Your questions answered

What if I don't speak Welsh?

You won't be on your own! Most children in Welsh-medium education in Powys come from homes where very little or no Welsh is spoken. Teachers are very used to this and can support your family. Ask your local school to put you in touch with parents who are in a similar position and have already chosen Welsh-medium education for their children.

How will I be able to help with homework?

Homework is usually an extension of class work, so shouldn't include anything unfamiliar to your child. Even if you don't speak Welsh, you could ask them to explain the work and discuss it with you in your home language. The process of transferring information from one language to another can actually help children learn and understand the work. We also have a homework help leaflet for useful hints and tips:

View our Welsh Homework Help booklet  (PDF) [534KB]

What about transport?

Powys County Council provides free home to school transport to Welsh-medium education for primary pupils that live more than 2 miles from the nearest provider and secondary pupils that live more than 3 miles from the nearest provider.

What is a Welsh-medium or Bilingual school?

A Welsh-medium school is a school where every learner in the school is taught and supported to be entirely bilingual in Welsh and English (whilst they also study modern foreign languages). Because they support all learners to become bilingual, they are sometimes called bilingual schools.

What is a dual stream school?

Dual stream schools are schools where only some of the learners are educated in a way that will enable them to become fully bilingual by the time they leave school. In these schools, some learners are in a class which is taught in English, and others are in a class taught mostly through the medium of Welsh. It is the parent/carer's choice which class or 'stream' their child will enter.

My child has already started in an English-medium school. Can they have a Welsh-medium education?

Primary-aged learners can transfer to Welsh-medium education at any time. Powys County Council provides intensive immersion courses for children moving to the area or learners currently attending English-medium education who would like to transfer to Welsh-medium education through language centres or through peripatetic support. The courses are a successful way of immersing children in the Welsh language and enabling them to transfer effectively to Welsh-medium education. Children acquire languages very easily with a positive mindset and effective teaching. The same kinds of courses work across the world and across Wales. For more information about Canolfan Iaith Maldwyn and immersion education, contact bethan.jones1@powys.gov.uk

What about my child's English?

Pupils in Welsh-medium education will still study English as a subject, starting from year 3. Learning two languages at the same time, children become aware of how languages work, often making it easier to learn more languages later on. Studies show that bilinguals often achieve better test results than children who only speak the one language.