Agenda item

To submit a report by the Director of Education, Skills and Young People.

Submitted – a report by the Director of Education, Skills and Young People for consideration by the Committee.

The Portfolio Member for Education and the Welsh Language said that the purpose of the report is to provide an annual update on the progress made as regards to  Welsh in Education Strategic Plan.

The Senior Manager (Primary) reported that the report summarises the performance of Anglesey’s WESP for 2025/2026 and highlights the main developments, risks and next steps.  The report highlights the effective use of funds to sustain language centres and strengthens engagement with secondary schools, the support for ‘workforce capacity’ grant applications and a partnership with Coleg Menai to model and develop bilingual pedagogy.  The report also refers to the increase in development activities e.g. Taith i Iaith, WESP project groups in schools, and collaboration with the National Centre for Learning Wales.  Any possible changes to grants after 2026 could threaten the continuity of the provision especially language centres and secondary support.  The report refers to Transport costs which are increasing, with financial and carbon implications, and there is a need for long term solutions to reduce costs.  Recruitment/language proficiency challenges, and the risk to secondary school arrangements regarding the numbers that a registered for GCSE Welsh first language. 

The following were points of discussion by the Committee:-

·         Reference was made to the identified risks and mitigations within the report and specifically that the Transport funding is increasingly challenging.  Questions were raised as to the software that was to be used to lower costs, and more detail is required within the report as regards to these costs.  The Portfolio Member for Education and the Welsh Language responded that the transport modelling work is ongoing, however, there are two language centres that pupils need to be transported which is costly.  The Senior Manager (Primary) said that solutions are been undertaken and considered in lowering transport costs each year and he noted that immersion for pupils into language centres is a priority.   The Director of Education, Skills and Young People assured that more details of the transport costs will be included in the Annual Report for 2026/2027.

·         Questions were raised as to the reasons why more pupils are registering for second language Welsh GCSE. The Portfolio Member for Education and the Welsh Language responded that pupils have the right to choose their preferred language courses, and some pupils may consider that they would have a better grade within their GCSE’s.  He said that there is a plan in place to encourage more pupils to choose first language courses.  However, there will be changes introduced in two years with Welsh Language and Welsh Literature examinations being combined into one GCSE for pupils in the Welsh medium and bilingual schools and a Welsh Second Language GCSE will be discontinued and a new GCSE in Welsh will be created for learners in English medium settings. The Senior Manager (Primary) said that one school has plans to change their language category and it is hoped that GCSE’s result will reflect the progress in the Welsh language courses.  Further questions were raised as to whether the ability of pupils is undermined to undertaken GCSE courses in Welsh as some pupils would not be able to achieve a higher grade.  The Director of Education, Skills and Young People responded that pupils have the choice which language they wish to undertake their GCSE courses. However, there is an increase in pupils within the Welsh mainstream at Ysgol Uwchradd Caergybi and it is hoped that in two years that these pupils will be more confident in undertaking Welsh language GCSE courses. 

·         Reference as made within the report that there is a risk due to the dependent on grant funding.  Questions were raised as to whether the Language Centres are under threat due to grant funding risks.  The Portfolio Member for Education and the Welsh Language responded that the dependent on grant funding is a risk, and it would be better for the funding to be part of the annual settlement from Welsh Government to Local Authorities.  He noted that he hoped that the new Welsh Government will appreciate the work undertaken within the Language Centres and they are willing to continue to fund these centres.  The Director of Education, Skills and Young People said that the allocation of grant funding would be advantage for a three-year period rather than uncertainties with a yearly grant.

·         Reference was made that resources for an A Level course which pupils wish to undertake is unavailable in Welsh and teachers are having to translate. Questions were raised whether pressure can be put on the Welsh Government to make these courses available through the medium of Welsh.  Further questions were raised as to how this Council encourages pupils to undertake course through the Welsh language.  The Portfolio Member for Education and the Welsh Language said that he was willing to send a letter to the Welsh Government expressing the need for all A Level courses to be available through the Welsh language. 

·         Reference was made that Ysgol Uwchradd Caergybi is currently in the T3 category.  Questions were raised whether the school can reach Category 3 in the provision of the Welsh language similar to other secondary schools on the Island.  The Director of Education, Skills and Young People responded that the school has received grant funding to enable the collaboration between the school and the University to support professional development to increase the number of pupils receiving education through the medium of Welsh and bilingually.  He noted that the Governors and the School are aiming to enable the school to be in the same category as all the other schools on Anglesey.  Further questions were raised whether there are difficulties in grant funding to enable Ysgol Uwchradd Caergybi reaching the Category 3 provision in the Welsh language and whether a Strategic Plan has been put in place for the school to achieve the Category 3 provision when the new school has been built in Holyhead.  The Director of Education, Skills and Young People responded that the availability of grant funding is always a challenge.  He noted that work is undertaken with the Governing Body of Ysgol Uwchradd Caergybi to address any risks that might arise and to put in place mitigation processes in place for the school to achieve the Category 3 provision. 

·         Questions were raised that two other primary schools within the catchment area of Holyhead are receiving assistance with the Welsh language.  Questions were raised as to the support to other primary schools with the Welsh language.  The Senior Manager (Primary) responded that two primary schools in the Holyhead catchment area receives support through the Language Centres.  He noted that any school can request additional support with the Welsh language and support for the workforce to give them additional confidence in the language.  Welsh Government has created a national learning and professional body Dysgu to support professional development which includes the promotion of the Welsh language. 

It was RESOLVED to note the update on the Isle of Anglesey Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) Report : 2025/2026.