New language learning centres
TWO new language learning centres have been developed in Carmarthenshire to provide additional support to help children become bilingual.
The centres are housed within one building at Ysgol Maes Y Gwendraeth in Cefneithin and split between primary-age pupils and those in secondary education.
The standalone facility includes three new classrooms on the first floor for use by the school to help with additional Welsh-medium capacity due to increased demand.
They will provide immersion education – where the medium of teaching and learning is delivered wholly or predominantly through the medium of Welsh – for learners across the county, particularly those who are new to Carmarthenshire and Welshmedium education.
The centres will offer language refreshers to improve Welsh language and deliver catch-up programmes for pupils in Years Six and Seven to ensure a smooth transition into secondary school.
They will be used to improve the skills of teachers and support staff to enable them to teach bilingually in and outside the classroom, and to improve the Welsh-language skills of staff.
This will build upon an innovative pilot project in the Llanelli area providing Welsh-language support to staff from primary and secondary English-medium schools.
Carmarthenshire Council received a Welsh Medium Education Capital Grant of £985,248 from the Welsh Government to establish the two language centres.
It is committed to creating a bilingual and multilingual Carmarthenshire and these centres are part of a much bigger plan.
The Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) was approved by the council’s cabinet at the end of January following an extensive eightweek public consultation and sets out the council’s vision for bilingual education for the next 10 years.