06/05/2014 BBC Wales Today

Welcome to Wales Today. Our top story. The foundation phase - one of

the Welsh government's flagship education policies still varies

considerably between schools three years after it was introduced. We

have got to focus on literacy and to get the children understanding. That

is our core business. Our other headlines.

Two schoolgirls at the centre of an alleged murder plot against their

maths teacher Alison Cray are expelled.

Also tonight. The bodies of Thomas Clarke from

Cowbridge and Oliver Thomas from Brecon, killed in a helicopter crash

in Afghanistan, have arrived back in Britain.

He was brought up here, went to school here, he has got it horrific

number of friends. He was very involved in the rugby. --

magnificent number of friends. What are you children watching when

they're online? Half of parents are failing to use internet filters.

And the number of adults taking part in sport in Wales has hit a record

high, with running and cycling becoming more popular.

Good evening. Learning through play - the Welsh government's flagship

programme for our youngest school children. Three years on, a new

report says teaching of the foundation phase varies considerably

from school to school but, overall, it has a positive impact on how our

pupils learn. Here's our education correspondent Arwyn Jones.

It has been called play -based learning but when the Education

Minister is watching, it is a serious business. The foundation

phase has been a band running for nearly three years. It concentrates

on developing children's ability to learn rather than just transferring

knowledge. Most teachers see it as benefiting their pupils, especially

boys and those with special educational needs. The key thing is

in the planning and delivery. Making sure good activities are planned

which give the children opportunities to think for

themselves but also to talk about what they have learned afterwards so

they really can communicate what they have learned. Teachers don't

all agree about how the programme improves literacy, numerous Eeyore

improving performance of pupils from poorer brat grounds. And there are

other issues about how it prepares pupils for the rest of their time in

school. Last year, testing was introduced. One in four teachers

felt the foundation phase prepare children well for that but one in

five took the opposing view. Those tests are being reviewed but the

Minister accepts there are problems. There are still some qualms amongst

some professionals about how the foundation phase knits together with

what else we are asking teachers to deliver. But we can point to best

practice settings like this one and say confidently, this is what we

need to be happening in every foundation phase setting across

Wales. The foundation phase does not come cheap. It calls for one adult

for every eight pupils. It says fostering a love of learning among

our young children will pay dividends in the future but at the

moment it is still not clear if that is happening.

Dr Sam Waldron from Cardiff University was one of the research

team. Parents watching this will be concerned that there is variation

from school to school and that we are three years into this. I can

understand that. There is variation but when done right it does seem to

be having a positive impact. Why is there variation? We can't be

entirely sure but largely it is down to perceptions people have of the

foundation phase. The guidance provides opportunities for different

things to happen within a classroom and teachers have some opportunities

there. So this is only as good as the school in forcing the scheme

will stop it does come down to the senior management team and

practitioners views. How does Welsh government improve the variation?

practitioners views. How does Welsh That is for them to think about. We

are not making recommendations in this particular report but they

might be looking at training programmes and that is something we

will be covering in a future report. How damaging is it that children go

through the foundation phase and then goes through what can be a

pretty rigorous system of testing? That tests have been introduced in

year two so the initial report found that teachers are struggling a

little bit to marry the two but there will be another report on

transition and assessment in particular. The foundation phase is

essentially an experiment and we are not really going to know its success

or otherwise until the children we saw in that film are much older. It

is an initial evaluation. We have found evidence that children are

enjoying learning more but a longer term evaluation looking at the

impact this has on the children when they are 12 or 13 will also be of

great value. And for parents who home school

their children, plans for a register to check on the quality of the

education they provide have been dropped. Opponents say the proposals

amounted to a licensing scheme. The Education Minister says he's now

looking at introducing guidance that's not legally binding to

support councils and home educating families instead.

The bodies of two servicemen from Wales who were killed along with

three others in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan have been flown back

to Britain. Army reservist Lance Corporal Oliver Thomas from Brecon

and Captain Thomas Clarke from Cowbridge died on April 26th. The

investigation into the cause of the crash is continuing. Caroline Evans

reports. They were among five servicemen

killed during what the Ministry of Defence said was a routine flight

over Afghanistan. 26-year-old Lance Corporal Oliver Thomas from Brecon

and 30-year-old Captain Carter from Cowbridge, one of the pilots, died

when their Lynx helicopter crashed near the border with Afghanistan --

Captain Thomas Clark. Today there families were joined by senior

military figures as their bodies were flown back to Britain.

There was a short ceremony, then the cortege left the RAF base, passing

to the nearby memorial garden. Among the friends who travelled here to

pay their respects, the MP Roger Williams, Oliver Thomas worked for

him as a researcher. He was very popular for all the right reasons

and everybody who knew him like him very much indeed but also respected

him. In Cowbridge, arrangements are under way for the funeral of Captain

Thomas Clark. He was somebody special. He was such an outgoing

person and so warm and friendly and so committed that he really touched

a lot of people. A very popular boy and rightly so. He was described by

senior officers as a rising star of the army but where he grew up and

attended conferences school, he will be remembered as a person who was

bright and full of fun. This weekend I am told friends held a celebration

of his life and today many have gone to Oxfordshire to support his

family. The helicopter in which the five men died when down over

Kandahar province. The Taliban claimed its fighters had shot the

aircraft down but the MoD has said the indications are this was a

tragic accident. The investigation into exactly what happened is still

going on and the MoD has said it is not clear how long it will take for

investigators to report back. A mines inspector has told a jury

that the area of the Gleision Colliery where three of the four

miners drowned flooded in just six seconds. Swansea Crown Court heard

how 17 tonnes of water filled the area where they were working. One of

the miners was further away but became trapped. Mine manager Malcolm

Fyfield denies four counts of manslaughter through gross

negligence and the mine operators also deny four counts of corporate

manslaughter. Bomb disposal teams are continuing

to investigate an explosion which seriously injured a man at a house

in Dolgellau. The man, who's in his 20s, is still being treated in

hospital after he was airlifted from the house on Sunday. His injuries

are not believed to be life threatening.

A police investigation has concluded that pension payments made to the

chief executives of Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire county councils

were not criminal offences. Gloucester Police looked into the

payments to Mark James and Bryn Parry Jones after a Wales Audit

Office report last January said they were unlawful.

Two schoolgirls arrested on suspicion of conspiring to murder

their teacher have been expelled. Police were called to Cwmcarn High

School on Thursday after concerns were raised about their behaviour. A

15-year-old from Newbridge and a 14-year-old girl from Risca were

arrested and bailed. Rhodri Lewis reports.

This afternoon there was little sign at Cwmcarn High School of the drama

which happened here last Thursday afternoon. Pupils raised the alarm

after becoming concerned about the behaviour of two girls. The police

were called and the two were arrested and questioned. This

morning it was announced that they've both now been expelled from

the school after allegedly conspiring to kill their maths

teacher. The teacher, Alison Cray, who's taught at the school for more

than ten years, has praised the school for the way it dealt with the

incident. She said, "I know very little about it. It all happened

elsewhere and I wasn't directly involved at all. I'm very lucky that

I'm at Cwmcarn and that they have handled it so well. I've been

working as normal and I'm fine". The 15-year-old girl is from Newbridge,

while the 14-year old-girl is from Risca. They were both arrested on

suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder, while the 15-year-old was

also arrested on suspicion of making threats to kill and of having a

bladed article on school premises. They've now been bailed. The

incident happened just days after another teacher, Ann Maguire, died

after being stabbed at a college in Leeds. The day after, police were

called to a primary school in Warwickshire after it was reported

two boys had poured a bleach-like substance into their teacher's

coffee. No-one was harmed in the incident at Cwmcarn. In a statement

on the school's website, its Chair of Governors says he's pleased with

how everyone responded to the incident. Caerphilly Council says

it's assessing the girls' needs before deciding where they'll

continue their education. Much more to come before seven

o'clock. Tuesday night at the exercise class

- more of us are keeping fit than ever before.

And he was the David Beckham of his day - Wrexham pays tribute to the

lavish footballer who was the toast of Edwardian Britain.

How safe are your children when they go online? Well, for many, the

answer seems to be, not very. The latest research from the online

video regulator suggest thousands of children have viewed pornography on

the internet. And around half of parents are failing to use online

control filters. Roger Pinney's been speaking to parents and internet

safety experts. All of us want to keep our children

safe and most of the time we do but the Internet brings danger into our

home. This woman says she is Internet savvy and she does her best

to control her children will stop but it is not always easy. My

children have got iPods. They are small, mobile and they can take them

around the house. They could be accessing any information. There are

parental controls but sometimes finding those on all the different

devices that you can have around the house are quite difficult. Figures

suggest one in ten Welsh under 18 is not only can but to visit adult

sites and there is evidence watching inappropriate videos can influence

behaviour. Young Babel are influenced by what they see in the

media, on television, what they see on the Internet. They are likely to

act out those things that they see. How do we keep our kids safe when

they go online? I have come to the danger point centre where they teach

about the everyday dangers we all face. From travelling on trains to

crossing the road. They deal with the Internet here as well with the

risks are far less obvious. To help, they have created an Internet

character called Chaos. We try to encourage them to teach Chaos how to

be safe online. You ask them a few questions, don't you, Chaos?

We offer parents programmes and we try to make them aware of what their

children are accessing and encourage them to go on the same social

networking site so they can see what their children are doing. But also

putting parental controls on their computers, they gaming consoles, on

their phones. It will allow them to put parental controls in place. For

now, studies show half of parents don't bother. That will change. By

the end of next year, we have two opt-out of parental controls, not

into them. The Internet is getting safer.

People with asthma are dying unnecessarily because of complacency

among medical staff and patients. That's according to a report by the

Royal College of Physicians, which says 67 people died from the

condition in Wales in 2012. The Welsh government says it published

its plan to reduce unscheduled hospital admissions for people with

asthma last week. The broadcasting regulator Ofcom has

said it will not be investigating a discussion on the Radio Wales

phone-in programme which discussed the Welsh language. Ofcom received

31 complaints about Morning Call, which was broadcast in March. At the

time, the BBC saidthe programme presented a balanced discussion with

a wide number of opinions. Fire crews have removed debris from

the disused Palace Theatre in Swansea after a call from a

concerned member of the public. High Street was closed while they

inspected the roof yesterday evening. The grade two listed

building is one of the UK's only Victorian music halls still

standing. The council recently offered the owners of the building a

grant of ?75,000 for emergency repairs.

The number of us regularly taking part in sport has hit a record high.

The figures from Sport Wales also shows Wales is bucking the trend

compared with the rest of the UK. Our reporter Natasha Livingstone is

enjoying the fresh air in Cardiff tonight.

Jamie, people are out and about this evening making the most of the dry

and lighter evenings, and it's at places like this where some of the

most popular sports take place. There's been an increase in areas

like running, cycling and football. But all areas of sport have seen a

rise. Almost 40% of adults now take part in some form of activity three

or more times a week and, as I've been finding out, demand is high.

This group of women come to their local fitness class several times a

week. The gym has only been open since February but already extra

classes have been put on to help cope with an increase in numbers. We

are surprised. We thought we would be busy but we did not think we

would be as busy as we are. We seem to be doing something right. Just

being attractive for women to come and have a go. Sport Wales say there

is a 34% jump in the number of people doing regular exercise

between 2008 and 2012. That is 262,000 more people aged 15 - 65

doing some form of sport or activity three or more times a week. But

while Wales is bucking the trend can pay to the rest of the UK, there is

concern that some are missing out. A recent assembly committee report

said there is not enough information about sport levels for people from

deprived backgrounds or those with cultural barriers. There are some

barriers ahead. We know that women take part less frequently than men

do in sport. And in poorer areas of Wales there is lower rates of

participation. We will be working doubly hard once we have digestive

the findings from the survey to make sure the offer for all adults across

every community in Wales is right and keep them involved for life.

Keeping people involved in sport could potentially save the NHS in

Wales ?53 million a year. The survey shows that through exercising three

or four more times a week, you are more likely to be healthy. It is

incredibly busy no matter what class you can do. People from all

different walks of life as well. You start making friends with people you

would not normally meet. Organisers say with some around the corner they

are expecting even more people the doors.

It's hoped that type of demand will continue right across the country

over the next year. Sport Wales say they're going to continue their work

to make sure the number of people taking part in sport continues to

grow and that all areas are targeted.

He was the David Beckham of his day - he even changed the rules of

football. The story of one of the game's most extravagant players will

form part of an exhibition marking the 150th anniversary of Wrexham

Football Club. Leigh Roose, who was born in Wrexham, played in goal for

Wales in the early 1900s. A pop-up museum full of fans' memorabilia

will open in the town at the end of the month.

These days, stories of fast-living, glamorous footballers earning and

spending huge amounts of money are all too common. But back in the

early 1900s there was one man who set the template. The genteel age

when Edward VII was king and Teddy Roosevelt was President saw

Wrexham's Leigh Richmond Roose play in goal for Aberstwyth, Stoke and

Sunderland, as well as for Wales against Ireland at the Racecourse in

1906 as recorded on this plaque. But it was his behaviour off the pitch

which led to his eccentric reputation. A playboy linked with a

string of women, including music hall star Marie Lloyd, he wore

Savile Row suits. If you can imagine George Best and David Beckham all

mixed into one with a showbiz elements combined with the talent of

Peter Schmeichel, he was that kind of character. Playing as an amateur,

he wasn't paid but earned more in expenses than professional players

did in wages. He once apparently missed a train to an away game at

Aston Villa, so hired his own private engine and carriage to take

him from London to Birmingham before billing his club the then staggering

sum of ?31. And Roose's impact can be felt in modern footballing rules.

While many goalkeepers used to stay between the posts, Roose, so

infuriated the FA by repeatedly handling the ball anywhere in his

own half, that in 1912 it ruled keepers were forbidden to touch the

ball beyond their penalty area. His story is just one to form part of a

pop-up museum at this shopping centre. Made from fans' memorabilia,

it will mark Wrexham FC's 150th anniversary. The third oldest club

in the world. We think that probably out there in lofts and back rooms

there are going to be posters and shirts and medals and maybe even

some international caps. We want the public to bring them into the museum

so that on May 29-30, the whole of Wrexham can come to see them.

Roose's story has a tragic ending though. He joined the Royal Welsh

Fusiliers and fought in France during the First World War. His

football skills were reflected in his ability to throw grenades over

huge distances. But he was killed at the Somme in 1916. His contribution

to battle both on and off the football field will be marked at the

end of the month. Cricket, and rain has interrupted

day three of Glamorgan's match against Worcestershire at the Swalec

Stadium. After a promising start by the home side's bowlers, was assured

declared on 296-6. Glamorgan have just started their second innings.

Not sure it's cricketing weather for the rest of the week, Benaz?

If you can dodge the shower with you can play some cricket. We

If you can dodge the shower with you some rain heading our way by that

and we get to Thursday. We have already had some heavy showers today

but there is more on its way from the south-west as we go through

tonight. On the +, it is cloudy and mild with temperatures no lower than

eight Celsius. We will get a brief break tomorrow but then we have got

this weather system making its way in from the south-west as we go into

the estate which will bring some very heavy rain and windy conditions

as well. Tomorrow morning, it is a cloudy start but it is dry. Near

Wrexham, we have got a feel showers. Quite blustery further west. We have

got a few showers across Ceredigion and right down to Pembrokeshire and

Carmarthenshire. The temperatures in double figures from the word go.

Through tomorrow it will remain blustery as the winds continue into

the afternoon. By the afternoon we can look forward to something a

little bit drier across parts of the South and West. But those showers

continuing in the North. Tomorrow night, those showers will clear and

as we go into the overnight period, that weather system starts to arrive

from the West. It is another fairly mild night with temperatures getting

down to around nine Celsius. Thursday is probably the worst day

of the week in terms of wet and windy conditions. From the word go,

spilling North and eastwards. A top temperature of 15 Celsius and then

the rain will start to clear. On Friday, ones that rain has cleared,

we can look forward to another day of sunshine and showers. The showers

could be heavy. Once we go through that, by the time we get to the

weekend, another weather system will bring more wet and windy conditions.

A reminder of our top stories tonight.

It aims to develop how our youngest children think by learning through

play. Three years on a new report says teaching of the foundation

phase varies considerably from school to school but, overall, it

has a positive impact on how our pupils learn.

Two schoolgirls arrested on suspicion of conspiring to murder

their teacher have been expelled. Police were called to Cwmcarn High

School on Thursday after concerns were raised about their behaviour. A

15-year-old from Newbridge and a 14-year-old girl from Risca were

arrested and bailed. And one other story for you tonight.

The bodies of two servicemen from Wales who were killed along with

three others in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan have been flown back

to Britain. Army reservist Lance Corporal Oliver Thomas from Brecon

and Captain Thomas Clarke from Cowbridge died on April 26th. The

investigation into the cause of the crash is continuing.

We'll have an update for you here at 8.00pm and again after the BBC News

at 10.00pm. That's Wales Today. From all of us on the programme, good

evening.