Education
School banding system to change


New Era: Schools to be colour coded.
THE SCHOOL banding system for Wales is to change, following a recent announcement from the Welsh Assembly Government. A new colour coded system will replace the old number graded system in both secondary and primary schools. The system will now, according to Labour Ministers, use a wider range of data over three years, rather than just the one that is used at present.
From January 2015 schools will be rated from green (best rating), to yellow, amber and red (lowest rating). Those categorised as red will need ‘significant improvement’. School banding was launched in December 2011, with secondary schools grouped into one of five bands, and has been criticised by teaching unions who believed the system to be a failure, with the ATL union going so far as to accuse it of being ‘bonkers’. The new system will use exam results in key subjects, and will also include attendance levels, as well as self- evaluation.
Initially the top 25% of schools will be in the green zone, but if all schools do well they could, in theory, all move up to that section. Education Minister Huw Lewis said the aim was to ‘improve on the current banding system’, but denied it had failed. Plaid Cymru education spokesman Simon Thomas welcomed the new system, saying it was: “A step in the right direction for higher standards, but there is still a need for improvement in measuring and raising education standards. Plaid Cymru always warned that banding did not provide a whole view of a school’s performance.
We believe that pitting schools against each other is destructive and should not happen. I am glad that the Welsh Government has now seen sense and scrapped the system of banding. We have always called for support for under – performing schools and hope that the new system will provide this support”. NAS/UWT Wales Organiser, Rex Phillips, said of the proposed changes: “The new system at least has the merit of allowing all schools to go ‘green.’
However, the Welsh Government continues to miss the point that what’s needed is investment in the school workforce, not back-room bystanders”. Whilst NUT Cymru secretary, David Evans commented: “School banding had lost all credibility and it had clearly run its course. The Education Minister should be commended for recognising that and for putting in place a new model.” However, in 2012, the then Labour Education Minister, Leighton Andrews, defending the current banding system, had said he thought parents wanted consistency and that banding had enabled local authorities, head teachers, parents and pupils to focus on the consistency of leadership in their schools, citing the system ‘a great success’ and saying the system was there to ‘serve the interests of learners’ and that he was ‘pleased that the school improvement programme was starting to deliver for learners’.
Angela Burns, Shadow Education Secretary and AM, said: “I welcome this long-awaited u-turn on a badly drawn up policy, which was fairly universally condemned by teaching unions, was confusing and failed to provide any clear information to parents on school performance and incensed hard working Head Teachers because it produced such arbitrary results. Labour’s banding policy was poorly planned and simply thrust upon the education sector in the face of universal opposition. Whilst I welcome Labour’s light bulb moment that they need to listen to teachers and parents and engage with them in developing school performance data I do hope these new rankings will not, like the previous banding policy, give schools a perverse incentive to recruit more pupils who qualify for free school meals at the expense of driving up standards. What parents want to see in robust school data is achievement in academia and key skills as well as evidence of which school will draw the best out of their particular child in order to help them succeed in the adult world.”
Education
Welsh Conservatives trigger debate on school catchment areas

CALL-IN OVER CABINET DECISION
WELSH CONSERVATIVE councillors Aled Thomas and Claire George have triggered an additional debate on school catchment areas for Johnston, Neyland, and Tiers Cross after calling in a decision by Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet.
The Cabinet recently decided to maintain the current school catchment areas, despite significant community opposition. The call-in was supported by the entire Welsh Conservative group on the council.
Cllr Aled Thomas, who represents Johnston, said: “Thanks to the support of my fellow Pembrokeshire Conservative councillors, we have been able to continue discussions on this important matter, while the current administration is only concerned with kicking it into the long grass.
“Strong and safe education is the silver bullet in ensuring our next generation thrives, both at school age and beyond. Boundary changes were forced on Johnston’s residents against their will, and I will do everything I can to fight for their best interests.”
Cllr Claire George, who represents St Ishmaels, added: “It is a fundamental principle of education that children should feel safe and develop their independence, which means access to appropriate school transport—something that is not workable under the current catchment area arrangements for my ward.
“We must ensure that our children can travel to and from the school of their choice confidently and safely, giving them the opportunity to flourish in their education.”
An extraordinary Schools and Learning Overview and Scrutiny Committee will be convened by the end of February to review the matter further.
Education
Haverfordwest pupils learn lifesaving skills with St John Ambulance Cymru

MORE than 1,300 school pupils recently received defibrillator and CPR demonstrations with St John Ambulance Cymru trainers as part of the charity’s Defibruary campaign launch.
Pupils in years 7-11 at Haverfordwest High VC School in Pembrokeshire received key information about the annual campaign, which aims to raise awareness of these vital lifesaving skills and the importance of early intervention when someone has suffered a cardiac arrest.
The first aid charity for Wales is organising a range of events during February to help raise awareness of the importance of defibrillator and CPR skills, as a person’s chances of survival are reduced by 10% for every passing minute without action following a cardiac arrest.

The campaign will also be urging people to learn where the nearest defibrillator to them is located via The Circuit and ensure any they are responsible for are registered, so that emergency services can direct people to the nearest one in an emergency.
St John Ambulance Head of Response Operations, Darren Murray said: “It was a fantastic way to launch our annual Defibruary campaign and the pupils were keen to get hands-on and have a go at putting these skills to work in our demonstration sessions.
“As your chances of surviving an out of hospital cardiac arrest are just 5% in Wales, we are determined to help improve that by sharing these lifesaving skills and helping people be more prepared to act quickly in an emergency.
“We would like to thank the school for welcoming our team and helping us to share these important messages with the students, who will hopefully be more comfortable to act if they find themselves in an emergency situation in future.”

The Defibruary campaign is run because of people like Janice. A decade ago, Janice John suffered a cardiac arrest at home. Fortunately, her husband Keith knew how to administer CPR and put these skills to work until an ambulance crew arrived with a defibrillator.
Janice and Keith had both completed first aid training as they were St John Ambulance Cymru volunteers and volunteer first responders, but they never expected these skills would be needed so close to home.
Fast forward ten years and Janice is still an active St John Ambulance Cymru volunteer and also works to help others with the charity’s Welfare and Falls Rapid Response Service in the Pembrokeshire area, run in partnership with Hywel Dda University Health Board.
Janice, who has since purchased a defibrillator just in case something like this should happen at home again, said: “It’s so important to learn these basic first aid skills and it’s vital to administer first aid as soon as possible to give people a better chance of survival.”
The event at Haverfordwest High is just one of the free first aid demonstrations in schools and community groups delivered as part of St John Ambulance Cymru’s partnership with EcoFlow, a global company, specialising in portable power products, solar technology and smart home energy solutions.
To find out more about St John Ambulance’s Defibruary campaign and learn how you can get involved, visit www.sjacymru.org.uk/defibruary.
Education
Apprenticeship Week Wales: Free advice for people in Pembrokeshire

AS APPRENTICESHIP WEEK WALES unfolds, Careers Wales is highlighting the support available to help people explore the different opportunities available to them.
Apprenticeships are one of many routes individuals can take to develop skills, gain qualifications, and build experience in the workplace.
They offer people of all ages the chance to earn while they learn, gaining recognised qualifications and valuable hands-on experience.

In 2022-23, Wales saw significant engagement in apprenticeship programmes. Data gathered from the Medr Apprenticeship Learning Dashboard
shows that during that year, 22,880 apprenticeship learning programmes were started in Wales. This was an increase of 14% from the previous year (202122).*
25% of these were in South West Wales, with 5,650 apprenticeships started. 1,045 people took up apprenticeships during the year in Pembrokeshire alone.
With opportunities in 23 diverse sectors, from creative industries to green skills, there’s something for everyone. The top 5 apprenticeship learning programmes in 2022/23 in Wales were:
- Healthcare and Public Services
- Management and Professional
- Construction
- Business Administration
- Engineering*
Apprenticeships are not only suitable for young people. Over 70% of apprenticeships taken up in Wales in 2022-23 were by people over 19 years old. Over 4,500 (or 20%) of apprenticeships that started in 2022-23 were taken up by people aged 40 and over.*
Nikki Lawrence, chief executive of Careers Wales said: “Apprenticeship Week Wales is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate apprenticeships, and the value they bring to learners, employers, and the wider Welsh economy.
“Apprenticeships provide a pathway for people to gain qualifications while working and earning a wage, and can be a valuable route for those looking to develop their skills.
“Our careers advisers can provide tailored support for people of all ages with exploring apprenticeships, as well as the full range of alternative options available to them.”
For those interested in exploring apprenticeship opportunities in Wales, resources are available, including the apprenticeship finder on the Careers Wales website, to assist in finding and applying for positions.
You can read more about the free services provided by Careers Wales and Working Wales, call 0800 028 4844 or email [email protected].
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