On Monday 9th October, 2017, thirty-four Year 7 and 8 pupils from Prestatyn High School enjoyed the opportunity to meet Phil Earle, an author of teenage fiction, at Prestatyn Library. Phil Earle spoke about how, from being a non-reader and reluctant writer at school, he found a love of teenage fiction and decided to try writing his own books for teenagers. Now a several-times published author, he shared his experiences and engaged the pupils with ideas about where stories might come from, giving advice such as, “Let your imagination go for a walk,” and telling them that, “Good fiction asks you questions; it gives you moral dilemmas.” The pupils were clearly enthused, evident when they had the opportunity to offer ideas and ask questions. Some pupils left the talk with story ideas and were keen to start penning their own novels as soon as possible. Watch this space!

Visiting pupils from Vigo, Spain today visitied the Mayor of Prestatyn, Mr Gerry Forbisher, to present his with a gift from Spanish counterpart.

Prestatyn, September 28, 2017 – This afternoon, Mr Forbisher welcomed twelve pupils from Vigo, Spain at Prestatyn Council Chambers. The students are spending three weeks at Prestatyn High School in an exciting project aimed at encouraging language learning in Spain and the UK. The Spanish pupils have been taking lessons side by side with their Year 11 ‘buddies’, all of whom are taking Spanish at GCSE. As well as taking part in lessons across the curriculum, the pupils from Vigo have been getting involved in after-school sports and Spanish Club.

The Vigo programme, championed by the city’s mayor, was set up to encourage students to do well in school. All 12 of the visiting pupils are here because they have worked hard to get high grades in school. The Spanish visitors are staying with local families and taking time out to Snowdonia, Liverpool, Chester and other local attractions; all organised by Prestatyn-based English Plus.

As a thank you to the people of Prestatyn for welcoming these students, the Mayor of Vigo, Mr Abel Caballero, sent a souvenir book and flag to his Prestatyn counterpart and the students handed this to Mr Forbisher at a reception today.

Viviane Vick, Spanish teacher at Prestatyn High School commented Prestatyn pupils were really benefitting from the experience

“My year 11 students are absolutely loving the fact that they get to speak Spanish!”

. The Vigo students are also learning a lot about Britain and really appreciate the friendly welcome they have received, especially from their Prestatyn ‘buddies’.

The visit has been arranged by English Plus, a Prestatyn company that brings hunderds of international students to the área each year; all of whom stay with local host families.

Information regarding school lockdown procedures as advised by the Welsh Government

Read more parents_lockdown Sept 17

PRESTATYN High School has bucked the trend of falling GCSE results in Wales with a 20 per cent rise in the number of pupils achieving C or above in English language.
Many Welsh schools have seen their percentage of pupils achieving a C grade at GCSE in English, maths and three other subjects drop significantly, some schools falling by more than 20 per cent.

Prestatyn High also boasted many “outstanding” individual performances, with more pupils gaining A and A* grades.

Headteacher Neil Foley, who started last September, said:

“These results are fantastic for our pupils who can now go on and study their chosen A levels.
They are even more astonishing when you look at the national data and realise how much more difficult it was this year to achieve well in many subjects.
This is the culmination of 12 months’ hard work, grit and determination and I would also like to thank all of the parents for their support and the staff for their tireless energy”.

Measles

Read more MMR info
NHS Wales official website

Measles is an acute highly infectious viral illness caught through direct contact with an infected person or through the air via droplets from coughs or sneezes. 
 
Symptoms include fever, cold-like symptoms, fatigue, conjunctivitis and a distinctive red-brown rash.
 
Measles is one of a number of notifiable diseases in the UK. Any doctor who suspects that a patient has measles is required by law to report it.
 
Measles infection can be prevented by a highly effective and safe vaccine which is part of the measles-mump-rubella (MMR) immunisation. More information about measles is available from NHS Direct Wales On-line.
 
Take a look at our infographics on ‘What you need to know about measles’, ‘immunisation in school aged children in Wales’ and ‘immunisation in 4 year old children in Wales’. These give information about measles and the MMR and feel free to download and print off your own copy.

Prevention

Measles can be prevented by a highly effective and safe vaccine. This is part of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) immunisation.

mmr vaccinationA complete course of the two doses will protect over 95% of children against measles, mumps and rubella. The current immunisation schedule recommends one dose to be given at around 13 months and a second dose given at between 3-5 years of age.

The MMR vaccine has been used for over 30 years (it was introduced in the US in the 1970s), is currently used in over 100 countries, and more than 500 million doses have been given. Studies from around the world have shown MMR to be a highly effective vaccine, with an excellent safety record. The NHS Choices website has more information about this and other vaccines.

Minimising impact in Wales

One important role of Public Health Wales is the collection and interpretation of data about the levels of infectious disease in the Welsh population. Key infections, including measles, are under constant surveillance, to detect significant trends, to evaluate prevention and control measures and to alert appropriate professionals and organisations to infectious disease threats.

The most effective method of controlling measles is by maintaining high levels of immunisation among vulnerable groups or whole populations. Public Health Wales contribute to this through the work of the Vaccine Preventable Disease Programme (VPDP) and Local Health Protection Teams (HPTs).

These support WAG in setting a strategic direction for immunisation services, support LHBs in managing local services and achieving targets, and support General Practice and Trusts delivering services.

In addition Public Health Wales identify and follow up local cases and outbreaks of measles prevent spread of the disease amongst vulnerable people. VPDP initiates and supports interventions to increase the number of children protected against measles by the MMR vaccine.

It’s lunchtime at a high school in Denbighshire, north Wales, and the aroma of cooked chicken fills the canteen as a dinner lady in a pinstriped apron puts food on to plates. The line of children who are waiting to be served a chicken burger, beans and chips builds around the hall.

The children are here for a free school meal but those queueing won’t be going to lessons afterwards because they are being fed during the summer holidays as part of a scheme that has been boosted by £500,000 from the Welsh government .

The investment comes after a report by MPs this year said up to 3 million children across the UK risk going hungry in the holidays. This summer a record number of food banks across Britain have called for donations due to growing demand during the school holidays. And the problem of holiday hunger came into sharp relief in Wales when a food bank in Swansea ran out of stock.

In Prestatyn high school, student liaison officer James Williams says:

Parents say that having lunch is a huge help for them. Without this some children won’t get meals with the same consistency they do during term time. This is one way for us to guarantee a young person gets two meals a day.

The school’s programme includes meals, visiting speakers and sports activities. Once a week family members join the children for lunch. It has cost around £14,000 to run the scheme during the holidays with, on average, 65 primary-aged children each day in the hall. The Welsh government has given £4,250.

The school ran a pilot last year that helped 25 children, and it hoped to expand the scheme this summer by drafting in different staff and sourcing money from its free school meal budget. I don’t think we could have done it to the capacity we have without the Welsh government funding,

says Williams.

Angela Evans and her son Mathew, 11, enjoyed the lunch club and activities at Prestatyn as she says it helped him make new friends ahead of secondary school.

Read more
The Guardian – Wales takes bite out of children’s holiday hunger