COLEG GWENT

Coleg Gwent

Welsh Language Scheme 2011 2014

Contents

Item

Page Number

1

INTRODUCTION

2

2

COLLEGE PROFILE

2

3

IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING / SERVICE PLANNING AND DELIVERY

Responsibilities for Implementation and Monitoring

Schemes Administrative Arrangements

Policies and New Initiatives

Third Party Compliance

Staffing Issues including recruitment / training / information regarding linguistic skills of staff

Monitoring and Reviewing Processes

Quality

Comments and Complaints

Publication of Information and Publicity of the Scheme

5

4

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A WELSH ETHOS AT THE COLLEGE (Strand 1 of the Strategy)

Administrative Arrangements

Developing a Welsh Ethos within the curriculum

Dealing with the Welsh Speaking Public

The Public Face of the College

Marketing and promotion of services available in Welsh/bilingual (including promotion and publicity of Welsh medium communication units / courses and of bilingual and Welsh-medium provision).

14

5

THE DEVELOPMENT OF BILINGUAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS TO AUGMENT AN ENGLISH MEDIUM PROVISION (Strand 2 of the Strategy)

Planning and Management of College Curriculum

Current Provision at the College

The College Curriculum

22

6

THE DEVELOPMENT OF WELSH-MEDIUM OR BILINGUAL PROVISION FOR POST-14 LEARNERS (Strand 3 of the Strategy)

Planning and Management of College Curriculum

Current Provision at the College

The College Curriculum

Collaboration and Partnership

22

7

TIMETABLE / ACTION PLAN

27

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1

This is a Welsh Language Scheme prepared under the Welsh Language Act 1993.

1.2

Coleg Gwents Welsh Language Scheme received the approval of the Welsh Language Board under section 14 of the Welsh Language Act on 14 January 2005. This document is the successor to the first.

1.3

Coleg Gwent has adopted the principle that in the conduct of public business in Wales, it will treat the English and Welsh languages on a basis of equality. This scheme sets out how the College will give effect to that principle when providing services to the public in Wales.

2. COLLEGE PROFILE

Serving the community formerly known as Greater Gwent, the College is the largest in Wales and one of the largest in the UK, and enrolled around 29,000 learners and employed an average of 948 full time equivalent staff in 2009/10.

Operating from five main Campuses and serving a local population of over half a million, the College provides a wide range of general education courses and vocational education and training programmes across all Programme Areas.

The Campus at Pontypool (in the middle of the catchment) offers a wide range of provision from entry level to Level 3. The location of the popular Learn-IT Centre in Cwmbran has helped to continue to widen participation and encourage Lifelong Learning. The Welsh for Adults Centre was moved to the Campus in September 2009 following the closure of The Hill Campus. A Welsh Medium secondary school, Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw is located in the catchment area.

Crosskeys Campus, also tertiary in nature, is the largest in the College, and is in fact larger than many colleges. It has over 1000 full time learners mainly undertaking AS/A2 levels. It also has a successful Engineering Department and a vibrant Performing Arts Department. The Campus has recently opened a new 13 million block for A levels, Performing Arts, and Sport.

In the north of the catchment area, Ebbw Vale Campus, in one of the least prosperous areas in Wales, is a typical further education campus. It is working with Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, University of Wales Newport, and the Welsh Government in the development of The Learning Zone which will be a state of the art learning venue for all post 16 education in the Borough. It is planned that the new Campus will open in 2012.

Newport Campus, close to the M4, is also a typical further education Campus, in an area of entirely 11 to 18 comprehensive schools. The Campus continues to develop the Newport Family of Schools and is adding to the range of partnership arrangements that it has with a number of 11 to 18 comprehensive schools in the Newport Unitary Authority.

At the Usk Campus in the east of the catchment, the provision is based around Landbased Studies including Farming, Horticulture, Agriculture and Equine Studies, and also provides Sport & Leisure, Health & Caring, and Business & Management. The Campus works closely with Monmouthshire County Council on a number of fronts including 14-16 programmes. The Campus is planning for a move to new premises alongside the Equine Centre following agreement with Monmouthshire County council to build their new HQ at the Usk site. The Monmouth Learn-It that provides a range of courses for the local community is managed from Usk Campus. The Colleges headquarters building is located at this Campus.

All the Campuses strive to work closely with secondary schools in their areas. In relation to Welsh medium education, links have been established with Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw, and these will be further built upon in the light of the implementation of this Scheme.

Welsh Provision

The 5 local authorities in the Colleges catchment area are amongst those with the lowest level of incidence of Welsh speakers in Wales. At the 2001 census, Caerphilly had 16% of its population (aged over 3) with one or more skills in the Welsh language, whilst Torfaen had 14%, Newport had 13%, Blaenau Gwent had 13%, and Monmouthshire had 13%. It is against this background of low levels of Welsh speaking population that the College is attempting to develop its Welsh Language provision.

From a staff survey carried out in 2006, only around 3% of staff felt they had quite good or fluent skills in Welsh. Since then all new staff are asked to assess their Welsh language skills and this shows that less than 1% of staff have intermediate or advanced Welsh language skills. Data from enrolment forms for 2010/11 indicate 2.6 % of learners consider themselves to be a fluent Welsh speaker whilst a further 10.3% consider themselves to be a non-fluent Welsh speaker. Only 0.2% of learners stated their preferred language for correspondence was Welsh. The number of learners coming from Welsh medium secondary schools is measured and the numbers who proceed with Welsh medium courses, will be established as part of a survey to extend our understanding of the level of Welsh Language skills amongst learners.

With the publication of Iaith Pawb the Welsh Assembly Governments (WAG) Action Plan for a bilingual Wales the National Council for Education and Training Wales (ELWa) established 6 new regional Welsh for Adults Centres. From 1 April 2006 Coleg Gwent was one of the originally designated Regional Welsh Language Centres, now known as the Gwent Welsh for Adults Centre.

The primary remit of the Gwent Welsh for Adults from WAG is to lead the change agenda for the teaching of Welsh for Adults within the Gwent region.

The Gwent Welsh for Adults Centre is responsible for planning and operating the effective delivery of all Welsh for Adults provision and establishing third party agreements where necessary throughout the 5 Unitary Authorities. The Centre is also responsible for improving the quality of all the Welsh for Adults provision in the region, providing a wide range of flexible learning opportunities in order to increase participation and improve progression opportunities to enable more learners to achieve fluency.

Welsh language classes are provided from Mynediad to Hyfedredd levels throughout each authority including provision offered directly by Coleg Gwent. The majority of courses continued to be offered at level Mynediad and Sylfaen, but with an increasing number now being offered at Canolradd and Uwch with the improvement in retention rates since 07/08. A small number of Proficiency level classes are offered, but this is being systematically developed to ensure provision in every area.

The Gwent Welsh for Adults Centre received a Grade 2 from the Estyn inspection of its provision in Monmouthshire, Newport and Blaenau Gwent, Good features with no important shortcomings in February 2009. There are good opportunities for progression with courses available from basic to advanced learners with a wide ranging extra-curricular programme to enable learners to practice their oral skills outside the classroom.

The Gwent Welsh for Adults Centre is based at the Pontypool Campus of Coleg Gwent and continues to develop Welsh Language courses in line with the Welsh Language Act for public bodies with a statutory duty to provide a service in Welsh for their customers. The Centre is also actively offering Welsh language provision for those private businesses and companies who do not fall under the remit of the Welsh Language Act. This Welsh in the Workplace provision has seen a major increase in its numbers during the last few years. It is foreseen that this will continue to grow as the use of Welsh in business increases in all areas in Wales.

The demand for Welsh classes at the Centre, both through Coleg Gwents own provision and its franchised provision through its six partners in all areas is continuing to grow with an increasing number of students progressing to higher levels, gaining accreditation and obtaining fluency. The problems of tutor shortages especially at the higher levels, remains; but a continuing recruitme