News: Cwlwm partners call for a pathway that enables every child to grow as a Welsh speaker.

Cwlwm partners, Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids’ Clubs, Early Years Wales, Mudiad Meithrin, National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA Cymru) and PACEY Cymru are calling for clear pathway that enables every child to grow as a Welsh speaker. 

Cwlwm brings together the five leading childcare organisations in Wales to deliver a bilingual integrated service that will ensure the best possible outcomes for children and families across Wales. The consortium is made up of Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids’ Clubs, Early Years Wales, Mudiad Meithrin, National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA Cymru) and PACEY Cymru. 

Following the release of Census results relating to the Welsh language, Cwlwm partners reiterate their belief that the childcare, play work and education system should enable every child to grow as a confident Welsh speaker. To achieve this Cwlwm works in partnership to upskill the early education, childcare and playwork workforce and enhance practice. 

Policy in Practice - Camau: a bespoke Work Welsh scheme 

Working in partnership with the National Centre for Learning Welsh to facilitate its sector bespoke asynchronous Work Welsh scheme known as Camau, Cwlwm provides opportunities for Welsh learners and Welsh speakers within the existing workforce to improve their language skills and supports a continuous programme of professional Welsh language development to enable every child to become a confident Welsh speaker and to achieve the aim of Cymraeg 2050: A million Welsh speakers.

Since the conception of Camau as an online training programme in June 2021, Cwlwm has supported over 2300 early years, childcare and playwork practitioners across Wales to strengthen their Welsh language skills by facilitating training and providing support throughout the learning journey. From learning the very basics of the Welsh language needed to support our children in society such as colours and numbers to far more complex conversations around opinions and reasoning, Camau gives practitioners the tools they need to support every child in Wales become a bilingual speaker and develop a sense of Cynefin. Practitioners have found the scheme instrumental as they look to challenge themselves and strengthen the use of the language within their work.

To support the practitioners on their learning journey Cwlwm has provided over 500 resources which are pertinent to the learning taking place.  As well as printable resources, Cwlwm also develops and shares other activities centred around developing practice  as well as monthly Cynefin resources to help children explore the idea of Cynefin and where they belong.  This allows practitioners to embed the language naturally throughout their practice and deliver the Welsh language to the children in our society through songs, games, day to day interactions and meaningful and authentic play. 

“The greatest feeling is generally being more fluent in my speaking and understanding of Welsh, I can now read Welsh books more fluently asking the children questions and answering in greater detail."- Aberporth Bilingual Playgroup, Ceredigion

“The course is easy to navigate and there are a lot of engaging activities to help you consolidate what you have learnt.” - Tiny Tots Premier Childcare Services, Newport 

"I like the fact that I can fit the training into my schedule, and that I'm not confined to a certain day or time. With working and having a family this is definitely making completing the training easier." - Childminder, Wrexham 

Welsh Promise – Promoting Welsh language and culture

The Welsh Promise scheme supports childcare and playwork settings to increase their use of Welsh and demonstrate how they are working towards delivering an Active Offer, a core element of the More than Just Words framework.  Cwlwm has worked in partnership with over 170 childcare and play work settings to assess their use of the language and develop a clear action plan to strengthen their language practice and move settings along the language continuum towards delivering a truly bilingual or Welsh language service. 

In committing to the Welsh Promise, settings can develop its use of Welsh and create an environment where the language is a natural part of the setting’s offer to children. Whether the setting is starting from scratch or is already using some Welsh, the progressive bronze, silver, and gold levels allow settings to enhance the use of Welsh in a way that is appropriate for them, small changes make a big difference. Once settings have achieved one level, they can move to the next level of the Welsh Promise, with plentiful help available from Cwlwm partners. 

The Welsh Promise has been endorsed by Efa Gruffudd Jones, Welsh Language Commissioner who described it “as a way for settings to set clear, ambitious and fun steps to share the Welsh language with their attendees, staff and wider family. This is a great way to encourage and inspire settings across Wales to be increasing the use of Welsh. The Promise includes an achievable plan and points that agree on how to work together effectively and to inspire everyone involved with Cwlwm to use the Welsh language for the benefit of the children and the communities where they work.” “Creating the Welsh speakers of the future is a very important part of the goal of reaching one million speakers, and without these opportunities it is impossible for the language to grow and thrive.” 

Kevin Barker, Head of Childcare and Play Inspection, Care Inspectorate Wales also “welcomed this positive development to support the use of the Welsh language in childcare and playwork settings.”

The Welsh Promise has proven to be an invaluable resource to childcare and play settings across Wales to support them to increase their use of Welsh and to work towards the Active Offer. 

“Our experience of the Welsh Promise has been a joy to work towards and effectively the Welsh language is part of our daily routine and part of our culture. We decided to work towards the Welsh Promise as part of our Active Offer, to provide evidence that we are embracing our own Welsh culture as well as everyone else’s from around the world who attend our setting". - Rebecca Davies, Willow Daycare. 

Additional Cwlwm Welsh Projects

Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids’ Clubs CYMell project provides support with policy changes, marketing, and sustainability to encourage CIW registered, bilingual, Out of School Childcare Clubs to change their operational language to Welsh. Early Years Wales’ Cydweith Cymraeg project supports the outcomes of Welsh Government’s National policy on Welsh language transmission and use in families with the aim of introducing and strengthening the Welsh language through a collaborative approach with non- Welsh speaking parents, children and practitioners. 

Mudiad Meithrin’s Clwb Cwtsh is a fun-filled, taster programme focusing on speaking Welsh with young children. It is aimed at parents to be, parents/carers and extended family members. Croesi’r Bont is a unique project that provides practitioners with thorough leadership and guidance on how to always speak Welsh with young children in the cylch. Cynllun Plethu is a partnership project between Early Years Wales and Mudiad Meithrin whereby English medium playgroups work towards moving along the language continuum to deliver a fully Welsh language. 

NDNA Cymru’s monthly Gweminar Stori provides children and practitioners opportunities to come together to listen to bilingual stories, songs, and rhymes to develop vocabulary and reinforce language modelling through fun interactive activities.  

PACEY Cymru provides funded support for settings who are looking to register or expand to enable them to deliver bilingual or Welsh medium provision.   PACEY Cymru also makes use of the digital meeting space through its monthly Welsh language support webinars and has also developed CEY smart courses available to PACEY members centred around using stories from Wales to introduce young children to the history and culture of Wales and how to create a local story to develop a sense of Cynefin.  

"Cwlwm’s work is so important for so many different reasons and especially as far as increasing the use of Welsh language in childcare and play is concerned. Through various projects and programmes, we work with staff, volunteers and experts to ensure that all children hear and use Welsh as they play and learn in their setting. Welsh Government’s support is vital to enable this work and we know how important it is for Cwlwm partners to keep momentum going to support the sector"- Dr Gwenllian Lansdown Davies, Chief Executive, Mudiad Meithrin

Notes to editors:

Cynefin - The place where we feel we belong, where the people and landscape around us are familiar, and the sights and sounds are reassuringly recognisable. The historic, cultural, and social place which has shaped and continues to shape the community which inhabits it.

For further information on any of the above please see the contact details below;

Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids’ Clubs 
Main contact: Jane O’Toole - National Manager for Wales
Telephone: 02920741000. Email: [email protected]   

Early Years Wales 
Main contacts: David Goodger – Chief Executive Officer & Matt Anthony – Welsh Language Project Lead  
Telephone: 02920451242. Email: [email protected]  

Mudiad Meithrin 
Main contact: Gwenllian Lansdown Davies – Chief Executive
Telephone: 01970639639. Email: [email protected]  

NDNA Cymru 
Main contact: Sarah Coates – National Operations Manager (Wales)
Telephone: 01824707823. Email: [email protected]  

PACEY Cymru 
Main contact: Claire Protheroe - Head of Contracts and Projects
Telephone: 02920351407. Email: [email protected]