On the 15th of March 2024 Blaenau Gwent was lucky to see the first Cymraeg i Bawb conference take place at Bedwellty House.
Cymraeg i Bawb is a Welsh government funded, one stop website that covers all the Welsh Medium Education provision in each Borough.
The organisers chose Bedwellty House as the ideal venue for such an event because it currently hosts Ysgol Gymraeg Tredegar’s first classroom. The class will transition into the new school when it starts operating next year.
Mrs Toghill, Headteacher at Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Helyg has been at the forefront of the planning of the new Welsh medium primary school and is working closely with the Welsh in Education Forum to deliver their Strategic Plan (Welsh in Education Strategic Plan)
Mrs Toghill stated that “It was crucial to open Ysgol Gymraeg Tredegar because we had evidence that children were not continuing from Welsh-medium nursery schools to the Welsh-medium school due to the distance from Tredegar area to Blaina where Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Helyg is located. The full-time, all-day Nursery offer ensures that children get Welsh consistently and learn the language quickly. There is a Breakfast Club in both schools and children from Nursery upwards can get school transport if they live 1.5 miles from the school. A brand-new Ysgol Gymraeg Tredegar building will open on Charters Road in the Summer of 2025. A new Welsh for All website is important to ensure that everyone involved in Welsh language promotion is aware of the work taking place across the region and can easily connect and network.”
Mrs Toghill, Headteacher at Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Helyg
The conference was a success in showcasing the benefits and opportunities of Welsh-Medium Education. The event was attended by various organisations that support Welsh language development. The conference featured presentations from Ysgol Gymraeg Tredegar and Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Helyg, as well as workshops on Welsh language immersion, bilingualism, and parental engagement. The feedback from the attendees was very positive and helped to raise awareness of the new Welsh for All website, which aims to promote and facilitate Welsh language learning and use across all sectors and communities.
See the Welsh in Education Strategic Plan for more information on Welsh education in Blaenau Gwent.
If you are an older person who wants to learn Welsh, Learn Welsh offers different Welsh courses that many of our Council staff have joined. Work Welsh is a free online course that all staff can access, please email Vikki.alexander@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk for more details.
For more information on sending your child to Ysgol Gymraeg Tredegar or Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Helyg please contact Blaenau Gwent Education Transformation team, School Admissions:
Telephone Number: (01495) 355493/ (01495) 355340
Email Address: schooladmissions@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk