Here is our latest update, covering:

• A-level results day - Cardiff betters the Wales national average.
• Flat Holm island stays - discover for yourself the emerald jewel of the Bristol Channel.
• Foster Wales Cardiff - the host of benefits of fostering with your local authority.

Congratulations from Cardiff Council on A-Level results Day 2023

More than 3,000 pupils across Cardiff have received their A-Level and AS Level results today and results are above the Welsh average.

This is the second year that learners have undertaken summer exams marked and graded by exam boards since 2019. The WJEC has given consideration to the disruption learners have experienced when deciding grade boundaries and Qualifications Wales have confirmed a national approach to results rather than school-specific.

In Cardiff, based on the provisional WJEC GCE results announced today, 42.1% percent of A-level results for 2023 are graded A* to A, compared to the Wales figure of 34% percent.

The percentage of A-level entries resulting in A* - E grades is 98.4%, compared to the Wales figure of 97.5%. 

For entries graded A* to C, the 2023 figure is 85.1%, compared the Wales-wide figure of 78.9%.

The national picture across Wales is that results fall broadly midway between those awarded in 2019 and 2022.  This means, for each subject, results at national level are higher than they were in 2019, and lower than they were in 2022 where additional measures were put in place. Results are not comparable to previous years.

Cardiff Council's Cabinet Member for Education, Employment and Skills said: "I would like to congratulate all those pupils who have received their A-Level results today.

"In the second year that formal exams and assessments have returned, this cohort should be recognised for the way they have continued to adapt during their last few years of school education, showing resilience and determination despite the challenges and disruption they may have faced since the start of the pandemic.

"Although not directly comparable to previous years, I am pleased to see that performance across the city this year has continued to rise and that results are above the Welsh average for 2023. 

"I would like to wish our students the best of luck as they begin a new chapter of their lives, whether they are moving onto university, employment or training."

A wealth of information on education, employment, training and other opportunities is available all in one place for young people in Cardiff considering their next steps ahead of this week's exam results day.

Read more here

Discover for yourself the emerald jewel of the Bristol Channel

Just five miles off the coast of Cardiff, there's a natural haven that has had a human connection for more than 2,000 years.

On a clear day, Flat Holm island - a small emerald jewel in the Bristol Channel - seems close enough to touch and since the Bronze Age it has attracted a colourful array of settlers, farmers, pioneers, soldiers and scientists, all drawn to its unique qualities.

Its current status as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Local Nature Reserve makes it even more appealing to visitors, yet its remote location and changing tides means it can appear tantalisingly out of reach to modern explorers.

Now, Cardiff Council - which owns the island - is making this fascinating outpost accessible to everyone through a series of themed midweek breaks that include courses in wellness and creative writing as well as conservation experiences.

Restore, Relax and Reconnect (September 1-3)

Unwind from daily life and reconnect to nature with Kerry Sanson, a healer, group fitness leader and personal training coach. The retreat offers opportunities to try movements such as Yoga, Qigong, Freedom Dance and mindful practices and learn new techniques and skills.

Adventures in creative writing (September 29-October 1)

For beginners, or those with experience, be inspired by the island's rich natural beauty and fascinating history to develop your writing under the guidance of Cardiff-based artist and writer Sarah Featherstone.

Island life - conservation volunteer experience (September 4-8)

Whether you're looking for a career in nature conservation or simply a holiday with a difference, this four-day break offers the perfect opportunity to work alongside the island warden team carrying out vital tasks including grassland management, helping nesting gulls, monitoring the rare slow worm population and restoring heritage buildings.

You will also get to experience what day visitors do not - sitting under the stars, watching the lights of the city and the ships at night and admiring stunning sunsets and sunrises.

Read more here

Foster Wales Cardiff

"The training on offer is excellent and the support from my social worker is brilliant. The move was the best decision we've made."

As Welsh Government moves ahead with plans to remove profit from the care of looked-after children, Foster Wales Cardiff highlights the benefits of fostering with your local authority.

Wales is in the process of a whole system change for children's services.

These changes prioritise services that are locally based, locally designed, and locally accountable.

Within these plans there is a clear commitment to ‘eliminate private profit from the care of looked after children.' This means, by 2027, care of children that are looked after in Wales will be provided by public sector, charitable or not-for-profit organisations.

In light of these changes, Foster Wales Cardiff - which is part of the network representing Wales' 22 local authorities - are calling for more people to become local authority foster carers and encouraging those currently fostering with a for-profit agency to transfer over to their local authority team.

Cabinet Member for Social Services (Children), Cllr Ash Lister, said: "Wales is leading the way on long -lasting, positive changes to the care of young people in Wales - benefiting looked-after young people today, and in the future.

"Fostering with Foster Wales Cardiff, your local council, offers many benefits - from support, training and a local community of foster carers - but most importantly, the option for young people to stay local.

"When a child comes into care, we need to have options for them to stay as close to home as possible and our local communities are key to making this change happen.  So if you are interested in making a difference to a child or young person's life, contact us today."

In Wales, 79% of children cared for by private fostering agencies are fostered outside their local area, and 6% are moved out of Wales entirely. Meanwhile, 84% of those living with local authority foster carers stay within their own local area, close to home, to school, to family and friends.

Read more here