Why Welsh? Pam Cymraeg?

Global target number 1 on our School Development Plan. To raise the standards of learners communication skills in Welsh and their bilingual competence.

The benefits of being bilingual Communication with the whole family and community. Access to two cultures. Security in identity. Tolerance of other languages and cultures. Benefits for the brain. (creativity, sensitivity, IQ, reading). Educational benefits. Third languages are easier. Employment advantages. Raised self esteem

Why me? Pam i mi?

So how do we raise the profile of the Welsh language in our school?

Welsh is taught in class as a subject every week across the key stages. Sometimes this is linked to the class topic, sometimes as discreet topics further up the school i.e. time, hobbies. In addition to this we as staff use welsh incidentally around the school. We do this throughout the day Registration times brecdanau, cignio, counting numbers During worship dwylo yng hyd, llygaid ar gau, yr grac Merit worship arddechog!, Llongyfarchiadau! In classrooms Sut mae tywydd? Sut wyt yi? ga i,… seffwch wyrth yr drws, eisteddwch ar y carped Mae’n amser tacluso Playtimes cerddwch yn dawel When marking work gwaith dda!

Brawddeg yr wythnos Phrase of the week We have a designated bilingualism board in a prominent position by the boys and girls toilets...they can’t fail to miss it!

This is a selected phrase that is introduced each Tuesday. It will be a phrase that would be frequently used in English by the teachers and pupils. i.e. Sorry Mae’n ddrwg ‘da fi Excuse me Esgusodwch fi How are you? Sut wyt ti? What is the weather like today? Sut mae’r tywydd heddiw?

The Urdd club help to decide these phrases and introduce them to the school. They would love to show you some of their ideas for next week’s Brawddeg! Can you guess what it is?

Signs and labels around the school Signs around the school are written in English and in Welsh. The welsh language is extremely prominent on doors, windows, exercise books, reference areas... everywhere we can possibly display it!

Support from advisors We have extremely good links with our welsh advisor who comes into school on a regular basis to offer support to teachers. Our welsh advisor also works with whole classes and small groups with an aim to raising standards in oral welsh. She also meets with the Welsh co-ordinator (me!) regularly to advise me on how I can encourage and assist staff to raise standards in Welsh. The advisor carries out informal assessments on the children at the begin and the end of the year to observe progress and offer advise as to a way forward for the future.

Cross curricular links We are all agreed as a staff that welsh should be an integral part of our everyday teaching. Welsh is used throughout the day, all day, no matter where, no matter when. Therefore the welsh language absorbs itself into all of our lessons. Maths: counting, shapes, size English: feelings, wow words, Art: colour Science, weight, light, sound, weather Geography, direction R.E ?????!!!!!!! The possibilities are endless as the children slowly but surely become bilingual.

Useful websites

A nawr mae’n amser chwarae! Teisen,te a stori