Written question WQ82438

One of the key aims of Cymraeg 2050 is to expand Welsh-medium provision in the early years as an access point for Welsh-medium education. To achieve this, the strategy’s ‘Work Programme 2017-2021’ set out the aim to support the expansion of Welsh language early years provision by 40 new groups by 2021. Over the past 3 years Mudiad Meithrin have been funded by Welsh Government to lead on this expansion through their Set up and Succeed (Sefydlu a Symud) programme.

In spite of the current COVID pandemic, I am pleased to be able to report that 43 new groups will have been opened under this programme by September 2021. In addition to the traditional model of a Cylch Meithrin one of the groups that has been established is a Cylch Meithrin located within an English medium day nursery. Another four of the groups established are Cylch Meithrin sessions offered within English medium day nurseries, with the staff in those settings supported through Mudiad Meithrin’s language immersion training programme, ‘Croesi’r Bont’. These alternative groups offer the opportunity to establish provision and create demand in areas where it would be more challenging to establish traditional Cylch provision.

Through continued Welsh Government support, the Set up and Succeed programme is continuing with a further 12 groups planned for 2021-2022.