Mongolian ambassador gets warm Welsh welcome

Pupils at Prendergast School made a special effort when they received a VIP recently.

They took the trouble to find out the spelling of the world ‘welcome' in Mongolian so that they could offer a friendly greeting to that country's Ambassador when he visited the school.

His Excellency Bulgaa Altangerel was in Pembrokeshire with his wife, Mrs Erdenee Chuluuntsetseg, to attend a concert organised by Soroptimists International (SI) of Fishguard and District.

One of the organisation's members, Sally Francis - a former headteacher at Mount Airey School in Haverfordwest - is working as an educational advisor with Voluntary Services Overseas in Mongolia.

Her Soroptimist colleagues in Fishguard offered to organise the concert as part of an International Evening to raise funds for the children of the Twelfth School in Darkhan - Mongolia's second city.

Aged between six to 16, their parents are nomadic herders whom they only see a few times a year. Some are orphans and they all live at the school where conditions are basic in the extreme with little or no play equipment.

Both His Excellency and his wife were delighted to visit Prendergast School and meet the pupils.

Earlier they had been guests of Pembrokeshire County Council Chairman, Councillor Anne Hughes, in County Hall.

There they met the Mayor of Fishguard, Councillor Gwilym Price and Mrs Price, and the President of the SI Fishguard and District, Pat Roblin and her Soroptimist colleagues. Jordan Evans, chairman of the Pembrokeshire Youth Assembly, was also present.

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Gladstone's in the bag at Flintshire Record Office

Flintshire Record Office in Hawarden is holding a Victorian Evening to mark the bicentennial of W. E. Gladstone.

The event will take place on Wednesday, 9 December at 7.00pm. The evening is free but tickets are required and are available from the Record Office on 01244 532364.

Victorian dress is optional and refreshments will be served.

read more... “Gladstone's in the bag at Flintshire Record Office”

Queensferry Library open again

Queensferry Library reopened today, November 23 at 2 pm.

The opening hours are:

Monday 2pm -5pm
Tuesday 10am -1pm and 2pm -7pm
Wednesday 2am – 5pm
Thursday 10am -1pm and 2pm -7pm
Friday 2pm -5pm
Saturday 9.30am -12.30pm

Public access computers will be available and normal lending services will be resumed.

For any enquiries please ring 01244 812544 or your nearest library.

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Merthyr project up for People's Millions

The 3G's Development Trust in Merthyr Tydfil have been chosen as a finalist in the Big Lottery's - People's Millions project. The 3G's Portable Media project will go head to head on Thursday 26th November 2009 on ITV Wales News The 'Streets Ahead' Project run by Prestatyn and Meliden Community Action Group.

The telephone number you have to phone to vote for the project won't get released until 9am on the 26th November 2009. Please note that everybody can vote up to a maximum of 10 times, and each call will cost 10p.

Click on the below link and go to the the Welsh Region, you will then see the project there. Please register and leave messages to show your support of the project, it will only take a minute or 2...

www.peoplesmillions.org.uk/


THE PROJECT

The project, based in Merthyr Tydfil, will provide media training for young people to increase their skills and raise self-confidence. The portable media centre will enable us to hold and deliver classes to the community, schools, adult centres, etc. This equipment will enable us to deliver structured learning which will involve community members making their own works such as films, music, graphic design and animation.

The media facility will provide an opportunity to support new initiatives that will have a substantial impact on the lives of community members in our area. Access to the arts, media, music and digital industries for our members through our activities will be created with the aim to provide a voice for local people, promoting learning and raising achievement in arts & media making for our members.

This project will have a massive impact on the local communities throughout South Wales, not only will it give local residents training opportunities, we will be able to gain access and engage with those who have so far been hard to reach. Many of these areas are high on the deprivation list and this project will give them the chance to access facilities that otherwise would not have been open to them, which could result in future job opportunities. Through other projects we have been involved in we know that projects such as these raise confidence & self esteem in the young people that are involved. It also gives withdrawn young people the chance to make new friends and gets them involved in team activities; it also gives them goals – something to look forward to.

read more... “Merthyr project up for People's Millions”

Barry school kids get gold for going green

Pupils and staff at St Helen’s RC Junior School in Barry are enjoying a new green accolade - Yellow Pages Recycling Champions for Wales 2009.

St Helen’s, who came top in the medium schools category, are also looking forward to spending a well-earned £1,000 prize money.

The environmental campaign for schools is run by Yellow Pages working in partnership with the Woodland Trust and, locally, the Vale of Glamorgan Council.

The school’s 202 pupils recycled a massive 1,831 Yellow Pages directories when the new ones were delivered last year - equivalent to an impressive 9.06 old directories per pupil.

Fourteen local authorities across Wales ran the Yellow Woods Challenge, involving a total of 495 schools and 99,156 pupils. The recycling scores from local heats were entered into the Wales finals and resulted in success for St Helen’s.

St Helen’s headteacher Gavin Russ said: "We are so proud to be Welsh winners in this competition. I’d like to thank our local community who helped us collect so many Yellow Pages. The school eco-committee is currently helping to decide how to spend the prize money."

Congratulating the school on their achievement, Vale councillor Geoff Cox, cabinet member for visible and building services, said: "Taking the national title is a fantastic achievement for St Helen’s Junior School. The council’s ‘What’s in your bin?’ campaign aims to get us all reducing, reusing and recycling. The pupils and staff at this school, and their community, are shining examples of great local action."

For every pound awarded to schools in prize money, Yellow Pages has donated a matching pound to the Woodland Trust’s children’s tree planting campaign, ‘Trees For All.’

Kimberley Watts-Fitzsimmons, corporate responsibility manager at Yell, the publisher of Yellow Pages directories, said: "It’s a great pleasure to reward the winning schools for their outstanding achievements. I’d also like to thank all the schools and councils in Wales who always take the competition to heart. Together they’ve made a massive contribution towards the environment."

The Yellow Woods Challenge is undergoing a major strategic review and will relaunch in summer 2010 - for more information visit www.yellow-woods.co.uk.

read more... “Barry school kids get gold for going green”

Awards for Barry young film makers

A team of young film makers from Barry Comprehensive School have lifted a top award.

The students’ success came in the best regional film (Vale of Glamorgan) category of this year’s media4schools film awards, sponsored by Sony UK.


The group, whose film was entitled Year Seven Cross Country, were George Crowther, Sam Adamson and Jack Williams (Year 12) and Alex Parker (Year 9).

They received their award from Vale of Glamorgan councillor Tony Hampton, the cabinet member for education and lifelong learning, who is also a Barry Comprehensive School governor. He said: "I was delighted to present the talented lads with a prize and certificate. It was also great that they had the opportunity to see their production on a big screen."

Now in their sixth year, the awards are a culmination of all the hard work schools put into their films and a great way of showcasing the talents of the budding film makers.

Schools from across South Wales competed to scoop top prizes in categories such as best edited film, best animation and the coveted best overall film.

Based in Cardiff, media4schools is a vocational learning-based media training initiative, which introduces a combination of TV programme production and enterprise for primary and secondary schools.

read more... “Awards for Barry young film makers”

Family trees and more for free at RCT libraries

Ever thought about researching your family tree - but don’t know where to start? Why not make the library your first port of call?

Rhondda Cynon Taf libraries offer a wide variety of resources to help people in their local and family history research. Resources include books, newspapers and periodicals, photographs, maps and plans, illustrations, directories, electoral registers, records and census returns.

There is also free internet access to the whole host of websites aimed at helping people discover their roots, including ancestry.com. This is available in libraries free of charge and the latest addition to this database includes a searchable list of all British Prisoners of War captured in Europe during World War II.

Libraries in Aberdare, Pontypridd and Treorchy have dedicated Local History sections with experienced staff on hand to offer assistance and advice. Each Local History section contains microfilm/microfiche readers and family history related resources including:

· Census returns

· Historical Ordnance Survey and Tithe maps

· Local newspapers

· Electoral registers

· Trade directories

· Burial records

If you are a beginner or simply wish to learn more about family history, why not join family history classes at Aberdare and Pontypridd Libraries?

Cllr Robert Bevan, Rhondda Cynon Taf Cabinet Member for Culture and Recreation, said: "Our libraries are a fantastic resource for people interested in finding out more about their family history. All of our libraries have books that can get you started by explaining the methods you should use and the places you should look to find out about your ancestors."

Welsh Libraries Champion Ruth Jones and celebrity genealogist Cat Whiteaway are currently spearheading a campaign to encourage more people to use their local libraries when researching their family trees or local area.

Cat, who studies the history of families and the line of descent from their ancestors, said: "I wouldn’t be able to produce my radio and television programmes without the help of libraries."

To see a detailed list of family history sources held at Aberdare, Pontypridd and Treorchy library please visit: www.rhondda-cynon-taff.gov.uk/libraries

For more information email: nick.e.kelland@rctcbc.gov.uk

Membership of all Rhondda Cynon Taf’s libraries is free and everyone living or working within the county borough is welcome to join. Find out more by visiting www.rhondda-cynon-taff.gov.uk/libraries

read more... “Family trees and more for free at RCT libraries”

SPecial measures for Powys primary

Penycae Community Primary School, near Ystradgynlais, has been placed in special measures by Estyn following its inspection in July 2009.

The Estyn report acknowledges that the school has many good features, but there are shortcomings in important areas and it does not provide value for money. Estyn have come up with nine recommendations in order for the school to improve in the areas inspected.

Senior officers from Powys County Council will be working in close partnership with the school in order to secure this improvement.

The school and the council will produce action plans, detailing steps to be taken to address the shortcomings identified by Estyn.

Alun Thomas, Chair of Governors for Penycae C.P.School, said: "Estyn has identified a number of shortcomings that we have to address if we are to improve the standard of education for our pupils. We have a lot of hard work in front of us, but with the support of staff, pupils, parents, governors and the council, I am confident that we will succeed.

"The governing body has already recognised the shortcomings and has acted proactively. A change in strategic leadership was implemented at the beginning of the academic year.

"This has resulted in immediate and significant improvements of opportunities for our children at Penycae School and this will continue until we are removed from special measures."

Cllr David Jones, Board Member for Schools and Inclusion, said: "We know what needs to be done to ensure that Penycae C.P. School is removed from the category of special measures as soon as possible and we will be working closely with the school and governing body to secure improvements.

"A project team of senior officers, school staff and the governing body has been established in order for this to happen."

Estyn will monitor the school on a termly basis until it is satisfied that the category of special measures no longer applies.

A copy of the inspection report can be found at www.estyn.gov.uk

read more... “SPecial measures for Powys primary”

University of Glamorgan strengthens Chinese ties

A delegation from the Glamorgan Business School recently visited Xi’an University of Finance and Economics (XUFE) in China in order to strengthen the ties between the two institutions.

Marlene Davies, Head of the Division of Accounting and Finance, and Alison Lane, MSc Accounting Scheme Leader, spoke with colleagues from XUFE about students coming over to Glamorgan Business School to study.

These discussions were the latest in a series following a University visit to China in May and a visit by XUFE to us in October.

During their visit Marlene and Alison met with the President of XUFE Mr Hu Jian, the Vice President Mr Wang Guolian and the Deans of the various faculties within the Business School. These talks helped to reaffirm our links with XUFE and allow students the opportunity to study Accounting and Finance degrees at both Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels at Glamorgan Business School.

Marlene and Alison also met with a range of students who were all very keen to take advantage of the opportunity and study with us in 2010.

To see the Glamorgan Business School’s range of Accounting courses please visit our Accounting subject area.

To see the full range of courses available to you at Glamorgan Business School please visit either our Undergraduate Study page or Postgraduate Study page for specific details.

If you are an international student looking to apply onto any of our courses please visit our International webpages. These are full of important information to aid you in completing an application.

read more... “University of Glamorgan strengthens Chinese ties”

Glamorgan businesses backing education for success

In an innovative approach to creating the business leaders and entrepreneurs of tomorrow three local companies are putting up £2,000 of their own money to sponsor students to study degrees at the University of Glamorgan Business School.

Led by Pontypridd-based company Complete Background Screening (CBS) - Rachel Bedgood (left) of CBS with Monica Gibson-Sweet, Dean of the Glamorgan Business School School - is the scheme launch this week offers a unique package of financial support and mentoring for aspiring business men and women.

The Business Opportunities Scheme, known as BOSS, will award scholarships to students who can demonstrate a unique flair for business as well as a passion for the subject.

Applicants must be committed to studying at the University’s Business School from September 2010 in any area of business including management, entrepreneurship, marketing, human resource management, accounting and supply chain and logistics.

The winning applicant will be awarded £1,000 by CBS to help with the cost of their studies. In addition there will be two scholarships of £500 awarded to the runners-up and funded by The Big Country Adventures Ltd and local entrepreneur Clayton Jones.

As well as providing financial support, the companies participating will provide support as a mentor to the successful winners as well as work experience opportunities.

Rachel Bedgood Director of CBS said: "As a company we are keen to invest in the business talent of the future, and this scholarship programme is an excellent way of us supporting the best students. I hope that over the coming years more companies will sign up to the BOSS scheme so that we can extend the awards to a greater numbers of students."

Monica Gibson-Sweet, Dean of the Glamorgan Business School said, “The Business School values its links with local employers and this scheme is a demonstration of the close relationships we have with the business community. We are very focused on the employability of our graduates whether they are employed by companies or become self-employed and become tomorrow’s entrepreneurs. We very much look forward to working with the founding companies and hope to see the BOSS scheme grow in the future.”

In order to apply for a BOSS award, potential students must be able to convince the sponsors of that they have what it takes by writing why they have chosen to study business and what they hope to achieve as a Glamorgan business graduate. The winners will be announced in May 2010. Full details of how to apply can be found on the CBS website www.cbscreening.com

Closing date for applications for the scholarship is 30th March 2010. For further detailed information about how to apply can also be found on the University of Glamorgan website: www.glam.ac.uk/money

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Pembrokeshire’s youngsters failed by poor settlement in Welsh budged, warns AM

Pembrokeshire’s youngsters are being let down because the Welsh Assembly Government is imposing far harsher cuts on higher and further education than any other sector, warns local AM Paul Davies.

The Preseli Pembrokeshire AM said that it was unfair the HE and FE sector was expected to take a funding cut that was three times worse than in other areas.

“I do not understand why, at a time of economic recession, the Assembly Government is requiring the HE and FE sectors to find efficiency savings of 5 per cent when all other sectors are only required to find savings of 1.6 per cent,” he said during a debate on the Welsh budget in the Senedd.

The UK currently has more 16 to 24-year-olds out of work than any other EU nation, and Wales is the worst hit nation in the UK.

“One in six young people aged 16 to 24 in Wales is unemployed,” said Mr Davies. “The Welsh Assembly Government must concentrate its resources on employment and skills. Greater funding has to be provided in order to tackle youth unemployment. The best youth strategy that the Welsh Assembly Government could provide would be a strategy to create more jobs.

“The Welsh Assembly Government must explain why, in a time of recession, when economic development and skills are at a premium, it is binding the hands of these departments with

real-terms reductions in their budgets.

“It is essential that we invest in the skills of our people, and we must support those people who are currently not in education, employment and training, especially during these difficult times.”

read more... “Pembrokeshire’s youngsters failed by poor settlement in Welsh budged, warns AM”

School and leisure centre to reopen

Swansea's YGG Bryn Tawe and Penlan Leisure Centre will be back open tomorrow (Friday November 20).

The facilities have been closed temporarily because of damage that strong winds caused to the leisure centre's roof on Tuesday evening.

Measures have now been put in place on site and both the school and leisure centre will be safe to use from tomorrow.

YGG Bryn Tawe will be open to pupils and staff for normal school hours and the leisure centre will be open from midday.

All facilities at the leisure centre will be available apart from the sports hall. Classes arranged at the sports hall will be relocated to the school's gymnasium where possible until further notice.

Subject to weather conditions, remedial works at the leisure centre will shortly begin and it's hoped they'll be complete within the next week.

Details of leisure centre class cancellations and relocations will be made available either on www.activeswansea.com or by calling 01792 588079.

read more... “School and leisure centre to reopen”

Graduate gains prestigious scholarship

Jutta Geisinger excelled during her studies and has now excelled on the global stage.

Originally studying Tourism Management at the Munich University of Applied Sciences, Jutta elected to take advantage of our links with Munich and study her third year with us. As a 2+1 student, Jutta came directly into the final year of the marketing degree at Glamorgan Business School and immediately shone with a series of outstanding grades. As a result of her performance Jutta gained a 1st Class degree and received the PHS Marketing Award for the best overall performance on the Marketing degree at the end of year prize ceremonies.

Jutta’s efforts have now been rewarded with the achievement of a Fulbright Scholarship. Established in 1946 by US Senator J. William Fulbright, the Fulbright programme is the flagship international educational exchange programme sponsored by the US Government. This prestigious scholarship will pay the tuition fees for one academic year in a top ranked US institution. It also pays for transatlantic flights, maintenance, heath insurance and the visa.

After scoring in the top 10% of all applicants taking the GMAT exam (Graduate Management Admission Test) Jutta is now looking at using the scholarship to study the MSc Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University. Northwestern was ranked as the joint 32nd University in the world in the Time Higher Educational Supplement for 2009.

read more... “Graduate gains prestigious scholarship”

Stanford University set Local University Challenge

A team of students from the University of Glamorgan are taking part in a most unusual global competition: in just eight days they have created innovative solutions to a mystery challenge using very limited resources, and put their results in a short video posted to YouTube

Called the Global Innovation Tournament, the competition is organised by the Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP) at Stanford University.

The team from University of Glamorgan will now go forward to be judged amongst a select number of UK entries and winners will become semi-finalists in the global round of judging at Stanford.

An official activity of Global Entrepreneurship Week, the competition encourages students to work in teams, challenge assumptions, seize opportunities and be creative. Most of all, it gives them a taste of what it’s like to be entrepreneurial: students must have an impact while working with tight constraints, such as limited time and resources. Great ideas are not enough – they actually need to implement their ideas and deliver results. Local and then global judges will determine who has had the biggest impact during the eight days.

Past versions of this competition involved giving students a common object, such as Post-It Notes®, rubber bands, or water bottles, and challenging them to create as much value as possible from these objects in a few days. Teams invented products, raised and donated money, composed music, entertained, helped the disabled, made political statements, educated children, and much more.

Hundreds of institutions in dozens of countries have participated in the competition since its inception in 2007. The University of Glamorgan is among the more than 100 local organizers conducting the competition this year in their respective areas. The local winners in most locations will be announced during Global Entrepreneurship Week, Nov. 16–22, and global winners will be announced online on Thursday, Dec. 3, on www.unleashingideas.org.

“The University of Glamorgan is renowned across Europe for its enterprise education, and this competition gives a chance for our students to build on what they learn in classes.” said Dr. Gary Packham (Director of Center for Enterprise). “This competition challenges students to create something from nothing, and the team at Glamorgan will be competing at the highest level with renowned universities across the world in this fast-paced entrepreneurship immersion experience.”

“This is the fourth time we’ve run this competition, and the results are always astounding,” said Tina Seelig, executive director of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program and creator of the competition. “An event like this demonstrates just how much entrepreneurial potential there is among our young people and how much they are capable of achieving when given permission to do so.”

This competition is only the beginning of thousands of celebrations that will mark Global Entrepreneurship Week, which was co-founded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in the United States and Make Your Mark campaign in the United Kingdom. More than 75 countries are preparing a variety of innovative activities and challenges.

To help improve the Glamorgan team’s chances of winning view their entry Money Globe on YouTube

read more... “Stanford University set Local University Challenge”

Glynllifon Road Safety Day

Students have been given an insight into road safety matters in a bid to change their attitudes and behaviour.

A Road Safety event was held on Tuesday (17 November) at Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor in Glynllifon.

Over 200 students attended the day which included presentations and exhibitions from North Wales Police, the Welsh Ambulance Service, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Gwynedd Council, Go Safe (Arrive Alive) and Bikesafe.

Organised and facilitated by the college and Sergeant Emlyn Hughes from the Western Roads Policing Unit, the purpose of the event was to highlight the risks and dangers posed to young drivers, who are one of the most vulnerable group of drivers.

Sgt Hughes said: “We hope the event has encouraged young people to exercise greater responsibility for themselves, peers and other road users whilst driving.

“By working in partnership with other agencies, we want to get across to young drivers messages such as the dangers of not wearing a seatbelt, driving too fast and using mobile phones.

“The attendance was fantastic and the students showed a great interest in some of the sessions we provided – including a demonstration by the Fire and Rescue Service.”

During the day inputs were given by Paramedic Dermot O’Leary from the Welsh Ambulance Service and Gwynedd Council’s Road Safety Manager, Colin Jones who gave a presentation on Green Road Technology which aims to improve driving standards.

Colin Jones, Gwynedd Council’s Road Safety Manager added: “Gwynedd Council, the police and other emergency services are crucial partners in delivering road safety interventions such as the one held at Coleg Glynllifon.

“It is a sad fact that the younger adult age groups are disproportionately likely to die on the roads, with the 16 – 29 age group accounting for over a third of all deaths. Road collisions account for around 30% of all deaths of 15 – 19-year-old and around 17% of all deaths of 20 – 29 year-olds.”

Welsh Ambulance Service Paramedic Dermot O’ Leary said: “I wholeheartedly endorse the efforts of all agencies that have been here today. Any opportunity in communicating with young people such as this is a plus.”

The students were also given an opportunity to see the equipment used by Paramedics in the event of a collision and talk to PC Gerallt Davies from the Collision Investigation Unit.

One of the students who thought the day was very worthwhile was 22-year-old Llion Jones. He said: “I’ve learned stuff today that you don’t learn after you’ve passed your driving test. The day has been really interesting.”

Site Director Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor, Eurwyn Edwards said: “This has been an extremely important event to highlight the potential dangers and risks to young drivers.

“We’ve had similar events in the past which have been on a smaller-scale and I would like to thank Rhiannon Hulse from the college who has assisted with organising the day.

He added: “The practical demonstrations of realistic events has hopefully brought home some of the realities and hopefully, many of the young people have taken this on board.”

Photograph: PC Gerallt Davies from the Collision Investigation Unit talking to some of the students.

read more... “Glynllifon Road Safety Day”

ENGAGE scheme launches

Young people who are at risk of missing out on education and job opportunities are being supported by European funding.

12,000 young people from across South West Wales are to benefit from a £32.5million scheme to improve their chances of success.

The scheme, called 'ENGAGE', aims to target 14-19 year olds who are at risk of dropping out of formal education or training or are failing to achieve their full potential.

The scheme is led by Neath Port Talbot Council in partnership with Swansea, Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire councils as well as six further education colleges across the region who will all provide match funding.

They are Neath Port Talbot, Swansea, Gorseinon, Coleg Sir Gar, Pembrokeshire and Coleg Ceredigion.

Aimed at reducing the number of young people not in education, employment or training, ENGAGE will provide complementary curriculums and innovative training approaches to motivate and boost the confidence of students who are experiencing problems learning.

Tailored to the needs of each individual, a range of techniques will be used such as vocational training, one to one intensive support and activities to raise self esteem to encourage them to remain in education and improve their skills.

Deputy Minister for Skills, John Griffiths, said, ""ENGAGE will help raise aspirations and increase participation rates in education, training and employment across South West Wales.

"It is an excellent example of partnership working with local authorities, schools and further education colleges delivering the very support young people need to remain or reengage with education.

"Equipping young people with new skills and confidence will lead to improved career opportunities and a quality workforce, bringing increased economic and social benefits to the region."

The scheme will also assist those who are not attending school or college by supporting them back into the education and it will also work with pupil referral units, care leavers and young offenders, providing additional learning support for those who are not in mainstream education.

Neath Port Talbot Council Leader, Ali Thomas, said, "I am excited by the opportunities that will be offered to our young people through the ENGAGE project. The project will provide them with the support they need to succeed. It is so important that we use this funding effectively to motivate learners and to improve their ability to secure rewarding and satisfying careers."

Photograph: Natasha Burgess joins John Griffiths to launch ENGAGE

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Cardiff schools on parade for Pudsey

Soldiers from five Welsh regiments will visit a special school in Cardiff on Friday, as pupils learn more about military life, while also helping Children in Need.

The troops will work with the youngsters on a variety of team-building exercises including shelter construction, camouflage painting, first aid and putting basic army rations together.

The Royal Artillery, the Welsh Guards, the Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers, the Royal Welsh and the Welsh Rifles will all be represented at The Court Special School, in Llanishen, on November 20.

Between them, all the regiments have taken part in a large number of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Pupils and staff will be able to dress with a link to the military for a small contribution to Children in Need.

Headteacher Peter Owen said: "We hope to create a good fun day with a serious message about the sacrifices made by our armed forces."

Among the other schools taking part in fundraising activities for Children in Need is Fitzalan High, where children can participate in a number of sporting activities. Cheerleading will be taking centre stage, while a mini fete will also be held.

St Monica's Church in Wales Primary will mark the day by allowing pupils to wear their pyjamas. At Allensbank Primary there will be a Pudsey shop, an opportunity to wear fancy
dress, pitch 'n putt and the legendary Allensbank Chocolate Raffle.

Millbank Primary will be having a wacky hair and recycled costumes day, while Pudsey biscuits will also be on sale. At Llysfaen Primary all pupils and staff will be dressing up in spotty clothes or pyjamas.

Executive Member for Schools and Lifelong Learning Councillor Freda Salway said: "This snapshot of school activities is a great indication of how many pupils now get involved in Children in Need. As ever I am delighted to see this level of participation for a very worthwhile cause. I know all the schools are hoping to raise more money than last year and I wish them all the very best of luck!"

read more... “Cardiff schools on parade for Pudsey”

Flintshire kids see democracy in action

Pupils from Mountain Lane Primary School will see how their local council works during a visit to Flintshire County Hall, Mold.

The school council will meet Flintshire’s Chairman Councillor Colin Legg and local member Councillor Mike Peers on Friday, November 20, at 10.30am.

They will have a tour of the Council chamber and see how democracy works.

read more... “Flintshire kids see democracy in action”

Parents prosecuted for failing to send children to school

Parents of a local school pupil have been fined and given community orders for not sending their children to school on a regular basis.

Wrexham Council’s Education Social Work Service in conjunction with the authority’s legal department has successfully completed its first prosecution under a section of the education act that could potentially carry a custodial sentence.

The parents were both given a 12 month community order and ordered to pay costs of £120 for failing to send their children to school on a regular basis.

Parents who don’t send their children to school now face stiffer penalties under the education act, including possibility of going to prison.

Wrexham Council has been clamping down on truancy in its schools, with school attendance having seen a significant improvement in recent years. According to figures recently released by the Welsh Assembly Government, Wrexham has the best primary school attendance in Wales, as well as the second best secondary school attendance.

Cllr Arfon Jones, Lead Member for Children (Additional Learning, Families and Support) said:

"Anyone who does not send their child to school should be aware they face severe punishment, including a possible sentence. The authority works very hard to improve school attendance and it is important that both children and parents understand the importance of going to school."

read more... “Parents prosecuted for failing to send children to school”

Open day for redecorated Penally Centre

Pupils attending the Penally Centre have been showing off their decorating skills to the general public.

The building - which was formerly the village school - is part of Pembrokeshire County Council's Behaviour Support Service which assists young people who present social, emotional or behaviour difficulties.

During the summer the pupils have been busy redecorating the property and redesigning the garden and they were able to display their good work at a recent open day.

Many local residents, teachers and outside agency staff from around the county attended along with guest of honour, Pembrokeshire County Councillor Huw George, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People.

He was taken on a tour of the facilities and enjoyed a cup of tea and cake made by the pupils.

The specialised provision provided at the centre also includes access to the National Curriculum, support packages and advice for pupils from the age of 4 to 19 years. In this way, the centre provides a continuum of support for pupils, parents, teachers and schools.

The aim is to look at the individual needs of the child within a nurturing environment.

At primary level pupils attend on a part-time basis. Here more focus can be provided on social, emotional or behaviour issues in a small group setting.

At secondary level the emphasis is on basic skills, life skills and working towards qualifications and independence.

Ms Terina Davies (Head of The Penally Centre) thanks staff and the pupils for their hard work in preparation for the event.

read more... “Open day for redecorated Penally Centre”