Written Assembly Questions tabled on 12 September 2016 for answer on 19 September 2016
R - Signifies the Member has declared an interest.
W - Signifies that the question was tabled in Welsh.
(Self-identifying question no. shown in brackets)
Written Questions must be tabled at least five working days before they are to be answered. In practice, Ministers aim to answer within seven/eight days but are not bound to do so. Answers are published in the language in which they are provided, with a translation into English of responses provided in Welsh.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Education
Sian Gwenllian (Arfon): Will the Minister publish the change in the percentage of education practitioners who can speak Welsh, every year since 2011? (WAQ70933)W
Answer received on 22 August 2016
The Minister for Lifelong Learning and Welsh Language (Alun Davies): Data regarding the ability of school teachers to speak Welsh is currently published on an annual basis by the Education Workforce Council. The percentage of all registered school teachers who can speak Welsh has increased each year since 2011. 33.3% of registered teachers were able to speak Welsh in 2016 compared with 32.0% in 2011.
Percentage of registered school teachers who are able to speak Welsh
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
| 32.0% | 32.3% | 32.5% | 32.9% | 33.1% | 33.3% |
Source: Education Workforce Council Annual Digest 2016
The figures above include school teachers only. Data on the number of practitioners in further education and higher education institutions who are able to speak Welsh are currently not available.
Further information on teachers able to teach through the medium of Welsh in schools is available at the following link: http://www.ewc.wales/site/index.php/en/documents/research-and-statistics/annual-statistics-digest/84-ewc-annual-statistics-digest-2016
Higher education data is available on staff that are able to teach through Welsh. The latest data is at the following link (latest data is due to be published on 29th September): http://gov.wales/docs/statistics/2015/150929-welsh-higher-education-institutions-2013-14-en.pdf
Sian Gwenllian (Arfon): Will the Minister make a statement on progress made with regard to implementing recommendation 6 in Professor Sioned Davies' report, "One language for all"? (WAQ70934)W
Answer received on 22 August 2016
Alun Davies: The timeline suggested in Professor Davies' report was to implement changes for Welsh alone. These fundamental changes are now being taken forward through reforming the entire curriculum and assessment arrangements for Wales. The design and development of the new curriculum is a partnership approach involving a network of Pioneer Schools, policymakers and other experts in the field. The new curriculum will comprise six Areas of Learning and Experience (AoLE), including Languages, Literacy and Communication. This AoLE will encompass the language continuum for Welsh. Welsh second language will not feature in our new curriculum.
As set out in A curriculum for Wales - a curriculum for life, it remains our ambition that the new curriculum will become available to schools from 2018, with every school basing its teaching and learning on the new curriculum from 2021. Following its introduction, we anticipate that many schools will need time to prepare for implementation so that learners are not disadvantaged by the process of curriculum change.
Sian Gwenllian (Arfon): Will the Minister make a statement on progress made with regard to implementing recommendation 15 in Professor Sioned Davies' report, "One language for all"? (WAQ70935)W
Answer received on 22 August 2016
Alun Davies: Recommendation 15 of "One language for all" suggested that Welsh Government should develop best practice guidance and set targets to increase the use of Welsh-medium learning across the curriculum.
Over 2012 to 2016, we funded the project for two clusters of English-medium primary schools to increase the use of Welsh across the curriculum at Key Stage 2. The evaluation of that activity was recently published, see: http://gov.wales/docs/caecd/research/2016/160119-review-project-encourage-welsh-medium-teaching-in-english-medium-primary-schools-cy.pdf
We are now working to capture the lessons from this work, and disseminate good practice from this project across schools in conjunction with Consortia. The findings from this project activity will also inform work on our new curriculum.
Sian Gwenllian (Arfon): Will the Minister publish any targets set by the Welsh Government since September 2013 to ensure more Welsh-medium teaching across the curriculum in English-medium schools? (WAQ70936)W
Answer received on 22 August 2016
Alun Davies: Welsh Government has not set targets regarding Welsh-medium teaching across the curriculum in English-medium schools.
Over 2012 to 2016, we funded a project for two clusters of English-medium primary schools to increase the use of Welsh across the curriculum at Key Stage 2. The evaluation of that activity was recently published, see: http://gov.wales/docs/caecd/research/2016/160119-review-project-encourage-welsh-medium-teaching-in-english-medium-primary-schools-cy.pdf
We are now working to capture the lessons from this work, and disseminate good practice from this project across schools in conjunction with Consortia.
In their Welsh in Education Strategic Plans for 2017-20, all Local Authorities across Wales must state how they will improve the provision and standards of Welsh second language. Local Authorities must also set targets for making improvements at each key stage.
Local Authorities have been issued with new guidance and templates to develop their 2017-20 plans for strengthening and developing their Welsh education provision. The planning for Welsh second language will be a key element within this process and will be subject to scrutiny and challenge in terms of improving standards and availability.
Answer received on 22 September 2016
Alun Davies: Ministers made a further statement on Welsh Second Language on 15 October 2015, which set out the Government's position in respect of the "One language for all" report and how Welsh in the curriculum will evolve:
A curriculum for Wales - a curriculum for life set out our ambition for the new curriculum to become available from 2018, with every school basing its teaching and learning on the new curriculum from 2021. We know that schools will need time to prepare for implementation so that learners are not disadvantaged by the process of curriculum change. That is why we have built this period in to our planning.
These are fundamental reforms affecting the whole curriculum. Considerable professional learning support will be made available to enable practitioners to prepare for and use the new curriculum successfully in their own school or setting.
Regional Consortia are currently working at a national level with the Pioneer Network and partner schools to design and develop a national professional learning offer. The offer will focus on high-quality professional learning to ensure the new curriculum thrives.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children
Sian Gwenllian (Arfon): Is the geographical way that Flying Start is distributed creating tensions amongst residents in neighbouring areas when some are eligible to receive services and others can't access them as they live on the wrong side of the border, although they have similar needs? (WAQ70938)W
Answer recieved on 22 September 2016
The Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children (Carl Sargeant): A degree of flexibility has been written in to Welsh Government guidance to accommodate this sort of scenario. Using local knowledge and a robust assessment of priority, Local Authorities can ensure this service is received by those most in need.