Evaluation of the Welsh-medium education strategy: final report

This is the final report of an independent three-year evaluation of the Welsh Government’s Welsh-medium Education Strategy.

The Strategy was published in April 2010, with a commitment to support the ‘continuing growth of Welsh-medium education and training in all sectors and age ranges'. The aim of the evaluation was to measure the effectiveness and impact of the Strategy, examining to what extent it has achieved its expected aims, objectives and outcomes. An evaluation of the Strategy in its entirety sits alongside reviews of some of the specific programmes that form part the Strategy's action plan. The evidence is presented under the following headings: Implementation of the Strategy, Planning provision, Developing the workforce, Central support, and Language skills and the use of Welsh. The report presents 21 recommendations, encompassing the role of the Welsh Government, local authorities and other delivery partners.

The report states that there is support for the Strategy’s vision and aims amongst officers (at a national and local level), stakeholders and practitioners who have been involved with its delivery. Some of the programmes delivered as part of the Strategy have led to positive outcomes for individuals and schools. However, the Strategy’s vision has not been embedded consistently across all delivery partners and throughout the various layers of the education system, from the Welsh Government down to local authorities and providers.

There have been some indications of success in reaching the targets that were set in 2010. However, in the case of the majority of the indicators the progress that had been envisaged in 2010 has not been achieved.