24/03/2014 BBC Channel Islands News

Guernsey's schools could move away from the English system of GCSEs and

A`levels. And are the Channel Islands amongst the best places in

the world for budding authors? I would be surprised if I didn't see

them in print within the next 10 years.

Some patients in Jersey have faced waiting almost a year to be seen by

an orthopaedic specialist. More than 1,000 patients need to see a

specialist about bone and muscle problems in the island. The figures

fluctuate, but on average it's taken more than 40 weeks for some patients

to see someone in orthopaedics after being referred by their GP. That's

fallen to 28 weeks since the start of the year. In the UK, specialists

aim to see patients within 18 weeks. Now more than ?1 million has been

earmarked by Jersey's health department to reduce waiting times `

the target is 12 weeks. Jen Smith reports. More than a thousand

patients, that is about 1% of the island's population, are waiting for

appointments in this hospital in orthopaedics. For some it has been

ten months since their referral. Although the wait times are

reducing, we acknowledge that is still too long to wait to see

specialist. As a result we have a number of initiatives that are in

place to introduce through course of the year to actually bring that

waiting time down significantly. Dr Nigel Minihane represents GPs and

says long waiting lists have changed the way he works. If I speak to you

as a patient and you say you're in pain and we have a diagnosis and the

only resource that is necessary is the pain clinic, if it is going to

be a year before you see somebody, we might decide not to refer you at

all. That is part because of the of the demand. We have a komp hentive

team that `` comprehensive team, but there is over 10,000 patients with

moderate to severe pain in the community. That is a lot of them and

lot get referred to us. You have been telling us about your

experience of waiting for treatment. Rachel said we had our son's

appointment within two months. The health department told us most

of the money invested in the hospital this jeer has gone into

reducing waiting lists. Guernsey's schools could move away from the

English system of GCSEs and A`levels. From September 2015 the

qualifications are changing ` with more of an emphasis on exams, and

less on coursework. Concerned about the impact that new English system

could have on students, Guernsey's Education department's looking at

other options and is asking parents for their views. Penny Elderfield

reports. Turn over your paper, your time starts now. Or at least your

consultation paper. Because from today, parents can have a say on

changes to GCSEs and A`levels. England's moving away from the

current system. Most of the focus will be on exams at the end of two

years of study, instead of the course work and assessments that

happen now and the usual A star to G grades will go. And knowing tests

respect for everyone, there are concerns that could disadvantage

some students. Some of the exams have already become just at the end

of two years and they're already expressing concern that they're

reliant on their performance on one day. When you have have it as

modular exams it is spread over time. There are four options. One

follow England and introduce a new system. Look at the Scottish system,

which would still mean big changes. Or go down the route Northern

Ireland and Wales are going down. They're keeping their own system of

GCSE and A`levels and at the moment that third option is what education

is favouring. That is the least disruptive as they could go down the

English route, they're changing the whole thing, narrowing the krim Lumb

and `` curriculum. Having made its own assessment, education wants to

hear from parents before deciding which system is best for Guernsey

moving forward. Some news developing. A cyclist has been taken

to hospital following a collision with a car in Jersey. Emergency

services arrived at the scene around 5 o'clock this afternoon. The

collision between the cyclist and a blue Peugeot car happened at the

junction of Trinity Hill and Old Trinity Hill. No`one else was hurt.

There could be a search and rescue aeroplane back in the skies above

the Channel Islands in four weeks. The Lion's Pride crash`landed in

November during a search for two fishermen. All five crew members

walked away unharmed and the fishermen were later rescued. Now

the documents to provide an interim aircraft have been signed, and it

should be here in a month. Good to have you with us. Still ahead in

Spotlight ` washed up in the storms. The sale pup ` seal pup being nursed

back to health. Jersey Rugby Club's head coach admits the emotion of the

occasion may have got to his players in their nail`biting defeat at

Ealing. The islanders lost 25`23 to the Championship's bottom club `

setting up a potentially anxious end to the season as both teams battle

to avoid relegation. Our sports editor Tim Pryor was in west London

for the match. The game was billed as Jersey's chance to secure

survival. But now they're looking over that their shoulder as Ealing

narrowed the gap with four matches to go. It started so well for the

islanders as McCraig grabbed an early try. Ealing hit back with a

touch down of their own. But Jersey's second helped open up a

17`5 advantage. Jersey score a try! They couldn't hold on as back came

the hosts, fighting for their Championship life with a penalty try

and then a Chester try gave them the lead for the first time. Ealing

weren't in the mood to let the win slip away. It is about we can do and

how we want to push forward. Just because Ealing have beaten us, we

are going to carry on. They must now pick themselves up for the final few

games. They're still likely to avoid relegation, but the defeat means a

nail`biting end to the season. Guernsey FC manager Tony Vance says

he's determined to see his side go up through the play`offs following

defeat away to the leaders of the Ryman South at the weekend.

Peacehaven Telscombe won 2`0 to extend their lead at the top and

look certain to be promoted as Champions, with Guernsey five points

off Leatherhead in third in the table. The digital world of e`books

and self`publishing has created enormous opportunities for budding

authors here in the Channel Islands. Designed to encourage local talent,

the Alderney Literary Trust had a workshop over the weekend for

creative writers from Guernsey, Jersey and Alderney for people keen

to learn how to write and publish their first novel. Our Alderney

Reporter, David Earl, was there. Could the next Rolle Daal being

among this group? The course was designed to show what it takes to be

a success in this digital age. Heading the course was best selling

author Simon Scarrow. There was a traditional path to get to being

published. Now with e`books and so on it has opened up everything and

provided you're a good writer with a certain sense of how to use social

media, the world is your oyster. Two Two girls won a free place on the

course in a competition. I'm a fan of Facebook and Twitter, but I think

we can have a balance of both and theatre, literature and writing

performing it is all things we need to keep going, because that is what

humanity is. It ties into each other. She was saying how important

Facebook and Twitter are for marketing. You need to use them to

get your name out. One thing that impressed Simon was the standard of

work. The whole thing has been eye`opening in terms of range

talent. The stand out students were the youngest students who wrote

completely different stories, but to a very high level and I would be

surprised if I didn't see them in print within the next ten years.

There is a great deal of talent here in these islands. Just before we

join David for the weather, take a look at the conditions faced by

islanders kayaking across Scotland this weekend from the west to east

coast. The group which was made up of people from Guernsey, Jersey,

Sark and Herm braved snow, hail, wind and sun to finish the 56 mile

race in 18 hours and 30 minutes. They were raising money for the

Channel Island Air Search. Well done to them. David is with us. Not quite

those conditions that we were expecting here? No, we had four

degrees this morning which is pretty cold for the start of the day at

this time of year. It was only eight or nine today. It will be warmer

tomorrow. The reason for that is we will get some sunshine. But showers

early in the day and showers later in the day. The showers are going to

be troublesome, because they will be around tomorrow night and could be

around for a while on Wednesday morning too. But the cloud structure

shows this thick line of cloud, an area of low pressure across Ireland.

A bit of a clear aps and behind is some showers. So don't expect a

complete improvement tonight. There are plenty of isobars, so we won't

have a frost tonight. And then a new area of low pressure trickles past

us through the morning tomorrow morning. Moving into western frant

by `` France by the middle of the day. That could bring some showers

early in the day and then we are still with the risk of further

showers as weather fronts are trapped in a north`easterly wind. So

a change in the wind direction and a change to cold conditions later in

the week. But this band of rain is on the way out and will be replaced

by showers. Morning temperatures around six degrees. Tomorrow, we

expect to have a few showers and then some sunny spells and the sunny

spells will be mostly confined to Jersey. Some showers in Guernsey in

the morning. By the afternoon some sunny spells before the next line of

showers creeps in. 11 degrees the Tom temperature and the coastal

forecast, force five or six. Times of high water are:

For surfers up to about four feet. For the rest of the week, it is

colder, but expect some showers all the way through. Thank you. And that

is it for now. We are back at 8. Bye for now.

the condition and find ways of coping with it. Teachers dress up as

scarecrows. And it's up to pupils to choose

their outfits. What's the significance of scarecrows? Well,

Archie is one. He is the character who connects everybody to the

subject of dementia. It's good to learn about it. You know how to

cope. I think it would be nice to learn how to really communicate with

people who have got dementia, because if you don't know how to,

you might speak to them in a different way and they might get a

bit upset. Fiona Mahoney developed the Archie project will stop she

wrote a children's book to explain the condition in simple language. We

have the most amazing story book, but at the end of the project this

little boy who was about seven years old said, I took the book home and I

read it to my mum and dad and we all realised that grandad had the

symptoms of dementia. It is early diagnosis, that's what we're trying

to get. See you again. Goodbye. It feels very nice to be here. And we

feel very welcome. This assembly marks the official launch of the

Archie project here at Wellesley Park. I think it will be really good

for the children to get amongst the older people and do things together

and realise that they are real people out there, and just to learn

how to talk with them and learn things from their past, hear about

their history, and just get together really. So, keep an eye. Archie

might be visiting a school you soon. `` keep an eye out. Archie might be

visiting a school near you soon. A former top racehorse is helping a

Royal Marine from Lympstone recover from the strains of military

service. Sergeant Major George Beilby struggled to re`adjust

following his last tour in Afghanistan. He says he's developed

a special bond with the horse, known as Monkey, and it's changed both

their lives. Janine Jansen has been to meet them. This sergeant major

has been onto two tours of Afghanistan, and his return to

normality has been tough. But his journey has been helped by his

unique relationship with Monkey. After a life racing at the top

level, he too has been finding his feet looking for a new career.

George says the life of a racehorse is very similar to that of a

soldier. They live a similar life to worse. A disciplined, structured

life `` to us. They are trained to a high level, physically. They are

expected to give everything when they perform and they have the most

to lose the least again. Some of them sadly pay the ultimate price as

well. And that the end of their career there is considerable doubt

to what will happen afterwards, and I think that's a perfect mirror of

the life of a soldier who has devoted his life to his work as

well. They get a bit of a rough deal, ex`racehorses, and some of

them find themselves on the wrong hands or in a bad way. The same can

be said for some soldiers as well. At the height of his career, he had

a huge fan club. He is 17 years old, and he was recently training with

Philip Hobbs in Minehead and he spent most of his racing career

there. Some of his big victories, the Gold Cup. That's one in

particular. He put lot of great performances in in the Cheltenham

Gold cup, the King George as well and he won something in the region

of around three quarters of ?1 million in prize money. Monkey was

given a second chance, and it seems these two were made for each other.

To the sport now, and there were mixed fortunes for our football

teams this weekend, with the only win in League Two coming courtesy of

Exeter City. They celebrated their first victory at St James Park since

early October. In the Championship, Yeovil Town missed the opportunity

to climb out of the bottom three at Huish Park, as Andy Birkett reports.

It all started so well for Yeovil town. Ishmael Miller's a neat finish

gave them the lead and Kevin Dawson doubled the advantage to give the

home fans plenty to cheer before half`time. Bolton Wanderers pulled

one back in the second half, but when Alex Baptiste saw red with ten

minutes to go, Miller squandered the chance to put the game to bed. And

they were made to pay. When this looping header beat the stranded

goalkeeper to level things at 2`2. When you are down at the bottom, it

can feel like everything and everyone is against you. Krista

Brodsky returned to rip `` return to haunt his former employers, and

things went from bad to worse when Goodwin was shown a straight red

elbow. Ten man Torquay United nearly forced the draw but it wasn't to be

and the defeat leaves them six points adrift of safety at the foot

of the table. Exeter city have relegation worries of their own.

They were given a helping hand when Jon Parkin bundled the ball into his

own net. Elliot Richards made it to `` two goals before there was

another gift, and Richards doubled his tally. The 3`0 win over

Fleetwood moves Exeter five points above the drop zone. Plymouth Argyle

have their eyes on the other end of the table, and when this fine strike

gave them the lead Accrington, the good form looked set to continue.

But Tom old red's powerful header meant to point was all they would

take from their travels `` Tom Aldred.

Exeter Chiefs were brought back down to earth with a bump following last

week's Anglo`Welsh cup win. They were thrashed 45`15 by reigning

champions Leicester Tigers at Welford Road. The only highlights

for the Chiefs were tries in each half for hooker Jack Yeandle and a

club`record equalling fourth Premiership try in four games for

centre Ian Whitten. In the Championship, the Cornish Pirates

beat Nottingham 17`11 at the Mennaye. Plymouth Albion lost 45`10

at Rotherham and Jersey went down at Ealing Trailfinders 25`23.

Sport Relief has broken all records again this year. On Friday night the

television appeal raised more than ?50 million, and the fundraising

continued here in the South West over the weekend. Thousands of

people took part in events across the region and it's hoped the amount

raised will smash the regional total of ?120,000 raised two years ago.

One of the main events was at the University of St Mark and St John in

Plymouth from where David Fitzgerald reports.

Sunday saw the return of the sport relief mile in Plymouth. On a chilly

morning on the campus of the University of Saint Mark and St

John, hundreds warmed up for the task ahead.

Since 2002, sport relief has raised a staggering amount of money to help

people and communities both in the UK and abroad. Mac `` Sport Relief.

It saw a record total of ?51.2 million. No records were broken but

there was a personal achievement or two as the first of the 500 or so

competitors collected their medals. Not as good as fighting crime, but a

good way to raise money. That was good, the fastest I've ever run. Two

years ago I had never really run. He walks. I did not walk. I still beat

you. Some were using it as a warm up to the Plymouth half marathon but

others were happy to have taken part, got some exercise and raise

money for a great cause. `` raised money. I liked the argument between

the Father and son. Very chilly up their, but fantastic to everyone who

took part. The winter storms hit the headlines

by wrecking the region's railway line and closing many seafront

businesses but the wind, high seas and rain also had an effect on the

south west's wildlife. Dozens of seal pups were washed`up on beaches

around our coastline, many of them so young they had to be hand reared.

Today the RSPCA released three of them in North Devon as Emma

Thomasson reports. It didn't take much to coax Asteroid

out of her travel box. Admit a blaze of publicity, she and two other seal

pups were released. The question on everybody's lips was would they

stick around. It is possible they might head towards Woolacombe or

Ilfracombe and there is a grey seal colony there, just to the left of

the coast as you look out to the sea now. It's possible we might get a

sighting from the wildlife group who do the photo identification of the

grey seals, but as we have the seal tag we will be able to zoom in on

the tag number and reference it to us, and then we can see which seal

it was. The pups were found on beaches in Cornwall earlier in the

year. They had been separated from their mothers during the storms. For

those who came to watch their release, it was a moment to

remember. It was amazing. I really enjoyed it. I would want to see them

again. Whether that will happen is another matter, as within a few

seconds she was gone. Lovely. They know where to go, don't

they? Time for the weather and it has been a bit chilly today.

Let's look at what is happening through the week. We have a fair

amount of cloud at the moment which has produced some pretty awful

weather this afternoon. Windy, cold in the rain. Later this week it's

largely dry but still quite cold because we have easterly winds and

maybe showers around and the risk of more persistent rain on Friday. But

until then, with the easterly winds we tend to get dry weather. But not

right to `` not dry tonight and it was very cold this morning. The

lowest temperatures we have seen this winter, `4 in Exeter first

thing this morning which is a pretty cold start to the day. The cloud has

come in and I don't think we will have any overnight frost. The cloud

is extensive and producing outbreaks of rain but it will be replaced by

showers and briefly temperatures will be as low as two or three

degrees but nowhere near as cold as last night. That band of cloud moves

away over the next 24 hours, but notice that the movement is pretty

slow as it goes into eastern parts of England. Another area of low

pressure develops and runs down to Spain or Portugal, giving us a few

showers in West Cornwall first thing in the morning. Once those move out

of the way, we tend to get an East or north`easterly wind from

Wednesday until the end of the week, which for us is generally quite cold

direction, so the temperatures are down to single figures later this

week. There is the band of rain that's been giving us an awful

afternoon. The rain is moving but it's a slow process. I think we will

eventually get some clear skies across parts of East Devon, into

Dorset and Somerset in the small hours. But showers are returning to

West Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The lowest temperatures will

be where we get the clear skies, around zero. Most of us should be

two or three degrees above. The showers will be with us first thing

in the morning across West Cornwall but they will move out of the way

and for much of the day it is a decent day with sunshine, the wind

from the North and you will probably need to wrap up warm, but more

showers returning from the east. It is the same weather system coming

back from the East. 11, possibly 12 is the top temperature, so warmer

than today. The northerly winds will slowly come

round and become north`easterly later.

The outlook is for us to remain basically dry on Wednesday. Small

chance of a few sharp showers, some on Thursday, then the risk of

widespread showers on Friday. Temperatures hovering between nine

and ten or 11 degrees. Have a good evening. If you want to see the

lovely seal pup again or share reports with friends, it's on our

Facebook page. 2500 people have watched it already. We will be back

tomorrow at 6:30pm. Good night. Goodbye.