New Welsh medium school to open in Monmouth area

Monmouthshire County Council, in collaboration with Overmonnow Primary School and Ysgol Gymraeg Y Ffin, is set to create Welsh medium seedling provision in Monmouth.

The local authority has outlined plans to open a third Welsh-medium primary school in Monmouth in the Monmouthshire WESP 2022-32 as part of its wider strategy to support and grow the demand for Welsh medium education across the county. A seedling provision, as an extension of an existing Welsh-medium school, will enable the Council to open the Welsh medium seedling provision in Monmouth in September 2023 and provide a firm basis to open the new Welsh-medium primary school in September 2024.

The first part of our proposal is to open a satellite class from Y Ffin in September 2023 based in a dedicated area in Overmonnow Primary School which will be the seedling provision. The provision will be open to nursery children and reception and Year 1 pupils from the Monmouth area. 

The seedling provision will also significantly promote the Welsh language offer in Monmouth, linking directly with the Council’s ambition to support the Welsh Government strategy of getting one million Welsh speakers by 2050.

Cllr. Martyn Groucutt, Cabinet Member with responsibilities for Education, said: “The Welsh language is so important, and seeing Welsh medium provision being introduced is very reassuring. It is so positive to see the number of Welsh speakers in Monmouthshire is increasing, and that there are more opportunities for learning the language across the county.”

The provision will be available from 1st September 2023.