Education

Welsh teaching union officer berates inspector

Published

11 years ago

July 30, 2015

Tom Sinclair

Under fire: Sir Michael Wilshaw

A WELSH union policy officer has berated an Ofsted inspector who has called for children to be taught in schools from as young an age as 2.

Sir Michael Wilshaw, Ofsted’s chief inspector, said in a speech in London, this week, that he believed that the poorest children in primary schools would benefit, and be more able to catch up with their more advantaged classmates, if they were taught from the age of two, rather than three, which is the current entry point in state schools’ nurseries. He cited primary schools as the best places to provide that education, saying: “Let me be clear: What the poorest children need is to be taught and well taught from the age of two. Children who are at risk of falling behind need particular help. And it remains my view that schools are often best placed to deliver this.”

He went on to say that schools had better and more extensive access to specialists for this age group, citing speech and language therapists, along with behaviour management and parenting support within the framework of the schools. He continued by saying: “So put simply, we need to get more of the poorest children into primary schools earlier.”

Referencing a scheme in 2013 coveringsome260,000disadvantaged children who were offered free education as 2 year olds in England, he said that less than half of those who could access the scheme were. Speaking about the uptake of the 2 year old offer, a DoE spokesperson said the number had doubled to 157,000, saying: “It is for parents to decide at what age their child should attend a childcare setting and for how long. We want to help parents make choices based on what is right for their family, rather than what they can or can’t afford. The overwhelming evidence shows high-quality early years provision gives benefits that last throughout a child’s life.”

A local government association councillor, David Simmonds, added weight to the argument, saying: “Many early years providers, including nurseries, childminders, and school-based settings, opt to work with their local councils, and mums and dads are seeing the results with more high quality provision becoming available. However, we could do so much more if some of the bureaucratic barriers preventing councils from using their expertise were lifted.”

However, completely contrasting this viewpoint was Owen Hathway, NUT Cymru Policy Officer, who said: “Quite frankly the notion that children should start school as young as two years old is simply not supported by evidence. In some of the best performing education systems in the world children do not start formal education until much later. In Britain children already start school at an age that is younger than many across the globe and spend more days in school per year than the vast majority of nations. It is undoubtedly the case that all parents, but particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, need support. However this should be in terms of being able to provide high quality and affordable child-care at such a young age. We do really need to allow children to have a childhood.”

In support of this sentiment was Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, who said: “While schools do offer many benefits, including the potential for an easier transition into reception and beyond, they are not necessarily geared up to support very young children. And teachers are not necessarily trained to teach two-year-olds. Many schools need to make big changes to their premises, their lunchtime arrangements and their staffing in order to provide the best care and education for two-year-olds, and this cannot happen overnight.”

Also commenting on the issue was Party of Wales Mid and West AM, Simon Thomas Shadow Education, Skills and the Welsh Language Minister who said: “Plaid Cymru has been out to consultation on extending nursery education to all 3 year olds rather than targeting on the basis of poverty. This consultation was after Labour councils decided to cut provision of childcare.”

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.”