Developing the culture, ethos and language of Wales across the school
Context and background to the effective or innovative practice
The journey in developing the culture, ethos and language of Wales across the school is deeply rooted in the vision for Penclawdd Primary School. In recent years and as part of its journey to 2022 and the new curriculum, all stakeholders have contributed to the development of the vision and this has ensured that all stakeholders are equally invested in meeting the aims and are proactive in the journey. COVID had a huge impact on the speaking of Welsh in the school as nearly all pupils come from primarily English speaking families. On the return to school, the significant decline in the Welsh language skills of pupils was noticed, and the school aimed to improve this and ultimately make it even better than it was pre COVID. It aimed to ignite the fire and passion of pupils and community, and the school believed that through focusing on the development of the culture, ethos and language of Wales, rather than just the language, it would achieve this.
Description of nature of strategy or activity
The school’s vision states that pupil voice is ‘rightly loud and proud’ and its Criw Cymraeg alongside Welsh leads have played a huge part in building the momentum and ensuring that the whole school community is involved. Following a recruitment campaign, whereby pupils were asked to share why they felt it was important to learn the Welsh Language, the ‘Criw Cymraeg’ was established. The Criw play a pivotal role in ensuring a consistent approach to school aims and every week the Criw lead a Welsh assembly, lead playground games on the yard, build links with cluster schools and community and build the profile of Welsh around the school and community.
The school’s Welsh Language has been driven by the whole school community and Welsh is something that can be seen in use and is embedded from Nursery to Year 6. The school strives to ensure that the Welsh Language is at the heart of every lesson, to ensure that pupils absorb language in a way for them to use it naturally. It more than just incidental Welsh. Slot Ddrilio happens daily in all classes and pupils use this time to practise the language patterns and develop their confidence in speaking Welsh. During this time, pupils take part in a range of activities including conversations, reading, drilling language patterns and games. Daily guided reading sessions are also a focus and children will spend time reading the ‘Llyfr Yr Wythnos’ with their friends and discussing the text This drive on the Welsh language and the consistent approach across the school have been instrumental in pupils using Welsh across the curriculum, within the community and in all areas of school life.
The school’s curriculum has been created to ensure that the rich history of Penclawdd is taught and celebrated alongside learning about Wales and the world. For example, local cockle history and how it has changed, developed and continues to be a huge part of village culture and heritage can be seen in many areas of the school’s curriculum. When surveying parents, the history of Penclawdd is an area of significance for the community and giving the children a sense of belonging and an identity has been at the heart of the school’s Welsh ethos. School visits locally and to places in Wales also play a huge part in engaging pupils in the learning and are often used to ‘hook’ the pupils early in their learning. For example, a recent visit to Big Pit ensured that learners were excited and inspired in their Pits and Ponies topic and ensured that pupils were motivated to learn and enthused to be the best they could be in all their learning. Visits locally to Selwyn`s Seafood and Gower Brewery have also enthused learners. Ensuring that the classroom is not just the four walls but the village and country of Wales has ensured that children understand and embrace the culturally and ethnically diverse Wales and know that Wales is ‘the place where we feel we belong, where the people and landscape around us are familiar, and the sights and sounds are reassuringly recognisable,’ – the school’s ‘cynefin’.
Professional learning has also been a key factor in meeting the school’d aims. Pupils know that staff are also on this learning journey and the ‘all in this together’ attitude has been instrumental in inspiring pupils to be their best self and to keep trying. A ‘Growth Mindset’ ethos ensures that pupils understand it is fine to make mistakes and how important the mistakes are in helping everyone learn.
What impact has this work had on provision and learners’ standards?
The impact has been significant and it is something that can be felt around the school. The consistent approach has ensured that provision has improved and monitoring has shown that Welsh is a key feature in nearly all classes and areas around the school. Visitors comment on the level of Welsh being used in conversation and pupils actively seek opportunities to demonstrate their skills on a day-to-day basis. Standards in Welsh oracy and reading have significantly improved post COVID and, as the school looks to the future, it will ensure that it is in a strong position to improve Welsh writing further across the school. Parents have commented that this has inspired them to learn Welsh in order to keep the passion of the language at home and in school. This has ensured that the impact has spread far and wide into the school community and has ensured that nearly all pupils are passionate and motivated to evolve into Welsh citizens of the future. The improved curriculum demonstrates, in a recent pupil questionnaire, that most pupils feel that they are ethically informed citizens of Wales (and the world) and it has ensured that the school meets its vision of ‘ysgol heb iaith, ysgol heb galon – a school without a language is a school without a voice’.
How have you shared your good practice?
Cluster – staff and pupils. Social media
Here's a video of the pupils performing - https://penclawdd-primary-school.primarysite.media/media/nurseryreception-calon-lan