Weekly round-up: Five stories you may have missed

Three actors on the stage of a play about the post office scandal with black backdrop. Nearest to the camera on the left of the frame is Liz Elvin with her blonde hair tied up, she is speaking and wearing a black shirt. Behind, one actress is dressed in a blue top and black barristers robes, the third actress is behind some book shelves wearing a black top and looking at papers. — Image caption,
Liz Elvin plays the Berkshire sub-postmistress whose detailed paper records were crucial evidence against the Post Office

30 June 2024

A story about a play based on the Post Office scandal was among our most read stories this week in Berkshire.

A variety of local issues were featured on the BBC News website, BBC Radio Berkshire and South Today.

We have picked five of them to keep you up to date.

New stage play explores the Post Office scandal

Pam Stubbs sits at a table going through a very long receipt roll. She is wearing a purple top and has a long gold necklace and a gold bracelet. Behind there is a wooden chest of drawers with various glass vases on top.

Pam Stubbs spent hours trying to reconcile her own records with the shortfalls recorded by Horizon

A new play focusing on the Post Office Horizon scandal has made its debut.

It tells the true story of Pam Stubbs, a sub-postmistress in Barkham, Berkshire who was accused of stealing from the company but managed to clear her name.

The play, Glitch, is being staged at Reading University's Minghella Theatre.

Teacher who told pupil she loved him struck off for life

An empty classroom with blue chairs and a whiteboard in the background

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Esther Garcia Rodriguez will not be able to apply to have her registration restored

A teacher found to have told a pupil that she loved him and given him a “sexually suggestive” book has been banned from the profession for life.

Esther Garcia Rodriguez, who taught in schools in Berkshire and Oxfordshire, was the subject of a court order in 2020 after authorities were concerned about her contact with boys.

A misconduct panel found she gave the pupil The Reader by Bernhard Schlink – a 2008 film version starred Kate Winslet – in which a 15-year-old boy has a sexual relationship with a woman.

University refuses to use one-word Ofsted rating

Red University of Reading sign outside campus building. There are purple flowers under the sign in front of an area of grass. There are four trees behind with no leaves, they are in front of a white building with large windows.

The University of Reading wants the education watchdog to scrap single-word judgements

A university has refused to use a one-word grade given by Ofsted in a protest against the way the education regulator works.

The University of Reading's Institute of Education, which trains teachers, was marked "outstanding" after an inspection in May.

But it said it would not be using the phrase in any of its marketing material following the death of Caversham headteacher Ruth Perry, who took her own life after her school was downgraded to "inadequate".

Ofsted said the decision to use any quotes from its reports in promotional content was down to the provider.

Banking hub to open in town with no branches

Woman standing at white desk with tablet, holding a smartphone

The hub allows customers to carry out digital banking transactions

A new banking hub has opened in a Berkshire town after the closure of all but one of its individual bank and building society branches.

The Newbury Building Society in Thatcham is hosting a kiosk operated by OneBanx that enables customers of other banks to make transactions.

The society said there was a "big need" for the facility.

Number of homes to be built at racecourse site cut

CGI view of four blocks of flats with area of lawn in front. The buildings are all four storeys high and appear to be made of red brick. There are several trees in the large grass area and two paths with people walking on them in the sun. Behind the buildings is a wooded area.

David Wilson Homes

All of the buildings proposed will now have four storeys

The number of new homes that will be built at a Berkshire racecourse has been cut.

David Wilson Homes was given permission to build 1,500 homes at Newbury Racecourse in 2010 and two of the development's three parts have been built and are occupied.

The third, referred to as the eastern area, was previously given permission for 713 homes in buildings up to eight storeys tall.