Wales to stick with GCSEs and A levels

GCSE and A levels will be retained in Wales, alongside a revised, more rigorous, Welsh Baccalaureate.

 

That is the message from the Deputy Minister for Skills, Jeff Cuthbert, as he outlined the Welsh Government’s response to the Review of Qualifications for 14 to19-year-olds.

 

The recommendations to create new GCSEs in English Language and Welsh First Language, as well as two new GCSEs covering numeracy and mathematical techniques, have also been accepted.

These will be introduced in September 2015 and will reflect and support the improvements expected from the new Literacy and Numeracy Framework.

The Deputy Minister for Skills, Jeff Cuthbert said: "We are broadly accepting all of the Review’s recommendations and are setting a clear strategic direction and vision for qualifications in Wales.

"We will retain GCSEs and A levels. Where necessary we will strengthen and amend these, but ultimately we have confidence in these well established qualifications, which are recognised around the world.

"People expect GCSEs to assess literacy and numeracy, this is why we are developing new GCSEs to do just this. Having two mathematics GCSEs will reflect the importance of the subject for progression and employment. We will expect most learners to take both these GCSEs.

"At the heart of this system will be a revised, more rigorous, Welsh Baccalaureate. The Review identified clear support for this qualification. But we will not rest on our laurels, the Review also noted some concerns over the rigour of the current model and we will act to address these, introducing grading and more stretching requirements.

“We will further develop the detailed model put forward by the Review and consider whether there is a case for incorporating specific subjects, such as science.

“We will continue to engage with stakeholders to ensure that the Welsh Baccalaureate provides both breadth and rigour, together with an engaging learning experience.”

The aim is to introduce the revised Welsh Baccalaureate for teaching from September 2015.

Other key recommendations being accepted are:

• The introduction of a new, stronger gatekeeping process for vocational qualifications to ensure that public funding is only approved for qualifications that have quality, rigour, relevance and value. This will reduce the number of qualifications available and simplify the picture for learners, parents and employers.
• A maximum equivalence of two GCSEs for vocational qualifications, where justified, from 2015.
• Removing the Essential Skills Wales qualifications for 14-16 from 2015 with revised Essential Skills and Wider Key Skills qualifications, to be introduced in 2015 for post 16 learners.

The Education Minister, Leighton Andrews, has already accepted and outlined the establishment of Qualifications Wales, a new body to regulate and assure the quality of all qualifications, other than degree level, in Wales.

Try a 10-mile trek for charity

 

Being billed as the perfect way to brush off those winter blues and stride into spring is the 10 Mile Llangollen Canal Walk in aid of Hope House planned for Sunday, March 3.

 

The walk will follow a beautiful scenic route overlooking the Dee Valley and goes from Trevor Basin to Chirk Bank and back along the Ccnal towpath.

 

There are some challenges along the way as walkers brave two  high aqueducts and two long tunnels (torches are a must!)

 

Marshalls will be on hand to guide walkers and the trek starts and finishes at The Telford Inn where they serve lovely Sunday lunches to finish off your day.

The walk starts at 10:30am and will take up to four hours to complete.

 

Maps will be given on the day. The path is flat, however, it is not suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs.

 

The event is open to all ages and is free to register and with no minimum sponsorship requirement walkers are just asked to raise what they can for Hope House.

For more details, contact: 

H The Fundraising Office, Nant Lane, Morda, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY10 9BX

( 01978 754 018

:www.hopehouse.org.uk

Police appeal after two Llan properties broken into

Investigations are under way after two unoccupied properties in Llangollen were broken into.

 

Two others, one in Llansannan and another in Ruthin, were also targeted by offenders.   

 

North Wales Police say nothing is believed to have been stolen from the first property in Llangollen which was broken into on January 22.

 

An untidy search was made after the offender or offenders gained entry by forcing a window.

 

On Thursday, January 24, a second property in Llangollen was broken into.

 

An untidy search was again made, however at this time it is unclear if anything was taken.

Police believe that the incidents in Llangollen are linked.

Jewellery was amongst items taken from a property in Llansannan which was targeted sometime between 2.19pm and 2.24pm on Monday, January 21, after a door at the rear of the property was forced.

 

On the same day, between 3.30pm and 3.50pm, a property was broken into in the Ruthin area.

 

Offenders gained entry to a garage and house and stole items from inside.

A person, possibly male, was seen near the property in Llansannan around the time of the offence and was described as being tall, wearing a dark coloured coat/ jacket and a brightly coloured red woollen hat.

 

Similarly, a male described as wearing a red coloured bobble hat was seen travelling in the vicinity of the property in the Ruthin area a short time after the offence had occurred.

 

The male was with another on a motorbike. Both were described as being aged between 20 and 30 with one possibly wearing a blue lumber style jacket.

Police are keen to trace the men and are appealing to anyone who may have seen them to get in touch.

“In all cases the offenders have targeted properties which were unoccupied at the time, and once inside made an untidy search,” said Inspector Siobhan Edwards.

 

“We believe the same individual/s are responsible for the incidents in Llangollen and different offender/s are responsible for the offences in the Ruthin area and we remain extremely keen to speak to anyone with information.”

Insp Edwards added: “I’d like to reassure residents that inquiries are well underway. House to house investigations have been undertaken and our work is continuing. As well as making this appeal, I also want to urge people to remain vigilant and report anything they may deem suspicious to us immediately.”

Anyone who may have witnessed anything suspicious or who may have information regarding the burglaries should contact North Wales Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111Householders urged to remain vigilant.

Llan Operatic attracts new faces for next show

* Appearing for the first time with Llangollen Operatic Society will be, from left, Luke Meyers, Paul Bailey, Stephanie Cottam and Laura Haliwell.

LLANGOLLEN Operatic Society has attracted a record number of new faces for its next production, the evergreen Cole Porter musical Anything Goes.

Ten fresh performers will make their debut with the society when the show takes to the Llangollen Town Hall stage with a 30-strong cast from Tuesday-Saturday, April 16-20.

The story concerns madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London in the 1930s.

Billy Crocker is a stowaway in love with heiress Hope Harcourt, who is engaged to Lord Evelyn Oakleigh.

Nightclub singer Reno Sweeney and Public Enemy Number 13 Moonface Martin aid Billy in his quest to win Hope.

Taking the role of Billy Crocker is newcomer Paul Bailey from Sarnau near Bala, while local girl Dani Chamberlain – fresh from her success playing Wendy Darling in the Llangollen pantomime Peter Pan – will notch up an Operatic first playing Hope Harcourt.

Other Llangollen first-timers will be Steph Cottam as Bonnie, Luke Meyers as a steward, Brett Jones playing a photographer, George Nelson as another cameraman and Andrew Sully as the ship’s purser.

Andrew’s day job is vicar of St Collen’s Church, Llangollen, and he has previously appeared in productions for the town’s 20 Club drama group.

To prove the show will be a family affair, Andrew’s daughter Joanna Stallard is playing one of the Angels alongside Laura Haliwell and Alysha Cookson.

Show director Chrissie Ashworth said: “At a time when some other amateur societies are struggling to attract new members and some are actually closing it’s great to see we have so many new people appearing in Anything Goes.

“Most of the new members are also young people, which is also good to see as it is so important that societies like ours get new blood, enabling us to hopefully carry on for many years to come.”

Before signing on to play Billy Crocker, 33-year-old Paul Bailey had previously appeared in a number of amateur productions in Leeds and Manchester, mainly performing as tenor leads in Gilbert & Sullivan musicals. 

He said: “G & S pieces are mostly singing so coping with lots of dialogue as I’ll have to do as Billy Crocker is going to be a bit of a challenge but I’m very much looking forward to doing it.

“Landing the role of the leading man was unexpected but is a fantastic opportunity.”

Director Chrissie Ashworth added: “The Llangollen society last performed Anything Goes in 1999 when it was a great success, so we’re all looking forward to doing it again.

“We chose it because it is a funny show with plenty of action and plenty of chorus participation.

“It also features lots of marvellous Cole Porter songs such as I Get a Kick Out of You, You’re the Top and It’s De-Lovely.”

AM's concern over media job cuts

Clwyd South Assembly Member Ken Skates has expressed his concern at the proposed job losses and restructuring at Media Wales.

The AM who recently chaired an Assembly Task and Finish Group into the future of the Media in Wales said plans to cut 16 editorial jobs and outsource content to a new centre in Liverpool was devastating news.

He said Media Wales papers like the Western Mail were ‘part of the Welsh DNA’ and that continually cutting resources to national and local titles would damage Welsh democracy.

He added: “Trinity Mirror's announcement that 16 editorial jobs are to be lost at Media Wales is very worrying indeed.

“I understand one of the proposals is to close down the features department and create a unit based in Liverpool to produce generic content for a Welsh audience. This will only serve to damage the unique Welsh identity and flavour of the paper.

"Unfortunately this is part of wider problem in print journalism and we have seen a slow drip of editorial cuts at Media Wales titles and other established newsprint groups over the last 10 years.

“This is particularly worrying for Wales because papers like the Western Mail are part of the Welsh DNA. The steady erosion of a vital platform for unique Welsh journalism and the loss of good people at important papers should be a concern to us all.

“The Management at Trinity Mirror needs to enter into serious negotiations with the NUJ.

“We should be under no illusions, cuts like these are steadily damaging Welsh democracy. If we stand by and let the national, regional and local printed press in Wales wither on the vine, then scrutiny of our politics and our public life will be much the poorer.”

High satisfaction rating for Welsh health services

Asked what they thought about health services in Wales, people gave them a score of 6.5 out of 10, which compares favourably with other European countries.

That is the main message from the latest statistical bulletin, covering January-March 2012, presenting results from the National Survey for Wales, produced by the Welsh Government.

Other key results are:

·         92% of people who saw a GP in the last 12 months and 92% of people who had a hospital appointment in the last 12 months were fairly or very satisfied with the care received

·         31% of people who made an appointment with a GP found it difficult to make a convenient appointment. Of those, 42% said this was because they had to wait a long time for an appointment

·         97% of people who saw a GP agreed that they were treated with dignity and respect; 95% of people who attended a hospital appointment agreed they were treated with dignity and respect

·         Of people who attended A&E in the last 12 months, 23% said they travelled by ambulance. 84% of people who attended A&E found it easy to travel there

·         24% of people agreed that they were kept informed about how local health services were performing. 59% would like more information about how local health services are performing.

Sale agreed for empty Oakleigh

* Oakleigh has been sold after lying empty for over two years. 

llanblogger exclusive

Oakleigh, the former mental health resource centre on Abbey Road, Llangollen, has just been sold after lying empty for over two years.

Agents Legat Owen, whose Chester office has been handling the disposal of the imposing property in front of the Eisteddfod field, has told llanblogger that its owners, the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB),  accepted an offer for it yesterday (Monday).

Asking price for Oakleigh has been £350,000 although Legat Owen said the terms of the agreed sale would remain confidential.

This latest development comes at the end of a formal bidding process which closed on January 18.

A statement from the agents says: “We are pleased to be able to confirm that following a competitive bidding process BCUHB have today accepted an offer for the sale of Oakleigh.
 
“Solicitors are in the process of being instructed to prepare contract documentation with a view to progressing towards an early exchange of contracts and completion
 
“The terms of the agreed sale are confidential between the parties.”

The property has been empty since September 2010 when it was sold off by the board as surplus to its requirements. 

Legat Owen’s details for the sale show that Oakleigh covers 306 square metres (3,293 square feet) on a site of 0.28 hectares (0.69 acres).  

The description continues: “Oakleigh comprises an attractive two storey period propertyfof brick construction under a pitched timber framed roof with clay tile covering.  

“Internally the property retains many of its original features.  

“The property has a rateable value of £10,000 and is available for sale freehold.  

“The property offers potential for a variety of alternative uses subject to securing the appropriate planning permission.  

“Planning permission has recently been granted for a change of use to a residential dwelling.” 

A Freedom of Information request submitted to BCUHB by llanblogger last year showed the annual cost of maintenance and security of the property while it remained empty was £500 a year. 

Oakleigh has often been mentioned in connection with proposals by BCUHB for major changes to health services in Llangollen.

Legat Owen said it is not able to give any details of the buyer.