Education

Report highlights fall in primary standards

Published

10 years ago

February 10, 2015

THE EDUCATION watchdog, Estyn, this week published a report stating that standards in Welsh primary education had declined in 2014. They further stated

Numeracy Problems: Estyn flag primary concerns.

that 2 out of every 3 schools required some level of follow up by the Inspectorate. They did however confirm that attendance rates had improved.

Estyn reported that the proportion of primary schools with good or excellent standards fell from 7 in 10 to just over 6 in 10. In many cases, this was, they said, due to weaknesses in pupils’ numeracy skills and pupils’ lack of confidence in using these skills in other subjects across the curriculum. Alarmingly, they identified maths as a problem subject across primary and secondary schools and that assessment by teachers was another problem area, in that there was a mismatch in the levels awarded by staff and the evidence of the work that they had seen. There was also concern that younger pupils were being prepared for testing in a more structured and ‘formal teaching style’ at some schools, which went against the ethos of the Foundation scheme.

Dr. Philip Dixon, Director of the teachers union, ATL Cymru, said: “Again and again the report points out that numeracy remains the weak point in many of our schools and colleges. We now need to bring the same focus to numeracy as we did to literacy, which has shown much greater improvement. Leadership, too, is identified in the report as something that needs attention. The Welsh Government will need to be careful that its new accountability mechanisms, such as categorisation, do not increase the tendency for leaders to think only of their own institution.”

Shadow Education Minister, Conservative AM Angela Burns told the Herald: “I was pleased to see that the annual report from Estyn shows that in some areas there has been some small improvements in school performance and students’ attainment. However whilst the improvement in secondary schools is welcome I am very concerned to see that standards in primary have dropped. This drop in performance must be addressed robustly otherwise we will see secondary schools struggling to maintain their improvements as cohorts move through. Other areas that continue to show weaknesses are numeracy performance, pupil referral units and attainment levels by our most disadvantaged students. There is also a growing problem, reflected by students I speak to, with applied science. If we want to keep abreast of global trends we need to ensure that our students are able to hold their own in a competitive world and sciences, maths and literacy are absolutely key.”

Plaid Cymru AM, Simon Thomas commented: “Standards in primary schools have declined this year and, in many cases, this was due to weaknesses in pupils’ numeracy skills. It is a concern that Estyn has found too many teachers lack the appropriate mathematical knowledge to exploit opportunities to develop pupils’ numeracy skills. Independent evaluations of the Welsh Government’s flagship education policies show that children in Wales are no better off because of a Labour Government. Significant changes will not happen on the slashed budgets that Labour is passing on to our local authorities and schools.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “We welcome the current Chief Inspector’s final comprehensive report and thank Estyn for their hard work. We particularly welcome Estyn’s recognition of the new momentum for improvement that exists within the Welsh education system. We must now work together to build on that momentum and focus on key issues, such as leadership, which will ensure the improvements we want to see. Building an excellent education system is an ambition shared by everyone in the sector.”

Education

South Hook delivers vital safety lessons to Pembrokeshire children

Published

20 hours ago

November 27, 2024

Tom Sinclair

PEMBROKESHIRE’S CRUCIAL CREW event returned earlier this month, delivering essential safety lessons to year six pupils from across the county.

Now in its 31st year, Wales’ longest-running Crucial Crew programme hosted nearly 1,300 children from 44 schools at Scolton Manor Park’s Barn – the event’s first time at this venue. The initiative, organised by Pembrokeshire County Council’s Road Safety Team, is supported by South Hook LNG Terminal.

Since its inception in 1993, more than 40,000 Pembrokeshire schoolchildren have taken part in the interactive workshops designed to teach critical safety skills. Aimed at year six pupils, the programme continues to play a key role in preparing children for a safer future as they transition to secondary school.

Covering a wide range of everyday scenarios, the workshops provide guidance on water, fire, road, and rail safety, as well as school bus evacuation, electrical hazards, internet safety, and handling dogs. The programme also addresses serious topics such as domestic violence. Through these hands-on scenarios, children develop practical knowledge that can stay with them for life.

Hamad Al Samra, General Manager of South Hook LNG Terminal, expressed pride in supporting the initiative: “Having backed Crucial Crew for the past fifteen years, we are incredibly proud to continue our involvement in a programme that teaches our children such diverse and valuable safety skills. Our thanks to all the dedicated individuals from various agencies who make this event possible.”

Cllr Rhys Sinnett, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services, echoed this sentiment: “Pembrokeshire County Council is proud to be a partner in this fantastic scheme, supporting our young people to be safer now and in the future. We are grateful for the commitment of everyone involved in delivering Crucial Crew.”

This year’s event featured contributions from key organisations, including:

Pembrokeshire Domestic Abuse Services
Road Safety and School Transport teams
National Grid and Network Rail
Welsh Ambulance Service
Dyfed Powys Police
Mid and West Wales Fire Service
John Burns Foundation
HM Coastguard and the RNLI

Education

Landfill odours breach air quality guidelines near Spittal School

Published

2 days ago

November 25, 2024

Tom Sinclair

AIR quality near Spittal School has breached World Health Organisation (WHO) odour annoyance guidelines due to emissions from the Withyhedge landfill site, sparking health concerns among residents.

Public Health Wales (PHW) revealed that hydrogen sulphide levels exceeded the WHO odour annoyance threshold of 5ppb at the Spittal School monitoring station between October 1 and November 3. The colourless gas, known for its eggy smell, can cause symptoms including headaches, nausea, dizziness, and throat irritation when present at elevated levels.

**Henry Tufnell MP (centre) at visit to Withyhedge Landfill Site**

Community complaints lead to monitoring

Air quality monitoring began earlier this year after Natural Resources Wales (NRW) received numerous complaints about odours linked to the landfill. While other monitoring sites recorded no such exceedances between September 7 and 22, PHW acknowledged the distress caused by the smells.

A PHW spokesperson said: “Bad smells in your community can be upsetting and lead to physical symptoms such as headaches, nausea, and sleep problems. These effects usually pass once the odour is gone.”

***Stop the Stink: There have been several protests by locals over smells from the landfill site***

Health risk remains low

PHW emphasised that the long-term health risk to residents remains low. However, it advises residents to close windows and doors when odours occur to reduce exposure, while ensuring proper ventilation for safety. Once the smell dissipates, opening windows can help clear residual odours.

Calls for regulatory action

NRW stated that it is committed to ensuring the site operator, RML, takes steps to minimise emissions that could cause offsite odours. PHW, while monitoring the situation, clarified it has no regulatory authority over landfill operations.

“We understand the stress and anxiety caused by these odours,” said a PHW spokesperson. “We will continue reviewing and updating the health risk assessment as more data becomes available.”

Local residents continue to call for stronger action to address the issue, as the unpleasant odours disrupt daily life and raise ongoing concerns.

Education

Pembrokeshire free school transport call to be heard at County Hall

Published

6 days ago

November 22, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL to allow school pupils from Johnston and Tiers Cross access to free school transport to the nearby Haverfordwest high school is to be heard by councillors next week.

Due to a change in catchment areas the pupils are no longer able to access free transport to Haverfordwest, instead coming under the Milford Haven catchment area.

A petition calling for the reinstatement of the former catchment area to access free transport for pupils to Haverfordwest was recently started in the county.

The e-petition, which ran from September 18-November 1 on the council’s own website, attracted 351 signatures, meeting the threshold for a debate at the relevant Pembrokeshire County Council overview and scrutiny committee, in this case the Schools And Learning Overview And Scrutiny Committee meeting of November 28.

The petition, started by Kirsty Coaker, reads: “We call on Pembrokeshire County Council to change Johnston and Tiers Cross School Catchment back to Haverfordwest.

“Children of Johnston and Tiers Cross are now ineligible for free school transport to Haverfordwest High due to the areas no longer being in ‘catchment’.

“Both Johnston and Tiers Cross are Haverfordwest postal codes and are classed as Haverfordwest, yet the school catchment is Milford Haven.

“Please help our children access suitable transport to and from secondary school.”