Posted on: Friday 31 January 2025
A pupil at a Welsh-medium primary school has been given extra help thanks to a specialist Welsh education centre.
Carreg Lam, based at Ysgol Panteg, in Pontypool, is a Welsh immersion unit which helps pupils who want to transfer from English-medium education, as well as those at Welsh-medium primary schools who need additional support with the language.
Ffion, age 9, from Ysgol Bryn Onnen, found it hard to learn Welsh during the pandemic, and extra support provided by the school wasn’t enough to get her back on track, and consequently having a negative impact on her confidence.
After starting year 4, the school referred Ffion to Carreg Lam for more intensive support to learn the Welsh language through a range of interactive and engaging educational practices.
Ffion’s mum, Sarah, said: “Carreg Lam has been transformative for Ffion. Learning through various themes and field trips, it has allowed her to have those real-life experiences in using the Welsh language, which positively impacted her learning.
“Since returning to Ysgol Bryn Onnen, Ffion has been excelling. She is happy and thriving in all aspects of the curriculum, and her confidence has improved dramatically, both in school and at home.”
Carreg Lam offers a unique and immersive learning environment, with children engaging in a variety of activities designed to make learning Welsh fun and effective.
Carys Soper, a teacher at Carreg Lam, said: “The children learn so much through hands-on learning at our centre. It’s just amazing how quickly and how confidently children pick up new language.
“We believe our approach has been instrumental in fostering a love for the Welsh language among our young learners, preparing them for a future where bilingualism can be a significant advantage.”
Carreg Lam is on a mission to promote Welsh language education across Torfaen, supporting the Welsh Governments target of one million Welsh speakers by 2050.
Since opening in 2023, the programme has supported over 60 children on their Welsh language journey, and for the first time is now operating at full capacity, with all 12 available places filled.
Next term, the centre will run an outreach programme where staff will visit Welsh-medium primary schools to help Year 5 and 6 pupils considering Welsh-medium secondary education.
For information about the September programme, visit www.carreg-lam.com or contact the centre directly by calling 01495 762581, or email: carreg-lam@torfaen.gov.uk