Community

Education secretary tells Senedd to ‘move on’ from poor PISA results

Published

2 months ago

October 25, 2025

WALES’ education secretary has dismissed the Conservatives’ focus on the nation’s poor 2022 PISA scores, telling the Senedd it was “time to move on” from the worst-ever results.

Lynne Neagle accepted Wales needs to do better in the worldwide study of education systems as she accused the Conservatives of “harking back” to the record-low results.

In the 2022 cycle, which was delayed due to Covid, Wales’ scores decreased in mathematics, reading and science to the lowest since first taking part in 2006.

Blaming the pandemic, Ms Neagle told the Senedd it was “time to move on” – with 15-year-olds currently sitting the latest PISA tests which are held every three years.

She said: “I am disappointed by the relentless focus on challenges within the system, rather than ever taking the opportunity to celebrate achievements.”

Defending her record during a Tory debate on Wednesday (October 22), she celebrated a rise in school attendance as well as improvement in GCSE and A-level results.

But the Conservatives painted a far bleaker picture, accusing the Welsh Government of “systemic failure” with the lowest PISA scores in the UK for five consecutive cycles.

In a fiery opening speech, Natasha Asghar – the party’s shadow education secretary – warned the Labour Welsh Government had “failed our children” for “far too long”

South Wales East MS Natasha Asghar, Welsh Conservative shadow education secretary

“Classrooms are overcrowded, teachers are under ever-increasing pressure, school violence is through the roof and standards are slipping, whilst ministers just make excuses,” she said. Too many pupils are being left behind.”

Tom Giffard, a fellow Tory, criticised the call to “move on”, saying: “We look at the worst PISA results anywhere in the UK… yet we have a minister who says, ‘It’s time to move on’. It is a system that is fundamentally broken, with a minister who is absolutely complacent.”

The motion called on the Welsh Government to adopt a “zero-tolerance” approach to restore discipline, demanding the automatic exclusion of any pupil who brings a weapon into school.

Other proposals – which were also ultimately rejected by the Senedd – included establishing academy schools, following in England’s footsteps, and mandating the teaching of phonics.

The Conservatives were not the only party to attack Labour’s record. Plaid Cymru’s Cefin Campbell warned Wales is paying a painful price for “over 25 years of Labour failures”.

But he rejected the Conservatives’ proposed solutions, arguing Wales should not simply copy policies from England because education is devolved.

Laura Anne Jones, who defected to Reform UK, agreed with much of the Tory motion, warning the additional learning needs system was “fundamentally flawed”.

In her response to the debate, Ms Neagle set out the context of Wales’ PISA results.

She said: “This was a time when our learners and teachers were emerging from two years of the pandemic and all the challenges that caused, and a period when few learners were taking structured exams in the same way as previous PISA cohorts.”

The education secretary, who was appointed in March 2024, pointed to improvements in reading and numeracy made by primary schools last year.

She told Senedd members the Welsh Government would ensure the systemic teaching of phonics through a new £8m project and a new national body, Dysgu.

On behaviour, Ms Neagle pointed to progress following a summit in May with work under way on mobile phones in schools, exclusions and detentions.

She concluded by raising a report published by education inspectorate Estyn that day. “Today Estyn have published their interim annual report,” she said. “I am pleased with the positive messages that are emerging around well-being, learner engagement and how schools are supporting their learners with additional learning needs.”

Community

Special delivery of thanks as MP visits Haverfordwest sorting office

Published

9 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Christmas cheer for posties working through the festive rush

A CHRISTMAS message of thanks was delivered in person this week as Preseli Pembrokeshire MP Henry Tufnell paid a visit to Royal Mail staff at Haverfordwest Sorting Office.

The MP met postal workers during one of the busiest periods of the year, praising staff for their hard work in ensuring cards, parcels and gifts reach homes across Pembrokeshire in the run-up to Christmas.

Mr Tufnell said postal workers were going “above and beyond” throughout the year, but particularly during the festive period when demand is at its highest and delivery rounds are often made in challenging weather conditions.

He described postal staff as “unsung heroes”, highlighting their role in keeping communities connected and helping families stay in touch at a time when it matters most.

Speaking after the visit, Mr Tufnell said: “Our posties play a vital role in our community, and at Christmas that importance is felt more than ever. They work incredibly hard to make sure gifts and cards from loved ones arrive safely and on time.”

Staff at the Haverfordwest site were pictured alongside the MP, with some embracing the festive spirit in Christmas jumpers and seasonal outfits while continuing their daily work.

The MP also extended his thanks to postal workers across the whole of Pembrokeshire, acknowledging the dedication required to keep services running smoothly during the seasonal rush.

Royal Mail experiences its highest parcel volumes in December, with thousands of additional items passing through local sorting offices each day as Christmas approaches.

Delivering Christmas cheer: Henry Tufnell MP with staff at Haverfordwest Sorting Office during a festive visit (Pic: Facebook).

Charity

Haverfordwest businesswomen launch 2026 charity calendar.

Published

20 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Bold fundraiser aims to boost breast cancer support and celebrate local female entrepreneurs

HAVERFORDWEST Business Women have launched their 2026 charity calendar, with 100% of profits from every sale being donated to breast cancer charities.

The calendar, revealed this week, features a striking and humorous design promoting body positivity while celebrating the women who run and shape businesses across the town. Organisers say the project has a two-fold purpose: to raise vital funds for breast cancer research and to highlight the diverse and growing range of female-led enterprises operating in Haverfordwest.

Each purchase will help fund life-saving research and provide essential support to those affected by breast cancer — a cause many within the group say is deeply personal to them.

A spokesperson for Haverfordwest Business Women said: “A huge thank you to all the fantastic ladies brave enough to ‘bare all’ for such an important charity. This project shows the strength, humour and solidarity of the incredible women involved.”

Calendars are available now from Victoria Book Shop and other local stockists in Haverfordwest, with all profits going directly to breast cancer charities.

Community

End of the line for Intercity 125s as GWR retires Castle Class fleet

Published

1 day ago

December 12, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Final services mark the end of an era for West Wales rail passengers

THE LAST remaining Intercity 125 High Speed Trains on the Great Western network will make their final scheduled journeys this Saturday (Dec 13), bringing to a close nearly 50 years of service on routes across Wales and the West Country.

Great Western Railway confirmed that its refurbished “Castle Class” sets – shortened HST formations powered by the iconic Class 43 locomotives – will be withdrawn from passenger use after this weekend. The trains, first introduced in 1976, were once the backbone of long-distance travel between West Wales and London Paddington, including the direct Milford Haven–Paddington service used by generations of students and commuters.

Although the Castle sets stopped operating long-distance routes in 2019, they continued to run regional services between Cardiff and Penzance, and were a familiar sight in Pembrokeshire during summer diagrams. Until a few years ago, it was still possible to see a 125 working into Pembroke Dock on weekend services.

To manage expected public interest, GWR will operate an additional farewell round-trip on Saturday, leaving Plymouth at 3.16pm, running to Penzance (calling only at Par), before returning at 5.32pm.

GWR said the trains will be replaced by its existing diesel fleet alongside 26 recommissioned Class 175s, which will roll out gradually during 2026.

The retirement brings a wave of nostalgia for many West Wales passengers who remember the era when a full-length 125 left Milford Haven each morning bound for London. The distinctive Valenta engine note, table seating, and early laptop users powering their machines from the staff hoover socket made the service part of local student life in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Saturday’s farewell run will mark the final chapter for a train that transformed long-distance travel and, for nearly half a century, connected Pembrokeshire to the capital at high speed.

If you’d like, we can add a nostalgia breakout box revisiting the Milford Haven–Paddington days, the Red Dragon breakfast service, and the 125 summers on the Pembroke Dock branch.