Governors to ensure this has as little impact as possible on children’s learning.

Families with children eligible for free school meals will receive payment to cover the days they are learning from home.

Carmarthenshire County Council Leader Cllr Emlyn Dole said: “We are extremely concerned about how quickly the virus is spreading in our communities, and unfortunately this is having a significant impact on our schools.

“We have already seen some schools having to close, not because coronavirus is circulating there but because so many staff are having to self-isolate.

“Our schools have worked hard to provide a safe environment; the problem is not in our schools but in the community, where people are mixing with each other causing the virus to spread easily.

“This hasn’t been an easy decision, but we want to make sure pupils and staff can enjoy Christmas with their families. I cannot emphasise enough though how important it is that pupils stay at home and carry on with the work set by their teachers and do not mix with other households, otherwise all this will be for nothing, and the virus will continue to spread exponentially.”

Ceredigion County Council Leader Cllr Ellen ap Gwynn said “We all recognise the hard work of school staff during the year and in meeting the challenges that the coronavirus has brought, whilst at the same time continuing to deliver high quality teaching, face to face or remotely. We also recognise that our pupils have had to adapt to the new ways of working.

“However, now is the time to ensure the health and safety of our pupils and staff in the lead up to Christmas and closing schools for face to face teaching will enable families to limit contact with people they do not live with leading up to Christmas. The risk of catching coronavirus is reduced when we limit how much contact we have with others – these days will give families that opportunity so that they can see loved ones over the festive period.”

Pembrokeshire County Council Leader Cllr David Simpson said: “This has been a difficult decision to take but one that we hope parents and carers can understand.

“Coronavirus is spreading across our communities and we see the impact every day with increasing numbers of classes and year groups having to self-isolate.

“It is important to emphasise that this is not an extended Christmas holiday. Pupils should not be mixing with other households – just like adults should not be mixing with other households.

“It’s up to all of us to do our bit to fight coronavirus.”

Community

County Show calling all Pembrokeshire parents and teachers

Published

6 hours ago

January 23, 2025

Tom Sinclair

SCHOOLCHILDREN from across the county are invited to the next Food Story event, Nutritious, Delicious & Local, which will take place at the Pembrokeshire County Showground on Wednesday, March 5, and Thursday, March 6, 2025.

This exciting event, suitable for pupils from Year 2 to Year 11, will offer a hands-on learning experience focusing on health and well-being, as well as the role of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in local food production. Topics will include how weather and climate impact farming, the growth of crops, and the daily challenges faced by farmers.

Children will also have the chance to cook and sample local produce, making it a truly interactive and educational experience.

All primary and secondary schools across Pembrokeshire will receive an invitation and booking form to attend. If teachers have not received the email and would like to participate, they are encouraged to contact the Pembrokeshire Showground Office at [email protected] as soon as possible.

Don’t miss this opportunity to inspire the next generation about the importance of nutritious, local food!

Education

Former Haverfordwest High student wins South Hook LNG scholarship

Published

3 days ago

January 20, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A PROMISING local law student, Alisha Akhtar, has been awarded South Hook LNG’s 2024 Scholarship, receiving £5,000 to support her academic journey. Alisha, a former Haverfordwest High pupil, is in her final year of an LLB Law degree at the University of Salford, Manchester, and is preparing to undertake the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) in two years.

The annual South Hook Scholarship is designed to encourage academic excellence and career ambition among Pembrokeshire students. Candidates go through a rigorous selection process that includes a written application and an informal interview, demonstrating South Hook’s commitment to supporting local education.

During a ceremony held at South Hook LNG, Alisha was presented with her award by the South Hook team. Speaking about the scholarship, she said: “My late parents worked tirelessly to provide opportunities they never had. This scholarship brings me closer to my goal of pursuing a career in law and honours my parents’ sacrifices. I am deeply grateful to South Hook LNG for believing in my potential.”

Hamad Al Samra, General Manager of South Hook LNG, praised Alisha’s determination, saying: “We are continually inspired by Pembrokeshire students. Alisha’s focus and commitment stood out, and we are pleased to support her in achieving her aspirations.”

South Hook LNG encourages local students pursuing higher education in engineering, science, or business-related fields to apply for their scholarship programme. Details for the 2025 award will be available on the company’s website in September.

Photo caption: Alisha Akhtar, South Hook LNG’s Scholarship recipient of 2024, with members of the South Hook team responsible for assessing the applications. (Pic: Supplied)

Education

New resource to support Welsh medium pupils

Published

1 week ago

January 16, 2025

Tom Sinclair

EDUCATION researchers have published a special booklet to support pupils in Welsh medium schools from homes where the language is not spoken.

Entitled Partner, Promote and Provide, the booklet was co-created in workshops led by Aberystwyth University which brought together education partners from Ceredigion and Powys, with input from parents and pupils.

It builds on a series of research studies by the School of Education which began during the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020 and which explored the impact of the pandemic on pupils along with the additional challenges facing Welsh-medium schools in extending support to children from non-Welsh-speaking homes.

Dr Siân Lloyd-Williams Director of Research at Aberystwyth University’s School of Education, said:

“Based on the studies we carried out between 2020 and 2024, it was clear we needed to continue the work so that we could evaluate, identify and measure the impact of our recommendations on supporting non-Welsh speaking families.

“We set out to organise a series of workshops, bringing together representatives from the local education authorities, teachers, parents and others to hear their experiences and gather evidence. As a result, we have co-created a special booklet that teachers can use to support pupils from non-Welsh-speaking homes who attend Welsh medium schools.”

Another member of the research team at Aberystwyth School of Education, Dr Rhodri Aled Evans, said:

“This is an example of effective and purposeful collaboration between academics and practitioners on the ground. We hope this booklet, together with the recommendations of our previous studies, will be a valuable resource for the education sector and beneficial for teachers, pupils and families alike.”

The Director of Education for Ceredigion County Council, Elen James, said:

“It has been extremely valuable to collaborate with the University’s researchers to create dedicated resources that offer practical help on how to further improve the experiences of Welsh-medium pupils from non-Welsh speaking homes. This work is important and an excellent starting point for further collaboration. We look forward to developing the project further in the future.”

The Partner, Promote and Provide booklet was launched at a training event for teachers held at the University on 16 January 2025 and can be downloaded from the University’s website as a PDF or hard copies can be sent on request.

Pictured: L to R: Susan Ferguson (Research Impact and Knowledge Officer, Aberystwyth University), Prysor Davies (Interim Head of the School of Education, Aberystwyth University), Dr Rhodri Evans (Lecturer in Education, Aberystwyth University), Rhiannon Salisbury (teacher), Alwyn Ward (Ceredigion County Council)