Politics

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Celebrating digital skills in Welsh teaching

The NDLE brings together educators from across Wales to identify and share examples of good digital practice currently taking place in schools and colleges across Wales.

Changes to the Welsh curriculum mean digital skills are now developed and taught through all parts of a pupil’s schooling and not just isolated to specific ICT or computer science classes.

The Cabinet Secretary said this new approach means more than just using computers and she wants to equip pupils with the digital skills necessary to succeed in the modern world.

Kirsty Williams said, “I am determined to support learners in Wales so that not only are they competent users of technology, but that they become creative authors of technology also.

“I am clear we need to help both teachers and learners develop the skills and confidence to navigate this new world and make good use of the opportunities it provides.

“I am delighted to be here to celebrate the work of our finest practitioners and hope we can all learn something from the very best and brightest in our profession.”

The theme for NDLE 2017 is ‘Creative approaches to implementing the Digital Competence Framework’ building on the introduction of the Digital Competence Framework on 21 September 2016.

The Digital Competence Framework (DCF) was developed by Pioneer schools supported by external expertise and Welsh Government staff. At the beginning of this school year, the Digital Competence Framework was made available to schools in Wales, and this is the first element of the new curriculum to be introduced in Wales. 

The Cabinet Secretary was keen to praise the work of all schools in integrating the DCF and explained how her office had been inundated with positive comments, from the UK and around the world, about Wales’ commitment to and ambition for digital skills

This year’s National Digital Learning Awards recognises the best digital practice in four categories, and the winners for each of those categories were as follows:

  • Digital Project Award – awarded jointly to Year 2 pupils at Cadoxton Primary School, Barry for their project ‘Challenging Pioneers’, and Ysgol Bro Banw, Ammanford, for their project ‘The Superheroes’.
  • Online Safety Award – also Ysgol Bro Banw, for their project Developing Digital Competence through flip teaching.
  • Hwb Community Resource Award – Alexandra Roe from Coedcae School, Llanelli, for the WJEC RS Judaism Playlist.
  • National Digital Learning Council’s Pupil Award – Phillipstown Primary in New Tredegar, for Techno Tribe Teaches.
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Welsh Government •

These figures reveal the scale of the crisis the Tories have created for our schools – Angela Rayner

Angela Rayner MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, commenting on the release of the Schools Workforce statistics showing that more teachers are leaving the profession than joining, said:

“These figures reveal the scale of the crisis the Tories have created for our schools.                  

“The Government’s responsibility is to ensure our schools have the resources they need to train enough teachers. The Tories have failed to do so.

“This is a damning verdict on seven years of failure from Conservative governments, and without urgent action on teacher recruitment and retention, a generation of children will pay the price for that failure.”  

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Labour •

Press release: New M40 noise barriers: opportunity to find out more

A £5 million plan to cut traffic noise for many people living along an 11.5 mile section of the M40 in Buckinghamshire and South Oxfordshire is now on show .

Highways England will install new noise reducing barriers at eight locations along the M40 between Loudwater (near junction 3 of the motorway) and Stokenchurch (near junction 5) in Buckinghamshire.

The plans are now available online, and a public event will be held on 30 June in High Wycombe. Construction is due to start in the autumn.

existing noise reduction barriers along the M40

Highways England project manager David Owen said:

These new barriers will help to cut traffic noise for many people living in these eight locations. Together with the resurfacing work that we have already completed, they should bring real improvements for communities along the M40.

We have been working hard with our partners to make sure that the plans will deliver the most benefit for the greatest number of people, and we’re now able to share our plans with people locally and answer their questions. This is a great opportunity to find out more before we start work, both online and in person, so please visit our website and come and see us on 30 June.

The proposals have been developed by Highways England in partnership with the M40 Chiltern Environmental Group (M40 CEG), Wycombe District Council and South Oxfordshire District Council.

The noise reduction barriers will be installed at the following locations:

  • Stokenchurch
  • Wheeler End/Lane End
  • Booker Cressex
  • Daws Lea
  • Flackwell Heath
  • Loudwater
  • Wooburn Moor (north)
  • Wooburn Moor (south)

Information about the project including the proposed nature and exact location of the barriers is available online now, and a public information event where people will be able to talk to the project team, will take place on 30 June between 1pm and 8pm at Wycombe Leisure Centre, Handy Cross, High Wycombe, HP11 1UP.

For further details and to keep up to date about the project, visit the scheme website. If you have any further queries about the project, please email us at M40noise@highwaysengland.co.uk

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

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HM Government

News story: Manchester Project Griffin Event

On Friday 16 June 2017 around 750 people gathered at Manchester’s One Central Convention Complex for a Project Griffin briefing. Attendees came from a range of industry sectors, including retail, hospitality, entertainment, and travel, to learn how they can protect against terrorist attacks, and what to do in the event of a major incident unfolding.

These briefings are typically given to groups of between 30 and 50 people, with the previous largest in Manchester consisting of around 140 attendees. With this event being delivered to more than five times that number, it demonstrates the desire of local businesses to keep their employees, and the wider public, safe from harm.

The briefing consisted of a package devised by the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) and delivered by Counter Terrorism Security Advisors (CTSA) from the North West Counter Terrorism Unit (NWCTU).

Project Griffin is a NaCTSO initiative to help protect our workers, businesses and communities from the threat of terrorism. Launched in 2004, Project Griffin builds on existing partnerships between counter terrorism police, emergency services and local companies, helping businesses improve their security and preparedness plans in order to better protect their staff and customers.

Companies have to guard against a variety of potential threats, ranging from crude attacks by lone attackers inspired by terrorist or extremist political ideologies, to sophisticated directed plots requiring significant planning and resources.

Detective Chief Superintendent Scott Wilson, the national police coordinator for Protect and Prepare, said:

Project Griffin has been a vitally important strand of our policing strategy for more than a decade, but recent atrocities in Manchester and London have brought into sharper focus the necessity for police and our partners in industry to work closely together.

I am delighted to see this partnership is flourishing in the North West, and I am sure this is typical of the close relationship police forces around the country share with their local businesses.

While there is no specific intelligence to say an attack is imminent, the threat from terrorism is Severe and that means an attack is highly likely. But it is important to keep a sense of perspective.

Our aim is to move public thinking from an irrational fear of terrorism to a rational concern, where the nature of the current threat is better understood, and staff members know what to do if they find themselves involved at the scene of a terrorist incident or if they should witness the preparations for a future attack.

This may include recognising and reporting suspicious behaviour, dealing with a suspect package, or how they react to a firearms or weapons attack, even though such events are thankfully rare.

We have recently renewed our crowded places guidance to ensure that both the public and industry have the most up-to-date information on how to mitigate the risk from terrorism, and that guidance can be found on the NaCTSO website.

Vaughan Allen, Chief Exec of CityCo, the city centre management company for Manchester and Salford, said:

Since the tragic night of the bomb, CityCo has been working with businesses to keep the city open and help ensure everyone working, living and visiting here feels safe.

It’s a sign of how seriously businesses take the need for their staff to be as well informed as possible that this Project Griffin event will be one of the largest ever counter terrorism awareness events in the UK.

CityCo will continue to work with our partners at NWCTU and Greater Manchester Police in the months to come, rolling out further training and ensuring businesses have up-to-date and accurate advice.

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HM Government