Education
Ministerial visit for two Haverfordwest schools
THE MINISTER for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles MS enjoyed visits to two Haverfordwest schools on Friday, February 2nd.
Mr Miles visited Haverfordwest High VC School and Portfield School, taking in tours of both school sites and meeting pupils, staff and local education leaders.
Haverfordwest High VC School was officially opened by HRH The Princess Royal in October 2022.
The school was jointly funded by Pembrokeshire County Council and Welsh Government under its Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme. The school caters for 1500 pupils aged 11-16 and 250 Sixth Form students.
At Haverfordwest High, Mr Miles was welcomed by Headteacher Jane Harries, Pembrokeshire County Council’s Director of Education Steven Richards-Downes and Preseli Pembrokeshire MS Paul Davies and Chair of Governors Mrs Christine Williams.
Mr Miles was then given a tour of the impressive facilities by Head Girl Cerys Foss and Head Boy Troy Goodridge, including a visit to a School Council Meeting.
Mr Miles later visited Portfield School, which provides education for pupils with statements of special educational needs aged 11-19.
Mr Miles met the school’s Senior Leadership Team plus Head Girl Celyn Sollis and Head Boy Lewis Edwards, and enjoyed a brief tour of the school. This included visiting the location of the proposed new build for the primary phase school and Sixth Form block.
Mr Miles also took the opportunity to speak with pupils and staff involved in the Taith project, Wales’ international learning exchange. Portfield pupils and staff enjoyed a visit to Bruges in Belgium last year and are already planning the next trip to Sweden.
Following the visits, Mr Miles said: “It was fantastic to see the impressive new Haverfordwest High School, and it was a real pleasure to hear and see first-hand how the school is giving learners an innovative platform for learning and a supportive environment to help them reach their potential.
“In Portfield School, I heard from pupils and staff about their recent Taith trips to Belgium and Sweden, and how the experience has helped build confidence, broaden horizons, and grow aspirations. It really is heartening to see the impact Taith is having, enabling us to break down barriers to international exchange and opening up opportunities for all.”
Mrs Harries, Headteacher of Haverfordwest High VC School and Executive Headteacher of Portfield School, said: “We shared with Mr Miles the many ways in which the school supports our pupils in what continues to be an increasingly challenging society.
“He was able to talk to staff and pupils who explained how our school was now providing much more than academic education which was vital for them, how the school has adjusted to the requirements of the ALN Bill and how their Asymmetric Week arrangements facilitated professional development and cluster collaboration.”
PORTFIELD SCHOOL
Education
Relationships and Sexuality Education curriculum discussed at County Hall
A CALL for Pembrokeshire County Council to provide assurance that RSE education in the county was “both age appropriate and does not constitute grooming” was heard at County Hall last week.
In late 2022 a legal challenge against the teaching of young children about gender identity and sex in primary schools across Wales was lost.
Campaigners had launched a judicial review in the High Court against the Welsh Government’s new Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) curriculum.
The curriculum was launched that September, seeing the mandatory teaching of relationships and sexuality education to children from the age of seven.
In a submitted question heard at the May 9 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, member of the public Valerie Sutherland had asked: “Given the legal challenge to the RSE curriculum by concerned parents against Welsh Government, can you confirm the council’s safeguarding team are happy that the RSE education provided is both age appropriate and does not constitute grooming?
“Secondly, given that a number of parents are unhappy about the content of the new curriculum and the loss of their right to withdraw children from classes, particularly in light of the Cass Review, how are you ensuring that parents’ values are respected and that trust in schools is not eroded?”
Responding, Cabinet Member for Education and Welsh Language Cllr Guy Woodham said: “The safeguarding and education team has been actively involved in develop age-appropriate content for schools,” adding: “In faith schools work has been done with each diocese for RSE”.
“Each school has developed a plan for RSE and shared it with parents and learners at their school, parents have been provided with information by their school on how to raise their concerns about the RSE curriculum following the decision to make RSE mandatory for all learners.
“Schools are working with families through the challenges that this brings; each school community has provided sessions for parents on the curriculum, parents are being informed and they have the opportunity to discuss this with the school.”
Cllr Woodham advised parents to raise concerns through the schools’ complaints policy should they have any concerns.
Education
Senedd told of families’ struggles with new ALN system
FAR TOO many children and young people are unable to access support under Wales’ new additional learning needs system, leaving families at breaking point, the Senedd heard.
Jack Sargeant led a debate on a 15,000-name petition, submitted by Victoria Lightbown, raising concerns about implementation of the additional learning needs (ALN) system.
He said the ALN reforms have triggered more petitions in recent months than any other subject aside from 20mph, with five being considered by the petitions committee.
Mr Sargeant raised Estyn’s concerns about inconsistent application of reforms under the ALN Act, which is replacing the previous special educational needs (SEN) system.
The Labour MS, who chairs the petitions committee, said he has heard harrowing stories of parents having to fight against a system that sometimes feels inflexible and unsympathetic.
Buffy Williams, the newly elected chair of the Senedd’s education committee, said there is enthusiasm for the reform’s core principles but too much inconsistency on the ground.
She cautioned that a new category of pupils, with lower level additional needs, is emerging.
“They were on schools’ old SEN registers,” said the Labour backbencher.
“But for various reasons – which include funding, workload and perhaps the flexibility offered by the new curriculum – they are not being recognised as having ALN.”
Ms Williams, who represents Rhondda, said 32% fewer children were recorded as having SEN or ALN in the 2022/23 school year compared with 2020/21.
She raised concerns from the president of the education tribunal about “universal provision” being wrongly used as a reason not to give a child an individual development plan.
Saying the Act needs time to bed in, Ms Williams added that schools’ ALN co-ordinators need more dedicated non-teaching time to do their roles justice.
Sam Rowlands, for the Conservatives, raised concerns about far too many children falling through the gaps amid a massive overhaul of the system.
Mr Rowlands, the former Conwy Council leader, who represents North Wales in the Senedd, said parents also report issues with accountability.
Heledd Fychan, Plaid Cymru’s shadow education secretary, warned that too many children and young people are unable to access the support they need.
She told the chamber she was moved to tears by stories of families at breaking point.
Ms Fychan recalled one parent telling her how they contemplated suicide due to the strain of constantly trying to fight for the support their child deserves.
“This is the level of concern in our community – support is desperately needed,” she said.
The South Wales Central MS raised concerns about “incredible” inconsistencies for learners who need additional support in Welsh.
She warned that disabled and neurodivergent children are being excluded from many of the things that make school fun, from school trips to Christmas concerts.
Peredur Owen Griffiths, her Plaid Cymru colleague, highlighted a sense of frustration and anger among parents stemming from dismay at substandard provision.
He quoted a letter from Blaenau Gwent Council to parents which warned schools “can no longer afford to recruit the required number of staff to support our most vulnerable learners”.
Hefin David, whose daughter is autistic, reflected on his own family’s experiences.
He said: “One of the things that happens when you have a child with additional learning needs, or ALN in your family, is that it isn’t a moment of revelation – it’s a slow discovery.”
The Labour MS for Caerphilly stressed the importance of educational and clinical support, warning that all too often the two are disconnected.
Dr David likened the system to a pinball machine that passes parents from pillar to post.
He said his daughter is clearly diagnosable and in the right place in the system, but: “The problem you’ve got is where the children have more grey-area diagnoses….
“It’s much harder for them to find their place in the system as well, and I know others have had that experience. That’s where we really need to pick up.”
Vikki Howells, a fellow Labour backbencher, stressed that the transition to the new ALN system is not yet complete, with phased implementation allowing lessons to be learned.
She said casework in her Cynon Valley constituency shows ALN must be a priority.
Ms Howells, a former teacher and assistant head of sixth form at Caerphilly’s St Cenydd Comprehensive, highlighted a Welsh Government announcement of a further £20m for ALN.
Mabon ap Gwynfor, the Plaid Cymru MS for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, called for educational support to be based more on need rather than a diagnosis.
The shadow health secretary raised examples of children aged six not getting a diagnosis until they are 12 or 13, leading to a delay in support at school.
Lynne Neagle, Wales’ new education secretary, said ALN reform was always going to be an ambitious, systemic programme of change and it remains early days.
Vowing action to improve implementation, she told the chamber her priorities are twofold: improving oversight and increasing consistency.
Responding to the debate on May 8, she said the Welsh Government has protected more than £50m this year for ALN reforms.
Ms Neagle said there are examples of excellent practice in Wales’ schools, with the sector embedding a new person-centred approach while running the SEN system in parallel.
But she recognised the challenges, telling MSs: “We do hear too often that the families of children with ALN have to fight for the right support and education – and this must change.”
Education
Young people dive into My River project to learn about Cleddau
DURING the Easter Holidays, young people from The Edge Youth Centre and the Army Welfare Service took part in a two-day environmental project in Haverfordwest in partnership with the Cleddau Project.
The ‘My River’ project enabled young people to connect with the River Cleddau, learn about the importance of looking after rivers and discuss what their river means to them as young people.
At the start of the project, the young people linked up with the West Wales Rivers Trust for the Big River Clean Up in Haverfordwest.
The young people helped clean up a stretch of the Western Cleddau River that runs alongside Bridge Meadow Park and Morrisons.
In the afternoon, they enjoyed an engaging session delivered by the Darwin Centre looking at the mini-beasts that live in our rivers under microscopes.
On day two the young people reflected on their findings creating a story with illustrator Fran Evans.
The young people created a piece of art telling the story of their river and the importance of looking after the river.
The story is called the ‘adventures of the trash trio’ and will be exhibited to the public at the ‘My River’ Art Exhibition at HaverHub, Quay Street, Haverfordwest at the end of June.
The young people will be coming back together in May Half-Term to explore the river in Haverfordwest by canoeing up the Western River Cleddau.
Steve Lewis, Senior Youth Worker said: “This project educated young people on the importance of our rivers and how they support wildlife, ecosystems and recreation activities. It was fantastic to see the enthusiasm from the young people and to see them connecting with their river.”
This project has been made possible by funding from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
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