Agenda item

To receive a report on the progress made to date in delivering the Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) in all the county’s schools in line with the Welsh Government’s vision for Welsh language provision (copy attached).

11:25am – 11:55am

The Lead Member for Education, Children and Young People, alongside the Head of Education, presented the Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) Transformation report (previously circulated).  The WESP Development Officer was in attendance to support on technical aspects of the Plan. The report informed the Committee on the progress made to date in delivering the Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) in all the county’s schools in line with the Welsh Government’s vision for Welsh language provision; the Committee requested the report following discussion on a progress report in September 2023 in respect of the Delivery of Welsh Medium Provision.

Members were reminded that the Council had a ten-year vision for increasing and improving the planning of the provision of Welsh-medium education in the county. This was articulated in the Council’s Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP). By September 2032, it’s Denbighshire’s aspiration that 40% of all seven-year-old pupils would attend Welsh Medium Education. Members were informed that to achieve this vision, the plan sets out seven outcomes that will contribute towards this aspiration. The Council was required to submit an annual report to the Welsh Government on the progress against this Plan, a copy of which was included as an appendix to the report.

The main progress against the plan included a clear vision and support to develop projects. A dedicated Welsh Language Support Team provided excellent support and guidance to school staff in Denbighshire. Information highlighting the benefits of bilingualism and Welsh medium education was available on DCC’s website. To date 6 English medium primary schools had changed their language category and become T2 schools, committed (over a period of ten years) to increase the amount of Welsh taught at school with an aspiration of teaching 50% of lessons through the medium of Welsh. The number of latecomers to Welsh medium education and receiving specialised support was increasing.  In addition, close collaboration with the Welsh Advisory Team in Conwy County Borough Council was in place to share good practice, which was developing well.

In response to members’ questions the Lead Member, officers and the Headteacher of Denbigh High School –

• advised that the Welsh in Education Strategic Group regularly monitored the progress made with the WESP’s delivery. 

• confirmed that, as reported in Paragraph 4.6 of the report, it was encouraging that the number of pupils receiving their education in two of the largest Welsh medium schools was beginning to return to pre-Covid levels. There had been a number of factors for the reduction in numbers following Covid, the first being that during lockdown children from non-Welsh speaking households who attended Welsh medium schools had not been able to hear or speak the language for a prolonged period of time therefore the families felt they could not support the child's education, hence their reason for sending them to English-medium education settings once the schools reopened. Another factor was that pre-school activities were closed due to COVID-19, this had a massive impact on Welsh education, as that the first seven years of any child’s education was vital and losing the early Welsh language education was a huge detriment to Welsh medium education.  Nevertheless, the Education Service had worked closely with the schools, Mudiad Meithrin, yr Urdd, Rhieni dros Addysg Gymraeg (RhAG) – (Parents for Welsh Medium Education))  etc. in a bid to reverse the trend.  Latest statistics indicated that this work was now beginning to bear fruit with the numbers attending Welsh-medium education returning to near pre-Covid levels.
• illustrated how the day-to-day use of the Welsh language within English-medium schools was being introduced and progressed. Denbigh High School was an excellent example of how the ‘Cymraeg Campus’ initiative in encouraging the use of the Welsh language was working. The drive for the initiative’s success was coming from the top down and was having a positive impact throughout the school. The Headteacher outlined the development plan that they had put in place which included all staff, not only teaching staff e.g. canteen staff were taking pupils’ orders etc. in Welsh.  ‘A’ Level Welsh was a popular subject at the school on Year 7 pupils, who were already familiar with the day-to-day use of the Welsh language at their primary schools were extremely comfortable with the Cymraeg Campus approach on transition to the high school.  The school had already been awarded the ‘Cymraeg Campus’ bronze level award for their encouragement and use of the Welsh language but was about to be awarded the silver level accreditation.  The county’s 7 English-medium or Dual Language secondary schools had contributed towards the ‘Cymraeg Campus Framework’ and were all currently striving to achieve different levels of accreditation.  The ‘Cymraeg Campus Framework’ was a DCC initiative, however the WG were currently taking a keen interest in this approach and were closely monitoring its development.  The ultimate aim was to ‘normalise’ the use of the language in day-to-day situations.
• emphasised that one of the significant challenges they faced in being able to deliver the WESP was staffing, especially in recruiting teaching staff in specialist subject areas through the medium of Welsh. Welsh Government had created various bursaries to encourage people to enter the profession, however this would not resolve the shortage in the short-term.

Councillor Hogg praised the team on developing the 'Sglein Ar-Lein' resource, which his daughter used and which he had found to be particularly useful to him as a learner of the language.  He felt it was excellent tool to assist with all things Welsh.  He believed ensuring that the Welsh language was around children all the time would result in the language becoming intrinsically linked and engrained into day-to-day life, it would then reach a tipping point which would result in more people speaking the language. Officers agreed to pass on the praise about the ‘Sglein Ar-Lein’ resource to the relevant officers.

The Committee:

Resolved:  subject to the above comments –

(i)       to endorse the progress achieved to date in delivering the Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) in all of the county’s schools in line with the Welsh Government’s vision for Welsh language provision; and

(ii)      that future monitoring of the Welsh in Education Strategic Plan’s delivery be undertaken by the Welsh in Education Strategic Group on the proviso that if significant issues or obstacles to the Plan’s delivery are encountered, they are referred to Scrutiny for detailed examination.