Further to the written statement on 17 May 2018, will the Cabinet Secretary outline the terms of reference of the Welsh Government's independent advisory board on the Welsh in education strategic plans?
The role of the WESP Advisory Board is to advise on plans to strengthen the infrastructure supporting the planning of Welsh-medium education in line with the ambition of Cymraeg 2050: A million Welsh speakers.
Their main function will be to implement the 18 recommendations that were presented as part of the rapid review of the Welsh in Education Strategic Plans which was led by Aled Roberts. In addition, the Board will be considering matters outlined in the Cymraeg 2050 Strategy Work Programme 2017-21, such as the need to review definitions and categories of schools in Wales according to the language used as the medium of instruction, as well as the need to strengthen links with local authorities, regional consortia, schools, early years providers and post-16 providers to support transfer rates between different phases of education within their Welsh in Education Strategic Plans.
Stage 2 of the process as noted in the Review supports the establishing of an Advisory Board, which met for the first time in May 2018. It is envisaged the Board will continue to meet until March 2019.
One of the WESP Advisory Board’s priorities has been to look at The Welsh in Education Strategic Plan and Assessing Demand for Welsh Medium Education (Wales) Regulations 2013)with a view to review the regulations in response to the recommendation in the Rapid Review. The Board is to submit a report on the work undertaken them in March 2019.