Jeremy Miles: I think that's a very good question. The Power Up campaign, as he knows from our previous exchanges and, I'm sure, his own experience, provides a package of revision support, but signposting for other support as well, as well as, in the case of this year, the adaptations to content for the exams specifically. It's a sort of comprehensive, if you like, one-stop shop. I think there are...
Jeremy Miles: Well, it's been difficult for those pupils who haven't sat an external exam in the past, and that's understandable. And then concerns arising from exam papers that perhaps pupils hadn't expected, of course, also have an impact on them. And I am aware that, with few exam papers, including A-level maths, there were complaints and concerns about the content of some of those papers. The Member...
Jeremy Miles: A comprehensive package of support totalling £24 million is in place, which prioritises exam-year learners. Along with this, practical steps have also been taken, including adapting exam content, providing advanced information for learners and mid-point grade boundaries to make the return to exams as fair as possible.
Jeremy Miles: Can I just say how good it is to hear more Members speaking Welsh in the Chamber? Congratulations to Sam, and to Jack too. Yes, it is very important, in order for us to see the progress that we want to see in Welsh-medium provision, and that there is equal access for all children in Wales to Welsh-medium education in any part of Wales, that the WESPs are ambitious, but also that there is...
Jeremy Miles: Can I thank the Member for that supplementary question and for his use of the Welsh language in his initial question? Flintshire local authority have committed in their draft Welsh in education strategic plan to increase the percentage of learners in Welsh-medium education from the current 6.3 per cent to 15 per cent within the next 10 years. I recently announced, in March, 11 projects that...
Jeremy Miles: Thank you, Jack. To support their plans to grow Welsh-medium education, the council has received approval in principle to establish a new primary school, through Welsh Government capital funding.
Jeremy Miles: I thank the Member for that question. I don't accept the funding takes money away from the school system; the funding is there in order to support the school improvement programme that we have right across Wales. And the majority of the funding that is made available to the regional consortia is delegated directly to schools, rather than being retained by the consortia themselves. On the...
Jeremy Miles: Yes. Regional consortia support schools to improve, including through professional learning, direct engagement and facilitating school-to-school working. I'll be publishing school improvement guidance next week, setting out how the Welsh Government expects regional consortia to support school improvement under the Curriculum for Wales.
Jeremy Miles: In terms of the strategic plans and every local authority in Wales, I'll be making a statement as to where they are, following the reviews that will happen within the next few weeks, before the end of term, and that includes the plans of RCT council. What I've said in the past is that it's important that we ensure that not just the number of those learning Welsh increases, but that...
Jeremy Miles: Well, this policy area is not mine; it's my colleague Vaughan Gething's, who's made a statement recently in relation to the Government's response to the Reid review. Part of that is about the implementation of a number of the points that Professor Reid recommended for us to take in that review, including in relation to opening an office specifically in London to access some of the other...
Jeremy Miles: I don't know what the specific budget for the other organisations that the Member mentions is, but of course we do have a scheme of financial support for various voluntary organisations, third sector organisations, and other youth organisations. We are currently looking to review grants to promote the Welsh language in general. An external organisation has been appointed to look at that...
Jeremy Miles: I don't think we are doing that.
Jeremy Miles: Well, it has been a priority for us to ensure that Welsh-medium education is available to those who want to take advantage of it from Ukraine, and we've ensured, in terms of children and adults, that there is access to Welsh language lessons, and we've worked with Parents for Welsh Medium Education to ensure that that is possible, and the resources that are available bilingually ensure that...
Jeremy Miles: Well, I'm not going to comment on the particular decision, because obviously I'm not in a position to do that, but as he knows from the First Minister's answer yesterday, I will follow that up. We passed the third stage of a piece of legislation yesterday, which, in the particular context—the FE context—in which he frames the question, certainly yesterday and I think he was making the...
Jeremy Miles: I'd be more than happy to write to the Member with more details on the further question that she has asked. As she will know, an evaluation has taken place of the 'More than just words' plan, and the Minister intends to make a further statement over the next few weeks on the next steps that will result from the work that the Marian Wyn Jones committee carried out on our behalf recently. So,...
Jeremy Miles: I have had discussions with the Minister for Health and Social Services and I know, through those conversations, that she, in conversation with Bangor, has set out our expectations around the Welsh language provision. The Welsh language is a core consideration for Bangor, who are actively engaging on increasing Welsh-medium provision as they look to develop and implement the new curriculum.
Jeremy Miles: I thank Sam Rowlands for that. As I said in my answer to Ken Skates, my officials are working with the authority on this site. It has a number of dimensions. School development is one aspect of that. But, there has been good progress on a number of the key elements required for that to progress, which I'm happy to report. I congratulate him on engaging the pupils in his region on the...
Jeremy Miles: I thank the Member for that supplementary question, and also I'm aware that he has recently written to me in relation to this, and to confirm to him that a letter is about to be sent back in reply to that enquiry. Welsh Government officials are continuing to work with the local authority and the developers of the Brymbo site generally. As the Member is obviously very, very well aware, it's a...
Jeremy Miles: The education estate in the area of Clwyd South benefited from an investment of over £20 million during the first wave of funding through the sustainable communities for learning programme, and will continue to benefit with a further £22 million through the current wave of investment. This includes Welsh-medium capital grant funding.
Jeremy Miles: My oral statement on 22 March set out my intention to raise attainment and I am committed to ensuring this for every learner, especially our most disadvantaged learners, and have put in place a range of measures to realise this ambition.
