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Miles pledges support to help working class boys reach their full potential

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WELSH Labour leadership candidate Jeremy Miles has said that a Welsh Government under his leadership will do more to help working class boys thrive and achieve their full potential.

Mr Miles said he firmly believes every child’s capacity to aspire is equal. To help every child realise their potential, a government he leads will continue to have unapologetically high expectations in education. To deliver that, he is committed to progressively increasing the share of the Welsh Government budget spent on schools.

As Welsh Labour Minister for Education, Miles has supported schools to open their doors to parents and carers to learn how to cook low-cost meals, and understand more about financial maths and internet safety through the community focused schools programme – all of which has a positive effect on supporting their children’s learning.

But he said the evidence for the attainment challenges facing some working class boys in particular “argues for fresh, bespoke approaches.”

These include:

  • Making early years a bigger priority than ever before – with the aim over the long term that all young children, wherever they live, can benefit from access to high quality universal child care and support, with parenting support.
  • Drive up standards by driving down unnecessary workload by freeing and supporting teachers and teaching assistants to do what they excel at – focussing on the needs of their learners and delivering excellent teaching.
  • Driving up standards of literacy and numeracy as the best way to access the richness of Wales’ new curriculum, and opportunities in life.
  • Take forward the work to improve the links between schools, colleges and employers – ensuring young people receive high quality work experience so they understand the new jobs available in the economy, and the skills they’ll need to do them.
  • Build on the strong commitment to further education, delivering reform of vocational qualifications with improved progression pathways, informed by a new vocational education and training plan, and an ongoing national assessment of future skills needs aligned to our economic policy.
  • Extend apprenticeships provision and prioritise this as resources become available.

Jeremy Miles said: “I grew up in a working class family during the 1970s and 1980s when times were incredibly tough for many people. The miners’ strike in 1984 had a profound effect on my school friends who were the sons and daughters of striking miners. The poverty and inequality I saw with my own eyes has left a deep mark on me, and has shaped the political beliefs I hold today.

“I firmly believe every child’s capacity to aspire is equal. A good education is the most precious asset we can give anybody in today’s world. Investment in education is the best economic policy and it is the best social justice policy. And that’s why increasing the funding we provided to schools is one of my main priorities.

“By doing so, we will do our all to give each child the best start in life, whatever their background – because it is the right thing to do, and the best investment in our future as a nation.

“I’m particularly determined that a Welsh Government I lead will do more to support working class boys to thrive and reach their potential. Some of that is about having a curriculum that enthuses them to learn and role models to inspire. It’s also about addressing the link between attainment and the support learners have at home. I want to raise aspirations, and ensure our early years providers, schools, colleges, employers and wider society play a full part in giving them every opportunity to succeed.”

Crime

‘Most extensive’ court order issued against paedophile with Pembrokeshire links

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Predator jailed for historic child sex offences as police enforce strict post-release controls

A CONVICTED paedophile who once lived in Pembrokeshire has been jailed and handed the most extensive Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) ever issued in the Dyfed-Powys Police force area.

STEVEN LOVERIDGE, aged 60, was sentenced to six years and seven months at Swansea Crown Court in May after admitting to a string of sexual offences involving young children, some dating back as far as 2007.

The Herald understands that some of Loveridge’s offending took place while he was living in West Wales, including during a period he spent residing in Pembrokeshire. Police have not confirmed specific locations, but the scale and historic nature of the abuse prompted a far-reaching investigation across multiple counties.

Following his conviction, Dyfed-Powys Police applied for an SHPO so extensive it has shocked even seasoned officers. The order contains 20 separate and highly specific prohibitions designed to protect the public both during and after Loveridge’s release from prison.

Lowri, a spokesperson for Dyfed-Powys Police’s Legal Services team, said: “In most cases, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order will contain two or three tailored conditions. Loveridge’s case was far from typical.

“The final order includes twenty distinct and targeted prohibitions. It reflects the extreme risk he poses to children and the importance of ensuring community safety.”

The SHPO legally binds Loveridge to a set of strict restrictions which will be enforced after his release from prison. These could include limits on internet access, contact with children, travel, and the use of certain technology — although the full details of the order have not been made public.

The force said the measures are part of a wider toolkit to monitor high-risk offenders and prevent reoffending.

Police confirmed that the complexity of the case, combined with the severity of the offences, led to what they have called a “ground-breaking” order, believed to be the most comprehensive ever imposed in the Dyfed-Powys region.

Loveridge will remain on the sex offenders register for life.

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Community

Puffin found 110 miles inland released back into the wild in Pembrokeshire

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Rare rescue sees seabird named Oona nursed back to health after landing in Herefordshire garden

A PUFFIN that somehow found its way more than 100 miles inland has been returned to the sea in Pembrokeshire after being rescued in a Herefordshire garden.

The bird, affectionately named Oona after a children’s book character, was discovered in June in the landlocked county — some 110 miles from the coast — and taken to Vets for Pets in Hereford. At just 218g, around half the normal weight for an adult puffin, she was underweight but otherwise alert.

Wildlife vet David Couper from the RSPCA provided guidance on her initial care, and once stabilised, Oona was transferred to the charity’s specialist West Hatch Wildlife Centre in Somerset. Staff there say puffin patients are extremely rare — only six have been treated at the centre in the past ten years.

Ryan Walker, Wildlife Supervisor at West Hatch, said: “Finding a puffin that far inland is extraordinary. She quickly became a bit of a star here. Our team gave her a good clean-up, helped her regain strength, and she did really well during her stay with us.”

Following her rehabilitation, which included nutritious fish meals and time in a recovery pool, Oona was returned to the sea off the coast of Pembrokeshire — home to Wales’ best-known puffin colonies, particularly on Skomer Island.

Puffins typically breed in coastal colonies, raising their chicks in burrows during spring and summer before spending the rest of the year out at sea. It’s rare for them to be found inland unless blown off course or affected by illness or exhaustion.

Oona’s story is just one of thousands seen by the RSPCA each year. In 2024, the charity took in over 10,000 wild animals across its four dedicated wildlife centres, with many found injured, orphaned or sick in people’s gardens.

The RSPCA is urging the public to act quickly if they find an animal in distress. Where safe, they should take the animal directly to a vet or consult advice on the charity’s website: www.rspca.org.uk/reportcruelty

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Crime

Youth, 19, appears in court over Tenby stabbing incident

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A YOUNG man accused of stabbing a teenager in a Tenby housing estate on Monday (July 14) has been remanded in custody after appearing before magistrates.

OLIVER DOWLING, aged 19, of Newell Hill, Tenby, appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (July 17) charged with three offences — including wounding with intent, possessing a knife in a public place, and possession of cannabis.

The charges relate to a serious incident on Hafalnod estate, where Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed a man was taken to hospital after being stabbed with a knife. The victim, named in court as JOSH ALLEN, is recovering from his injuries, which are not believed to be life-threatening.

Dowling faces the following charges:

Wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (contrary to section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861),

Possession of a bladed article in a public place, namely a kitchen knife, on Hafalnod estate,

Possession of a quantity of cannabis, a Class B drug.

No pleas were entered, and magistrates declined bail on the grounds that Dowling was likely to reoffend and could interfere with witnesses. He was remanded in custody ahead of a plea and trial preparation hearing at Swansea Crown Court on August 18 at 9:00am.

Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed a 20-year-old man had been arrested shortly after the incident and that no other individuals are being sought in connection with the matter.

A police spokesperson said: “There continues to be an increased police presence within the area, and if anyone has any concerns please speak to those officers.”

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