I want to write to Tom Giffard
Tom Giffard: ...the bottom of UK rankings for the fifth occasion running. We'll see what happens when the 2022 results come out later this year, but since then, we've only seen significant disruption to children's education in Wales over the last three years because of both the COVID-19 pandemic and now teacher strikes as well. On top of this disruption, Labour-run Bridgend County Borough Council is...
Tom Giffard: 5. How is the Welsh Government ensuring the highest possible quality of school education in South Wales West? OQ59205
Tom Giffard: ...talked about confidence, which is the most important thing when it comes to speaking Welsh and everyday Welsh language skills. But it's also important that people in Wales can have Welsh-medium education, and that's why it was nice to hear Sioned Williams and Mike Hedges talking about the importance of Welsh-medium schools and their availability. And Mike is right: both of us represent...
Tom Giffard: ...in Wales. Welsh is not just a language in the traditional sense. For most of us it’s a story, the story of our journey with the Welsh language. Some of us will have spoken Welsh at home and at school, and will have lived in predominantly Welsh-speaking communities throughout our lives. Perhaps others are learning Welsh for the first time, having developed an interest in or love for our...
Tom Giffard: ...problem: they were worried about leaving the hotel they'd been staying in, they were worried about potentially moving from one location to another and the impact that might have on their child's school, because they've just enrolled in a school in Wales, which was really welcome. But, actually, if they get moved to a different location, they may have to uproot and change all over again,...
Tom Giffard: ..., so we can easily reach other parts of the UK and beyond. Finally, the area of Neath Port Talbot is also part of the NPTC Group of Colleges, which already has an excellent reputation in furthering education and works with industry leaders and universities, so we also have the potential to provide the right skills mix, which will help underpin and deliver this project far into the future....
Tom Giffard: .... So, it's deeply concerning to see evidence that shows that the mental health of children and young people has been severely affected by the pandemic, to the point that they are not attending school. I see that the Minister is looking at a communication strategy to encourage children and young people back into school, and that this messaging could be localised. So, I'd be interested to...
Tom Giffard: What measures is the Welsh Government taking to tackle school absenteeism in South Wales West?
Tom Giffard: Minister, although the new schools in Brackla and Porthcawl, which Sarah just mentioned, are worth welcoming, it’s important to remind ourselves where Bridgend County Borough Council is in terms of the provision of Welsh-medium school places. We know that Bridgend is one of the areas with the lowest numbers of Welsh speakers anywhere in Wales, and one of the reasons for that is that there...
Tom Giffard: Will the Minister provide an update on school absence rates?
Tom Giffard: ...committee and said that sport was not just for people who are really good at sport; sport should be for everybody as well. We heard, though, from many giving evidence during this inquiry, that some schools, even though they benefited from twenty-first century schools project money, and part of that funding was to ensure access for the communities in which they serve facilities, that's not...
Tom Giffard: ...and artwork of people who would perhaps now be seen by some as having a negative background, this could be seen instead, as you mentioned, as an opportunity to add an additional piece of context to educate the public about the full background of the person involved, giving both the problematic details and the reasons why they are commemorated as well. Of course, a balanced view of the...
Tom Giffard: We know that there's a clear correlation between poor academic performance and persistent deprivation. The Education Policy Institute said, and I quote: 'Persistently disadvantaged pupils experienced still larger disadvantage gaps, with those in England suffering a persistent disadvantage gap of 23 months and those in Wales experiencing 29 months. With little sign of these persistent...
Tom Giffard: Will the Minister provide an update on school absence rates?
Tom Giffard: ..., 47 per cent of boys and 51 per cent of girls participate in sport outside of curriculum learning, compared to 43 per cent of boys and just 36 per cent of girls here, according to the recent Wales school sport survey, and that figure is one that's declining too compared to past years. So, what do you think New Zealand is getting right there that the Welsh Government is getting wrong here?
Tom Giffard: How does the Welsh Government ensure that children from poorer backgrounds reach their potential in the Welsh education system?
Tom Giffard: ...funding ones instead. This would support success in UK-wide funding competitions and attract high levels of business investment. But this recommendation has still not been implemented. The Higher Education Funding Council for Wales administers infrastructure funding to universities on behalf of the Welsh Government. Their budget for 2022-23 was £81.7 million. Pro rata, if Welsh...
Tom Giffard: Minister, I think it's important that we stress here that this was due to be a twenty-first century state-of-the-art school with local facilities for children with additional learning needs and a new pool as well, which is much needed in the community. But what must be made clear is the fact that local authorities perhaps need clearer guidance when consulting on issues such as these. This...
Tom Giffard: ...measured, and is there a target here in terms of visitor levels to the area? Given the site’s history, how will the money for community engagement be spent to ensure that families, visitors and schools understand the cultural significance of north-west Wales?
Tom Giffard: ...of all that we do, and yet, since 2011, we've seen 7,000 more pupils enter the classroom and 4,000 fewer teachers to teach them. And that teacher shortage is even more stark in the Welsh language education sector. And while that's in no way a reflection on the dedication and hard work of the profession that we've seen over that time, by consistently failing to recruit enough teachers in...
