Dinas Bran's GCSE results improve after re-grading

* Re-grading has improved pupils' GCSE results at Ysgol Dinas Bran. 

Eight pupils at Ysgol Dinas Bran in Llangollen have seen their GCSE results improve as a result of a re-grading exercise ordered by the Welsh Government.

As regulator of examinations in Wales, the government  recently issued a direction to the WJEC to re-grade this year’s GCSE English Language results after a thorough and detailed review found there were significant problems with the methodology used to award grades.

A cross-border political row broke out after the UK Government’s Education Minister Michael Gove refused to allow a similar re-grading to take place in England.

The WJEC has confirmed that as a result of the re-grading in Wales, 1,202 students will now have their grades increased from a D to a C and 598 from a C grade to a B.

The lowering of grade boundaries also meant there were some changes at other grades, resulting in an overall figure of 2,386 receiving raised grades.

A spokesman for Ysgol Dinas Bran said: “Good news - we have the following re-grades: five from D to C and three from C to B.”

Wales’ Minister for Education and Skills, Leighton Andrews, said:  “What we have seen is the swift resolution of an injustice served to well over 2000 Welsh candidates.

““The decision to direct the WJEC to re-grade was about fairness and ensuring that Welsh students got the grades they deserved for the work they put into their examination.

““We are grateful to those examiners and other staff of the WJEC who worked tirelessly to ensure that candidates received their revised grades on time.

““This announcement was the only acceptable outcome for learners affected by a questionable grading methodology. Candidates can now rest assured that the process used to determine their final grades was fair and just.”

llanblogger passes another milestone!

llanblogger has just passed another significant milestone when we posted the 200th online story since our launch on July 9.

During that time we have also recorded almost 8,000 page views - giving a healthy average daily viewing figure.

That means an increasing number of people are interested in the wide range of news and views we are dedicated to bringing to you, our readers.

And we would like to say a big thank you everyone who has sent in items or read our stories so far.

A growing band of local organisations are now e-mailing in their news items and pictures for us to publish - but we still need more groups and individuals to get involved - all for FREE!

It's simple to contact us by e-mail at llanblogger@gmail.com

We're also on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/Llanblogger and Twitter at @ProbinPhil

We're waiting to hear from you.

Thanks,

The Editor

Plan to protect bikers and youngsters on the road

Given the number of bikers who pass through or visit our town, readers might be interested in an initiative from the Welsh Government.

Ministers have just launched a new consultation to look at improving road safety for motorcyclists and young people.

The Minister with responsibility for Transport, Carl Sargeant, has proposed new targets for casualty reduction as part of a “vision zero” Road Safety Delivery Plan consultation.

 

The consultation, that will set out the Welsh Government’s approach to road safety until 2020, will include specific targets for motorcyclists and young people – the two most vulnerable road users groups.

 

In 2011 motorcyclists accounted for 1% of road traffic in Wales but 39% of those killed and seriously injured, whilst young people made up 11% of driving licence holders but 23% of casualties.
The ambitious plan will also include:

• a continued reduction in the number of people killed and seriously injured on Welsh roads, with the ultimate aspirational goal of no fatalities in the future.
• a 40% reduction in the total number of people killed and seriously injured on Welsh roads by 2020, meaning 562 fewer killed and seriously injured casualties (and 403 fewer than 2011).
• a 25% reduction in the number of motorcyclists killed and seriously injured on Welsh roads by 2020, meaning 64 fewer motorcyclist killed and seriously injured casualties (and 49 fewer than 2011).
• a 40% reduction in the number of young people (aged 16-24) killed and seriously injured on Welsh roads by 2020, meaning 139 fewer young people killed and seriously injured casualties (and 51 fewer than 2011).

The Minister said: "Any death on our roads is avoidable and unacceptable which is why the Welsh Government is committed to reducing casualties and we will do all we can to achieve this.

"There has been a great deal of progress in road safety in recent years, with the number of people killed and seriously injured falling considerably in Wales.

"We can all take pride in the fact that Welsh roads are amongst the safest in the world. However, we must avoid complacency and recognise that there is significant scope for further improvements.

"This plan is not for the short-term – it sets out our approach until 2020.

"In today’s society it may be considered unrealistic to envisage zero fatalities, but it should be a government aspiration to tackle avoidable deaths such as road traffic collisions and do all that we can to avert them.

"We view this ambitious vision zer approach as an acknowledgement of our commitment and want all key partners to share in and work towards making it a reality.”

The Welsh Government Programme for Government includes a commitment to “target high-risk road users (motorcyclists, young drivers and vulnerable road users) through a combination of measures including education, engineering and enforcement.

The consultation will end on 13 December 2012 and the final plan is anticipated to be published in early 2013.

Anti-supermarket group consider legal challenge

A campaign group says it is now looking into a judicial review of last Wednesday’s decision by county planners to give the go-ahead to a new Sainsbury’s supermarket in Llangollen.

Keep Llangollen Special (KLS), which opposes the foodstore being built on the site of the Dobson & Crowther envelope factory off the A5, was left bitterly disappointed by Denbighshire planning committee’s decision to back the plan and a related application to build a replacement factory for Dobson & Crowther – the town’s largest employer – on open land at nearby Cilmedw Farm.

KLS had pinned its hopes on the Welsh Government “calling in” the two applications for a public inquiry to be held into them.

But the group learned on Thursday this was not now likely to be the case.

KLS chair Mike Edwards said: “We are now looking at a judicial review through a prominent organisation because both Denbighshire County Council (DCC) and the Welsh Government (WG) have ignored their own policies.

“The report prepared for DCC by consultants Roger Tym & Partners is fatally flawed in that it, amongst other things, fails to assess the impact of the opening of  Tesco in Cefn Mawr earlier this year and the opening of Stan's in late February.

“We are therefore exploring legal challenges.”

Mr Edwards added:  “If our remaining course of actions fail we will only be left with the knowledge that ‘we told you so’ when Llangollen has lost its butchers, greengrocers, delis and cafes and has empty shops along Castle Street and becomes a clone town like others in the UK.

“This is no consolation to us, but no doubt the electorate will remember this at the next elections for Denbighshire councillors and Senedd members.

“We would like to place on record our thanks to Councillor Rhys Hughes for his attempts to have the applications refused.

“Denbighshire councillors failed to support the local member, which is normal in these circumstances."

 

* Mike Edwards, chair of KLS.

Llan marks Peace One Day

* The bandstand gathering for Peace One Day.

People gathered at the bandstand in Riverside Park, Llangollen, on Friday lunchtime to celebrate 2012 World Peace Day.

Over the last 10 years, Peace Day has been proved as an opportunity for life-saving activities and action by individuals worldwide.

This year Peace One Day is calling for and working towards a day of ceasefire and non-violence - the Global Truce 2012 campaign.

A spokesman for the campaign said: "We hope that this will be the largest global reduction of violence ever recorded on one day – and the largest ever gathering of individuals in the name of peace."

In Llan, a number of people addressed those who turned up on the theme of peace and the event was brought to a close by the vicar of St Collen's, the Rev Andrew Sully.

Season's final diesel day on Llan Railway

* The class 31 loco at Llangollen which is due to leave after the weekend event.

Llangollen Railway’s final diesel running day of the season tomorrow (Saturday) will see three mainline locos and a railcar offering an intensive service on the Dee Valley line.

It is also last day in traffic of the visiting class 31, No. 5580 - an early example of the British Railways modernisation fleet from the late 1950s - before it leaves for the Great Central North at Ruddington..

The class 31 has been at Llangollen for the past two seasons and has made an impression with its early body styling and the unusual two six-wheel bogie arrangement, which is known as an A1A-A1A where the 1 indicates the centre axle is unpowered.

Railway press officer George Jones said: “We are running two diesel-hauled trains to Bonwm, which is believed to be the first time a diesel-hauled passenger train has ever headed West of Carrog, and will allow visitors the chance to see work undertaken so far to extend the line to Corwen.

“We have a visitor on Saturday who will be attending the forthcoming diesel gala along with his friend Stephen Wheeler and, more importantly, his father Colin Wheeler, who spent many years working at the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon works.

“In fact, he went on to write a couple of books about them and also their rivals at Metro Cammel).

“They are planning to travel on the 1pm out of Llangollen so that he can have a ride behind one of his old products that he helped construct, namely D5310 the class 26 locomotive, so the loco will hopefully be reunited with one of the people that helped to build her 54 years ago in 1958.”

Council gets tough on tax evaders

Denbighshire County Council is warning those who wilfully refuse to pay council tax that the penalty can be serious.

The warning follows a 37-day custodial sentence issued to a Rhuddlan resident last week for non-payment of council tax arrears amounting to £2,444.81.

The man in question had failed to make payment in accordance with instructions from a magistrartes court previously, and on being recalled to court on two occasions, he again failed to make payment.

Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill, Cabinet Lead Member for Finance, said: "The majority of Denbighshire residents pay their council tax on time, but in those cases where people refuse to pay, the Council has no option but to try and reclaim what is owed.

"Taking people to court is very much the last resort, but the council will use those powers if necessary and the sentencing in this case highlights how the courts themselves are taking a tough stance".

If any Council Tax payer wishes to discuss their arrears with the Council please phone 01824 706436 or 01824 706321.