“Can the Executive Board confirm, on the basis of their long term experience of introducing the Welsh language to children with special educational needs, with many having come from non-Welsh speaking homes, that this hasn’t had any negative effect on their education or development as individuals?”
Minutes:
The Chair advised that Mr Roberts was unable to attend today’s meeting and had requested that the Chair ask his question on his behalf.
“Can the Executive Board confirm, on the basis of their long term experience of introducing the Welsh language to children with special educational needs, with many having come from non-Welsh speaking homes, that this hasn’t had any negative effect on their education or development as individuals?”
Response by Councillor G.O. Jones, Executive Board Member for Education & Children:-
“Carmarthenshire County Council’s policy is that all its schools should be inclusive, with children with additional learning needs being educated in a mainstream setting alongside their peers wherever possible. In the vast majority of cases this is achieved, with all children benefiting.
Whilst the system is designed to meet the needs of learners though an universal and inclusive approach, for a small number of children with significant and complex additional needs this is not always possible and specialised provision can offer a more appropriate learning setting.
The Education and Children’s Services Department provides specific additional support in schools wherever practicable so that as many children as possible remain in their local school.
All pupils with additional learning needs have specific individual plans based on their circumstances and a tailored support programme is provided according to need. Generally, an additional learning need is not a barrier to learning two languages. It is important to assess and monitor progress in each or all of the languages that a child is using or learning, including sign and visually supported communication systems required for some pupils, particularly as the stronger developed language can be used to support and build learning through a lesser developed medium. Staff are required to differentiate the curriculum and make reasonable adjustments to the language of instruction and response in order to accommodate additional needs and ensure access to the curriculum and learning progress. At times it may be appropriate to target additional support in one language for a period to consolidate and accelerate learning, e.g. in literacy. There will be rare instances, however, where a child may be diagnosed with a condition that is not conducive to a fully bilingual education. In these circumstances a package of support is identified by professional practitioners and discussed with parents. Arrangements are made for the child to attend an appropriate school where their needs can be met. It may be the case that on a small number of occasions the needs of an individual child cannot be met at the local school as, notwithstanding the Council’s commitment to inclusive education, it is simply not practicable to meet all needs at every school. In the last five years the Educational and Child Psychology Service has been involved in only one or two cases each year where a move of school has been advised. To place this into context, Carmarthenshire’s school system serves around 27,000 pupils in total and so the frequency of pupil movement for additional learning needs is very low indeed.
It is this Council’s experience that the vast majority of pupils with a wide range of additional learning needs and are successful in our schools irrespective of the language of instruction but the Council does acknowledge that there will be a very few children whose needs cannot be met other than through provision at a specialist unit.”
The Chair expressed his thanks to all the questioners for their questions and attendance at the meeting and to Councillor Jones for responding.