Plans to introduce a Welsh-medium stream at a south Powys primary school will be considered by Cabinet next week, the county council has said.
Ysgol y Cribarth in Abercraf is currently an English-medium school providing education for pupils aged 4 to 11.
Powys County Council is proposing to move the school along the language continuum by establishing a Welsh-medium stream at the school.
If it goes ahead, the proposed change would see a Welsh-medium stream introduced at Ysgol y Cribarth from September 2023, operating alongside the school’s English-medium stream.
On Tuesday, December 13, Cabinet will be asked to start formal consultation on the proposal.
Cllr Pete Roberts, Cabinet Member for a Learning Powys, said: “Since September 2021, Ysgol y Cribarth has operated a Welsh-medium Foundation Phase class on a pilot basis as part of a scheme that has been supported by the council.
“The class has continued to operate in the current academic year and there are currently 20 pupils in the Welsh-medium class.
“To provide continuity of provision for pupils attending the pilot provision and to provide clarity for the school going forward, the council is exploring options for the school’s future language category with the aim of ensuring that Welsh-medium provision can continue to be offered at the school.
“This would ensure that all pupils in the area would have the opportunity to choose this provision, which would give them the opportunity to become fluent in Welsh and English and therefore contributing to the Welsh Government’s aspiration to achieve a million Welsh speakers by 2050.
“It would also support the council’s aims and aspirations as outlined in the Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) for 2022-32 and the Strategy for Transforming Education in Powys.
“I will be recommending to Cabinet that we start formal consultation on the proposal to move Ysgol y Cribarth along the language continuum by establishing a Welsh-medium stream at the school.”
