Latest news with #Cardigan
BBC News
an hour ago
- General
- BBC News
Maths standards in Wales too low, says Estyn in report
Maths standards in Wales are too low with wide variations in the quality of teaching, according to the schools watchdog.A report by Estyn inspectors said there was a "concerning decline" in the support and training available for maths teachers and a lack of understanding of the new Curriculum for teenagers' performance in maths slumped in the last Pisa international tests, falling further behind other parts of the UK Chief Inspector of Education Owen Evans said too many pupils were not reaching their full potential in the subject. He said: "Strong mathematics education is fundamental not just to individual futures, but to Wales's future prosperity."The report said inspectors saw "aspects of effective teaching and leadership of mathematics" but overall "the quality of teaching of mathematics was too variable and pupils' standards in mathematics were too low".Problems included teachers planning tasks to keep pupils busy rather than focusing on what they wanted them to learn, and not challenging students said education was most effective where teachers had high expectations and pupils were challenged but "in a majority of cases, pupils' progress was limited by aspects of poor teaching"."Pupils who had positive attitudes and enjoyed learning mathematics generally made the best progress," the report schools involved parents, including arranging classes for them. Estyn praised one school - Ysgol Uwchradd Aberteifi in Cardigan, Ceredigion - where all teachers in the department told pupils they were not allowed to say they were weak at maths and there was a policy that all teachers had to talk positively about the concerns in the report included "a lack of understanding of Curriculum for Wales requirements and guidance" and teachers often did not know who to approach to answer any said the variation in the quality of teaching was "partly linked to a reduction in subject-specific support across Wales" adding there was "a lack of professional associations or groups in Wales from which teachers of mathematics could seek advice".School leaders told Estyn it was increasingly difficult to recruit maths specialists and "as a result there is a growing number of non-specialist teachers".The report said the quality of teacher training courses for maths was also "too variable".Estyn said Pisa results supported evidence that standards in maths were too low and the performance of girls in particular had "deteriorated considerably" since 2018-19."In 2023-2024, females on average performed about a third of a grade worse in mathematics and numeracy than in 2018-2019," the report gap between pupils eligible for free school meals and their classmates had also report looked at the teaching of maths for seven to 16-year-olds, and was based on inspection evidence and visits to a sample of said weak skills in maths had "a significant effect on the economy" and "within an increasingly digital and technical age, the need for appropriate standards of numeracy is more important than ever".Chief Inspector Owen Evans added: "Too many pupils in Wales are not reaching their full potential in mathematics because the quality of teaching and leadership varies so widely between schools."We need to raise expectations for all learners and provide our teachers with the subject-specific training and support they need to help every pupil succeed."
Wales Online
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Welsh coastal holiday hotspot dubbed a ‘hotbed of culinary wizardry' by The Financial Times
Welsh coastal holiday hotspot dubbed a 'hotbed of culinary wizardry' by The Financial Times With a vast selection of culinary venues, Ceredigion has been praised by the leading newspaper Pizza Tipi, Cardigan (Image: Pizza Tipi ) One Welsh county has been celebrated for its abundance of delicious food venues by leading newspaper, The Financial Times. Ceredigion was hailed a 'hotbed of culinary wizardry' by the newspaper after they visited the county in west Wales, finding a mix of local food and drink hotspots. The account highlighted the plethora of top class options available in the county as well as the dining scene in and around Cardigan town, including bakeries Crwst and Bara Menyn, the Brat supperclub at Ffrorest Ffarm, Caws Teifi and also Llys Meddyg, just over the border in Newport, Pembrokeshire. Attributing the Michelin-starred Brat resdidency at Fforest to the quality of local produce, farmers, fishermen and growers that exists in this part of Wales,' writer Ajesh Patalay says: ""Parry's residence is testament to the quality of local produce, farmers, fishermen and growers that exists in this part of Wales. "It also speaks to the vibrant dining scene that's grown up in and around Cardigan over recent years." Hailing from Anglesey, founder of Brat, Tomos Parry, served up cockles and laverbread, sweetbreads and leeks at Fforest farm in Cardigan earlier this year, and he'he's back for the Brat x Mountain x Fforest supper club in September. For the latest restaurant news and reviews, sign up to our food and drink newsletter here Chef Tomos Parry runs the Brat restaurant in Shoreditch and now Soho's Mountain restaurant as well (Image: Brat ) His London restaurant, Brat, that was once named amongst the world's 100 best restaurants and he's also behind Soho venue, Mountain. Cardigan is also home to an award-winning café and popular brunch spot, Crwst, that has been open since 2018. Award-winning Crwst's sweet treat (Image: Portia Jones ) Crwst, founded by husband and wife Osian and Catrin Jones, serves fresh baked goods as well as signature dishes including their seaweed hash browns. The café serves a wide selection of fresh doughnuts made at an offsite bakery on Bath House Road in the heart of Cardigan. Nearby is Bara Menyn, opened by Aberystwyth-born writer Jack Smylie Wild with his family ten years ago. He told The FT: 'When we opened Bara Menyn in 2015, people thought we were crazy: 'You can't open a sourdough bakery in Cardigan: they do good bread in Aldi.' Now people drive all the way from Aberystwyth.' The café is still serving fresh baked goods after a decade of the Ceredigion native opened the location a decade ago. Also praised in the piece were Pizza Tipi, Michelin and Good Food Guide beloved, Yr Hen Printworks and Templebar Cafe and Farmshop in Nevern. Not only does Cardigan have a great supply of culinary establishments it is also known for its rich history, art and culture. You can read about the best way to spend 48 hours in the buzzing town here. Article continues below Read The Financial Times' full piece, here.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Keir Starmer is wasting his time trying to defeat Putin's army
If he is not careful, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer could find himself metaphorically riding alongside Lord Cardigan astride his horse Ronald in a modern day version of the Light Brigade's disastrous cavalry charge. For Starmer, it is not the valley of death in Balaclava he faces, which was brilliantly described in Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem of tribute to the brigade's immortal six hundred men. Instead, this 'valley of death' is the concept of a 'defence dividend' the Labour Party is counting on to remove itself from political life support. Unlike the promised 'peace dividend' arising from the end of the Cold War that was never delivered, Starmer's defence dividend is intended to supercharge Britain's economic growth, and thus save the Labour Party from an ignominious defeat. In 2027, the UK will increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of its GDP. This stimulus, the public has been told, will strengthen both the British military and provide hundreds of thousands of jobs to build a new arsenal of democracy. However, as with Cardigan, this charge has more than a few problems that must be fixed if Labour is to retain power. Consider three. This increase in defence spending, according to currently serving senior British military officers, will not sustain the already tiny UK force, most likely bringing further reductions. Along with the submarine nuclear deterrent, the Royal Navy has two aircraft carriers and sixteen surface combatants. The Army is down to about 70,000 soldiers. The Royal Air Force musters 137 Typhoon fighter-bomber jets and with the RN 35 F-35B's scheduled to be increased to 74 by 2033. As former UK Chief of Defence General The Lord David Richards notes, the brigade he commanded (about 5-7,000 soldiers) in Germany during the Cold War had more firepower than the British Army has today. So unless a new strategy or real change is imposed, the defence dividend will not improve the state of the UK military. Second, if history matters, more defence spending is unlikely to empower the substantial economic growth Labour needs to become competitive. Under Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, large defence spending increases were made. But the economic impact was minor and huge budget deficits accrued. Third, the most important consequence is strategic. Increasing defence spending will do nothing to address the most dangerous threat currently posed by Russia. Devastated by losses in Ukraine, a Russian military attack on Western Europe or even the threat of one should not be the principal strategic focus. That Russia is supposedly stiffening defences on its 1400 mile border with Finland is meant to justify the threat to the West. An example is a small decrepit hospital being upgraded near that border. Almost certainly, the hospital is being renovated to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of wounded Russians as far from public view as possible. Yet, who in power in the West will argue that the likelihood of a Russian attack West is practically zero? No one can win or would fight a nuclear war. It will take five and probably double that number of years for the Russian military to recover from the thrashing it is taking in Ukraine – the US military needed about a decade to rebuild after Vietnam. So what does Vladimir Putin do? The answer is 'active measures,' often mischaracterised as 'hybrid, asymmetric war or grey zone operations.' Active measures include espionage; infrastructure and cyber attacks; mis- and disinformation; psychological operations; assassinations and intimidation; and massive propaganda among other tools from Lenin's playbook. Clearly the West is not ignorant of this threat. But complaints are not action. Can some of this defence dividend be used to counter Russia's 'active measures' beyond whatever resources are currently allocated? Rather than spend a bit more to defend against active measures, money will go to deterring a distant conventional military threat that may never fully materialise. Active measures cannot be countered with what the defence dividend and spending on traditional forces will buy: ships, aircraft, expensive combat systems and vehicles. And, frankly, when the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) is released, do not count on it addressing this issue. So can this strategic disconnect with Russian active measures be repaired? Putin must be thinking what a geostrategic windfall this is for him. Putin knows that reconstituting his forces takes time. But the US and its European allies are convinced that the Russian army still represents a potent military threat to Nato. Thus, Putin can run virtually unchecked in exploiting active measures. Is anyone in Number 10 listening? Harlan Ullman is UPI's Arnaud de Borchgrave Distinguished Columnist Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
CBC
6 days ago
- General
- CBC
Crew members safe after hydrogen air balloon heading for Europe makes emergency landing in P.E.I.
Three crew members are safe after a hydrogen air balloon on a transatlantic flight path had to make an emergency landing in Prince Edward Island. The balloon landed in a swamp near Cardigan, where crew members became stuck, said the Halifax-based Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre (JRCC). The rescue centre said a local EMS team treated one crew member for minor injuries, and all three are safe. JRCC is no longer involved after assessing the situation, the centre told CBC News. The Torabhaig Atlantic Explorer was aiming to be the first craft of its kind to cross the Atlantic Ocean, according to the group's website. A post on the site said the balloon, "piloted by Bert Padelt and co-piloted by Peter Cuneo and Alicia Hempleman-Adams, will take flight as part of an audacious adventure of old friends on a journey that will look for new scientific discoveries while aiming to become the first ever flight of an open basket hydrogen balloon across the Atlantic." The project's website said the balloon took off from Presque Isle, Maine, on May 5. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has been made aware of the landing and is collecting data and assessing the incident, the federal agency confirmed. RCMP were called to assist, but are no longer involved as there is no investigation, police said. In the hour before the emergency landing, many Prince Edward Islanders noted the white aircraft in the sky and posted photos and questions about it on social media.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
Dad thrown behind bars over vile threats to kill his own son
A MAN who was 'motivated through revenge' has been jailed after he made a series of threats to kill his own son. Fraser Bourke-Connell, 53, and his partner were driving home from the theatre in Cardigan on September 7 last year. As they were driving, the defendant 'became erratic' and demanded that she took him to his son's house, saying that his son 'can't get away with ruining my evening'. He continued to say his son 'needs to die' and said 'I need to kill him tonight'. The defendant was arrested, and was released on bail. Ms Walton told the court that during a conversation with his mental health community advocate on October 4, Bourke-Connell said that he wanted to kill his son, before disclosing he wanted to 'stab him with his own femur'. Days later, Bourke-Connell made further threats against his son during a phone call with his mental health community advocate that he wanted to strangle his son and mutilate him. He also suggested that he would make his partner watch this. On the evening of October 7, the defendant turned up at his son's step-brother's home and asked where the spare keys were to his son's car. When the step-brother refused to tell him, Bourke-Connell pushed his finger into his chest and threatened to 'smash everything' in his storage container. He also threatened that he would then go and smash his son's car. Bourke-Connell was also charged with harassment against his son, relating to a series of unwanted messages between June 30 and August 31 last year. In the messages, the defendant told his son that he 'wanted him to die', and that he 'wanted to snap his leg and stab him in the chest with it'. 'It was motivated through revenge,' Ms Walton said. The defendant, of Cilgerran, admitted two offences of making threats to kill, as well as sending threatening communications, threatening to damage property, and harassment without violence. Ms Walton said the defendant had one previous conviction for three offences dating back to 2000. Emily Bennett, in mitigation, said the period since his last offences showed 'he is able to live a law-abiding life'. She said the defendant's guilty pleas – which came two months before his scheduled trial – showed that he was taking responsibility for his actions. Bourke-Connell was now accepting support for his mental health diagnosis whilst in custody, Ms Bennett added, and he had also completed courses in order to help him upon his release from prison. She said that the defendant had sought help from the police prior to these offences 'due to receiving threats'. Judge Catherine Richards sentenced Bourke-Connell to a total of 18 months imprisonment, and granted his son a three-year restraining order against him. The prosecution offered no evidence on the remaining charges, and Judge Richards entered not guilty verdicts.
