Education

Primary school children hit all the right notes at popular festival of music

Published

2 years ago

March 1, 2024

MORE than 400 Primary school children took part in the Pembrokeshire Music Service Valero Primary Music Festival last weekend.

Pembrokeshire Music Service welcomed pupils from across the county to share their musical talents with a delighted audience at Ysgol Caer Elen on February 24th.

St Oswalds School pupil Alice Thomas, age eight, was crowned overall winner of the festival following an outstanding performance of Galop by Charles Bohm on her violin.

This year’s event included the addition of a “Come and Play” class, where learners who were at the start of their musical journey could come and share their music with each other.

Philippa Roberts, Head of Pembrokeshire Music Service said: “It was wonderful to listen to the performances of all the young musicians, particularly those who are new to playing. Congratulations to each participant for their commendable efforts.

“The implementation of the New Music Plan for Wales has enabled Pembrokeshire Music Service to offer essential progression opportunities for our pupils which includes our new Second Steps ensemble who delivered an outstanding performance at the spotlight concert. Da iawn pawb!”

The Spotlight concert opened with a bang as 45 players from across the County’s Second Steps ensembles came together for their first public performance. These ensembles, for children in Years Three to Six, only began in September.

Open class winners who performed at the Spotlight Concert included Matthew Picton, of Gelliswick School, who performed Allegro Vivace by Singelee on his Saxophone; Mali Macfarlane, who performed A Whole New World by Alan Menken on the Cornet and Amber O’Connor, Ysgol Eglwyswrw, who performed Concerto by O’Carolan on the Harp.

Griff Nicholas, from Ysgol Casmael, performed She Sells Sanctuary by The Cult on Drums and the ensemble winners were Golden Grove School’s Wolfgang Evans and Betsy Adamiec who performed a piano duet of Faraway by Allan Bullard.

Events coordinator for Pembrokeshire Music Service, Miranda Morgan, added: “We are extremely grateful to Valero, as always, for sponsoring our event. When our last primary festival was held, the current Year Six pupils would have been in Year Two, so this was the first time performing in the festival for every single child present. They should all be very proud of themselves.”

Pembrokeshire Music Service Primary Valero Music Festival 2024 Results

Woodwind

Initial Grade:

1^st – Seren Holder, Hafan y Mor

2^nd – Eva Frearson, Hafan y Mor

3^rd – Eifion James, St Oswalds

HC – Jessica Lynch, Casmael

Grade 1:

1^st – Oliver Davis, Johnston

2^nd – Annabel Ladd, Croesgoch

3^rd – Evie Towe, St Dogmaels

Grade 2:

1^st – Angharad Chinn, MHCPS

2^nd – Autumn Shepherd, Coastlands

3^rd – Saphire Cook, MHCPS

Open:

1^st – Matthew Picton, Gelliswick

2^nd – Elin Rodriguez, Hook

3^rd – Sasha Aulehla-Atkin, Caer Elen

Brass:

Initial Grade:

1^st – Iolo Sims, Caer Elen

2^nd – Henry Woods, St Dogmaels

3^rd – Polly Summers, YPD & Penny Ibberson-Senior, Roch

Lower Brass Grade 1:

1^st – Isaac Phillips, Saundersfoot

2^nd – Aria White, Saundersfoot

3^rd – Thomas Codd, Glannau Gwaun & Archie Llewellyn, Tenby VC

HC – TJ Stewart, Glannau Gwaun

Trumpet & Cornet Grade 1:

1^st – Zoey Pyart, Prendergast

2^nd – Isla Griffiths, Saundersfoot

3^rd – Ella-May Kurvy, MHCPS

HC – Freddie Coleman, YPD

Grade 2:

1^st – Henry Slade-Davies, Llanychllwydog & Eilidh Frazer, Tenby VC

Open:

1^st – Mali Macfarlane, Caer Elen

2^nd – Idris Leeming-Hicks, Caer Elen

3^rd – Elizabeth Davies, Saundersfoot,

HC – Elin Jones, Bro Ingli

Strings

Initial grade:

1^st – Ashley Cristobel, Prendergast

2^nd – Efa Britton, Johnston

3^rd – Bella Carrier, St Oswalds

Grade 1:

1^st – Lily Kingaby, Casmael

2^nd – Vivienne King, Hafan y Mor

3^rd – Celeste Watts, Roch

HC – Isla Griffiths, Saundersfoot

Grade 2:

1^st – Leila Powell

2^nd – Genula Wickramaarachichi, Prendergast

3^rd – Harrison Shepherd, Caer Elen

Open:

1^st – Alice Thomas, St Oswalds

2^nd – Nina Powell

3^rd – Chloe Jenkins Simms, Hafan y Mor

Piano & Harp

Initial grade:

1^st – Gwen Porter

2^nd – Mia Rogers, Lamphey & Ffion Fenrich, Cilgerran

3^rd – Alice Ng, Caer Elen

HC – Eva Allen, Lamphey

Grade 1:

1^st – Poppy Hammersley, Brynconin

2^nd – Jessica Lynch, Casmael

3^rd – Annabel Ladd, Croesgoch

HC – Darcy Taylor – Lamphey, George Thomas, Layla McGilloway – Lamphey, Phoebe Ritchie – Caer Elen, Haydn Griffiths – Caer Elen, Noah Worrall, Scarlett Chandra – Caer Elen.

Grade 2:

1^st – Eva Evans, Wiston

2^nd – Millie Griffiths, Wiston & Cadi Haf Marshall-Jones, Bro Preseli

3^rd – Elsbeth Slade-Davies, Llanychllwydog

Open:

1^st – Amber O’Connor, Eglwyswru

2^nd – Mischa Orford, Tavernspite

3^rd – Roberta Gale, YPD

Percussion

Initial Grade:

1^st – Maddie Wright, Saundersfoot

2^nd – Harri George, Casmael

3^rd – Charlie Cheeseman, Saundersfoot

HC – Efan Rees, Casmael & Alfie Hughes, Tenby VC

Open:

1^st – Griff Nicholas, Casmael

2^nd – Edward Batchelor, Caer Elen

3^rd – Max Griffiths, Caer Elen & Alex Youngs, Johnston

HC – Owain James, Casmael & Sasha Aulehla-Atkin, Caer Elen

Ensembles

1^st – Golden Grove piano duet (Wolfgang Evans & Betsy Adamiec)

2^nd – Bro Preseli Harp Duo (Cadi Haf Marshall-Jones & Elen Davies)

3^rd – Piano ensemble (Roberta Gale, Seren Reason & Poppy Burton)

Education

Prendergast School achieves gold award for Armed Forces support

Published

13 hours ago

March 20, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Top honour recognises commitment to Service children and families

PRENDERGAST CP School in Haverfordwest has been awarded the highest possible recognition for its support of Armed Forces families.

The school has secured Gold Armed Forces Friendly School Cymru status, marking a significant milestone in its ongoing work to support pupils from Service backgrounds.

Headteacher Louise John said the achievement reflects a strong, whole-school commitment to ensuring Service children feel supported and able to succeed.

She said: “We are committed to ensuring Service pupils feel welcomed, understood and able to thrive.

“We recognise the unique experiences of children from Service families and have worked hard to embed that understanding across the school.

“Our approach focuses on early identification, strong communication with families, and consistent pastoral support.

“Achieving Gold status recognises the dedication of our staff and the inclusive practices already in place, while reinforcing our ongoing commitment to supporting Service children’s wellbeing, sense of belonging, and educational success.”

The Gold award, delivered through Supporting Service Children in Education Cymru (SSCE Cymru), requires schools to demonstrate strong and sustained support for Service children. This includes creating a positive environment where pupils can share their experiences and strengthening links with the wider Armed Forces community.

Prendergast CP School previously achieved both Bronze and Silver awards before progressing to the top level.

Cllr Simon Hancock, Pembrokeshire County Council’s Armed Forces Champion, praised the achievement.

He said: “I would like to congratulate Prendergast School on achieving the coveted Gold Armed Forces Friendly School Cymru status.

“From my visits, it is clear the school actively engages with the Armed Forces community and provides a positive and supportive environment for Service children.”

Cllr Guy Woodham, Cabinet Member for Education and the Welsh Language, added: “This is fantastic recognition of the ongoing work at Prendergast School.

“It highlights the importance of supporting Armed Forces families and sets a strong example of best practice. Well done to everyone involved.”

Education

4 Essential Cyber Security Tips to Protect Your Data

Published

18 hours ago

March 20, 2026

Staff Writer

Protecting your personal data and financial information is crucial. With scammers and hijackers getting more and more sophisticated, you need to implement proper cyber security systems in order to keep yourself protected.

With that in mind, here are four cybersecurity tips to help you stay safe online.

Use Strong Passwords

A strong password is a basic security essential. A password that’s difficult to guess makes it harder for unauthorised users to gain access.

When creating a password, consider these guidelines:

Length – the longer the better, as there’s more opportunity to get it wrong
Character variation – use a combination of upper and lower case, symbols, and numbers
Avoid personal information – birthdays or other important dates, names, streets etc.
Keep passwords unique – don’t use the same password on different sites

It’s also a good idea to set up two-factor authentication. This adds an extra layer of security, should your password be compromised.

Most people use simple passwords so they’re easy to remember, but this can be risky. If you struggle to remember complex passwords, consider using a password manager such as NordPass to securely store your passwords.

Remain Vigilant

It’s important to remain vigilant of scams or phishing attempts. They usually come through as emails or text messages and there are a few clear signs of malicious intent:

Misspellings – particularly in the email address itself
Pressure to take action – scammers often aim to create a sense or urgency to get you to take action without thinking
Asking for sensitive information – legitimate companies don’t typically ask for passwords or financial details via text or email. Never give personal information away without verifying the legitimacy of the site and the correspondence
Suspicious links – don’t click links that you’re unsure of or ones where the URL destination is completely different to the hyperlinked text (you can hover over links without clicking to see this)

Keep Your Software Up to Date

Keeping your software up-to-date ensures that you remain protected. Software updates are often designed to bridge security gaps and protect against new threats, plus new systems are typically better equipped to resist malware. Consider turning on automatic updates so you don’t miss any.

Remove Malware Immediately

If you notice that your device is slower than usual, apps that you don’t recognise have been installed, or pop-up ads are appearing everywhere, you may have malware on your device.

It’s important to run a scan to detect malware if you suspect your device has been affected, and remove it promptly. There is plenty of step-by-step help out there that can help you remove malware from your device.

Safeguard Your Data

By using strong passwords, remaining vigilant of scams and phishing attempts, keeping your software and devices up to date, and removing malware as soon as possible, you can help ensure your personal and financial information remains secure.

Education

Milford Haven school plans unveiled but funding not yet secured

Published

1 day ago

March 19, 2026

Tom Sinclair

PLANS for a new £100 million school in Milford Haven have been unveiled, but the project has not yet secured full approval and remains subject to further funding decisions.

Pembrokeshire County Council this week released details of the proposed development, alongside a professionally produced video featuring First Minister Eluned Morgan, senior council figures and school leaders outlining the vision for a modern, state-of-the-art school.

The announcement comes just seven weeks before the Senedd election.

The proposed scheme would see the development of a new, purpose-built school designed to provide modern learning environments for pupils across Milford Haven and the surrounding area. Plans include specialist teaching facilities, improved accessibility throughout the site, and enhanced outdoor learning and play areas.

Council officials say the project will also place a strong emphasis on sustainability, incorporating energy-efficient systems and modern building standards aimed at reducing long-term environmental impact and running costs.

Outline stage only

Despite the high-profile launch, the project is currently at Strategic Outline Case (SOC) stage — an early stage in the public sector approval process.

SOC approval means the scheme has been accepted in principle, but key elements — including final costs, detailed design and overall value for money — have not yet been fully assessed.

Crucially, no final funding commitment has yet been made.

Before the project can proceed to construction, it must pass through the full business case (FBC) process. This stage requires detailed financial modelling, technical planning and formal sign-off from funding bodies, including the Welsh Government.

Only if that process is successfully completed will funding be formally approved and delivery authorised.

Political and funding context

Major school developments in Wales are typically delivered through joint funding arrangements between local authorities and the Welsh Government, often under long-term investment programmes aimed at modernising the education estate.

While both council leaders and Welsh Government representatives have expressed support for the Milford Haven project, schemes at SOC stage can still be subject to revision, delay or, in some cases, may not proceed if funding or value-for-money criteria are not met.

Large infrastructure announcements are often made at this stage to outline ambition and begin public engagement, ahead of final decisions on funding and delivery.

Long-running campaign

Cllr Guy Woodham, Cabinet Member for Education, said he had been working towards securing a new school for several years.

He said: “I have been Cabinet Member for Education since 2019 and I have been fighting for a new school for Milford all that time.

“This project represents a major investment in our children’s future and will provide a safe, modern and inclusive environment where pupils can thrive.”

The Welsh Government has also welcomed the plans, describing them as part of its wider programme to improve school facilities across Wales.

Community involvement

The council has confirmed that the next phase of the project will involve consultation and engagement with pupils, staff, parents and local residents.

This process is expected to help shape the detailed design of the school before a full business case is submitted.

Not yet a confirmed build

While the plans have been presented as a significant step forward for education in Milford Haven, the project remains a proposal rather than a confirmed construction scheme.

At this stage, timelines for delivery have not been finalised, and progression will depend on the outcome of the business case process and the availability of funding.

For now, the new school remains an ambition backed in principle — but not yet a guaranteed build.

Cover image:

Delighted with announcement: First Minister, Eluned Morgan MS