Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru | National Assembly for Wales

Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg | Children, Young People and Education Committee

Ymchwiliad i Gynlluniau Strategol Cymraeg mewn Addysg | Inquiry into Welsh in Education Strategic Plans

WESP 07

Ymateb gan : Dinas a Sir Abertawe

Response from : City and County of Swansea

Question 1 – What are your views on whether Welsh in Education Strategic Plans are contributing to the outcomes and targets set out in the Welsh Government’s overarching Welsh Medium Education Strategic Plan?

Having a statutory plan for Welsh in Education has maintained the profile of Welsh as both First and Second Languages in this authority. City and County of Swansea makes at least its expected contribution to the Welsh Medium Education Strategic Plan. 

The authority’s Welsh-medium secondary schools are very high performing, as acknowledged by Estyn.  Our Welsh-medium primary schools perform well, although there is room for improvement.  Welsh as a Second Language in some of our English-medium Secondary Schools is already undergoing a change in order to move away from Short Course at GCSE towards Full Course.  This needs to be carefully managed to ensure that standards rise as the nature of entries alters.

If you believe that WESPs are not contributing sufficiently, how do you think this could be resolved?

N/A

Question 2 – What are your views on whether WESPs are (or have the potential) to deliver the required change at a local authority level (for example delivering provision to meet any increased demand for Welsh medium education)?

In the City and County of Swansea, demand for Welsh-medium Education is considered alongside demand for all types of education under our QEd 2020 Programme.  Three new Welsh-medium primary schools have been opened here since 2002 and others have had additional places added to meet demand. A second Welsh-medium secondary school opened in September 2003.  So, as such, the WESP does not aid or hinder the established programme for meeting demand in this authority.   City and County of Swansea uses the WESP to focus on driving up standards of Welsh across education provision.

If you believe that WESPs are not, or don’t have the potential, to deliver change, how do you think this could be resolved?

N/A

Question 3 – What are your views on the arrangements for target setting; monitoring; reviewing; reporting; approving; and ensuring compliance with delivering the requirements for WESPs (and the role of the local authority and the Welsh Government in this regard)?

City and County of Swansea has embraced the requirements of the WESP since the first voluntary version.  These requirements have added focus and rigour to our processes.  A stakeholder forum, Partneriaeth Addysg Cymraeg Abertawe, has existed since 2009 to guide Welsh in Education in Swansea.  This forum meets regularly to guide and oversee WESP processes, supported by a designated WESP Monitoring Officer.

If you believe there are problems in this area, how do you think they could be resolved?

N/A

Question 4 – What are your views on whether WESPs evidence the effective interaction between the Welsh Government’s Welsh-medium education strategy and other relevant policies and legislation*?
(*for example school transport policy; 21st Century Schools programme; A living language: a language for living – Moving forward policy statement; Flying Start; planning policy)

Each of the examples you list in the question is considered by the relevant service within the authority as part of operation of their service area.  These service areas’ contributions to our WESP reflect the policies and legislation in so far as they apply within City and County of Swansea in the context of our WESP.

If you believe there are problems in this area, how do you think they could be resolved?

N/A

Question 5 – What are your views on whether the outcomes of WESPs deliver equal outcomes for all pupils, including for example, primary/secondary pupils or children from low income households.

In the City and County of Swansea, demand for education through the medium of Welsh in increasing all the time but remains below 15%.  In the past there was a perception that Welsh-medium education was elitist and only affluent families demanded it.  However, in the last fifteen years or so, demand has come from a wider socio-economic base and the profile of pupils attending Welsh-medium provision has changed and continues to change.  This is because Welsh-medium education, particularly in the secondary phase, is considered highly successful. The two newest primary schools and the second secondary school are located in areas of the east of the authority where deprivation levels are higher. 

All of this may not be due to the influence of the WESP, or the Welsh Education Scheme before it, but having a strategic focus on Welsh-medium education is useful in showcasing the schools’ success and promoting the benefits of learning Welsh and learning in Welsh for all children and young people.

As an authority, our big concern is raising standards in Welsh as a Second Language for all pupils.  English-medium primary schools do not have sufficient Welsh expertise to fulfil the requirements for W2L from within and rely on the team of Welsh in Education Officers (formerly Athrawon Bro) for support, development and training.  A key component of the development and training has been the provision of courses. This year, the Welsh in Education Grant funding for the WEO service has been absorbed into the Education Improvement Grant which is now  regional.  This has resulted in designated funding for courses and associated supply cover being removed because of competition for the reduced resources within the overall EIG.  Schools could, of course, choose to spend their own EIG allocation on supply cover, but there will be no courses for staff to attend.  All of this means that maintaining W2L standards in primary schools, let alone improving them, will be extremely challenging in the medium term.  This will impact on secondary schools as pupils will have reduced skills on entry at a time when most of our English-medium secondary school will have to increase their offer at GCSE to Welsh Second Language Full Course.

If you believe that the outcome of WESPs do not deliver equal outcomes, how do you think this could be resolved?

N/A

Question 6 - If you had to make one recommendation to the Welsh Government from all the points you have made, what would that recommendation be?

City and County of Swansea is content that the strategy we adopt for Welsh in Education through the WESP is effective.  Our main concern is the loss of ring-fenced funding from the WEG to support the WESP.  A statutory plan should have designated funding which should be provided to the responsible body, in this case the local authority.  

Question 7 - Do you have any other comments or issues you wish to raise that have not been covered by the specific questions?

 No thank you.