Rising pupil numbers at Gwent’s newest Welsh medium school

Twm Owen Local Democracy Reporter

Gwent’s newest Welsh medium school that was delayed by a year when just three pupils had registered now has 20 attending it. 

A Welsh medium primary was to open in Monmouth in September 2023 despite the “disappointing” number of registrations, but its opening was eventually pushed back to this September due to a struggle to recruit a teacher. 

Members of Monmouthshire County Council were told Ysgol Trefynwy has 20 pupils, from nursery to year two, attending the “seedling school” based at existing accommodation at the town’s Overmonnow Primary. The intake includes two pupils in the first year reception class.

Momentum

Sharon Randall-Smith, the council’s head of achievement, said: “The first few years are always difficult to start a seedling school. To have 19, 20 is a good number to start, it always takes a little bit of time to build that up, it’s building momentum.” 

Labour councillor for the Overmonnow ward, Steven Garratt, welcomed the progress and said: “I was at the first parents meeting where one parent was there so it’s an immense achievement to have 19 there.” 

The council’s original plan was to open a satellite class, linked to the existing Welsh medium Ysgol y Ffin in Caldicot, in September 2023 but as it was unable to recruit settled on the seedling school model, intended to grow by a year group each September. 

Director of education Will McLean said Trefynwy has an “excellent” headteacher who is working from a school in Caerphilly, which he cited as an example of councils working together to support the development of Welsh medium education. 

Cabinet member for education Martyn Groucutt who, in January 2023  described initial registrations in Monmouth as “disappointing”, welcomed the school’s opening and added the county’s longest established Welsh medium is to move to a larger building next year.

“Exciting”

The Labour councillor said: “It’s an exciting time for Welsh medium education within Monmouthshire. We’ve opened a new Welsh medium school in Monmouth and are in the final steps of Ysgol Gymraeg Y Fenni transferring to the former Deri View site to enable the school to expand and enable Welsh medium primary education to really fulfil its potential.” 

Cllr Garratt asked if a Welsh medium secondary could be established and Conservative member for Devauden, Rachel Buckler, said there is concern Ysgol Gwynllyw, in Pontypool, will reach capacity and would no longer be able to accept pupils from Monmouthshire. 

Mr McLean said discussions are taking place with Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen and Powys to understand demand “along the heads of the valleys corridor” but councillors were also told as growth in Monmouthshire is in reception years the council has “seven to eight years” to plan for secondary provision. 

Pupils currently transfer to Gwynllyw and Gwent Is Coed, in Newport, and the education director cast doubt on the prospect of Monmouthshire establishing a comprehensive on it its own. 

He said: “I would have some concerns whether it is viable for a single Welsh medium secondary in Monmouthshire. It would have a small cohort, it would likely be four form entry that’s not very big, and we are looking at how we collaborate with other local authorities to ensure children enjoy the richness of a wide and varied curriculum.”