Latest news with #Cymraeg2050
Wales Online
4 days ago
- Politics
- Wales Online
England's only Welsh language school 'could close' as Welsh Government withdraws £90k funding
England's only Welsh language school 'could close' as Welsh Government withdraws £90k funding Ysgol Gymraeg Llundain, in Ealing in London is the only Welsh language school outside of Wales Pupils at Ysgol Gymraeg Llundain/London Welsh School in 2023 (Image: London Welsh School ) The future of a Welsh language school in London is said to be in doubt if the Welsh Government withdraws its funding. Ysgol Gymraeg Llundain, in Ealing in London, has been teaching children in the capital to become bilingual in both Welsh and English for seven decades. However, the school fears it will lose a £90,000 Welsh Government grant. The school had been receiving funding via the Cymraeg 2050 strategy, a Welsh Government strategy to achieve one million Welsh speakers by 2050. The school has reportedly received this grant for many years, but has now been told it will be withdrawn by March next year. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here The Welsh Conservatives say the school's funding was never intended for formal education. Losing it will mean closure, it is claimed. A source close to Ysgol Gymraeg Llundain said: "The decision to cut funding is abrupt and unjust. Not only have we been given less than a year's notice, but the funding is being withdrawn part-way through an academic year — an approach that is both unreasonable and deeply disruptive. "It leaves teachers in a position of anxious job uncertainty and families with no viable school alternatives. Article continues below "The closure of the school would mean losing a unique educational setting, a deeply rooted community, and a proven model of cultural and linguistic transmission. "The school is already doing everything the Cymraeg 2050 strategy sets out to achieve: creating fluent speakers, embedding Welsh in daily life, and building an intergenerational community around the language. "Re-directing funding elsewhere would not only dismantle this success, but require years of investment to even begin replicating it — with no guarantee of the same results." Conservative shadow Welsh secretary Mims Davies said: "This is yet another example of these two Labour governments working in tandem to fail Wales. "It is appalling Labour is continuing to shoot down opportunities both in Wales and beyond with their policies on independent schools and now withdrawing this funding. "For the sake of all of our young people, I urge these governments to wake up and stop failing our youngsters." The issue was brought up in the Senedd by independent MS Rhys ab Owen. He said: "The grant of £90,000 to Ysgol Gymraeg Llundain, the London Welsh School, will come to an end in March of next year, in the middle of the school's academic year. "The school is clear: without that £90,000, the school will close, and thereby bring to an end 70 years of Welsh education in London. "The school has ensured generation after generation of Welsh speakers. For such a small figure £90,000, the implications are huge for the school—teachers will lose their jobs, children will have to leave the school in the middle of an academic year, and the impact will be huge on the broader London community. "It would be a great shame if the school had to close because the Welsh Government wasn't providing £90,000 to them." The school, originally founded in 1958 by a group of parents who sent their children to Welsh lessons in London, began with 30 pupils. In 2015 it moved from Wembley to Ealing and has started new initiatives to bring in income and pupils, including a mother and toddler group, a before and after school club and hiring out hot desks to parents to work from inside the building. Article continues below In 2023, the school said it had seen its number fall as families returned to Wales post-pandemic. You can read about that here. The Welsh Government has been asked for comment.
Leader Live
16-06-2025
- Business
- Leader Live
Flintshire teacher's Welsh tutoring in maths, science and biology
Recognising local demand for tutoring delivered in Welsh outweighed existing provisions, Dafydd Jones, from Hawarden, founded Tiwtora ATOM in January 2024, offering personalised tutoring in maths, science, and biology, for Welsh-speaking learners. Qualified teacher Dafydd, turned to Business Wales for vital support in structuring and launching his venture that directly aligned with the Welsh Government's Cymraeg 2050 goal to support and facilitate a million Welsh speakers by 2050. Read more: Report has headteacher "exceptionally proud" of Wrexham school Business Wales Adviser, Gwawr Cordiner, played a pivotal role in guiding Dafydd through the initial phases of business development, helping him identify effective paths to achieve his company's objectives. He benefited from one-to-one guidance and workshops covering essential business skills such as financial management, administration, and strategic planning. Thanks to the comprehensive support Business Wales provides to companies, Dafydd has successfully established and rapidly grown Tiwtora ATOM into a viable and sustainable service offering focused learning for Key Stage 3, 4, and 5, specifically designed for Welsh-speaking students. Read more: Paper mill supports Flintshire schools with donation and site visit Speaking about the inspiration for his service and the Business Wales support that made its creation possible, Dafydd said: "Tiwtora ATOM was born from my desire to make a meaningful impact on students who need extra academic support, particularly Welsh speakers who may find fewer tutoring options. I want to give each student a personalised experience where they can thrive without the pressure often associated with traditional classroom settings." "Since our initial communication, Gwawr has been a rock of support for me. She listened to me and my thoughts about the kind of service I wanted to provide from the beginning, and she supported them. That greatly increased my self-confidence." Read more: Report reflects "care, hard work and dedication" at Flintshire school Dafydd took part in several Business Wales webinars to support entrepreneurs to gain valuable insights into the fundamentals and practicalities of business ownership, including 'Start and Run Your Own Business' and 'Managing Your Finances and Taxes'. Dafydd added: "Gwawr took the time to understand my objectives and skill set before making recommendations that enabled me to rapidly acquire and hone the abilities I would need to launch my company. "She has been instrumental in helping me navigate the challenges of running a business, especially the administrative side. Their guidance has made it much easier for me to get started and feel confident in my decision to go self-employed." Read more: From homeless mum to award-winning Flintshire business owner Dafydd plans to hire additional staff ahead of the National Eisteddfod in Wrexham, allowing him to focus on further developing the business and expanding Tiwtora ATOM's ability to deliver a positive impact for Welsh-speaking students. Business Wales Adviser Gwawr Cordiner said: "By offering his services in the Welsh language, he has a real niche that other similar businesses in the area don't have. This may seem strange considering the level of love and use of Cymraeg in Flintshire, which is clear to see from the scale of customer demand Dafydd has experienced. Read more: "Dynamic" Flintshire headteacher "immensely proud" after Estyn inspection visit "It's rewarding to know that the services we provide exclusively to Welsh companies are directly supporting the crucial Cymraeg 2025 target to create a million Welsh speakers. Passionate teachers and entrepreneurs like Dafydd are key to achieving that goal, and I look forward to further supporting the continued growth Tiwtora ATOM. "I hope other Welsh entrepreneurs both follow Dafydd's example in supporting our Welsh language and understand that they have ready access to expert business support that simply isn't available in other nations." • Business Wales is funded by Welsh Government. For more information and support, visit: or call 03000 6 03000.
Leader Live
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Leader Live
Delyn MS provides updates from across North East Wales
MS for Delyn It was recess last week in the Senedd, which gave me the chance to get out and about in North East Wales – and it was interesting to see the response from the ban on disposable vapes coming into effect. My first job in government was back in 2017 when, as Minister for the Environment, I kicked off the process to ban single-use plastics in Wales, as part of a wider effort to tackle plastic pollution, reduce litter and landfill and move Wales towards a circular economy – the law finally came into effect in 2023. The recent disposable vapes ban takes that legislation a stage further – littering spoils our communities, introduces harmful substances into soil, rivers and streams and causes harm to biodiversity and many people will have seen discarded vapes lying around, so I wholeheartedly support this ban. Regular readers will know that I've been learning Welsh for some time, so it was good to hear about the boost to the language this week – after a two-year study by the Commission for Welsh Speaking Communities, the Welsh Government has accepted several proposals to protect Welsh as a community language. As the commission says, Welsh is a national language that belongs to us all – whoever we are, wherever we live or however much of the language we speak – so efforts to protect the language for future generations, as well as the target of increasing the number of Welsh speakers to one million by 2050 as laid out in the Cymraeg 2050 action plan, gets my full support. This week is Volunteers Week, an annual campaign to celebrate and recognise the contributions of volunteers in our communities and to highlight the diversity and unity of volunteer work across the UK. Our communities have a real debt to the people who give up their time to volunteer and, along with all the grassroots organisations which rely on volunteers, Volunteers Week is a good time to simply say 'thank you'. I am grateful to all those across our communities who give up their time to help others and our corner of North Wales wouldn't be the same without them. It was recently announced that free period products are now available in even more public spaces across Wales, thanks to the Welsh Government's £3.2m Period Dignity Fund. From schools and colleges to libraries, leisure centres, food banks, sports clubs and youth hubs, essential period products are now freely accessible to thousands. With the aim to eradicate period poverty by 2027, no one should have to miss out on education, work or social life due to a lack of access to period products. Our local authority, Flintshire County Council, has introduced 'reusable period product parties', which have made a practical difference, providing free reusable kits and encouraging open, everyday conversations about menstrual health. These efforts are part of a wider plan to tackle period poverty and improve access to menstrual health support across Wales. More locally, Flintshire Local Voluntary Council (FLVC) has recently opened applications for its Youth Led Grants – if you are aged between 14 and 25 and full of ideas to make a difference in your community, then these grants of £250 to £1,000 are now available to help you kickstart youth-led volunteering projects here in North East Wales. Whether you're passionate about tackling poverty, boosting mental health, protecting the environment or celebrating Welsh culture – FLVC want to hear from you. Funded projects should support one or more of the Well-being of Future Generations Act goals and money can be used for equipment, materials or anything needed to get your idea off the ground – to find out more, call Heather Hicks on 01352 754004 or email or info@ And on the funding theme, congratulations are in order for two local organisations which have secured National Lottery Community Fund grants. Daffodils in Mold, a charity which supports disabled and additional needs children and their families, has secured £20,000 which will help to create a weekly two-hour youth club in Sychdyn, monthly tenpin bowling and swimming sessions at the Jade Jones Pavilion and a festive Christmas party. Also, Cilcain village hall has been awarded a grant to install solar photovoltaic panels on the roof of the village hall – Cilcain is an active and lively village with real community spirit and the village hall is very much the hub of the community. Llongyfarchiadau to both organisations! As always, if you would like advice and/or support, please don't hesitate to get in touch on any of the following contact details – 52 High Street, Mold, Flintshire, on 01352 753464 or by email You can also keep up to date via my Facebook page – Constituents are, of course, welcome to contact my office to arrange an appointment to see me, you don't need to wait for an advice surgery.
Pembrokeshire Herald
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Pembrokeshire council deputy chief ‘unacceptable' words row
A SPECIAL Pembrokeshire council meeting which includes a motion of no confidence in its deputy leader is to take place next week. The notice of a motion of no confidence call, by Cllr Huw Murphy, leader of the Independent Group, has been backed by fellow members. It is centrally due to concerns by Cllr Murphy about Deputy Leader Cllr Paul Miller's comments made during an April Cabinet debate on The Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP), which led to a successful 'call-in' on that Cabinet decision by Cllr Murphy. In a heated discussion at a scrutiny committee prior to the matter going back to a special May Cabinet meeting, Cllr Murphy claimed Cllr Miller's comments showed 'a bias against the provision of Welsh Language education'. WESP is a ten-year plan, mandatory for all local authorities in Wales, that outlines how Welsh medium education will be developed within the authority. The WESP aims to increase the proportion of school year groups taught through the medium of Welsh and focuses on Year 1 learners. The plans also aim to contribute to the Welsh Government's goal of having 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050, as part of the 'Cymraeg 2050' initiative. Pembrokeshire County Council's schools and learning overview and scrutiny committee met on May 14 to consider the 'call-in', specifically an amendment by Cllr Miller to its previous recommendation to note a report. The scrutiny committee voted for Cabinet to consider removing an amendment: 'That the Director of Education be tasked with exploring how demand for Welsh language can be better captured. 'In particular this work should focus on disaggregating demand for Welsh Medium Education from other school choice considerations such as perceptions of learning outcomes, facility quality etc,' replacing it with: 'That the progress being made against the objectives set out in the Welsh in Education Strategic Plan, and Welsh Government's feedback to the Council's 2023/24 Annual Report, be noted.' Cllr Murphy's lengthy 'call-in' said: 'Some comments made by Cabinet appeared to display a degree of bias against the provision of Welsh Language education.' He quoted Cllr Miller from that meeting, in relation to Welsh medium Ysgol Caer Ellen: '…basically we've opened Caer Ellen and loads of people went there and therefore by definition they must want a Welsh Language education. 'I'm not sure how true that is, might be partly true, might be completely true but also it might not be. I know quite a few parents in that particular area obviously given my constituency in Neyland West and all of them that I know who send their children to Caer Ellen honestly couldn't give a toss whether it was Welsh or English, they're looking for a good school and so what they've got is a good school in Caer Ellen, great facilities, and so they're sending their kids there.' Cllr Murphy went on to say: 'Councillor Miller then continues and commented 'honestly the fact its Welsh medium has got nothing to do with anything so how do we differentiate those looking for a good school' and re-asserts this point where it appears that Cllr Miller by his comments does not think parents select Caer Ellen on the basis of providing Welsh education, rather that it's a 'good school' and requests data be collected to ascertain from parents why they choose Welsh Language education.' Cllr Murphy also raised concerns that some members of the Cabinet 'had little idea of the workings' of Fforwm Cymraeg, a committee which examines in greater detail the provision of Welsh language education in Pembrokeshire, and any data collection 'would be a clear indication that some Cabinet members do not believe parental choice in electing Welsh Language education'. At the May 14 meeting, Cllr Murphy said he had reported the matter to the Welsh Language Commissioner, who had shared his concerns, and was 'aghast what Pembrokeshire County Council recommended.' Cllr Miller responded saying there was no evidence members displayed a limited knowledge of WESP, and allegations that his comments displayed a degree of bias were 'entirely without merit,' standing by his words. 'It must be the case it is at least possible some parents are choosing Welsh medium schools other than because of the medium of Welsh. It's currently unknown; surely it's right the council seeks to understand the impact of other forces.' He said Cllr Murphy was 'trying to make something out of nothing,' in 'a naked attempt to create outrage, trying to paint some in this council as anti-Welsh,' adding: 'Cllr Murphy should be deeply ashamed of his actions over the last week in trying to create artificial division in the county of Pembrokeshire.' Cllr Murphy's call succeeded by seven votes to five, with the matter going to a May 21 extraordinary meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council's Cabinet. That May 21 meeting led to the council issuing a statement: 'Following Cabinet in April it became clear that there were some concerns about the council potentially capturing information on the school choices made only by those parents choosing a Welsh Medium Education. 'To allay those concerns, the Cabinet today determined to explore collecting the information on the school choices made by all parents, resolving as follows: That the Director of Education be tasked with exploring how the demand for school places can be better captured. 'In particular this work should focus on understanding the weight parents give to the different choice considerations, including: language preference; learning outcomes; quality of facilities; transport provision; ALN provision, etc. 'As the council continues to consider proposals to modernise the school estate we believe it's important we have the best possible information available to ensure we make informed decisions in the best interests of pupils and parents.' Following the lodging of a no-confidence call, a Pembrokeshire County Council spokesman has now said: 'Following a formal request submitted to the Presiding Member, an Extraordinary Meeting of Council will take place on Monday ,June 2, at 1pm. 'The purpose of the meeting will be to consider a Notice of Motion of no confidence in the Deputy Leader of Council. 'The agenda will be published in due course.'
Pembrokeshire Herald
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Parents rally to save ‘heart of the community' from closure
A SPECIAL Pembrokeshire council meeting which includes a motion of no confidence in its deputy leader is to take place next week. The notice of a motion of no confidence call, by Cllr Huw Murphy, leader of the Independent Group, has been backed by fellow members. It is centrally due to concerns by Cllr Murphy about Deputy Leader Cllr Paul Miller's comments made during an April Cabinet debate on The Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP), which led to a successful 'call-in' on that Cabinet decision by Cllr Murphy. In a heated discussion at a scrutiny committee prior to the matter going back to a special May Cabinet meeting, Cllr Murphy claimed Cllr Miller's comments showed 'a bias against the provision of Welsh Language education'. WESP is a ten-year plan, mandatory for all local authorities in Wales, that outlines how Welsh medium education will be developed within the authority. The WESP aims to increase the proportion of school year groups taught through the medium of Welsh and focuses on Year 1 learners. The plans also aim to contribute to the Welsh Government's goal of having 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050, as part of the 'Cymraeg 2050' initiative. Pembrokeshire County Council's schools and learning overview and scrutiny committee met on May 14 to consider the 'call-in', specifically an amendment by Cllr Miller to its previous recommendation to note a report. The scrutiny committee voted for Cabinet to consider removing an amendment: 'That the Director of Education be tasked with exploring how demand for Welsh language can be better captured. 'In particular this work should focus on disaggregating demand for Welsh Medium Education from other school choice considerations such as perceptions of learning outcomes, facility quality etc,' replacing it with: 'That the progress being made against the objectives set out in the Welsh in Education Strategic Plan, and Welsh Government's feedback to the Council's 2023/24 Annual Report, be noted.' Cllr Murphy's lengthy 'call-in' said: 'Some comments made by Cabinet appeared to display a degree of bias against the provision of Welsh Language education.' He quoted Cllr Miller from that meeting, in relation to Welsh medium Ysgol Caer Ellen: '…basically we've opened Caer Ellen and loads of people went there and therefore by definition they must want a Welsh Language education. 'I'm not sure how true that is, might be partly true, might be completely true but also it might not be. I know quite a few parents in that particular area obviously given my constituency in Neyland West and all of them that I know who send their children to Caer Ellen honestly couldn't give a toss whether it was Welsh or English, they're looking for a good school and so what they've got is a good school in Caer Ellen, great facilities, and so they're sending their kids there.' Cllr Murphy went on to say: 'Councillor Miller then continues and commented 'honestly the fact its Welsh medium has got nothing to do with anything so how do we differentiate those looking for a good school' and re-asserts this point where it appears that Cllr Miller by his comments does not think parents select Caer Ellen on the basis of providing Welsh education, rather that it's a 'good school' and requests data be collected to ascertain from parents why they choose Welsh Language education.' Cllr Murphy also raised concerns that some members of the Cabinet 'had little idea of the workings' of Fforwm Cymraeg, a committee which examines in greater detail the provision of Welsh language education in Pembrokeshire, and any data collection 'would be a clear indication that some Cabinet members do not believe parental choice in electing Welsh Language education'. At the May 14 meeting, Cllr Murphy said he had reported the matter to the Welsh Language Commissioner, who had shared his concerns, and was 'aghast what Pembrokeshire County Council recommended.' Cllr Miller responded saying there was no evidence members displayed a limited knowledge of WESP, and allegations that his comments displayed a degree of bias were 'entirely without merit,' standing by his words. 'It must be the case it is at least possible some parents are choosing Welsh medium schools other than because of the medium of Welsh. It's currently unknown; surely it's right the council seeks to understand the impact of other forces.' He said Cllr Murphy was 'trying to make something out of nothing,' in 'a naked attempt to create outrage, trying to paint some in this council as anti-Welsh,' adding: 'Cllr Murphy should be deeply ashamed of his actions over the last week in trying to create artificial division in the county of Pembrokeshire.' Cllr Murphy's call succeeded by seven votes to five, with the matter going to a May 21 extraordinary meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council's Cabinet. That May 21 meeting led to the council issuing a statement: 'Following Cabinet in April it became clear that there were some concerns about the council potentially capturing information on the school choices made only by those parents choosing a Welsh Medium Education. 'To allay those concerns, the Cabinet today determined to explore collecting the information on the school choices made by all parents, resolving as follows: That the Director of Education be tasked with exploring how the demand for school places can be better captured. 'In particular this work should focus on understanding the weight parents give to the different choice considerations, including: language preference; learning outcomes; quality of facilities; transport provision; ALN provision, etc. 'As the council continues to consider proposals to modernise the school estate we believe it's important we have the best possible information available to ensure we make informed decisions in the best interests of pupils and parents.' Following the lodging of a no-confidence call, a Pembrokeshire County Council spokesman has now said: 'Following a formal request submitted to the Presiding Member, an Extraordinary Meeting of Council will take place on Monday ,June 2, at 1pm. 'The purpose of the meeting will be to consider a Notice of Motion of no confidence in the Deputy Leader of Council. 'The agenda will be published in due course.'
