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Successful Welsh Government funding for Ysgol Glanrafon

Published: 12/12/2018

Flintshire County Council has been successful in securing funding from the Welsh Medium Capital Grant for Ysgol Glanrafon in Mold.

The project has been identified by Welsh Government as one likely to assist with their target of a million Welsh speakers by 2050.  The funding will be available following the completion of statutory proposals and a formal consultation process.

The funding comprises £1,980,000 for the remodelling and extensions to Ysgol Glanrafon to increase capacity as well as a further £1,070,000 from the Childcare offer Capital Grant Programme to provide a new purpose built pre-school provision onsite at the school, thereby co-locating early years’ provision and promoting Welsh medium education.

This announcement was celebrated recently at the school by members and officers of Flintshire County Council along with representatives from Welsh Government, Meithrin Cymru and Tute Education.  They enjoyed the pupils singing and had the opportunity to meet some of the children from the Cylch.

Flintshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and Youth, Councillor Ian Roberts, said:

“This funding will support capital investments that facilitate growth in Welsh medium education and use of the Welsh language. The funding is aimed specifically at projects that will contribute to meeting the Welsh Government’s aim of one million Welsh speakers by 2050.  These include providing additional Welsh medium provision and offering Welsh medium childcare or nursery provision.”

Miss Llinos Mary Jones, headmistress of Ysgol Glanrafon, said:

"As a school, we're delighted with the news that our provision will be enhanced to cater for the continuous increase in pupil numbers. We feel really excited and are looking forward to a prosperous future for Welsh medium education in the area.”

The project seeks to remove the existing mobile accommodation on the school site and replace with a permanent classroom accommodation to increase the permanent capacity of the building to cater for the high demand for places.  The project also aims to improve the existing car parking and provide a new dedicated drop off zone onsite to improve traffic management and improve safety. 

The project will also provide a new purpose built pre-school provision onsite which will attract and improve the number of pupils entering into the school community through a natural transition from Ti a Fi and Cylch provision into statutory Foundation Phase provision.  Ysgol Glanrafon has a strong reputation for delivery of Welsh medium education in the area and this is reflected in its popularity and pupil numbers, but it lacks the full range of Welsh Medium Early Years provision sought by parents. 

Education Secretary, Kirsty Williams, said:

“This Welsh Medium Capital Grant is part of our 21st Century Schools Programme; the most ambitious school building programme since the 1960s. Overall we are investing £1.4bn to provide our children and young people with the learning environments they deserve to enable them to reach their full potential. This funding will not only deliver this for the pupils of Ysgol Glanrafon, but will also provide additional Welsh medium provisions, helping us reach our Welsh language targets.”

Councillor Roberts added:

“The project will ensure that the school can be accessed by the community to provide Welsh medium activities such as Welsh language skills for adults. In order to maximise use of the site out of school term times, a Welsh Holiday Club will also be set up on site.

“Investment in an existing Welsh medium primary school will enable us to grow the number of places in the Welsh medium school estate and therefore directly contribute to the ambition to improve the number of fluent Welsh speakers in the area.”

School choir performing

Ysgol Glanrafon School Choir with Cllr Ian Roberts, head teacher Miss Llinos Jones, Nerys Howells – Welsh Government, Gaenor Richards – Mudiad Meithrin, Gail Bennett – FCC, Claire Homard, FCC, Ceri Edwards – Mudiad Meithrin, Cllr Haydn Bateman, Vanessa Leach – Chair of Governors Ysgol Glanrafon, Sian Hilton – FCC and seated on floor: Catrin from Cylch with children from the Cylch and Sali Edwards – Cylch

Flintshire County Council's Education and Youth Claire Homard (centre) along with Ceri Edwards - Mudiad Meithrin, Ysgol Glanrafon headteacher Llinos Mary Jones, Cylch Meithrin's Sali Edwards, Welsh Government's Nerys Howells, Flintshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Education and Youth Cllr Ian Roberts, Local Councillor Haydn Bateman and School Children Owen, Maia, Osian and Maisie