News
Taskers to be put into special measures
HER MAJESTY’S INSPECTORS OF SCHOOLS have recommended that a Haverfordwest secondary school should be put into special measures. The school has not improved since a visit last year in which certain improvements were directed,
A report which has just been published on the Estyn website says: “Tasker-Milward V.C. School is judged to have made insufficient progress in relation to the recommendations following the core inspection in March 2013. As a result, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales is increasing the level of follow-up activity.”
The report goes on to say:”In accordance with the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that special measures are required in relation to this school. The school will draw up an action plan, which shows how it is going to address the recommendations. ”
Estyn have told The Herald that inspectors will re-visit the school in about three months’ time to inspect progress against the recommendations.
You can view the report by clicking here:
MID AND WEST WALES FIRE SERVICE LEADERSHIP CHANGE
MID and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service has announced the appointment of Craig Flannery as its new Chief Fire Officer, with effect from Monday, December 15, 2025.
Mr Flannery has served with the Service for more than twenty years, progressing through a wide range of middle management and senior leadership roles across both operational and non-operational departments.
During his career, he has been closely involved in strengthening operational delivery, risk management and organisational development. His work has included leading innovation in learning and development, overseeing the Service’s On-Call Improvement Programme, and driving investment in key enabling functions such as workforce development and information and communication technology.
The appointment followed a rigorous, multi-stage recruitment process led by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Authority. Candidates were assessed through structured interviews, strategic leadership exercises and scenario-based assessments designed to test operational judgement, organisational vision and the ability to lead a modern fire and rescue service.
External professional assessors were also engaged to provide independent scrutiny, ensuring the process met high standards of fairness, transparency and challenge.
Mr Flannery emerged as the strongest candidate, demonstrating clear strategic leadership capability, detailed organisational knowledge and a strong commitment to community safety and service improvement.
Councillor John Davies, Chair of Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Authority, said: “Craig brings a deep understanding of our Service and a clear vision for its future. His appointment will strengthen our ability to innovate, support our workforce and deliver high-quality protection for the communities we serve.
“As we navigate a rapidly changing landscape, Craig’s experience in driving innovation and organisational development will be invaluable in helping us adapt and transform for the future.”
Commenting on his appointment, Mr Flannery said: “It is a privilege to lead this outstanding Service. I am committed to supporting our people, strengthening partnerships and building on the strong foundations already in place.
“As the challenges facing fire and rescue services continue to evolve, we must modernise and innovate, ensuring we have the skills, technology and capability needed to meet the needs of our communities. I look forward to working with colleagues and partners across Mid and West Wales to deliver a resilient, progressive Service that keeps people safe and places our staff at the heart of everything we do.”
RESIDENT doctors across Wales have voted to accept a new contract, with 83% of those who took part in a referendum backing the agreement, according to BMA Cymru Wales.
The contract includes a four per cent additional investment in the resident doctor workforce and introduces a range of reforms aimed at improving training conditions, wellbeing and long-term workforce sustainability within NHS Wales. The BMA says the deal also supports progress towards pay restoration, which remains a central issue for doctors.
Key changes include new safeguards to limit the most fatiguing working patterns, measures intended to address medical unemployment and career progression concerns, and reforms to study budgets and study leave to improve access to training opportunities.
Negotiations between the BMA’s Welsh Resident Doctors Committee, NHS Wales Employers and the Welsh Government concluded earlier this year. Following a consultation period, a referendum of resident doctors and final-year medical students in Wales was held, resulting in a clear majority in favour of the proposals.
Welsh Resident Doctors Committee chair Dr Oba Babs Osibodu said the agreement marked a significant step forward for doctors working in Wales.
He said: “We’re proud to have negotiated this contract, which offers our colleagues and the future generation of doctors safer terms of service, fairer pay, and better prospects so that they can grow and develop their careers in Wales.
“This contract will help to retain the doctors already in training, and also attract more doctors to work in Wales, where they can offer their expertise and benefit patients.”
Dr Osibodu added that the BMA remains committed to achieving full pay restoration and acknowledged that challenges remain for some doctors.
“Whilst this contract sets the foundations for a brighter future for resident doctors in Wales, we recognise that there are still doctors who are struggling to develop their careers and secure permanent work,” he said. “We need to work with the Welsh Government and NHS employers to address training bottlenecks and underemployment.”
The Welsh Government has previously said it recognises the pressures facing resident doctors and the importance of improving recruitment and retention across NHS Wales, while also highlighting the need to balance pay agreements with wider NHS funding pressures and patient demand.
The new contract is expected to be phased in from August 2026. It will initially apply to doctors in foundation programmes, those in specialty training with unbanded rotas, and new starters, before being rolled out to all resident doctors across Wales.
A SWANSEA man who was jailed earlier this year for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child has died while in custody.
Gareth Davies, aged 59, of the Maritime Quarter, was serving an 18-month prison sentence after being convicted in May of sending sexually explicit messages to what he believed was a 14-year-old girl. The account was in fact a decoy used as part of an online safeguarding operation.
The court heard that Davies began communicating with the decoy between November and December 2024 and persistently pursued the individual, later attempting to arrange a face-to-face meeting. He was arrested after being confronted by the decoy operators.
Davies had pleaded not guilty but was convicted following a trial. At the time of sentencing, police described the messages as extremely concerning and said his imprisonment was necessary to protect children.
It has now been confirmed that Davies died at HMP Parc on Wednesday (Nov 27) while serving his sentence.
The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has launched an independent investigation into the death, which is standard procedure in all cases where someone dies in custody. No cause of death has been released at this stage.
A coroner will determine the circumstances in due course.
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Heidi Moseley
July 24, 2014 at 1:29 pm
Told u there was major problems at that school
Steve
July 24, 2014 at 1:36 pm
Not good news, but before everyone jumps on the Pembrokeshire band wagon, dont judge all the pupils at the school as the same. Yes they may have a minorty of pupils who are dragging it down and making it diffcult for others, but there are those who are doing well. Comments like your Heidi do nothing for their confidence. What the education authority need to do is get rid of the wasters who dont want to learn and let the rest get on with it. As for the so called adults who seem to think it acceptable to look at anyone in a Taskers uniform as a lower form of life well maybe they need to go back to school.
Not surprised!
July 24, 2014 at 3:17 pm
The problem does not lie with the pupils, but with the poor standard of teaching and management. There are pupils in Swansea living in areas that are considered so poor they receive European area 1 funding. Pembrokeshire does not have that problem apparently, but our schools are performing to a lesser standard than in those areas! Until the teaching standard is raised and the management is held to account for their failures then the school should remain in special measures, or be closed! It’s time for action.
Sam
July 24, 2014 at 3:23 pm
I have to say my daughter went there from the start of her school career till this January (year 10) when I took her out. Initially I thought it was a good school however I discovered this not to be the case. There is good and bad in every school but I found from personal experience books not checked or written in for guidence (only 1 teacher had bothered from every subject), no feedback from the school if the pupil hadn’t done homework set and my major problem is that the teachers seem to be more concerned with what the children were wearing to the point of ridiculousness. Yes I totally agree with uniform and so on but complaining and threatening a child to confiscate their coat in -7 degree weather just because it was black and white and not black is well and truly over the top. The school needs major input!!!
Steve
July 24, 2014 at 3:50 pm
nice to see the concensus that the vast majority of the children want to learn and are well behaved. Agree Estyn need to give a big push here to help these children out so they dont feel they are losing out. as for those who cant be bothered, fine, but dont drag my child down with you
Tomos
July 24, 2014 at 5:34 pm
Surely it’s PCC that needs to be put in special measures.
If you have an ache in your arm because you’re having a heart attack you treat the heart attack not the bad arm.
Rhys
July 24, 2014 at 9:46 pm
Shameful! As a former pupil I find it difficult to accept that the school has deteriorated so much in such a short space of time. The demographics of the children entering the school has not changed in the last ten years, only the teaching staff and the head teacher.
Ms Haines became the head in my final year, and it was obvious that she was not a suitable candidate for the job (the school council voted overwhelmingly AGAINST her appointment). Her methods were not suitable for the school, and her general behaviour was unacceptable. I have heard horror stories of her turning up to parents evenings in flip-flops with wet hair!
When I was a pupil we had 1200 kids attending the school, now there is just over 800! Obviously parents have had their concerns for a long time and have taken their children elsewhere. Why has it taken so long for anything to be done? How many bright and talented youngsters have been failed by the school and the local authority? This is my main concern, the youngsters who needed pointing in the right direction, but have now left with poor grades and a terrible alma mata on their CV’s. What future do they have?
The first thing I noticed at university was the superior schooling that our counterparts in England receive (I am not talking about fee paying schools, but comprehensive and grammar schools); for a rural area we should not have such poor attainment and teaching standards.
Why did we change the uniform from smart blazers and ties to a horrendous red polo shirt? Why did many of the best teachers leave? Why?… In short, Ms Haines and Pembs Couty Council.
steve
July 24, 2014 at 10:19 pm
@ Rhys
Thankfully Ms Haines is no more. I hope in 3 months at next inspection the new regime have started to make improvement, there are signs. There still are pupils doing well, getting their heads down and doing their best to ignore the trouble element that need addressing. What I find sad is the manner in which the “grapevine” start calling the school (face book this evening) and by default damage the pupils confidence and self worth. Lets remember it’s not their fault the management has been poor, the vast majority want to learn and be proud of themselves and correctly so. What is not needed is parents from other schools in the vicinity assuming that ALL kids in Taskers must be trouble, wrong! It also does not make children or parents of “other” schools any better. I think we need to be adult about this , get measures in place to support and drive forward, stop the name calling and if you have nothing constructive to offer help wise, say nothing because ultimately it’s the kids that are being let down and hurt by the name calling.
steve
July 25, 2014 at 3:22 pm
Greenhill estyn report last week – ranked school as Adequate (could be Excellent, Good, Adequate, or unsatisfactory). The report for Whitland earlier this year also said Adequate. And Taskers is also Adequate and in special measures. Not exactly a glowing review of the local schools (i think Bush in 2012 was also deemed adequate – sorry havent looked at others).
im not in education – but a parent. I am concerned that on national and local level our schools are inferior to those elsewhere.
Friends who work in education in England comment that the generally held view (in England) is that welsh education is pretty poor, let down by a poor assemby decisions, a poor review body (estyn rather than ofsted), a lack of Sats, and opportunity cost for fixating on welsh language as compulsory in terms of impacts for both pupils and teachers when there are more crucial issues to address.
i appreciate this doesnt provide any answers…just concerns.
Jayne
July 26, 2014 at 9:04 am
Totally agree with Rhys. There are two measures of achievement in inspection performance (results) and capacity to improve (leadership/management). Pembroke School is the only Pembrokeshire School to date to gain a “good” from Estyn for the second measure. It should also be noted that it was students that were not educated on site at Pembroke that dragged the first measure down. Greenhill had the title of most improved school in Wales following results last year yet Estyn were not impressed…what do they want? Unfortunately there seems to be a lack of guidance filtering down from County (where lets face it has been a jobs for the boys club when it comes to appointing advisors). I feel for the teachers in all theses schools as it is them on whom the criticism will be levelled and they are already working at full effort with ZERO incentive to change due to lack of support and respect from the leaders.