Welsh Government Minister visits Welsh-medium early years setting

26 June 2023

Children and staff from a Welsh-medium early years setting have been visited by a Welsh Government Minister in their £2m purpose-built facility.

Jeremy Miles MS, Minister for Education and the Welsh Language visited the facility on the site of Ysgol Gymraeg Dyffryn y Glowyr, a Welsh-medium primary school in Lower Cwmtwrch. The visit took place on Friday, June 16.

The facility, which was built by Powys County Council, opened in September 2021 and has capacity for 120 Childcare offer, Flying Start and early years places through the medium of Welsh. The building includes four setting rooms, a meeting room, a hygiene room, staff facilities and outside play areas.

The existing early years setting, Dechrau Disglair, was based in Ysgol Gymraeg Dyffryn y Glowyr, which opened in 2012 as a successful Welsh-medium school. However, the school reached its capacity and there continues to be a significant demand for Welsh-medium provision in the area.

To meet the growing demand for Welsh-medium early years places, the council successfully secured Welsh Government funding to build the new facility as a separate block on the school site.

The facility will help the council achieve the aims and aspirations of its Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) for 2022-32 and its Strategy for Transforming Education in Powys.

The Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles, said: "It's wonderful to see first-hand the difference this fantastic new facility is making to both young learners and staff, which has been delivered thanks to just over £2 million funding from Welsh Government.

"I'm committed to ensuring the youngest in our communities are given the foundation and support to develop their Welsh language skills at an early age. Buildings such as this will allow the children of this area to have a seamless transition from early years' to primary education and help us meet our ambition of one million Welsh speakers by 2050."

Cllr Pete Roberts, Cabinet Member for a Learning Powys, said: "It was a pleasure to be part of the Minister's visit to this early years' facility at Ysgol Gymraeg Dyffryn y Glowyr.

"One of our aims in our Strategy for Transforming Education in Powys is to improve access to Welsh-medium provision across all key stages. This development will help us deliver this aim."

Emma Rofe, Headteacher of Ysgol Gymraeg Dyffryn y Glowyr, said: "This attractive and purpose-built building has been made possible through the hard work and commitment of the Governing Body and staff in promoting the Welsh language and meeting the needs of the community. Our growing success is a result of our passion for our language, and our rigorous and enthusiastic collaboration.

"Our grateful thanks goes to the Welsh Government for funding this new building and to Powys County Council for their hard work in managing and leading the project."

To find out more about Welsh-medium education in Powys, visit Addysg Cyfrwng Cymraeg.

For more information about Transforming Education in Powys, visit Transforming Education.