Consultation on Welsh-medium plans for Ysgol Bro Caereinion begins

A consultation has begun on plans to move a north Powys all-age school along the language continuum so it eventually becomes a Welsh-medium school.

Powys County Council is proposing to move Ysgol Bro Caereinion in Llanfair Caereinion along the language continuum from a dual-stream school to a Welsh-medium school on a phased basis.

This would enable all learners to develop their language skills and become fluent in Welsh and English, ensuring that they become fully bilingual, and able to confidently use both languages in the future.

It would also allow pupils in this part of Powys to access designated Welsh-medium secondary provision.

This type of provision is already available to pupils in other parts of Wales but is currently unavailable in Powys.

Cabinet gave the go-ahead last month (September) to start formal consultation on the plans.

Now the council is asking for views from the public on the proposal, which would provide all pupils with two languages from the very start of their education, and enabling them to become fully bilingual.

If it goes ahead, the proposed change would be introduced on a phased basis year-by-year, starting with Reception and Year 7 in September 2025.

Additional support would be provided to pupils not yet in the Welsh stream in the form of immersive Welsh language support ‘Trochi’, to enable pupils currently in the English stream in the school’s primary phase to transfer to Welsh-medium provision.

This type of provision has previously been delivered successfully in the county and in other authorities to enable pupils to transfer from English-medium education to Welsh-medium education.

Progress

Cllr Pete Roberts, Cabinet Member for a Learning Powys, said: “Securing the best start in life for our young people is the only way that we can build a Stronger, Fairer and Greener Powys. One of the ways we can achieve this is by transforming education.

“This proposal would see the council provide well planned provision for increasing the opportunities for a growing number of children and young people to become fully bilingual, fluent in both Welsh and English and therefore contributing to the Welsh Government’s aspiration to achieve a million Welsh speakers by 2050.

“This proposal meets the aims of the Strategy for Transforming Education in Powys and implement the commitments in our Welsh in Education Strategic Plan, which will enable us to make good progress against our target of increasing the number of pupils being taught through the medium of Welsh.

“However, it is important that the school communities of Ysgol Bro Caereinion and its feeder primary school, along with those living in the wider area, have their say on these proposals. I would urge them to send their views so that they can be considered.”

To respond to the consultation, visit https://en.powys.gov.uk/transformingeducation and follow the links to give your views online.

Alternatively, you can respond to us in writing by emailing [email protected] or via post at Transforming Education Team, Powys County Council, County Hall, Llandrindod Wells, LD1 5LG.

The consultation will close on Thursday, November 30, 2023.

To find out more about Welsh-medium education in Powys, visit https://en.powys.gov.uk/schools and click on Destination Bilingual.

To read the updated Strategy for Transforming Education 2020-2032 and details of the Transforming Education Programme – Wave 2 (2022 – 2027) visit https://en.powys.gov.uk/transformingeducation