Letters Appendix 12.1 Betws and Blaengarw Primary Federation Governing Body

Appendix 12: Letters Appendix 12.1 Betws and Blaengarw Primary Federation Governing Body Appendix 12.2 Bridgend College response to consultation Appendix 12.3 Bryncethin Primary School Governing Body Appendix 12.4 Chris Elmore MP / Huw Irranca-Davies AM Appendix 12.5 Garw Valley Community Council Appendix 12.6 Ogmore Vale Primary School Governing Body Appendix 12.7 Newcastle Higher Community Council Appendix 12.8a Rhieni dros Addysg Gymraeg / Parents for Welsh Medium Education (Welsh) Appendix 12.8b Rhieni dros Addysg Gymraeg / Parents for Welsh Medium Education (English) Appendix 12.9 Pencoed Comprehensive School Appendix 12.10 Pen Y Bont Sixth Form College Appendix 12.11 Scott Cairns, Community Governor at CCYD Appendix 12.12 Tondu Primary School Governing Body Appendix 12.13a Comisiynydd y Gymraeg / Welsh Language Commissioner (Welsh) Appendix 12.13b Comisiynydd y Gymraeg Welsh Language Commissioner (English) Appendix 12.14 to Appendix 12.33 Blaengarw Primary Pupils Appendix 12.34 Support for Bryntirion Comprehensive Appendix 12.35 to Appendix 12.52 Support for Cynffig Comprehensive Appendix 12.53 to Appendix 12.100 Support for CCYD Appendix 12.1 Betws and Blaengarw Primary Federation Governing Body Appendix 12.3 Bryncethin Primary School Appendix 12.4 Chris Elmore MP / Hus Irranaca-Davies AM Appendix 12.5 Garw Valley Community Council Appendix 12.6 Ogmore Vale Primary School Appendix 12.7 Newcastle Higher Community Council Newcastle Higher Community Council Cyngor Cymuned Castellnewydd Uwch Rock Farm St Athan Barry CF62 4PG Email [email protected] Education and family Support Directorate Consultation Post 16 BCBC Civic Offices Angel Street Bridgend CF31 4WB February 2020 Dear Director of Education The Newcastle Higher Community Council has asked me its Clerk to write in support of the retention of the 6th form provision at Coleg Cymunedol Y Dderwen in the area that the Community Council serves. Councillors, in discussing the potential proposal to remove provision for over 16 education felt that if this went ahead it would represent a step backwards in the provision of education services in the area. Members are aware that there is in fact room for further expansion on the site, and were concerned that families may feel that the school no longer represented what they wanted if it did not provide a complete education from 11 to 18 years. The Council was also aware that the ethos of a school is enhanced by the older pupils providing role models as young people to the younger pupils. The Community Council would be pleased if the BCBC considered these factors as it makes its decision. Please listen to the parents and pupils. Yours sincerely John Richfield Clerk to the Council Appendix 12.8a Parents for Welsh Medium Education (English) Appendix 12.8b Parents for Welsh Medium Education (English) The response of Parents for Welsh Medium Education to the Consultation of Bridgend County Borough Council On The potential to reorganize the post-16 provision throughout Bridgend County Borough - stage 4 considering the options Acting National Director Elin Maher [email protected] 07970 304219 Thank you very much for the opportunity to respond to this consultation on The potential to reorganize post-16 provision across Bridgend County Borough – Stage 4 considering the options. We appreciate the opportunity to respond to the consultation and to offer additional comments on the document and the way we can further contribute to the debate on Welsh-medium post-compulsory education in the County. Background to the Parents for Welsh Medium Education movement (RhAG) The essence of RhAG since its inception is to support parents and guardians as they go on the journey with their children through Welsh Education and beyond. The period begins before the child's birth, with the promotional work within the pre-natal and early years’ sector, and we work positively and proactively with stakeholders to ensure that access to Welsh education is available to all who wish to have it. Through this work we also endeavour to ensure that more Welsh-medium schools open up throughout the length and breadth of Wales as the demand arises. We work closely with a wide range of stakeholders - schools, Local Authorities, Language Enterprises, education consortia, Urdd Gobaith Cymru, Mudiad Meithrin, private care providers to name but a few. We also work directly with parents to support them when specific cases arise. We do this through advice and direct representation. There is a network of volunteers across Wales, both parents, carers and friends of Welsh Education, who represent the organisation on a variety of committees and forums and feed back to a national management committee. Specific response to the consultation points 1. Post 16 Welsh-medium Education not clear in the consultation Considering the above context, we note our disappointment that this was not clearly set out in this consultation. We understand, following a letter written by our local branch to the Chief Education Officer, that Welsh-medium Education was not part of this consultation. We wish to emphasise the confusion that has been caused in terms of the public perception that the consideration of Welsh Education had not been sufficiently clear and had indeed made stakeholders consider that they were not part of post-16 provision in Bridgend. 2. Table 1 We refer to the table on page 4 that gives PLASC numbers 2015-2018, which indicate the numbers that have attended post-compulsory education at Llangynwyd Comprehensive School. This table notes that the numbers of post-16 education at Llangynwyd Comprehensive school have been consistent and have indeed shown recent growth and therefore demonstrate that the provision in Llangynwyd is robust although this is the only Welsh-medium secondary provision in the County. The challenge is to secure a structure that sustains these numbers and develops them further for the next decade and beyond. 3. Table 2 We are pleased to see, under positive elements in table 2, that a comment was made: • Faith schools and Welsh-medium schools see this as a highly desirable model/the only acceptable model A number of other aspects were also key to Welsh education such as: • Maintaining the link between sixth form students and the remainder of the school, particularly as role models and supporting younger learners • The approach that keeps disruption to the minimum • Staff stability We also agree with aspects in the concerns section. 4. Ecosystem We note that a completely bilingual table should be provided or two monolingual tables, Welsh and English, side by side. We note that in this ecosystem there is no mention of the opportunities to grow into bilingual learners. The vision of Bridgend Council's Strategic Education Plan states that: Bridgend County Borough Council's vision is that our Welsh-medium education provision and support for Welsh language teaching should: • fulfil the key principles of equality, choice and opportunity for all; • respect, promote and embody the linguistic and cultural diversity of Bridgend and Wales; • recognize a common Welsh heritage; • reflect the social, economic and cultural needs of Wales in the 21st century; • provide an opportunity to reflect on personal identity and a sense of place and community and develop these; • be consistent with the national aspirations set out in the Welsh Government's Welsh-medium Education Strategy; • consider the Welsh Government's Welsh Language Strategy (2016) to achieve a million Welsh speakers by 2050, which has the aim below for post- compulsory education: To develop the provision of post-compulsory education that increases progression rates and supports everyone, no matter how fluent they are in Welsh, to develop skills in the language for use socially and in the workplace. It is not clear in the Ecosystem or the document as a whole that this is a core and constant consideration in this process. It would be good to see a clear statement of intent concerning this in progressing to the report, following the consultation, and when planning the next course of action. 5. Point 10 This is where there was the opportunity to note that the Welsh Education provision of Llangynwyd Comprehensive School was not under consideration as part of this consultation and that the Welsh medium provision would remain in Llangynwyd Comprehensive School. Bridgend RhAG sent a letter to the Chief Education Officer detailing their concerns during the consultation process because this document did not specify the position of Welsh-medium education sufficiently clearly. We understand that Llangynwyd Comprehensive School provision is not part of this consultation as such but this could have been more clearly stated when setting the consultation in its context. We are pleased to see that recognition of the growth, which is currently being planned within the primary sector, is part of the Strategic Welsh in Education Scheme. This will be significant for the long term viability of Llangynwyd Comprehensive School, and the plans to co-operate with cross-boundary schools will be in keeping with other Welsh Secondary School schemes across Wales. 6. Point 16 We fully agree with this statement only if it includes Welsh-medium education as an integral part of this high-quality provision. 7. Point 47 If this is the Cabinet’s preference, then the provision must be equally as broad and of 21st century standard for Welsh-medium students, and the resources to achieve this should be secured in line with the findings of this consultation. 8. Annex 4 - Assessment of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 It is good to see that the Welsh provision is set out here in section 2 but the strand, Wales with a vibrant culture where the Welsh language thrives, could have been strengthened to reflect Bridgend Welsh Education’s strong and exciting plans for the next decade.

Load more