Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP)

Welsh in Education Strategic Plan 2022-2032 

Merthyr Tydfil Council’s Welsh in Education Strategic Plan 2022-2032 should be considered within the context of the Welsh Government’s wider strategy for the Welsh language.

The Welsh Government’s vision is to see one million Welsh speakers by 2050. To achieve that, Welsh Government believes that several things need to happen:

• more children in Welsh-medium education 
• better planning in relation to how people learn the language
• more easy-to-access opportunities for people to use the language
• a stronger infrastructure and a revolution to improve digital provision in Welsh
• see change in the way we speak about it

According to the most recent Census in 2011 there were 562,000 Welsh speakers in Wales. On that basis, the aim of Welsh Government’s strategy will be to almost double the number of Welsh speakers by the middle of the century. 

The Welsh in Education Strategic Plan will run from September 2022 until 2032. Whilst focussing on increasing the capacity of Welsh medium provision across the County Borough it must be read alongside the Council’s Welsh Language Strategy as the two plans are coterminous and the actions of one support the other.

We are proud to have one of the first English medium secondary schools in Wales to receive the Campus Cymraeg Gold Award in Merthyr Tydfil and increasing numbers of our schools are working on achieving success with this Award scheme. The engagement and success of our Welsh medium primary schools and increasing numbers of English medium schools in Yr Urdd Eisteddfod is testament to the commitment to the Welsh language across our education settings.

The next ten years will see education settings across Merthyr Tydfil working towards the Welsh Government target of a million speakers by 2050 and the actions of this plan will go a long way to supporting that.

Our Vision is

Merthyr Tydfil: #Shwmaeronment – a place where the Welsh language is celebrated.

‘To continue to grow opportunities for Welsh medium education across the County Borough, supporting families and professionals to develop their skills in the use of Welsh so that they are more confident to use the language wherever they are.’

We are committed to:-

• Facilitating the wider use of Welsh language both within schools and the wider community and championing the identity of Wales.
• Working with partners to promote and increase the use of the Welsh Language in schools and across the County Borough.
• Further developing provision for Welsh medium education.
• Celebrating progress and commitment to developing the Welsh Language in all settings.
• Developing support for learners with additional learning through the medium of Welsh thus ensuring they receive equal linguistic opportunity.

This will be done through the objectives set by Welsh Government for each WESP which are:-

more nursery children/three year olds receive their education through the medium of Welsh

more reception class children/five-year olds receive their education though the medium of Welsh

more children continue to improve their Welsh language skills when transferring from one stage of their statutory education to another

more learners study for assessed qualifications in welsh (as a subject) and subjects through the medium of Welsh

more opportunities for learners to use Welsh in different contexts in school.

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

increase the number of teaching staff able to teach Welsh (as a subject) and teach through the medium of Welsh.

Throughout the lifetime of this plan and beyond we aim to make Merthyr Tydfil a place where:

• All learners have the opportunity to develop and increase their use of Welsh in everything they do.
• The benefits of bilingualism, cognitively, economically, socially and educationally is promoted throughout the community.
• All partners play their part in improving opportunities for and the use of Welsh within and beyond the learning environment.
• Parents and the wider family are given every opportunity to develop their Welsh language skills so that can support their children’s language development.
• The school workforce has the opportunity to develop their competency and confidence to teach through the medium of Welsh.
• Progression from pre-school Welsh medium provision to Welsh medium maintained provision is fully supported and available for all.
• Linguistic progression across curricular areas when transitioning from pre-school to primary education, from primary to secondary education and from secondary to further education or employment is supported and developed.
• Latecomers to Welsh medium education are supported to develop their skills so that they are able to continue their education through their language of choice.