Addysg Gymraeg/ Welsh Education

Whatever language you speak at home, Welsh-medium education can give your child additional opportunities, experiences and skills.

Here are some frequently asked questions that may help you decide whether you’d like to take advantage of what Welsh-medium education has to offer.

So what does Welsh-medium education do?

Welsh-medium education has a very simple aim – to enable children to become fully fluent in both English and Welsh while teaching all the other subjects across the curriculum. Young children learn languages remarkably easily – it’s by making the most of this potential that Welsh-medium education has become so popular.

Why do people choose Welsh-medium education?

Research shows that it’s by far the best way we have to get children to be bilingual in both English and Welsh.

Being bilingual has many advantages. It’s very useful as a skill in the workplace: the ability to speak Welsh is either an essential or a desirable skill for a growing number of jobs.

The Welsh Government has also committed to developing a bilingual Wales through its Welsh-language strategy ‘Cymraeg 2050’ with a vision for reaching a million speakers by 2050.

There is more demand today than ever before for bilingual skills in a variety of fields such as health, education, leisure, childcare, retail, and public services.

Any other reasons?

Speaking Welsh can help children build a fuller understanding of their wider community and their place within it.

Welsh provides children with access to a culture – including literature, music, digital media, and a host of other things – that might otherwise be unavailable to them.

For some people, the choice of Welsh-medium education is based on personal experiences: they know people who are bilingual or have bilingual children, and so want their own children to be able to be a part of the Welsh-speaking community, while also being completely at home in English.

Do families like mine choose Welsh-medium education?

Every family – and every child – is unique, of course. But all kinds of families take advantage of Welsh-medium education: families who don’t speak Welsh and those who do; families from all kinds of ethnic and religious backgrounds; families from Wales and those who’ve moved here from elsewhere.

We don’t speak Welsh at home– would that make my child stand out?

Not at all. In fact, the vast majority – over 70% – of children in Welsh-medium education in Cardiff do not speak Welsh at home. And for some of those, a language other than English is the main language of the home.

So coming from a non-Welsh speaking background is absolutely normal and the curriculum is designed with that in mind.

Welsh-medium schools do not expect that children speak Welsh when they start but will help those children to become fluent in Welsh before the end of their first year.

We’re not Welsh – would it be strange for us to choose Welsh-medium education?

Not at all. You don’t have to be Welsh to speak Welsh. Parents of children in Welsh-medium schools in Cardiff have come from all over the world: Wales, the rest of the UK, Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America.

While some might consider themselves to be Welsh, others might not – the key point is that learning Welsh is open to all.

Does Welsh-medium education have lower standards for English?

Absolutely not. Children leaving Welsh-medium primary schools are expected to reach exactly the same standard of English as those in English-medium primary schools. And in secondary schools children in Welsh-medium education sit exactly the same GCSEs and A-levels as those in English-medium schools. (The reverse is not true: children in English-medium education do not reach the same standards or sit the same level of exams in Welsh as those in Welsh-medium education.)

How can I help my child with homework if I don’t speak Welsh?

As most children don’t speak Welsh at home, Welsh-medium schools are very experienced in supporting both pupils and parents.

For younger pupils, homework instructions will be given in writing in both English and Welsh. At a later age, children will be able to explain their work to their parents themselves. In fact, research suggests that dealing with their work in two languages can actually help children understand the subject that they are studying.

The education website Hwb​​​​ also gives access to a range of nationally provided digital learning tools and resources.

Will learning Welsh make it harder to learn another language?

Not at all. There’s almost no limit to a child’s ability to learn languages. In most European countries, young children can commonly speak two or three languages. Speaking one language can help reinforce the other, making it easier for the child to learn more languages later on.

Will it be difficult to get my child into Welsh-medium education?

All Welsh-medium schools in Cardiff are community schools. So the application procedure is exactly as it is for English-medium community schools – the child’s home language or religion or national identity are not considered in the application process.

If my child were in a Welsh-medium school, would he or she have classmates from our area?

The number of Welsh-medium schools in Cardiff has increased significantly. There are now seventeen primary schools and three secondary schools across the city. This means that your community will have a Welsh-medium school whose pupils will come from your local area and who can easily meet up outside school if they want to.

What about their education after they leave school?

As pupils from Welsh-medium schools are fully bilingual, they can choose to follow college and university courses in either language (or both). Recently, the work of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol (the national Welsh-medium college) has ensured that more and more university degrees are available (partially or completely) through the medium of Welsh.

A growing number of Welsh-medium courses are available in Further Education as well. Even so, students from Welsh-medium schools commonly follow English-medium courses at college or university, in Wales and beyond.

Can I learn Welsh alongside my child?

Some parents, after choosing a Welsh-medium school for their child, decide to learn Welsh as well. It’s a great opportunity to learn together, to practice your language skills on each other and spend quality time together.

Welsh for Adults courses are available throughout Cardiff, and are suitable for learners at all levels. For further information, please visit the Learn Welsh website​​​​​​

Waeth beth yw eich iaith yn y cartref, gall Addysg Cyfrwng Cymraeg roi cyfleoedd, profiadau a sgiliau ychwanegol i’ch plant.

Dyma rai cwestiynau cyffredin a allai eich helpu chi i benderfynu a hoffech chi fanteisio ar yr hyn y mae Addysg Cyfrwng Cymraeg yn ei gynnig.

Beth mae addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg yn ei wneud?

Mae nod syml iawn i addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg, sef rhoi’r gallu i blant ddod yn gwbl rugl yn y Gymraeg a’r Saesneg a derbyn addysg yn y pynciau eraill trwy’r cwricwlwm.Mae plant ifainc yn dysgu ieithoedd yn hawdd iawn a thrwy wneud y gorau o’r potensial hwn y daeth addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg mor boblogaidd.

Pam mae pobl yn dewis addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg?

Mae ymchwil yn dangos mai dyma’r ffordd orau o bell ffordd i wneud plant yn rhugl yn y Gymraeg a’r Saesneg. Mae nifer o fanteision i ddwyieithrwydd. Mae’n ddefnyddiol iawn fel sgil yn y gweithle; mae siarad Cymraeg naill ai yn sgil hanfodol neu ddymunol ar gyfer nifer cynyddol o swyddi.Mae Llywodraeth Cymru hefyd wedi ymrwymo i ddatblygu Cymru ddwyieithog trwy ei strategaeth ‘Cymraeg 2050’ gyda’r weledigaeth o gyrraedd miliwn o siaradwyr erbyn 2050. Mae mwy o alw heddiw nag y bu erioed o’r blaen am sgiliau dwyieithog mewn amryw faes, megis iechyd, addysg, hamdden, gofal plant, manwerthu a gwasanaethau cyhoeddus.

Unrhyw reswm arall?

Gall siarad Cymraeg helpu plant i gael dealltwriaeth lawnach o’u cymuned ehangach a’u lle ynddi. Mae’r Gymraeg yn rhoi mynediad i ddiwylliant, yn cynnwys llenyddiaeth, cerddoriaeth, cyfryngau digidol ac arlwy o bethau eraill na fyddent ar gael iddynt fel arall.Mae rhai’n dewis addysg Gymraeg ar sail profiadau personol: maen nhw’n adnabod pobl ddwyieithog neu y mae ganddyn nhw blant dwyieithog ac mae’r rheiny felly am i’w plant hwythau fod yn rhan o’r gymuned Gymraeg a bod hefyd yn gwbl gyfforddus yn y Saesneg.

Ydy teuluoedd fel fy un i’n dewis addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg?

Mae pob teulu, a phob plentyn yn unigryw wrth gwrs. Ond mae teuluoedd o bob math yn elwa o addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg, teuluoedd nad ydyn nhw’n siarad Cymraeg a rhai sydd; teuluoedd o bob math o gefndir ethnig a chrefyddol; teuluoedd o Gymru a rhai sydd wedi symud yma o rywle arall.

Dydyn ni ddim yn siarad Cymraeg gartref – fydd fy mhlentyn yn eithriad?

Ddim o gwbl Dydy rhan helaeth, dros 70%, y plant sy’n derbyn addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg yng Nghaerdydd ddim yn siarad Cymraeg gartref. Ac i rai o’r rheiny, iaith arall heblaw am y Saesneg yw prif iaith y cartref. Felly mae dod o gefndir di-Gymraeg yn gwbl arferol ac mae’r cwricwlwm wedi ei lunio gyda hynny dan sylw.Nid yw’r ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg yn disgwyl i’r plant siarad Cymraeg wrth ddechrau yn yr ysgol ond caiff y plant hynny help i ddod yn rhugl cyn diwedd y flwyddyn gyntaf.

Nid Cymry ydyn ni – oni fyddai’n rhyfedd i ni ddewis addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg?

Ddim o gwbl Does dim rhaid i chi fod yn Gymry i siarad Cymraeg. Mae rhieni plant mewn ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg yng Nghaerdydd yn dod o bedwar ban y byd: Cymru, gweddill y DU, Ewrop, Asia, Affrica, Gogledd a De America. Mae rhai yn ystyried eu hunain yn Gymry a rhai ddim, y prif bwynt yw bod dysgu Cymraeg yn agored i bawb.

Yw safonau’r Saesneg yn is mewn addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg?

Yn sicr ddim. Mae disgwyl i blant sy’n gadael ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg gyrraedd union yr un safonau Saesneg â’r rhai sydd mewn ysgolion cynradd cyfrwng Saesneg.Ac yn yr ysgolion uwchradd, mae’r plant yn yr ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg yn sefyll union yr un arholiadau TGAU a Lefel A â’u cyfoedion mewn ysgolion cyfrwng Saesneg. (Nid felly’r ffordd groes: nid yw plant mewn addysg cyfrwng Saesneg yn cyrraedd yr un safonau nac yn sefyll yr un arholiadau Cymraeg â phlant yr ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg.)

A fydd dysgu Cymraeg yn ei gwneud yn anos i’r plant ddysgu iaith arall?

Ddim o gwbl Does bron dim diwedd i allu plentyn i ddysgu ieithoedd. Yn rhan fwyaf gwledydd Ewrop, mae’n gyffredin i blant ifanc siarad dwy neu dair iaith. Gall siarad un iaith helpu i atgyfnerthu’r llall, sy’n ei gwneud yn haws i’r plentyn ddysgu rhagor o ieithoedd yn hwyrach.

Fydd hi’n anodd i fy mhlentyn gael ei dderbyn i addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg?

Mae’r holl ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg yng Nghaerdydd yn ysgolion cymunedol. Felly, mae’r broses cyflwyno cais yr union yr un ag yw hi ar gyfer ysgolion cymunedol cyfrwng Saesneg – nid ystyrir iaith cartref y plentyn, ei grefydd na’i genedligrwydd yn y broses gais.

Petai fy mhlentyn mewn ysgol cyfrwng Cymraeg, fyddai ganddo gyfoedion o’i ddosbarth yn ein hardal?

Mae nifer yr ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg yng Nghaerdydd wedi cynyddu’n sylweddol. Bellach mae dwy ysgol gynradd ar bymtheg a thair ysgol uwchradd yn y ddinas. Felly, mae ysgol yn eich cymuned a bydd plant yr ysgol honno yn dod o’ch ardal leol a gallant gyfarfod y tu allan i’r ysgol os mynnent.

Beth am eu haddysg ar ôl gadael yr ysgol?

Gan fod disgyblion ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg yn gwbl ddwyieithog, gallant ddewis dilyn cyrsiau coleg neu brifysgol trwy gyfrwng y naill iaith (neu’r ddwy). Yn ddiweddar, mae gwaith y Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol wedi sicrhau bod rhagor o raddau’r brifysgol ar gael (yn rhannol neu i gyd) trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg.Mae nifer o gyrsiau cyfrwng Cymraeg ar gael mewn addysg bellach hefyd. Er hyn, mae disgyblion o ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg yn aml yn mynd i wneud cyrsiau yn Saesneg yn y coleg neu brifysgol, yng Nghymru a thu hwnt.

Ga’ i ddysgu Cymraeg gyda’m plentyn?

Mae rhai rhieni yn penderfynu dysgu Cymraeg hefyd ar ôl dewis ysgol cyfrwng Cymraeg i’w plant. Mae’n gyfle gwych i ddysgu gyda’ch gilydd, ymarfer sgiliau iaith gyda’ch gilydd a threulio amser gwerthfawr gyda’ch gilydd. Mae cyrsiau Cymraeg i Oedolion​​​ ar gael trwy Gymru; ac maent yn addas ar gyfer disgyblion o bob lefel.