Parliamentary group puts dyslexia on schools agenda

CHANGES to the school curriculum across the country could be triggered by a new all-party Parliamentary group on dyslexia which has been group started by West Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger (pictured).
Around 200 members of the House of Commons and the Lords have now signed up to the Dyslexia Parliamentary Group.
The group has already won the attention of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools, Lord Andrew Adonis, who wants to be kept informed of its progress.
Mr Liddell-Grainger, who is dyslexic, was told it was the first time anybody had started such a group in Parliament.
He said: “It is also one of the biggest groups in the House and, as well as MPs and peers, the various dyslexia groups in the UK are signing up to it.
“One thing that is already clear and which we have found absolutely horrifying is the attitude of so many local education authorities towards children with dyslexia.
“The way they work and operate is just not good enough.
“Taking the country as a whole, there are hundreds of cases of young people with educational problems like dyslexia that are just not being addressed.
“As chairman of the Parliamentary Dyslexia Group, I am determined to make it better.”
Mr Liddell-Grainger said Lord Adonis had been ‘immensely supportive’ and had agreed to address the group.
He said: “Not only that, but he would like us to look at the way the country is working in providing special educational needs for children.
“So, the group wants to come up with a strategy that can be adopted into the curriculum by schools throughout the UK.”
Photo submitted.

Pupils relaunch community Co-op store for town

PUPILS of Knights Templar School, Watchet, performed a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially launch a £220,000 new-look Co-op store in the town
The store, in Liddymore Road, was bought from the Spar group in February and has since been completely revamped.
It now features the consumer-owned retailer’s latest convenience format with modern décor and a more shopper friendly layout.
The pupils were thanked by store manager Derek Farley for taking part in the opening and presented with £200 for school funds to mark the occasion.
Mr Farley said: “As a community retailer it is appropriate that we involve the community in our special events and we are delighted our local school is playing a central role in the relaunch of our store.”
The store now has ‘Access for All’ automatic doors, new fittings and refrigeration, plus a more shopper-friendly layout.
An emphasis has been placed on chilled and fresh foods, and popular services including the lottery, PayPoint and the home delivery service have been retained.
As a leading supermarket supporter of Fairtrade, The co-operative’s popular Fairtrade products also feature and the store also carries the retailer’s own health and beauty range with products which have not been tested on animals.
Shoppers also benefit from The co-operative’s policy on ‘honest labelling’, which gives the full facts about its food and drink products, and they can carry shopping home in 100 per cent degradable bags.
Mr Farley said: “We provide a much-valued service for the local community and I am confident our shoppers will be delighted with our improved store and wider selection of goods, which will better meet all the community’s daily grocery needs.”

• Our photograph shows Mr Farley with pupils Chloe Rendell, Darcey Allen, Yasmin Turner, Tarsha Coleman, Kapric Gregory, and Sam Price. Photo by Mark the Photographer, ref M030026. Order image reprints online at www.tcpbymtp.co.uk.

MP presses Minister for better school transport and special needs education

WEST Somerset mp Ian Liddell-Grainger is pressing the Schools Minister, Lord Andrew Adonis, to improve school transport in the district and also the provision of special needs education.
Mr Liddell-Grainger was meeting the Minister for face-to-face talks on the issues on Wednesday, May 9.
It was Mr Liddell-Grainger’s second meeting with the Minister (pictured, top) to discuss education issues in the constituency.
Mr Liddell-Grainger said the meeting was a follow-up to a recent visit to the Bridgwater and West Somerset constituency by Lord Adonis.
He said: “We will be looking at the proposals for four brand new secondary schools (in Bridgwater) and the provision for children with special needs.”
Mr Liddell-Grainger said he would discuss education provision in the West Somerset area of the constituency ‘where things are less rosy’.
“I am very concerned about special needs provision in West Somerset, where the very tough measures brought in by the county council are failing the children,” said Mr Liddell-Grainger.
“I also intend to bring up the subject of transportation.
“I know it is a big area, but the way children are being transported around the district cannot be right.”
M Liddell-Grainger is also pushing for a debate with Communities Minister Ruth Kelly (pictured, below).
He wants a better deal from the Government for the county, as he says the present level of funding is ‘awful’.
“Somerset is still the poor relation, and that is so unfair,” said Mr Liddell-Grainger.
“I am asking for a meeting with the Minister - who, by the way, went to school in Somerset, so she knows the county and its needs - and I am pushing for a debate with her in the House of Commons.”
Photos submitted.

West Somerset pupils helping police foil distraction burglars

POLICE are recruiting schoolchildren in West Somerset as part of the latest crime-fighting initiative to tackle distraction burglars.
Officers and Police Community Support Officers are handing out greetings cards to pupils in primary schools in Minehead.
They want the children to give the cards to elderly and vulnerable relatives, neighbours, and family friends.
The cards are also available for schools and youth organisations to download and print from the force website at www.avonandsomerset.police.uk.
They are pre-printed with crime prevention advice and useful contact numbers, with a blank space for children to decorate and add their own personal message.
Supt Sandy Padgett, who heads the Avon and Somerset Constabulary’s response to distraction burglary, said: “Thankfully, this sort of crime is infrequent, but the impact can be significant.
“We have anecdotal evidence of people suffering illness and stress after such a burglary.
“We hope this initiative will remind the more vulnerable members of our community of the simple security steps they can take to deter these thieves.
“It also aims raise awareness of the issue among the wider community, and help people play their part to protect their elderly and vulnerable friends and relations from these callous criminals.
“The simple message is ‘if in doubt, keep them out’.”
Supt Padgett said a few simple steps could help deter would-be burglars.
He said people should make sure good quality locks were fitted to their home, and they should secure the doors and windows of rooms when they were not in them.
A door chain should be used, and ID should be requested before anybody was allowed in.
All genuine callers from the utility companies would expect to have their ID checked and many offered special password schemes so people would know callers were who they said they were.
Supt Padgett said people should not leave the door open when they expected visitors. He said: “If you have mobility problems, ask the council, Age Concern, or other agencies for advice on having an intercom door buzzer fitted.
“Keep the back door and windows locked so there is no chance of an accomplice sneaking in while you are occupied at the front door.
“Do no't leave strangers alone in your home. If you are at all unsure, call the police. If you do not feel able to call the police, tell somebody immediately so they can report any incident, even if you feel embarrassed - you do not want this to happen to anybody else.
“I would also ask people who have elderly relatives, friends, or neighbours to play their part.
“Check on them. Make sure their homes are secure, and if not, help them get in touch with the police or other agencies like the council and Age Concern to get improvements in place.
“Once they have security measures in place, keep encouraging them to use them.
“Each time you visit, remind them how important it is to use the door chain or intercom.
“Warn about the risks of keeping large quantities of cash at home and help with trips to the bank or Post Office.
“Help them become less of a target by helping them get work done to the frontage and gardens of their homes.”
Anybody with any concerns about their home’s security can find more information on the police website, www.avonandsomerset.police.uk, or by calling their local crime reduction officer on 0845 456 7000, who can offer advice and refer vulnerable people to the Bobby Van scheme, in which a police-employed workman will call and carry out security improvements for free.
These include:

• Checking and upgrading door locks
• Fitting door chains/door restrictors
• Fitting door viewers
• Installing window locks
• Fitting battery alarms to doors and vulnerable areas
• Supplying personal attack alarms

Young pupils safer on roads thanks to hi-vis jackets initiative

YOUNG schoolchildren in West Somerset can now be heard and also seen, thanks to an initiative by the West Somerset Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership.
High-visibility jackets are being given to all primary school and first school pupils in the district to make them safer on the journey to and from their homes.
The initiative began after Police Community Support Officer Luisa Skinner visited Watery Lane pre-school last November.
She accompanied the children on a walkabout in the town and was surprised to find the children and teachers did not have any high visibility tabards or equipment to ensure they were all safe when out and about on school trips and outings.
Funding was then sought from the crime and disorder reduction partnership to purchase a supply of high-visibility jackets.
Now, PCSOs are involved in distributing the jackets to schoolchildren.
West Somerset Council’s community safety officer, Pete Hughes, said: “For a while we have heard from parents and teachers who are worried about children crossing rural roads.
“Often, they say the roads are unlit or there are no pavements, or both, which obviously puts children at higher risk.
“We are delighted to be able to provide children in West Somerset’s first schools with fluorescent high visibility jackets so that drivers, cyclists, and other road users are aware of their presence.
“This is a really positive aspect of our jobs, and we are really pleased to have been able to help children in the rural and urban areas of West Somerset.”

• Our photograph shows PCSOs Sue Hurley (left) and Rachel Cutler with Pete Hughes and Cutcombe First School pupils (left to right) Tom Nancekivell, Hannah Thompson, Harry Delve, Aaron Kendall, Ellie Abraham, and Charlotte Matravers. Photo submitted.