Education

Plaid Cymru Education Minister ‘disappointed’

Published

11 years ago

June 18, 2015

Tom Sinclair

Flagship Phase: Welcomed report

RESEARCHERS at Cardiff University and the Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research, Data and Methods (WISERD) have published results that appear to suggest overall foundation phase results have improved.

Commissioned by the Welsh Government to assess, as they refer to it, their ‘flagship’ Foundation Phase, the results, which took 3 years to evaluate, show, say the Welsh Government, improvements in educational achievements along with their well being and engagement to learning.

According to the Welsh Government, the release of the report showed that:

– Pupils in the Foundation Phase are more likely to achieve Level 4 or above in Key Stage 2 English

– Schools using high levels of Foundation Phase pedagogies are more likely to achieve the Foundation Phase Indicator

– Greater use of Foundation Phase pedagogies leads to increased pupil engagement and wellbeing

– The Foundation Phase improves school attendance across the board and delivers improved attainment, including for those pupils eligible for free school meals.

Practitioners and key people involved in the delivery of Foundation Phase believe it is having a positive impact on children and learning and that it delivers improvements in literacy and numeracy

Speaking about the findings was Welsh Government Education Minister, Huw Lewis, who said: “With the introduction of the Foundation Phase we have moved to a new method of learning for our 3 to 7 year olds, one that is very much focussed on learning by doing and finding different ways of solving problems. I very much welcome this report.

“It follows a three year, comprehensive and credible research programme led by Cardiff University and WISERD and tells us that the Foundation Phase really is delivering for our youngest learners, in terms of attainment, attendance, well being and engagement.”

He went on to discuss future plans, saying: “Of course we must keep working hard to ensure the Foundation Phase delivers the very best for our youngest learners and I welcome the report’s 29 recommendations around how we can further develop and enhance this vital curriculum area.

“The recommendations apply not just to Welsh Government, but also to Estyn, our Regional Consortia, local authorities head teachers, practitioners and others, and I look forward to us working collaboratively to deliver the very highest standards of learning for our youngest pupils.”

Plaid Shadow Education Secretary, Simon Thomas, whilst welcoming the results of the findings, warned the Welsh Government not to cut back the funding for the Foundation Phase, saying: “It is crucial that the Welsh Government does not cut corners in its implementation of the Foundation Phase. The evaluation report shows if we are to reap the social and economic benefits of investing in early years’ education the Foundation Phase has to be properly funded and well-implemented.

“The full implementation of the Foundation Phase is very expensive. Capital investment is needed to improve school buildings; high adult to child ratios need to be in place; and investment is needed in teachers’ Continuous Professional Development.”

He was also cautious as to whether or not the Foundation Phase was raising standards in deprived areas, stating: “The report finds no evidence that the Foundation Phase has yet had an impact on raising the attainment of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. This is disappointing. The Party of Wales will be demanding answers from the Welsh Government why this is the case.”

Cymraeg

Welsh language report says students face mixed experiences across colleges and universities

Published

4 days ago

May 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A NEW report has found that Welsh-speaking students face inconsistent access to Welsh language services across Wales’ colleges and universities.

The research, published by the Welsh Language Commissioner on Monday (May 25), gathered responses from more than 1,500 further and higher education students.

It examined four key areas: whether students can submit written work in Welsh, choose accommodation with Welsh-speaking students, access a Welsh-speaking personal tutor, and receive wellbeing support through the medium of Welsh.

The report also looked at the wider language culture on campuses, including how institutions promote Welsh language services and support students to use Welsh naturally in academic and social settings.

Osian Llywelyn, Deputy Welsh Language Commissioner, said colleges and universities had a vital role in helping students use Welsh as part of everyday life.

He said: “Given the importance of sustaining and developing the continued use of the Welsh language, it is essential to recognise the key role that further education colleges and higher education institutions play in ensuring that students have the opportunity to use Welsh naturally as part of their academic and social lives.

“While it is encouraging to see strong examples of good practice, that experience is not consistent across the sector. As a result, we have identified clear improvement actions, and we will be asking the relevant institutions to address them.”

Five improvement actions have been identified. These include standardising Welsh-medium assessment arrangements, proactively offering Welsh language services rather than simply making them available on request, addressing gaps in workforce Welsh-language skills, strengthening students’ sense of belonging through Welsh, and improving self-assessment and monitoring.

James Owen, Chief Executive of Medr, the body responsible for funding and regulating tertiary education in Wales, said the findings showed the need for more support across the sector.

He said Medr’s new Welsh Language Condition would place a clearer focus on providers promoting and supporting the use of Cymraeg, and on creating formal and informal opportunities for staff and learners to develop their Welsh-language skills.

Ioan Matthews, Chief Executive of Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, said students’ experiences of Welsh at college or university could influence their willingness and ability to use the language later in the workplace.

He said the report showed the need for the Welsh-language experience to extend “well beyond the classroom”.

The report will be officially launched at the Welsh Language Commissioner’s stand at the Urdd Eisteddfod in Anglesey at 11:00am on Monday (May 25).

Education

£1,500 cash bursary announced for aspiring local youngsters

Published

5 days ago

May 20, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

FOLLOWING its previous success, Ceredigion Youth Service is fortunate to accept another opportunity provided by West Wales Holiday Cottages to support young people with a cash bursary this year.

The purpose of the bursary is to provide young people aged between 11 and 25 with the chance to receive £1,500 to help with their future aspirations. The successful applicant(s) will be chosen by Ceredigion Youth Forum, which is a panel made up of young people from Ceredigion.

Gwion Bowen, Senior Support Officer Participation, said: “We are very grateful to West Wales Holiday Cottages for providing us with this opportunity for young people in Ceredigion for the ninth year in succession. Like ourselves, West Wales Holiday Cottages recognise that many young people living in Ceredigion may experience difficulties in accessing training, support and social activities due to socio-economic issues. The bursary was extremely successful last year, with a young person gaining financial support to help them with their mobile beauty start up business.”

Councillor Wyn Thomas, Cabinet for Schools and Lifelong Learning, said: “I would like to encourage anyone aged between 11 and 25 who needs financial support to reach their goals to consider this fantastic opportunity. As with previous years, I hope that the bursary is a success again this year, and that it will benefit young people in Ceredigion.”

Lisa Stopher, Managing Director at West Wales Holiday Cottages said, “West Wales Holiday Cottages are delighted to be supporting the bursary once again in partnership with Ceredigion Youth Service. We recognise that many young people can face barriers when accessing opportunities, training and resources, and we hope this bursary will continue to make a positive difference by giving young people the support they need to pursue their goals and aspirations.”

Do you need financial support to reach your goals? Would you benefit from having financial support to help you with training or equipment that is required for your chosen vocation? Are you looking for support to start your own enterprise? Are you a member of a community group and looking for financial support to purchase resources or equipment?

The closing date for applications is midnight on 19 July 2026. If you’re interested, contact Gwion Bowen on 07790 812939 or e-mail [email protected] for an application form.

Education

Ashmole & Co fund future accountants with financial donation to primary school

Published

5 days ago

May 20, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

CARMARTHENSHIRE’S would-be mathematicians are being given a major boost in their careers thanks to an Ashmole & Co donation to Ysgol Llandybie Primary School.

The donation, funded by the company’s Ammanford office, will help with the annual purchase of the online MyMaths resource which uses the online resource to help pupils and parents with the teaching of maths at home as well as allowing teachers to set tasks and provide them with tutorials to show them the mathematical concepts being taught.
The programme can assist in all areas of mathematics from shape to space, and from data to financial literacy.

Laura Craddock, Partner in Ashmole & Co’s Ammanford office, said, “We are always keen
to offer our support locally. We are more than happy to help fund the online resource
MyMaths to help train the local accountants of the future from a young age.”

Llandybie Primary School Head Teacher, Rhian Pritchard, said, “We are keen to continue
using online resources to enhance our pupils’ learning experience but they come at an extra
cost. We are grateful to Ashmole and Co for the donation which will enable us to continue
the provision of online maths learning.”