Education
Consultation begins on plans for Learning Resource Centre at Greenhill School
THE public is being invited to comment on plans to introduce a Learning Resource Centre (LRC) at Greenhill School, Tenby.
The proposed LRC would accommodate pupils with complex additional learning needs and Autistic Spectrum Condition.
The consultation follows a Pembrokeshire County Council decision in December when Members heard that there was a need for more LRC places in secondary education.
As a regulated alteration within the context of the School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013, the Council has a duty to consult on the proposal.
Further details and the consultation document have been placed on the Authority’s Have Your Say website at https://haveyoursay.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/regulated-alteration-to-greenhill-school
Cllr. Guy Woodham, Cabinet Member for Education and Lifelong Learning, said: “I would encourage members of the public to access the consultation, learn more about the proposal and provide their thoughts and feedback.
“This will help provide important information for the Council’s final decision on this plan for a LRC for Greenhill School later this year.”
The closing date for responses is Monday, February 14.
Business
Kurtz addresses Employment and Skills Convention
SENEDD Member Samuel Kurtz kicked off an Employment and Skills Convention at the Cardiff City Stadium recently, organised by the Learning and Skills Institute. The event sought to unite organisations, businesses, and training providers to discuss critical issues surrounding employment and skills development across Wales.
The convention featured a panel of distinguished speakers, including local Samuel Kurtz MS, who is the Shadow Minister for the Economy and Energy; Rhys Morris, Managing Director of The Busy Group; and Megan Hooper, Director for Employment and Skills at Serco. Together, they explored strategies for increasing employment and the positive impacts this can have on individuals, young people, and the broader community.
Following the event, Samuel Kurtz said: “It was a privilege to speak at this convention and to underscore the vital role of collaboration between government and the private sector in aligning skills and training with the evolving needs of our economy.
“By enhancing skills and creating jobs, we can foster a resilient workforce that will not only meet today’s demands but also drive essential green infrastructure projects, ensuring a prosperous future for young people in Wales.
“Welsh Government Ministers must acknowledge their role in addressing high levels of economic inactivity. Introducing employment targets is essential to support people in re-entering the workforce and contributing to Wales’ economic growth.”
Education
Concern over ‘highest-ever’ school bullying rates
RATES of bullying in Welsh schools have reached record levels, with more than one in three children and young people reporting being bullied, the Senedd heard.
Gareth Davies raised concerns about a 6% increase in bullying between 2021 and 2023, according to a survey of more than 130,000 pupils in 200 secondary schools.
The Conservatives’ shadow mental health minister told the Senedd: “These results are higher than ever previously reported in the survey, which is deeply troubling.”
He said the latest survey showed regression on “just about every metric of pupil wellbeing”, including growing social isolation and a rise in behavioural issues.
Mr Davies, who worked in the NHS in north Wales for more than a decade, pointed to a 2021 legal duty to have regard to the mental health of children and young people.
He said: “The mental health of pupils has declined and reports of bullying in schools have only increased, so the Welsh Government have failed in that duty, unfortunately.”
Plaid Cymru’s Cefin Campbell called for an update to 2019 anti-bullying guidance for school governing bodies following a commitment from the Welsh Government eight months ago.
The shadow education secretary focused on the impact of poverty, warning the high cost of school uniforms can cause stress and lead to bullying.
Mr Campbell, a former lecturer, expressed concerns about penalties, such as detention, for pupils over non-compliance with uniform policies.
Raising a report on “horrific” experiences of racism in Welsh schools, he said one pupil was told a classmate did not want to sit next to them due to the colour of their skin.
“That’s entirely unacceptable in our schools,” said Mr Campbell.
Labour’s Carolyn Thomas warned children’s mental health is at an all-time low, pointing to smartphones and social media as major contributing factors.
She said: “They can be used to bully, manipulate and control, sending young people into an isolated world of despair, not thinking they can get out of it or go to somebody for help.”
The North Wales politician highlighted a petition calling for a ban on phones in schools.
Rhys ab Owen, an independent who represents South Wales Central, stressed that bullying can impact people for decades to come after school.
“But it’s an issue that doesn’t affect learners equally,” he said. “In Cardiff, around a third of learners come from ethnically diverse backgrounds.
“And I was staggered to read a survey from 2020, which said that 61.5% of learners had expressed stereotypes over skin colour, religion and nationality.”
In a statement on November 12 to mark anti-bullying week, Lynne Neagle accepted that bullying continues to be an issue in Welsh schools.
Pledging to prioritise the problem, Wales’ education secretary said new statutory anti-bullying guidance will be published for consultation after Christmas.
Ms Neagle pointed to concerning trends, including 42% of girls scoring high or very high in a questionnaire on psychological problems compared with 27% of boys.
She told the Senedd: “I wouldn’t want to be a teenager growing up today.”
Ms Neagle stated the Welsh Government provided more than £800,000 this year for one of the biggest surveys of children and young people in the UK.
She said: “The link between bullying and mental health is well known. At its most extreme, young people have taken their own lives as a result of being bullied. This is a tragedy for the young life lost, for their family and friends and for whole communities.”
Education
Planning for a greener future at Pembroke Dock Community School
LEARNERS at Pembroke Dock Community School are being inspired to think of a future in renewable energy as they found out more about how the energy sector is changing in Pembrokeshire.
The whole school focused on the topic and discovered more about wind turbines, energy testing areas, combating climate change, solar power, and more, in a number of engaging and practical workshops.
Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum and the Darwin Centre brought the subject to life and learners enjoyed getting involved in researching and testing their work.
Some groups designed and built model floating platforms for offshore wind turbines as well as model turbines, children learnt all about how renewable energy is generated and used in modern life, as well as storage energy, while others went on a visit to Dragon LNG in Waterston to see a solar power farm.
Science, maths, problem solving and key thinking skills were all incorporated into the projects.
Pembroke Dock Community School Headteacher Michele Thomas said: “The work of the school this term has been inspired by the exciting opportunities in net-zero careers in Pembrokeshire, as Wales heads towards being net-zero by 2050.
“We want our learners to be knowledgeable about renewable energy across many levels, and to experience what it would be like to be a scientist or an engineer in the field. We have also strived to empower our learners to take social action on matters that are important to them and their lives, as well as on local decisions that impact on the global population.
“The staff have been hugely creative in their curriculum design, which has in turn engaged and inspired all of the learners right across all school.”
-
Business6 days ago
Original Factory Shop to close Haverfordwest branch in December
-
News7 days ago
Large fire at Bramble Hall Farm – Arson suspected
-
News3 days ago
Milford Haven RNLI Fundraisers celebrate successful fun run
-
News3 days ago
‘Chariots of Fire’ Olympic pianist heads west for recital in local church
-
News3 days ago
Lifeboat launched to assist injured climber at St Govans
-
Top News2 days ago
Pembrokeshire cottage industry receives UK’s most prestigious business accolade
-
News3 days ago
Ferry diverts to aid yacht after medical emergency alert in Irish Sea
-
Top News3 days ago
“The sense of power and the great surge of energy that this earth provides is all I want my paintings to share”