“It was a very hard decision to make, sending our boys to a Welsh school. I was very worried that I couldn’t help with their homework and that their English would suffer. Nobody in our family can speak fluent Welsh. But as a new mother, I obviously wanted what was best for my children and began to chat about Welsh schools to local villagers. They had nothing but praise for our local Welsh school. Taking their comments on board, I decided to chat with my health visitor about it. She informed me about the advantages of speaking Welsh when applying for jobs in our local area and went on to explain that a child’s brain is like a sponge – absorbing as much information as it possibly could. I rang the Head teacher of our local school and she invited me for a tour of the school and ironed out my concerns. After our meeting my decision was made. The class sizes were far smaller than at the English school thus meaning more time for the teachers to spend with the children, and at the back of my mind I believed that if my child began to struggle with his languages, I could move him to an English school but at least he had been given the Welsh opportunity.
Give it a go!!! My two children now speak fluent Welsh effortlessly. My older son, now in high school, is picking up French easily and I believe that this is due to him being taught another language from an early age. I am very proud of what my children have achieved and have definitely made the right decision about their school.
English is the language that we use in our house, but it is fascinating to hear our boys interact with Welsh speakers. It is as if they have a switch and they can flick from one language to the other at the drop of a hat…..Brilliant!!”
“I was born in Aberystwyth, but moved to Flintshire when I was 13. My husband is from Runcorn, and has never learnt Welsh. I spoke Welsh to my Mum and my grandparents as a child, but my education was entirely through the medium of English.
Our son chose to attend Ysgol Maes Garmon for his secondary education, going through the ‘Cwrs Trochi’ (Immersion Course) offered to pupils in year 6 of English medium primary schools choosing to attend Welsh medium secondary school.
Initially, there was an open evening aimed entirely at children entering the school as ‘Dysgwyr’ and at the beginning of June all the learners went to their new school for a 5 week language immersion course, which included a week long residential course at the Glan-Llyn Urdd centre near Bala. Our son was the only child from his primary school to choose Ysgol Maes Garmon, and he loved the "Cwrs Trochi", making lots of new friends and getting to know the teachers before year 7 even started.
The children are introduced to Welsh in a fun way with lots of games and activities. The teachers are all very supportive of the learners. Our son has covered the same topics and is at the same level as the other children from his primary school who went to English medium secondary schools, but he now has the benefit of being bilingual. Despite learning in a new language his anticipated levels at the end of the Key Stage have not diminished. The class size is very small, so that children receive more attention and build a good relationship with the teachers. Our son already talks about studying for A Levels through the medium of Welsh. I would not hesitate to recommend Ysgol Maes Garmon to parents of children in English-medium primary schools.”
“I come from Swansea. My Mam learnt to speak Welsh fluently, and Dad made a determined effort to learn Welsh, so my sister and I were raised bilingually. I went to Welsh medium schools before going to university in England.
I believe that speaking Welsh is incredibly important as it fosters feelings of being part of a local community, as well as of a nation with a culture and history. The Welsh language is rich and beautiful. Bilingual children have contact with every aspect of their nationality and community. Also, bilingualism helps children to learn other languages, and to be aware of other countries and cultures across the world.”