Welsh Immersion & Latecomers

Primary Latecomers

We welcome and support any child that wishes to transfer to a Welsh medium primary school. Our support package includes:

• Welsh Latecomers outreach support within the school until the child has reached a sufficient level of acquisition
• A support package for the teacher and supporting staff
• The option for the child to attend our Language Centre for a period of two weeks in order to immerse themselves intensively with our team of experienced Immersion officers before returning to the school and continuing with outreach support
• A support package for parents / families and an opportunity to meet with a member of the Welsh Immersion team in order to gain advice and a greater understanding of the support we offer and also to learn more about how you as parents / guardians can support the child

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FAQ

Q: How long will my child be supported by the Welsh Immersion team?
A: Your child will be supported until they have reached 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 child until the child no longer needs us.

Q: I don’t speak Welsh and am worried that my child will fail because of this.
A: The 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.

Q: What if I decide to move my child but he/she continues to struggle to learn the language?
A: We have recently received money from the Welsh Government to increase our service and support capacity and as a result we have opened a Welsh Language centre. This centre will be used to run courses that assist children with their acquisition journey. Courses have been specifically designed to support different aspects of language acquisition and as a result there will be a course available for your child. For more information please contact your school or email us at trochi@wrexham.gov.uk

Welsh Immersion for Secondary education

The Welsh Immersion scheme enables pupils to transfer from English medium primary schools to access Welsh medium education at Ysgol Morgan Llwyd as indicated in the Parents’ Guide to Education Services in Wrexham 2023/2024. You are asked to consider whether it would be advantageous to your child, later on in life, to be fluent in two languages which in many ways can enhance opportunities especially now with the Welsh Government’s Strategy: Cymraeg 2050 aiming to achieve a million Welsh speakers by then. The Welsh Government provides further information for parents/carers when considering Welsh medium education and can be accessed via the link below: https://cymraeg.gov.wales/learning/schools/Welshmediumeducation/?lang=en

Year 6 pupils currently attending English medium schools, wishing to access Welsh medium secondary education, can access support through the successful immersion scheme based at Ysgol Morgan Llwyd, where immersion pupils are supported until the acquire full fluency and join mainstream classes by the start of Year 9. Prior to full attendance at Ysgol Morgan Llwyd in September, pupils will have the opportunity to be supported in their primary school by our Welsh Advisory Team from January. Following the Whitsun break they will embark on a six week taster immersion course based at Ysgol Morgan Llwyd. If your child does join the immersion course at Ysgol Morgan Llwyd and finds that they are having difficulty adapting to Welsh medium education they will still be able to access English medium secondary education in September. Over the last ten years a number of pupils have transferred to Ysgol Morgan Llwyd from English medium primary schools and have adapted seamlessly to Welsh medium education, achieving very well in their GCSE qualifications.

The course places an emphasis on learning through a range of fun activities. We introduce the Welsh language by engaging in games, a range of fun activities, podcasting, composing, kung fu, gardening, cookery, correspondence projects and with regular trips to practice their Welsh language skills outside of the school setting. We’ve received excellent feedback from both parents/guardians and children and ensure that our course is centred around pupil-led ideas. We place an emphasis on ensuring that their wellbeing is paramount to anything and our smaller immersion group numbers are well suited for supporting, engagement and bonding. A happy child is a child that will thrive. We meet and correspond regularly with parents / guardians in order to ensure that they are actively updated and involved in their child’s progress.

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FAQ

Q. Will my child miss out on Year 6 leavers activities whilst attending the Welsh course?
A. We are happy for children to return to their Primary school for any leavers events / sports day activities / end of year trips but kindly ask that you inform us of any dates where your child will not be in attendance.

Q. Will my child spend time with their mainstream peers?
A. Your child will spend around 50% of their time in the Welsh immersion unit with the other Welsh immersion students and the rest of the time attending some subjects in the main school with their immersion peers and some in mixed classes with mainstream pupils.

Q. What happens if my child doesn’t enjoy the immersion course?
A. We do hope that every child enjoys the experience, however the Year 6 taster period is a good opportunity for the child to experience what we have to offer and decide whether or not they want to continue in Year 7.

Q. We don’t speak Welsh at home and are worried that we won’t be able to support our child. Will I need to learn Welsh too?
A. Whilst we would encourage you to take an interest in your child’s journey and would be happy to advise you on where to access locally run courses, there is no expectation on our part for you to learn Welsh. Over 70% of children accessing Welsh medium schools in Wrexham come from non-Welsh speaking homes therefore we are well rehearsed in supporting their understanding and language acquisition.

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