Agenda item

The Leader advised Cabinet colleagues that the report was prepared by the Chief Education Officer and required Cabinet to consider the appropriateness of the new 10-year Welsh in Education Strategic Plan, or WESP, for submission to Welsh Government.

The School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013 required local authorities to prepare a WESP and confirmed that this must contain targets and proposals to improve provision of education through the medium of Welsh and the standards of Welsh-medium education and teaching of Welsh.  The Act also required local authorities to submit its WESP to Welsh Government for approval prior to implementation. The new 10-year WESP period was due to commence in September 2022, and the deadline for submission to Welsh Government was 31 January.

The new WESP demonstrated how Newport would contribute, over the next 10 years, towards Welsh Government’s Cymraeg 2050 strategy. Cymraeg 2050 introduced a long-term vision for a Wales where the Welsh language thrived and aims to increase the number of Welsh speakers to 1 million by 2050.

The overall target within the WESP related to the expected increase in Year 1 children who were taught through the medium of Welsh. This target was in itself prescribed by Welsh Government, and a minimum 6 percentage point was identified for Newport. This was quantified by a doubling of the provision that was available during the 2020/21 academic year by 2032. Inevitably this would need to be supplemented by increased early years and childcare opportunities, expansions in the Welsh-medium secondary sector and additional workforce.

The draft WESP was developed in conjunction with partners from Newport’s Welsh in Education Forum and as required, was subject to an eight-week period of formal consultation. This included extensive stakeholder engagement, significant publicity via the Council’s social media channels and a number of opportunities to seek learner voice comments through specifically arranged sessions through a number of secondary schools. This was described in detail in the Consultation Report which accompanied this report, and was published on the Council’s website.

The feedback received during the consultation period was considered and some minor changes being made to specific target areas. Overall however, the responses suggested that the WESP was considered to be appropriately robust and suitably ambitious and should now be submitted to Welsh Government for consideration.

Comments of Cabinet Members:

§  Councillor Davies reiterated comments made by the Leader which was an important legislation by WG.  The Council was grateful for the support from the Welsh in Education Forum.  The number of students that participated in the plan was positive and showed immense support.  The Welsh Language Commissioner had stated that Newport City Council’s WESP contribution was excellent.

§  Councillor Hughes added, that as a Welsh speaker, he agreed with the report and was thankful for the Welsh provision that had been put in place.  This was changing the environment for Welsh speakers, particularly in a diverse city as Newport.  It also would not only improve the Welsh language but would also encourage children learning to speak other languages.

Decision:

That Cabinet considered the feedback received during the formal consultation and approved that the WESP be submitted to Welsh Government for consideration, with a view to the new Plan being implemented from September 2022.