Welsh Language Immersion Arrangements
Early Insights 2024-2025
Teaching and learning
Staff are positive language role models and use a variety of teaching strategies to engage pupils’ interest, and as a result many pupils make suitable progress in their Welsh oracy skills
What’s going well
- In nearly all provisions, there are extremely positive working relationships with pupils.
- Over time, many pupils, including those with additional learning needs and those who are affected by poverty, make suitable progress in their Welsh language oracy skills.
- Staff are good language role models and use a range of communication skills to engage pupils’ interest.
- In the best examples, staff provide stimulating and purposeful learning experiences for pupils and build skilfully on language acquisition methods.
- Many teachers use a wide range of resources and effective multi- sensory teaching methods that facilitate pupils’ progress purposefully.
What needs to improve
- In a minority of cases, staff do not always provide learning experiences skilfully enough to meet pupils’ language acquisition needs consistently over time.
- In a very few instances, staff questioning methods do not provide regular enough opportunities for pupils to deepen their learning.
Well-being, care, support and guidance
Welsh language immersion provisions provide effective levels of care, support and guidance to pupils that impact positively on their well-being and, in general, guide them in the next steps in their learning.
What’s going well
- Staff have a comprehensive understanding of the well-being of pupils and provide purposeful opportunities to nurture their well-being in a supportive environment.
- Nearly all pupils in the provisions feel happy and safe.
What needs to improve
- In the minority of provisions, pupil transition and after care arrangements are less effective.
Leading and improving
Leaders have a clear vision for Welsh language immersion arrangements and collaborate well with local schools in improving pupils’ Welsh language skills.
What’s going well
- Senior leaders in all local authorities have a clear vision for Welsh language provision.
- Where practice was at its strongest, purposeful leadership of the immersion arrangements ensures that staff have a comprehensive knowledge of pupils’ well-being and learning needs.
- Effective co-operation between the Welsh immersion provisions and local schools to support language teaching practices.
- In the best examples, leaders encourage staff to work collaboratively with partners to undertake active research.
- In two local authorities, leaders have a sound understanding of the strengths of the Welsh language immersion arrangements and areas for improvement.
What needs to improve
- In all three local authorities, self-evaluation processes do not provide enough opportunities for staff to monitor and evaluate provision increasingly effectively and to use these purposefully to set a clear strategic direction for the development of the provision over time.
- In one local authority, purposeful professional learning for leaders and staff on effective immersion pedagogy was less developed.
Overview of recommendations from inspections
In the 2024-2025 academic year, Estyn inspected three local authorities. All three were given recommendations in leading and improving:
- All three authorities were given a recommendation in relation to leading and improving and their self-evaluation processes.
- One authority was given a recommendation to provide purposeful professional learning on effective immersion pedagogy.
Effective practice identified during inspection
Cyngor Gwynedd
Inspection report: Cyngor Gwynedd
Read about how Cyngor Gwynedd are planning to ensure continuity and progression in supporting pupils’ acquisition of Welsh
Wrexham County Borough
Read about how Wrexham County Borough Council are placing well-being at the centre in the context of developing learners’ language within late immersion provision Wrexham County Borough Council case study
Wrexham County Borough Council
Inspection report: Wrexham County Borough Council
Read about how Wrexham County Borough Council are planning to develop the Welsh language skills of staff and pupils in English-medium schools
Cyngor Gwynedd
Inspection report: Cyngor Gwynedd
Read about effective co-operation between staff at the immersion units and creative performers to support pupils to develop their language acquisition skills at Cyngor Gwynedd