Effective support helps learners become fluent Welsh speakers

Brief contextual information about the provider

Learn Welsh Gwent is a Welsh for Adults provider that was established in 2016 as a result of the reorganisation of the Welsh for Adults sector.  There are around 1,400 adults on the provider’s courses, which provide a range of courses from Entry to Proficiency levels, including mainstream Welsh for Adults, Welsh in the Workplace, Welsh for the Family and a programme of informal learning opportunities across the Gwent area.

Context and background to the excellent/sector-leading practice

The provider’s staff have a passionate commitment towards retaining learners and ensuring that they continue with their lessons and become fluent Welsh speakers.  They provide individual support of a high standard for the learners in their care.  Nearly all tutors know their learners well and work tirelessly to support them to overcome any potential barriers to learning the language.

Description of the nature of the strategy or activity that has been identified as excellent/sector-leading

Learn Welsh Gwent uses several approaches to care for its learners and provide them with every support possible.

Monitoring learners’ attendance

Learn Welsh Gwent’s co-ordinators undertake detailed and thorough work to monitor statistics and monthly attendance and retention rates in order to retain learners.  The provider’s co-ordinators are in regular contact with its tutors.  Clear and frequent communication between the two groups ensures that co-ordinators are aware of the reasons for absence of all learners on courses in their relevant areas.  Co-ordinators contact these learners after a two-week absence to discuss the reason for the absence, and to support the learner to re-join their class or transfer to another class if the time/date of their current class is no longer suitable.  The quality manager monitors the attendance and retention rates of every class on a monthly basis, and ensures that learners’ reasons for each absence are recorded, in addition to the reason for a learner leaving their class.

The Dal Ati project

In December each year, the Dal Ati campaign is held across provision, which targets learners at Entry and Foundation 1 levels.  Historically, these learners are those most likely to give up on their learning at that time of the year.  Through a number of videos that are aimed at encouraging learners to ‘keep going’, in addition to online revision activities and support from co-ordinators and tutors, the aim is to ensure that learners do not leave classes at that time of the year, and that they are given every support possible to re-join their classes in January if they miss sessions during the busy weeks in December.

Class representatives

Learn Welsh Gwent has a network of class representatives.  Every year, learners from each class are asked to appoint a representative.  This person’s role is to act as a contact between the learners in the class and the provision’s managers.  Should a problem arise in the class, for example with the course or the venue, the representative can act on behalf of all learners by informing the tutor in the first instance, or the staff at the venue where the class is held if there is a problem with the venue.

If the problem is not resolved at local level, the class representative can contact the provider’s co-ordinators or managers, where necessary.

What impact has this work had on provision and learners’ standards?

These steps mean that staff develop and maintain very positive working relationships with the learners in their care.  As a result, staff provide them with appropriate support without delay which, in turn, ensures that the provider retains learners that would otherwise be at risk of leaving their courses.  These strategies are also a useful means of drawing the managers’ attention to any underperforming tutors, and enables them to address any issues before they have a detrimental effect on the experience of learners.  As a result, most learners note in the sector’s national questionnaire that they receive valuable care and support from the provider.