Response to statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Education

The Cabinet Secretary for Education (Lynne Neagle MS) referred to the good work undertaken in our Welsh language late immersion centres across Wales in Plenary this week.

We fully endorse the focus on the important role of Welsh immersion centres in the development of Welsh reading skills and highlight this in our recent Thematic report: Developing Welsh reading skills from 10-14 years of age

The statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Education can be seen below:

“I want to take this opportunity today to highlight and celebrate the work undertaken in our Welsh language late immersion centres across Wales, and the part we as the Welsh Government are playing in supporting that work…

Over 4,000 learners have benefited from late immersion intensive language programmes since 2021. Late immersion teaching practices have also been used to reinforce Welsh language skills amongst those less confident learners, particularly post-pandemic.

The recently published Estyn Thematic Report on developing pupils’ Welsh reading skills from 10-14 years of age, acknowledged the role late immersion centres play in developing effective Welsh language skills amongst learners who transfer from the English-medium sector. The funding to local authorities has also supported the retention and recruitment of over 60 late immersion practitioners as well as enabled creative use of technology to enrich the learning experience. Cyngor Gwynedd, for example has led the development of a virtual village ‘Pentref Aberwla’, using VR technology which will be rolled out nationally over time. 

Full details on The Cabinet Secretary for Education’s reference can be found here: Agenda for Plenary on Tuesday, 8 October 2024, 13.30 (senedd.wales)

To find out more about our approach to inspecting Welsh immersion arrangements in local authorities click here.

Our recent inspection report on Welsh Language Immersion Arrangements in Newport City Council can be found here.

For further examples of effective practice in this sector, read our recent thematic report: Welsh Immersion Education – Strategies and approaches to support 3 to 11-year-old learners