Welsh-medium provision for children with autism

Bridgend County Borough Council is expanding its support for children who have a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD).

A specialist learning facility will be established later this year at the Welsh-medium primary school, Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Calon y Cymoedd, in Bettws.

The new provision will enable Welsh-speaking children who have a diagnosis of ASD to remain at a Welsh-medium primary school before moving on seamlessly to their local Welsh-medium secondary school at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Llangynwyd where specialist facilities were created last year.

English-medium provision is already available at Pencoed Primary School and Maesteg School.

The new learning resource centre at Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Calon y Cymoedd could open as soon as September 2019, and will cater for a maximum of eight pupils.

I’m very pleased that we can now confirm the plans for Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Calon y Cymoedd following the completion of a formal consultation process and the subsequent publication of a public notice. No objections were received and there has been widespread support for the idea.

Having set up a Welsh-medium learning resource centre at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Llangynwyd, the next logical step is to create similar specialist provision at one of the Welsh-medium partner primary schools. Due to its central location in the county borough, the new Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Calon y Cymoedd is ideally placed for this.

The new learning resource centre will be an integrated part of the mainstream school, providing an environment in which pupils can develop and thrive within their peer group and have normal access to the mainstream curriculum when appropriate.”

Councillor Charles Smith, the council’s Cabinet Member for Education and Regeneration

Meanwhile, Cabinet Members from Bridgend County Borough Council have also agreed to cease the nurture provision which had been provided at Betws Primary School. The four pupils who have been attending the nurture provision will either reintegrate back into their mainstream schools so that they can be taught as close to home as possible, or move to The Bridge Alternative Provision at the Bryncethin Campus. In the future, pupils requiring this additional support will be referred for placement at The Bridge Alternative Provision.