As a parent, deciding on your child’s education will be one of the most important decisions that you will make. There are 3 types of school in Blaenau Gwent to choose from
- A Welsh-medium school; (Curriculum taught through the medium of Welsh)
- Faith Based school (Roman Catholic and Church in Wales); and
- English medium school; (Curriculum taught through the medium of English)
A child’s resilience to learn a second language is easier the younger they are, however entry into Welsh-medium settings are possible throughout any point within their educational journey. Welsh-medium Immersions settings are being developed within Blaenau Gwent which will support a child to be immersed in Welsh Education prior to going in to the main classroom environment.
School Admissions
In the case of Welsh Medium Education, the admission authority (Blaenau Gwent Council) is responsible for placing pupils at Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Helyg. These pupils are then allocated a place at either the Blaina or Tredegar Campus by Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Helyg Leadership team and Governing Body.
News: Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Helyg will be opening a seedling provision in Tredegar from September 2023 for Nursery and Reception Pupils.
Key dates for School Admissions
Transport Requirements
Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council are more generous than the Welsh Learner Travel Measure. Free transport for statutory school age pupils is provided where the distance from home to school is over:
- 5 miles from home for children aged under 8 and
- 2 miles from home for children aged 8 years and over.
There is also free transport to nursery pupils over 1.5 miles to support Welsh Governments initiative to provide 1 million learners by 2050.