Information about the school
Ysgol Caer Elen is a Welsh-medium 3-16 all age school that was established in the town of Haverfordwest in the south of Pembrokeshire in 2018. There are now 840 pupils on roll. Ninety-three per cent (93%) of pupils come from non-Welsh-speaking homes. The percentage of pupils who receive free school meals is 9.88% on average over the last three years and 13% of pupils are on the additional learning needs (ALN) register. The senior leadership team includes the headteacher, deputy headteacher, assistant headteacher and three senior teachers.
Context and background to the effective or innovative practice
As the school is situated in the south of Pembrokeshire, a very high percentage of pupils start in the nursery and reception without any grasp of the Welsh language. They come from non Welsh speaking homes. The school wants to ensure that pupils are proficient and confident in their use of the Welsh language by the time they reach leaving age. To succeed, there is a continuous focus on creating a whole-school approach to developing plans to promote language skills and the use of the Welsh language. The ethos and culture aim to create Welsh speakers who have full access to the curriculum and who also take pride in their cynefin (locality).
Description of the nature of the strategy or activity
On a strategic level, developing pupils’ Welsh language skills is given due attention across all priorities in the school improvement plan. The developments of the Curriculum for Wales, pedagogy, structures and strategies for promoting well-being and leadership across the school help learners to develop their language skills. There is an unwavering focus at whole-school level on the vision to create Welsh speakers who take pride in their cynefin and in their use of the Welsh language in the classroom and socially. All staff are aware of their responsibilities in terms of realising the vision and guiding pupils on their language journey. Every opportunity is taken to celebrate Welshness and a reward system is applied across the school that recognises pupils’ efforts to develop their Welsh language skills.
The ‘Welsh Language Charter’ questionnaire is used as a means of gathering evidence in terms of pupils’ attitudes towards the Welsh language. The questionnaire’s responses and findings form a basis for developing an action plan to promote the use of the Welsh language in the classroom and beyond. It is ensured that pupils have input into this plan. The plan is shared with key stakeholders and link governors play a prominent part in the process of monitoring and evaluating progress against the targets.
Across the school, teachers are prompted to consider which experiences and learning activities are delivered as part of their plans and the way in which these lay and then build on the necessary linguistic foundations. Teachers and support staff are encouraged to think of creative, consistent and appropriate ways of modelling language and immersing learners in it. There is a focus on using a range of language drilling techniques and planning learning activities that engage children’s curiosity, confidence and interest. Children are immersed in fun but structured language experiences and activities. A variety of strategies are used to develop correct syntax and language patterns. Teachers plan together specifically to promote pupils’ knowledge of vocabulary. A wide range of visitors are invited to the school to hold discussions and information sharing and question and answer sessions to emphasise that the Welsh language is a living language in the community. Regular enrichment experiences are organised for pupils to have an opportunity to hear and use the Welsh language outside the school’s boundaries.
When immersing pupils in a language, specific emphasis is placed on developing speaking and listening skills. Individual and group play activities are developed both inside and outside the classroom, which allow pupils to be immersed in the spoken language. In the primary, there is a focus on creating a learning environment that is stimulating and magical and is rich in terms of language. The aim is to inspire and engage pupils’ interest in the language. Stories, songs and nursery rhymes are used purposefully and consistently. Provision to promote reading, speaking and listening and writing skills is mapped carefully and cohesively with the aim of ensuring that learning activities encourage pupils to delight and show pride in the fact that they are strengthening their language skills. Teachers in the primary organise a special parents’ evening with the aim of sharing ideas about how they can support the child’s linguistic development at home. Teachers in progression step 3 share a package with parents to support the child’s language development at home. The ‘Clwb Cwtsh’, which is available to parents/carers on the school grounds during the day, provides an opportunity for them to learn Welsh.
At Ysgol Caer Elen’s Language Centre, pupils who are latecomers to Welsh-medium primary education are immersed in the language. Since the school opened in 2018, over a hundred children have transferred successfully from the English-medium sector to Welsh-medium education. At the Language Centre, pupils receive three days of immersion in the first instance and then the intervention is tailored based on the progress made by the pupil. There is a focus on speaking and listening to develop pupils’ confidence and a range of drilling strategies are used to ensure that pupils develop their proficiency in the language quickly. It is a source of pride that all pupils who have attended the Language Centre have succeeded in gaining full access to the curriculum and are thriving in the mainstream.
The school’s ‘Welshness Committee’ includes pupils from Year 3 to Year 11, in addition to staff, and members are responsible for developing a programme of activities to promote the use of the Welsh language both inside and outside the school. The committee has worked with Menter Iaith and the Urdd in Pembrokeshire to invite a variety of notable musical groups to perform at the school. The committee has also invited artists such as Mei Gwynedd and Mr Phormiwla and poets such as Ceri Wyn Jones and Mererid Hopwood to hold workshops with older pupils. Following a request from the Welshness committee, there is now a wide range of clubs available during lunchtimes and after school for children of all ages.
What impact has this work had on provision and learners’ standards?
Leaders provide high quality professional learning opportunities for staff so that they can develop their ability to promote pupils’ language and literacy skills. This has ensured that they are confident practitioners who understand the immersion and language acquisition methodology. The purposeful planning across the school ensures that language promotion methods are consistent across the school. The stimulating learning environment that teachers have created promotes language skills.
The school celebrates Welshness and promotes every opportunity for pupils to develop as confident, bilingual learners. Pupils have a very good attitude towards their education and the Welsh language. Pupils who transfer from English-medium education as latecomers make swift and successful progress in their Welsh language skills. They become confident and fluent speakers. Very quickly, these pupils develop into speakers who are able to study the whole curriculum through the medium of Welsh. Nearly all pupils have positive attitudes towards the Welsh language and show obvious pride and enjoyment in their language and culture. The Welshness committee plays an important role in organising valuable opportunities for pupils to learn about Welsh history and immerse themselves in Welsh culture. The high expectations and ethos for promoting Welshness and celebrating Welsh heritage are a strength. Valuable opportunities are organised for pupils to immerse themselves in Welsh culture and take pride in their country.
How have you shared your good practice?
Teachers from Ysgol Caer Elen have been invited to share ideas and good practice with leaders and teachers in the cluster and during training sessions organised by the regional education consortium. These leaders have also completed school-to-school support work across the local authorities
