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Visit of Cabinet Secretary for Education to local school

Published: 29/06/2017

Kirsty Williams, Welsh Education Minister visited Ysgol Bryn Deva in Connah’s Quay today (Thursday, 29 June). She was there to look at the “Touching the Sky” project and “Clwb Seren Bach” which have both been recognised as excellent practice by Estyn in their 2016 report. Ysgol Bryn Deva pupils are the first children in Wales to take part in a project to improve their fitness levels, their spoken Welsh and their academic achievement levels. The school, working in conjunction with Glyndwr University, set up a project called ‘Touching the Sky.’ Junior children’s fitness was tested and then, over the following 8 months, they took part in various activities in preparation to walk up Snowdon, which they did on 26 May this year. Steve Thomas, Bryn Deva PE Leader, said: “As a school, we really want to promote a healthy lifestyle including physical activity and a healthy diet, to improve our children’s overall well-being. So far it has had a really positive effect on our pupils.” The school also set up ‘Clwb Seren Bach’ in order to improve the academic and social performance of pupils in the Foundation Phase who were struggling to cope in whole-class settings. Flintshire County Council’s Leader, Councillor Aaron Shotton, said: “Ysgol Bryn Deva attained excellent in their Estyn inspection last year for their partnership working, care, support and guidance and a best practice case study has been published by Estyn. The school is part of an Estyn Best Practice Thematic Study into how schools are engaging with recommendations following the Donaldson report, specialising, in Bryn Deva’s case, in well-being. I am delighted to be able to show the Minister one of our schools which is a shining light in promoting pupil well-being as a central part to the curriculum.” Cabinet Secretary for Education Kirsty Williams said: “The new curriculum in Wales will put issues of health and wellbeing at the core of education - I want all of our young people to leave school as healthy confident individuals. The work going on here at Bryn Deva is fantastic and it was a pleasure to speak to children and staff.”