Pembrokeshire graduate focuses on weddings and live events

JAKE ALDRED, a former Level 3 Creative Media student at Pembrokeshire College, has successfully launched his own business, Jake Aldred Media, specialising in photography and videography.

With a strong focus on the wedding industry, Jake has quickly built a reputation for capturing life’s most important moments with professionalism and creativity. His expertise extends beyond weddings, having covered major events such as Ironman competitions, the Pembrokeshire County Show, Saundersfoot Fest, and promotional work for the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust, the Cardiff Dragons Women’s Netball Team, and S4C. He has also provided videography for live music events, showcasing his versatility across various industries.

Jake credits Pembrokeshire College for providing the foundation of his skills, particularly the support of his tutor, Denys.

“I’m incredibly excited to take this next step and build something of my own,” said Jake. “The Creative Media course really helped me develop the skills I needed as a videographer and photographer. While studying, I started doing social media work for local businesses, which led to capturing my first wedding. My tutor, Denys, understood that university wasn’t my path and helped me make connections, including with the Enterprise Team at the College, who put me in contact with the local council and helped secure funding for my business.”

Jake Aldred Media is gaining recognition for its attention to detail, creative approach, and ability to capture raw emotion. Whether covering weddings, sporting events, or community festivals, Jake’s dedication to storytelling through visual content is evident in his work.

For more information or to book services, contact jakealdred.media@gmail.com.

For details on creative courses at Pembrokeshire College, visit www.pembrokeshire.ac.uk.

THE WELSH CONSERVATIVES have criticised the Welsh Government’s handling of pupil absenteeism in schools, highlighting that the number of persistently absent pupils remains significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels.

Natasha Asghar, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education, said that while the average attendance rate in Welsh maintained schools has slightly improved to 91% compared to 90.4% the previous year, progress remains “unacceptably slow”. She highlighted that persistent absenteeism, at 12% this year, has more than doubled from pre-pandemic levels (14.7% in 2018/19 compared to a peak of 30.4% in 2023/24).

She further emphasised the widening attendance gap between pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM) and their peers, noting FSM pupils had an attendance rate of just 85.3% compared to 92.8% for non-FSM pupils.

“Labour’s record in education is dreadful, and absenteeism is just one area they consistently fail to address effectively,” Natasha Asghar, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education, said. “Wales needs a change. Pupils eligible for free school meals are being left behind, and the Welsh Government is doing too little, too slowly, to bridge this gap.”

Illness remains the leading cause of absence, responsible for 4.1% of school sessions missed.

The Welsh Government noted the overall attendance rate for September 2024 to February 2025 improved to 91.0% and highlighted reductions in persistent absenteeism since last year as positive signs. It acknowledged that while challenges remain, especially post-pandemic, efforts are ongoing to support schools and pupils in improving attendance rates.

Understanding attendance trends and addressing underlying causes of absenteeism are critical priorities for policymakers, educators, and families across Wales.

SCHOOLS in Wales face a total maintenance bill of more than £500m, with a £93m backlog of urgent works, a Senedd Member revealed.

Cefin Campbell, Plaid Cymru’s shadow education secretary, raised concerns about the 22 councils in Wales facing an average backlog of £24m each.

He told the Senedd that 355 schools, 24% of all schools in Wales, require urgent maintenance, according to responses to freedom of information requests.

Questioning Lynne Neagle on February 19, Mr Campbell pointed out that in Torfaen – the education secretary’s constituency – 31 out of 32 schools require urgent work.

Mr Campbell said responses to his earlier written questions revealed the Welsh Government “did not believe it had responsibility to collect this data centrally”.

Ms Neagle pointed to the Welsh Government’s announcement of an extra £35m for school and college repairs, with £20m earmarked for maintenance.

She pledged that funding to undertake repairs would be prioritised, arguing investment in Welsh schools is in “sharp contrast” to that over the border in England.

She told the Senedd: “What Plaid Cymru fails to ever do is recognise that when you call for money for things, you never have to actually identify where that money has to come from.”

“It’s your responsibility,” Mr Campbell heckled.

Ms Neagle continued: “Every week you stand up here and you call for different pots of funding … without any concept of what we’re doing in terms of trying to prioritise the budget.

“I’m proud of our record on school capital … we’re continuing to invest in school buildings.”

Calling for a national survey of the condition of school buildings, Mr Campbell argued funding allocated so far “won’t touch the sides” of the estimated £500m backlog.

“You don’t even know the extent of the problem because you don’t collect the data,” he said.

The former lecturer added: “Students’ educational attainment is enhanced and improves in schools with better physical learning environments.

“Labour in Wales is clearly failing pupils by not providing them with a safe environment in which to learn. This also has an impact on teachers, a recent survey found that a third of them said that poor buildings and facilities disempowered them professionally.”

Ms Neagle replied: “I find this line of questioning a little puzzling given we are making record amounts of investment in our school buildings. Nearly £2bn since this latest programme started on new buildings and that’s aside from the money we provide for repairs.”