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by West Midlands Magazines | Feb 19, 2024 | Council, Darlaston and Wednesbury, Education, West Midlands, West Midlands Magazines
A primary school in Friar Park has been celebrating after gaining four accreditations in recognition of teaching standards and values.
During the last year, The Priory Primary on Dorsett Road, Wednesbury has been awarded The Artsmark Gold Award from Arts Council England, a Primary Geography Silver Quality Mark to teacher Jennifer Credland-Ballantyne, Enhanced Quality Mark as a Values-based School and the RE Quality Mark Gold for religious education. The Priory Primary is currently rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted.
Councillor Simon Hackett, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education visited the school in recognition of the awards and to thank staff for their efforts and hard work. He said: “The Priory Primary is working hard to give children the best start in life and these national awards are recognition the staff really care about providing quality education. Well done to all involved.”
Headteacher at Priory Primary School, Phillip Butcher is very proud of the efforts made. He said: “Rather than resting on our laurels, it is practice here at The Priory that we proactively assess and validate the quality and impact of our curriculum through a variety of external quality assurance processes. These rigorous external evaluations serve as a testament to our dedication and validate our belief in the strength of our educational provision.
“Recent accolades and awards received underscore our relentless pursuit of excellence. The awards not only recognise the hard work and collaboration of our team but also confirm our own evaluation of our curriculum’s efficacy.
“External assessors have praised our school for its “innovative and forward-thinking approach” and applauded our efforts to engage students in meaningful learning experiences. Their feedback highlights our commitment to providing enrichment opportunities that extend beyond the traditional classroom.
“These awards serve as significant milestones, reflecting the dedication and passion of our entire educational community; including teachers, students, parents, and governors. However, we recognise that maintaining high standards requires ongoing dedication and effort.
“As we move forward, our commitment to excellence remains steadfast. We are determined to not only meet but exceed these high standards, ensuring that we continue to provide the very best education for our students. At The Priory School, we understand that standing still is not an option – only by pushing the boundaries of innovation and excellence can we truly progress.”
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by West Midlands Magazines | Feb 15, 2024 | Darlaston and Wednesbury, Health, Walsall, West Midlands, Willenhall
A series of free community events are set to take place during February and March to help residents across Walsall increase their awareness of cancer, identify signs and symptoms and encourage screening.
The events will take place at Willenhall Chart Centre on Wednesday 21 February, Pelsall Community Centre on Wednesday 6 March and Bloxwich Active Living Centre on Friday 22 March, all from 10am to 2pm.
The events have been organised jointly by Public Health Walsall and the Black Country Integrated Care System (ICS). Each event will raise awareness of cancer screening and support services available, how residents can reduce their risk and create opportunities for anyone affected by cancer to meet others, as well as getting support from clinical specialists, local providers and experts.
Free health and diabetes checks will also be offered at these events.
Councillor Gary Flint, Portfolio Holder for Wellbeing, Leisure and Public Spaces at Walsall Council, said:
“All events are drop-in, and you will have the opportunity to talk to a range of NHS providers, independent organisations and charities about screening, how to spot signs and symptoms and prevent cancer, as well as getting support.
In addition to the community events, a double-decker cancer bus run by the Black Country ICB will make a stop in Walsall Town Centre on Wednesday 28 February from 9:30am to 4pm. Located on Park Street, the bus will offer information on cancer screening and general health and wellbeing advice to people in and around the town centre.
![National recognition for primary school in Sandwell]()
by West Midlands Magazines | Feb 14, 2024 | Bilston, Council, Health, Uncategorized, Wednesfield, Wolverhampton
The City of Wolverhampton Council has been chosen to take part in a pilot scheme offering £1,000 tax-free payments for those starting childcare jobs.
The ‘Do Something Big’ recruitment campaign has been launched by the Department for Education.
As part of the campaign a trial initiative – covering 20 local authorities including Wolverhampton – will see new-starters and those returning to childcare roles given a cash bonus payment shortly after they take up post.
It aims to help ensure nurseries and early years providers have the staff required to offer more childcare places for parents.
The move comes ahead of April when eligible working parents of two-year-olds will get 15 funded hours on top of existing childcare provision – ultimately putting more money in parents’ pockets at the end of the month.
The rollout is set to save working parents using the full 30-hour entitlements up to £6,500 a year.
Councillor Chris Burden, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “We welcome the opportunity to take part in this national pilot scheme.“The recruitment drive will help support our efforts to ensure nurseries and early years providers have the workers they need to be able to offer more childcare places for parents as provision is expanded.
“This will allow more parents to stay in work, supporting the local economy in the knowledge their children are receiving good childcare, laying the foundations for them to achieve their full potential.”
The campaign will look to boost recruitment across the sector by highlighting the array of childcare career routes and progression opportunities offering on-the-job training and flexible hours.
by West Midlands Magazines | Feb 13, 2024 | News, Wednesfield, West Midlands Magazines
Dear Reader, well…we made it!
10 years ago, I had the daft idea to start a magazine and as I live in Wednesfield, I thought that would be the ideal place to start.
They said it wouldn’t work…They said there wouldn’t be enough content to fill a magazine every two months. Others said, give it a try and see what happens.
I did and we’re still here. And it’s all down to you, the readers, our hugely valuable advertisers and those who contribute…So thank you for being part of the adventure. Read more about this journey on page 16 of this issue.
The next issue will cover April and May and will be out on 29th March so if you want to be in it, please contact me by 8th March.
Simon Archer
Publisher
West Midlands Magazines Ltd.
by West Midlands Magazines | Feb 13, 2024 | Council, Environment, Wolverhampton
More than 250,000 trees across Wolverhampton have been carefully inspected and mapped to help protect the city’s green landscape for the future.
The far-reaching inspection programme has included all 258,295 trees that fall under the direct care of City of Wolverhampton Council.
It covers a diverse range of species that are located in streets, near public buildings, in cemeteries and at various parks and open spaces throughout the city.
The inspection programme, which has taken two years to complete, firstly involved identifying the exact number and location of the trees that fall under the care of the council.
Tree inspectors then assessed each tree to determine its specific management needs. Every tree has undergone a thorough health and safety review and any necessary maintenance has been identified and planned in accordance with the council’s Tree Risk Management policy.
The result is a comprehensive city-wide record which will help provide information about any tree under the council’s care.
In addition, the council has also launched an innovative interactive tree inspection map which allows both residents and stakeholders to access real-time information on tree locations and inspections.
Councillor Craig Collingswood, cabinet member for environment and climate change, said: “This is a huge achievement which has been made possible by the dedication of our arboriculture team alongside the development of a digital platform to manage the tree inspection programme and ongoing maintenance.
“Thanks to officers’ efforts in inspecting, cataloguing and tailoring strategies for each one of our 258,295 trees, we are ensuring both public safety and the wellbeing of the trees themselves.
“This comprehensive record and new interactive map will now be vital tools to help us with risk management, maintenance and expansion of our tree stock. This is important work that will benefit generations to come.
“Trees play a vital role in our commitment to tackle climate change. They capture carbon, provide a habitat for wildlife, reduce the effects of summer heat and offer a way to limit the risk of flooding.
“Not only are there huge environmental advantages, but there are health and wellbeing benefits too. Getting outside and creating and enjoying green spaces in our neighbourhoods can make a real difference to peoples’ physical and mental wellbeing.”
The council’s arboriculture team responds to more than 1,600 customer enquiries each year about trees.
These include queries about pruning, fallen and damaged trees, diseased and unhealthy trees and requests for planting.
For more information about the council’s tree service visit www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/environment-and-climate/trees-hedges-and-grass
