Funding threat to only Welsh medium school outside Wales

Martin Shipton

The future of the only Welsh-medium school outside of Wales in the United Kingdom has been thrown into doubt following a funding cut announced by the Welsh Government.

Ysgol Gymraeg Llundain, based in the west London borough of Ealing, has been teaching children in the UK capital to become fully bilingual in both Welsh and English for seven decades.

But the primary school’s fate is now in question after the Welsh Government announced its intention to withdraw its annual grant of £90,000 in just nine months’ time.

The funding had been coming from the ‘Cymraeg 2050’ strategy, which aims to achieve one million Welsh speakers by 2050. However, despite the school having received this grant for many years, the Welsh Government is now claiming the funding was never intended for formal education.

School staff have warned that without this funding, the school will be forced to close, ending a 70-year legacy and dismantling the most effective tool for creating fluent Welsh speakers.

‘Unjust’

A source close to Ysgol Gymraeg Llundain said: “The decision to cut funding is abrupt and unjust. Not only have we been given less than a year’s notice, but the funding is being withdrawn part-way through an academic year — an approach that is both unreasonable and deeply disruptive. It leaves teachers in a position of anxious job uncertainty and families with no viable school alternatives.

“The closure of the school would mean losing a unique educational setting, a deeply rooted community, and a proven model of cultural and linguistic transmission.

“The school is already doing everything the Cymraeg 2050 strategy sets out to achieve: creating fluent speakers, embedding Welsh in daily life, and building an intergenerational community around the language. Re-directing funding elsewhere would not only dismantle this success, but require years of investment to even begin replicating it — with no guarantee of the same results.”

‘Appalling’

Shadow Secretary of State for Wales Mims Davies said: “This is yet another example of these two Labour governments working in tandem to fail Wales.

“It is appalling that Labour is continuing to shoot down opportunities both in Wales and beyond with their policies on independent schools and now withdrawing this funding.

“For the sake of all of our young people, I urge these governments to wake up and stop failing our youngsters.”

Shadow Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales, Baroness Olivia Bloomfield, added: “This short-sighted decision requires an urgent re-think – and it flies in the face of everything I thought the Labour Welsh Government stood for in terms of encouraging speaking Welsh throughout the diaspora.”

The most recent Ofsted inspection report from 2023 said: “Pupils, their parents and carers, as well as staff, described this school as one extended family. Every year, all pupils, parents and staff enjoy a residential visit together in Wales. Pupils are very happy at this school, and staff keep them safe.

“Staff have high expectations for all pupils. They want them to work hard and behave well so that they can flourish socially and in their learning. Pupils study a broad range of subjects and gain proficiency in both English and Welsh. Pupils and adults enjoy positive and respectful working relationships. Pupils behave well and are kind. When they have an occasional tiff, and should any bullying occur, staff react quickly. They help the two parties to reconcile their differences and rebuild constructive relationships.

“Staff pay close attention to developing pupils’ character, and they encourage pupils to be ethical and informed. For example, pupils were taught about the impact of plastic pollution in the seas. Their understanding was reinforced by a visit to a City of London water day. This included a presentation by an environmentalist. Pupils thought about and discussed how they could take responsibility to recycle and reduce their use of plastic.”

Plaid Cymru Westminster Leader, Liz Saville Roberts MP said: “The Welsh Government’s announcement of possible cuts to the London Welsh School’s funding from March 2026 onwards – halfway through the academic year – is deeply worrying.

“The uncertainty of the school’s future will already be of grave concerns to pupils and staff members, but to share this news at such short notice is unfair. It gives little time for any future planning for those whose education is at stake.”

A spokesperson for the Welsh Government said “We are currently in discussions with Ysgol Gymraeg Llundain and continue to provide funding for the 2025–26 financial year. We are committed to promoting the Welsh language in London.”