Agenda item

Consideration was given to the Welsh in Education Strategic Plan 2022-32 - Action Plan. In accordance with section 84 of the School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013 every Local Authority in Wales was expected to submit a Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) to the Welsh Government. The plan drawn up complies with the Welsh Government Welsh in Education Strategic Plans regulations 2019; the Welsh in Education Strategic Plan was adopted by Ceredigion Council Cabinet on 22nd February 2022. The plan was approved by the Welsh Government on 20 July 2022.

It was strategically planned for the following areas to develop and strengthen

the Welsh language:

Outcome 1: More nursery children/three year olds educated through the medium of Welsh

Outcome 2: More reception class children/five year olds educated through the medium of Welsh

            Outcome 3: More children continue to improve their Welsh language skills when transferring from one stage of their statutory education to another

Outcome 4: More learners study for assessed qualifications in Welsh (as a

subject) and subjects through the medium of Welsh

Outcome 5: More opportunities for learners to use Welsh in different contexts in school

Outcome 6: An increase in the provision of Welsh-medium education for    pupils with additional learning needs (ALN) (in accordance with the duties

imposed by the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales)   Act 2018)

Outcome 7: An increase in the number of teaching staff able to teach Welsh (as a subject) and teach through the medium of Welsh

Following its approval under section 85(7) of the School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013 local authorities must take all reasonable steps to implement their WESP and prepare an action plan which would be monitored annually in the form of a review report. The Action Plan sets out the Local Authority’s position in 2022 in these areas and explains the aim in 5 years and how this is achieved. Additionally, the aims for the end of the Plan’s life in a decade were set out. The Action Plan presented specifies a 5-year overview of the procedures, and there was a more detailed operational plan for the first two years noting the responsibilities of specific staff to fulfil the necessary actions.

The draft action plan was submitted to the Government on 23 December 2022. Confirmation was received on 28 February 2023 stating that the actions and timetable are clear and appropriate. The comments received have been incorporated into the action plan presented. The Welsh Government considers the action plan to be a live, flexible document that would need to be amended along the way according to local needs and developments. The action plan would be monitored every term by the Welsh in Education Strategic Plan Forum and sub-committees as necessary.

One of the steps set out in the Action Plan was to start the consultation process for changing the language medium in the Foundation Phase of five schools in the county. In order to ensure consistency in the admission age of the five schools it was agreed in the WESP that three schools would change their admission age to 3 years instead of 4 years. In accordance with the 2018 School Organisation Code, consent was required by the Council's Cabinet to start the consultation process and a paper would go before Cabinet on 2.5.23. If consent was given by Cabinet at that meeting, it was aimed to follow the following timetable in terms of the statutory process of carrying out a consultation.

Following questions from the floor, it was AGREED to recommend to Cabinet:-

(i)to adopt the Action Plan for the Welsh in Education Strategic Plan 2022- 2032, to be implement  from the beginning of the Summer term 2023 and to review it annually;

(ii)that the Action Plan would be monitored through the WESP Language Forum meetings and the Bilingual Futures Committee;

(iii)that an annual report on progress against the Action Plan for the Welsh in Education Strategic Plan was presented to the Language Forum, the Bilingual Futures Committee, the Learning Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee and to the Cabinet; and

(iv)in accordance with the School Organisation Code, that the Local Authority starts the process of changing the language medium in the Foundation Phase at Comins Coch, Llwyn yr Eos, St Padarn’s, Plascrug and Cei Newydd schools. Additionally, a consultation regarding changing the admission age atthree schools namely Comins Coch, St Padarn’s and Cei Newydd would coincide with this. These consultation periods would commence on 15th September 2023.