Welsh Language Policy in schools

General Aims

The aim is to develop the ability of pupils and students within the county to be confidently bilingual in order that they can be full members of the bilingual society of which they are part. All educational establishments within the county reflect and reinforce the language policy in their administration, their social life and pastoral arrangements as well as their academic provision.

Specific Aims

Nursery Education

To ensure, through sensitively structured provision and organisation, that each child receives a firm foundation in Welsh in order to enable him/her in due course to attain the aim of full bilingualism.

Infants

To build on the Welsh Language foundations laid through nursery education, to consolidate and develop the mother tongue of children who are Welsh learners and extend the child from a Welsh speaking home’s competence in English.

Junior

To consolidate and develop each child’s Welsh and English capabilities in all aspects, both active and receptive, so as to ensure that he/she can speak, read and write fluently and confidently in both languages on transferring to the secondary school. (Special provision will be made for junior latecomers).

Secondary

Welsh and English

To ensure that each pupil in the secondary school studies Welsh and English as subjects up to the end of year 11, and that all pupils who have the necessary capability to do so sit appropriate external examinations in both subjects.

The Medium of Instruction

Each pupil uses both languages as a medium of learning in varying degrees according to the needs of each individual, in order to ensure progression of bilingual education from the primary schools.

To ensure that pupils are able to sit external examinations in Welsh or English or bilingually according to the linguistic nature of the teaching in the various subjects. (Special provision will be made for latecomers).

Special Education

In the case of pupils with severe learning difficulties, the Headteacher in consultation with the Local Authority is given permission to consider each case individually. The complete policy can be seen in the education office and Public Libraries and there are references to individual school policies in their School Handbook.