Author: Andy Murphy

Developing bilingual learners is part of our vision at the school, and it's very important, vitally important to us, that we prepare our learners to be fluent in both Welsh and English.

Offering opportunities for pupils to use the Welsh language in formal and informal situations, in the classroom and beyond, is essential in order to boost their confidence in oracy. We also like to invite people to the school, so they can see that Welsh is a living language in our communities.

Personally, I believe it's the extra-curricular opportunities that really count, such as attending the Eisteddfod annually, and going on trips to places like Llangrannog and Cardiff. It really shows how important it is to the school, from young adults, to secondary, and also to primary.

In order to develop Welsh language skills, reading is an integral part of life in the classroom. Through confident reading, children gain access to a rich and polished vocabulary, and speaking and writing then develop from that.

One thing at the school that has helped me with Welsh is the language centre, because when I first came to the school, I didn't know a lot of Welsh, so to have somewhere to learn with other people who don't know much, is a good thing for me.

The aim of the language centre is mainly to develop pupils' oracy skills, and moving on to focus on listening and writing and reading skills.

We're proud of the fact that we have our own special heritage and history here in Pembrokeshire, and locality is at the heart of everything we do at this school, from a curriculum planning perspective. And as learners develop a broad understanding of this locality, it also helps them to develop an understanding of their own identity, and the importance of the Welsh language as part of that identity.

The effect of all our efforts to promote the language manifests itself in the children. There is enthusiasm for the language, and it's encouraging to walk around the school, the corridors, outside during breaks, and to hear the language in a context beyond the walls of the classroom, in addition to its use during lessons.

I believe that the main measure of the provision's impact is that pupils who join us, either in nursery and reception, or having transferred from an English language stream without acquiring the Welsh language at all, leave the school as confident individuals who are fluent in Welsh and immersed in the language and culture.