Celebrating the Success of Welsh Language Immersion and Latecomer Support in Wrexham
13/02/25
The Welsh language immersion service in Wrexham County Borough Council has achieved remarkable success, as highlighted in a recent report by Estyn, His Majesty’s Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales. This report, based on an inspection conducted in December 2024, showcases the significant strides made in promoting the Welsh language and supporting pupils' well-being through innovative and effective immersion arrangements.
A Vision for Welsh Language Thriving
Leaders in Wrexham have demonstrated a clear vision to ensure the Welsh language thrives within the local authority. The immersion arrangements have evolved significantly since 2018, with dedicated efforts to support both primary and secondary education sectors. The establishment of two Welsh immersion centres, Canolfan Cynefin primary centre at Ysgol Min y Ddôl and Trochi Wrecsam, a secondary centre at Ysgol Morgan Llwyd, has been pivotal in this journey.
The report indicates that the success of the immersion service can be attributed to the inspirational leadership of the provision manager, who has fostered a supportive culture promoting the Welsh language. The effective use of government grants has been crucial in developing these arrangements and the manager's high expectations and commitment have created a dedicated team that nurtures pupils' pride in the Welsh language and supports their well-being.
Leaders have forged strong relationships with local schools, pupils, and parents, ensuring a collaborative approach to Welsh immersion. They have worked closely with schools to plan provision and support pupils and their families in transitioning to Welsh-medium education. The promotion of staff’s professional learning has been a key focus, with leaders enthusiastically researching bilingualism practices and conducting professional learning in other schools. This has positively impacted the Welsh language skills of both staff and pupils across the authority. Claire Rayner, Headteacher at Ysgol Min y Ddôl, a Welsh medium primary school in Cefn Mawr where the primary centre Cynefin is located, has nothing but praise for service: "The Welsh Immersion primary provision, Cynefin, has been invaluable in raising the confidence, self-belief, and the ability of the children with the Welsh language. We have seen a noticeable improvement in their acquisition and willingness. Their pride in their achievements is evident through their increasing ease in conversing and communicating. The supportive and caring staff, along with the excellent experiences they offer, are a strength in the provision and help ensure that every pupil walks away with a smile on their face, belief in their heart, and pride in their efforts. The children often don't want to leave!"
Meanwhile Michelle Firth, Heateacher at Brynteg C.P that has been supporting the secondary immersion programme during recent years added: “I am very impressed with the transition work that takes place for the pupils in my school. We have had a number of pupils choose the Welsh immersion route from our predominantly English speaking school and I was initially worried about how well some of them would adapt but I have been very proud to see how well the pupils achieve. We have loved seeing our ex pupils participating in celebratory videos and hearing how well they have adapted. As soon as pupils are allocated their place we receive contact to begin work on supporting the transition. The children look forward to these visits and enjoy their focus time. There is a lot of liaison during the longer transition to ensure the pupils maximise their time there but also ensure they don't miss out on any of the events that take place in their final term in primary.”
Teaching Staff's Energy and Enthusiasm
A standout feature of the Welsh immersion service in Wrexham is the energy and enthusiasm of the teaching staff and their passion for the Welsh language and commitment to their pupils create a vibrant learning environment. Estyn praised the service teachers as robust linguistic role models, using effective multisensory teaching methods and physical gestures to facilitate effective and supportive learning. They continued adding that this dynamic approach not only enhances pupils' language skills but also fosters a positive and engaging classroom atmosphere. The strong relationships between staff and pupils are built on trust and mutual respect, contributing to a supportive and happy learning community. Awel Roberts, a teacher at the Secondary immersion centre stated: “I am incredibly proud to be a Welsh immersion teacher, and it’s a true privilege to share this amazing experience with such hard-working, inspiring children. I am in awe of their dedication and the incredible effort they put into learning the language. To see them become fluent speakers in such a short period of time is nothing short of remarkable, and the pride they take in their Welsh language journey is inspiring. Their passion and commitment serve as a constant reminder of what can be achieved through hard work and determination. These children are an inspiration to us all.” Iwan Owen-Ellis, acting Headteacher at Ysgol Morgan Llwyd where the secondary immersion centre is based also shared positive feedback on the relationship between the school and the service, learner development and transition arrangements: "The immersion service has been a resounding success here at Ysgol Morgan Llwyd. The pupils are nurtured in the immersion unit by dedicated and caring staff. The pupils are effectively transitioned to become valuable members of the Ysgol Morgan Llwyd community while following the entire curriculum in Welsh by year 9."
The Estyn report notes that the manager has seized every opportunity to innovate in promoting immersion arrangements, particularly in improving pupils' oracy skills. The report highlights the positive outcomes of these efforts, with many pupils making good progress in their Welsh speaking skills and developing positive attitudes towards the language. The provision supports pupils' well-being effectively, ensuring they feel safe and happy, which in turn promotes positive attitudes to learning. Eleri Vaughan Roberts, Welsh Immersion Service Team manager, reflects on the journey: "It has been a wonderful journey to date seeing the service thrive as a result of support from Welsh Government grants, support from families and schools, and most importantly, the success and happiness of our learners. They are truly the success story here and their efforts cannot be underestimated. The numbers wishing to access our provisions are rising year upon year, and as a result, we have secured Welsh government capital investment to build a purpose-built secondary unit to help us further develop our offer. We have also secured plans to provide a robust immersion offer within our primary sector following a successful pilot programme. Without doubt, the success could not have been achieved without effective teamwork, and credit must be given to all members of the team for their commitment, support, and for going the extra mile to ensure our provision supports every learner, family, and school."
Reinforcing the positive journey and support experienced by families, Eryn Hardy, a parent who chose this pathway for her daughter back in 2022 added: “We moved to Wales when our daughter was part way through year 5 having been educated in England before this, and less than 12 months in she was in the Summer Welsh Immersion as part of her transition to high school. Five weeks of Trochi (late immersion) later and my summer play lists were filled with band names I couldn't pronounce and as for the lyrics; all in Welsh. Then incredibly less than an academic year later (my play lists still in Welsh) my daughter was merging into the mainstream having learnt the needed skills to hold her own in a Welsh Medium school. I am still amazed listening to her when we are out flipping between languages without batting an eye. We were really worried when she chose a Welsh Language school that she would be forever behind, hampered by it being her second language but the national tests showed there was no drop in her key knowledge base. Trochi staff kept an open door for both her and us as parents, so we knew what to expect and how to support. We have just chosen her options, and I am so glad we took that deep breath & trusted the Immersion scheme, she now has a second language, the belief she can learn additional languages and speaks the language of her home country. Win, Win, Win.“ Another parent, Gemma Ketteringham made reference to the inclusive and nurting element of the provision stating: “The immersion class was amazing for my son. The atmosphere and ethos of the class met his additional needs and he really thrived in a way we hadn’t seen before. Their commitment didn’t stop when he moved into mainstream Welsh education – they continued to offer extra help with both the Welsh language and his emotional needs. The care, support and understanding from the staff made a real difference for him!”
The Estyn report stated that Welsh Language Immersion Service in Wrexham places learners at the heart of its efforts. Their voices are integral to lesson planning, ensuring that their needs and preferences shape the educational experience. The service goes beyond language learning, fostering a sense of identity, pride, and confidence in learners. Well-being support and nurturing strategies are effectively integrated into the curriculum and daily practices. The service promotes positive attitudes towards learning Welsh, ensuring that learners feel happy, safe, and motivated. This holistic approach helps learners to thrive both academically and personally, supporting learners' emotional and social development alongside their linguistic skills. By providing diverse experiences, it ensures Welsh is seen as a living language with practical benefits. Strong relationships, with local schools, pupils, and parents, underpin the service's success. Upon asking for learner feedback the message was clear: they enjoy and value the opportunity to learn the language, the settings allow them to develop confidence and have fun whilst learning and they take great pride in how quickly they’ve developed their Welsh language skills.
Estyn’s recommended next steps are for the Council to plan more purposefully to ensure a clear strategic direction for Welsh immersion arrangements, particularly in the primary sector to further develop and support the successful existing provision.
Cymraeg 2050
The growing importance of the Welsh language in Wales is underscored by the ambitious Cymraeg 2050 initiative, which aims to achieve one million Welsh speakers by 2050. This initiative highlights the cultural and social significance of the Welsh language, emphasizing its role in shaping a vibrant and inclusive national identity.
Welsh-medium education plays a crucial role in this vision. The Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Bill supports this by ensuring that all pupils are given the opportunity to become confident Welsh speakers by the end of their compulsory education. This approach not only preserves the language but also enhances cognitive skills, cultural awareness, and future career opportunities for students.
The Welsh Immersion and Latecomers Service provides essential support for students transitioning into Welsh-medium education and offers intensive language programs and tailored support to help latecomers achieve fluency and integrate seamlessly into their new educational environment and in choosing the option in Wrexham families can rest assured that their child is in safe hands and will thrive with all the support made available by the service. The Welsh Immersion and Latecomers Service also plays an integral role in supporting the Local Authority’s Welsh in Education Strategic Plan objectives with its role in supporting learners, schools, community, transition, inclusivity and training for its staff and schools across the borough. They recognise their role and influence as being more than just within the classroom and play an active role in supporting, training and networking locally, regionally, nationally and internationally! The Estyn report highlighted a snapshot of effective practice seen in supporting the English medium schools in Wrexham, stating “Leaders organise valuable opportunities to support professional learning across the authority by providing effective language acquisition training. Recently, they have promoted the development of the Welsh language skills of staff and pupils in some of the local English-medium schools successfully. The centre’s staff tailor purposeful support to meet the needs of individual schools and work together to provide stimulating activities to support the development of pupils’ skills across the curriculum. As a result, staff’s confidence in teaching Welsh has increased which, in turn, has a positive effect on pupils’ skills. This has also led to an increase in the number of pupils who transfer to Welsh medium secondary education each year. This is now significantly higher than the target set by the authority in the Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP).” Richard Hatwood, Headteacher at Gresford’s All Saints’ Voluntary Aided Church in Wales school that has been part of a pilot scheme run by the service contributed the following statement: “It’s been a pleasure working alongside the service to develop Welsh language skills within the school. Not only have standards in Welsh language skills of pupils developed, their confidence and appreciation of the importance of Welsh language and culture has also transformed. This is down to the innovative, flexible and creative approach from the team and their commitment to collaborate with us.”
Conclusion
The Welsh language immersion service in Wrexham County Borough Council stands as a testament to the power of dedicated leadership, inspirational and supportive teaching staff, effective use of resources, a focus on a cohesive support system and strong community relationships. The success of this service not only promotes the Welsh language but also supports the well-being and educational progress of pupils. As Wrexham continues to innovate and improve its immersion arrangements, it sets a shining example for others to follow in fostering bilingualism and cultural pride.
This report is a celebration of the hard work and commitment of all those involved in the Welsh immersion service in Wrexham, and it highlights the positive impact of their efforts on the community.
Service provision details to learn more about the offer:
Cynefin, the primary Welsh Immersion and Latecomers support provision in Wrexham, is dedicated to fostering Welsh language skills through an immersive, fun, and engaging cross-curricular programme. This initiative offers learners a plethora of opportunities to enhance their Welsh language proficiency, with a particular emphasis on oracy skills, all while prioritizing learner well-being. A regular stream of posts demonstrating their activities can be found by following their social media accounts: @cynefinwrecsam. Learners have the chance to attend the centre four days a week as part of a comprehensive six to seven-week programme. Following this, a follow-up course is available in the subsequent term. Additionally, outreach support is provided within their home schools between courses, as part of a pre- and post-course support programme. This holistic approach ensures continuous development and reinforcement of Welsh language skills, establishing Cynefin as an important cornerstone in supporting Welsh language education in Wrexham.
Trochi Wrecsam, the secondary Welsh Immersion and Latecomers support provision in Wrexham supports learners from Years 5 – 9 during their transition into Welsh medium secondary education from an English medium school. Prior to the full immersion course in Year 7 all learners that have expressed an interest in the pathway are supported with regular outreach sessions and offered a pre-Summer 6 week taster course. This supports families to make the right choice for them, ensuring that they are supported within the transition to experience the Welsh immersion pathway before fully committing. All learners are supported to develop Welsh language skills across the curriculum, engaging them in a range of activities and equipping them with the skills to succeed and to sit confidently alongside their peers in the mainstream when they’re ready. Follow their social media accounts @trochi_wrecsam to sample life at the centre.
FAQ
Q: How long will my child be supported by the Welsh Immersion team?
A: Your child will be supported until they have developed a good level of Welsh acquistion and are confident in their own ability. Each child will be supported for varying lengths of time depending on their age, engagement, and many other factors. We will continue to support the learner until the learner no longer needs us.
Q: I don’t speak Welsh and am worried that my child will fail because of this.
A: The vast majority of children attending Welsh medium schools in Wrexham come from non-Welsh speaking homes. The schools and supporting services are more than rehearsed in supporting the children and their families and each child has an equal opportunity to gain fluency and thrive with our support. Despite not speaking Welsh there are other ways that you can support your child such as visiting the local Library for Welsh books, playing Radio Cymru or watching some S4C together (with subtitles), encouraging your child to use their Welsh if you come across a Welsh speaking person and in taking an interest in what they are learning.
To learn more about the Welsh immersion and latecomers offer please visit Wrexham’s dedicated website for Welsh medium education: www.agw.cymru. Here you will find a page with information on the Welsh immersion services. Any enquiries can also be directed to [email protected]. The secondary immersion provision will be holding an Open Evening on the 17th of February at 5pm at Ysgol Morgan Llwyd. A warm welcome will be extended for all.
To read the latest Estyn report for the Welsh Immersion arrangements in Wrexham County Borough Council: https://estyn.gov.wales/education-providers/wrexham-county-borough-council-2/