1. Drivers for Welsh medium and bilingual qualifications and assessment
Rachel Heath-Davies: Head of Strategic Policy

2. Context of Welsh language in education
National curriculum
Welsh as a subject – first and second language
Welsh as a medium -
Welsh medium and bilingual schools
Welsh medium in FE and HE

3. Legislative and policy developments
Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011
A million speakers by 2050
New Welsh Language Act?

4. We want to see an increase in language transmission in the family, early introduction of Welsh to every child, an education system that provides Welsh language skills for all, and greater appreciation of Welsh language skills in the workplace.
A million Welsh speakers by 2050 and increase in use of Welsh from 10% to 20%

5. Targets - Welsh in education
The national strategy sets incremental targets in order to reach the ambitious target of 1m speakers by 2050:
40% increase in students studying through the Welsh medium.
Transform the way we teach Welsh so that 70% report that they speak Welsh by the time they leave school.
Significant increase in teaching capacity required across all sectors.
An increase in the number of assessors and moderators able to work through the medium of Welsh.
Reform post-16 offer to ensure that young people have the opportunity to continue developing bilingual skills to support a prosperous economy.

6. Wider policy and legislative context
Welsh Language Commissioner
The Well being of Future Generations Act (Wales) 2015
Welsh medium education strategy and education powers and legislation
Through the Well-being of Future Generations Act (Wales) 2015 specified public bodies covering the whole of Wales are required to work towards seven well-being goals, one of which is ‘A Wales of vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language’

7. Education Strategy developments
WESPs – robust planning and monitoring framework
Commissioning resources
Bilingual Champions in FE
HE - Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol
Sabbatical Programme
Work Welsh
Apprenticeships
The Act places Welsh in Education Strategic Plans (WESPs) on a statutory basis and gives Welsh Ministers the power to require local authorities to measure demand for Welsh-medium education amongst parents under specified circumstances. The Act was given Royal Assent in February Under the provisions of the Act, Welsh in Education Strategic Plans and Assessing Demand for Welsh-medium Education (Wales) Regulations 2013 were also introduced.
Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to provide school places and are responsible for determining the scale of provision in terms of Welshmedium school places.

8. Growing demand Growth of Welsh medium – schools, FE and HE
High proportion of learners in Welsh medium schools come from non Welsh speaking households
40%+ of school age children in the population speak Welsh
Growth in adult learners of Welsh
the growth of Welsh-medium education is one of the most remarkable developments in Wales’ education system during the second half of the twentieth century’ Welsh Government, Welsh in education strategy, 2010.
Started from the demand of parents, who set up a private school and later followed publicly funded schools.
Education Act 1944 – Right for parents to have language choice of school for their children.
1947 – first state primary school opened.

10. Chicken and Egg! No demand No supply
Welsh in education strategy and WESPs – mainly demand approach. However, the aim of the Strategy is to create growth in Welsh-medium provision, by planning in response to demand. Planning based on response to demand does not necessarily ensure an increase in provision. Some examples have been seen of education institutions proactively encouraging demand for Welsh-medium provision, rather than responding to demand from students as the basis for planning provision.

11. Assessing the demand or Strategic and Proactive approach
Medium and long term
Sectors/ economy
Where courses are available in Welsh in FE and HE – progression pathways
Gaps and opportunities

12. Priority sectors and professions
Public sector – health, social care, local authorities, teaching, assessing
Hospitality and tourism
Media
Agriculture

13. Our current approach
Require approved qualifications to be available in Welsh and English
Designated qualifications – encouraged to be available
Health and Social Care – bilingual
Sectoral reviews – more to come
QW Policy review during 2018

14. Recent developments and support for you
Stakeholders’ Group
Awarding Bodies’ Group
Link LinkdIn

15. Welsh Language Support Grant
Demand – Awarding bodies will be expected to provide evidence demonstrating the level of demand/likely demand for the qualification(s)
Policy and Initiatives – Awarding bodies must demonstrate how the Welsh medium provision of the qualification(s) answers specific policies or initiatives

16. £180,000 Welsh Language Support Grant
Quality Assurance – Awarding bodies will be expected to provide evidence of their ability to quality assure their grant activities. Internal Quality Assurance process documents can support this, but will not provide enough detail on their own
Sustainability – Awarding bodies will be expected to evidence how they plan to support the qualification(s) in the long term
£180,000

17. Practical ideas Skills Audit Coleg Cymraeg model
Safle Swyddi, Lleol.net, Golwg
Training and CPD to build capacity

18. Forwards…
Aiming to see an increase
QW Policy review during 2018

19. Next Steps and Questions