The Welsh language Sabbatical Scheme has a central role in developing practitioners’ Welsh-language skills and ability to teach through the medium of Welsh. The Scheme provides methodology and Welsh language training for teachers and classroom assistants from primary and secondary schools throughout Wales.
The Scheme provides an opportunity for practitioners to:
improve their Welsh-language skills
learn subject-specific terminology
ensure awareness and confidence to use Welsh-medium and bilingual methodologies
The Scheme is open to practitioners currently working in Wales and courses are available on various levels. Applications from supply staff may be considered subject to certain conditions.
All courses are offered free of charge. The Welsh Government will also pay a grant towards supply cover and will reimburse participants’ additional travel costs. The Scheme currently offers the following courses:
‘Cymraeg Mewn Blwyddyn’: Welsh in a year
This course has been designed for primary teachers who work in English-medium primary schools. It provides training over a period of a full academic year, which leads to fluency of expression and grammatical accuracy within the context of learning and teaching. It aims to nurture subject leaders who will plan the use of Welsh in their schools in line with the strategic requirements of the regional consortium using professionally recognised best-practice Welsh teaching methodologies.
The course develops practitioners' Welsh language skills and their ability to speak and write Welsh with confidence in various situations when delivering Welsh as a second language in the Foundation Stage and at Key Stage 2.
The course concentrates on developing the practitioners' language skills to enable them to develop the way the Welsh language is being used and taught in their schools. There is a focus on using Welsh across the curriculum and giving practitioners the opportunity to work strategically to develop bilingualism in their schools. Practitioners prepare resources and deliver cross-curricular lessons according to the new curriculum's areas of learning as well as developing skills to enable them to assess pupils and provide them with language feedback.
Advanced level
Advanced level courses are aimed at those who can speak Welsh fluently, either as first-language speakers or advanced learners, but who lack the confidence or specialist terminology in Welsh to use these skills in a professional context. The courses offer applicants the opportunity to:
develop their personal language skills
receive intensive language training combined with methodological training in Welsh-medium teaching or language teaching
develop specialist knowledge of terminology specific to their subject area or specialisation
Intermediate level
This 8 week course is the newest addition to the Sabbatical Scheme’s suite of provision.
It is aimed at teachers in English-medium/bilingual primary schools who already have some Welsh language skills, for example those who have already completed a Sylfaen (foundation) level course either through the Sabbatical Scheme or through other methods and wish to further develop their skills to progress towards fluency.
This course will:
create proficient teachers in preparation for the requirements of the new Curriculum for Welsh in the English-medium sector
offer progression from the Foundation course, reinforcing and extending teachers' linguistic ability alongside their pedagogical skills
enable teachers to plan the delivery of Welsh within the framework of the new Curriculum's Areas of Learning and Experience
This course develops practitioners’ Welsh language Skills and their ability to speak and write Welsh confidently in a variety of situations when introducing Welsh as a second Language in the Foundation Phase and Key Stage 2.
The course focuses on:
developing practitioners’ Language Skills to enable them to develop the use and Learning of Welsh in their Schools
the use of Welsh across the Curriculum and gives practitioners the opportunity to work strategically to develop bilingualism in their Schools
helping practitioners to prepare resources and to deliver cross-curricular lessons in line with Curriculum for Wales’ Areas of Learning and Experience
developing practitioners’ Skills to enable them to assess pupils and provide meaningful feedback
Foundation level
Welsh language training for Foundation Phase and Key Stage 2 teachers working in English-medium or bilingual primary schools who wish to:
develop their Welsh language skills to Foundation level
take the first steps on a recognized path to learning Welsh with the long-term aim of teaching Welsh or through the medium of Welsh
contribute to bilingualism in their schools and develop a Welsh language ethos
The course is aimed at those who have a basic knowledge of the Welsh language and who are motivated to commit to 11 weeks of intensive training.
Entry level
This is a 5 week full-time intensive immersion course for classroom assistants in English-medium or bilingual primary schools.
The course will equip participants with the necessary vocabulary and linguistic skills to support their teaching colleagues in the delivery of the curriculum.