Frequently Asked

Questions

What are the advantages of bilingual education? • By choosing bilingual education, you’ll be giving your child an additional life skill - the ability to communicate in two languages, both spoken and written; • fluency in Welsh inspires confidence and pride and expands pupils’ cultural understanding and historical knowledge of Wales which strengthens the feeling of belonging and identity; • bilingualism improves a child’s literacy skills and potential for academic achievement; moreover, being fluent in two languages is fun; • it makes learning a third or fourth language so much easier! Why choose London Welsh School for our child? • We are a small primary school with a long and strong track record for providing Welsh medium education in London. • We teach in smaller classes which comes with its own advantages. • By collaborating with our many partners, self-evaluating and evolving with the times, we envision continuing to do so for many years to come. What do parents and past pupils say about London Welsh School? Check out these testimonials from parents and past pupils: Testimonials How much are the school fees please? The current annual fee can be found in the Admissions section of the website: Admissions / Fees Do you offer financial aid? The school’s policy has always been to never refuse a place to any pupil on the basis of affordability. Please speak to us if money is an issue and we will try our best to help. What facilities are available at the school? Being safely situated at historic Hanwell Community Centre, we have access to classrooms, a sports hall, playground, music area and the local fields. What is the ‘feel’ of the school environment? London Welsh School has been described as ‘a village school with all the benefits of a city.’ Within Progression Steps 1, 2 and 3, the mixed- age classes have a ‘family-feel’ with many life-long friendships formed. Families are supportive of the school and are present at the annual events such as Halibalŵ, the St. David’s Day celebration at Westminster chapel and Llangrannog. This creates a sense of belonging within a safe, predictable, tight-knit community. Is there a pre-school baby and toddler group? Miri Mawr Llundain is our baby and toddler group which meets every Monday morning from 10.00am to 12.00pm during term time. Miri Mawr Llundain was established to give parents, their babies and toddlers an opportunity to meet and have fun through the medium of Welsh in London. See Miri Mawr baby and toddler group. London Welsh School also has links with Dreigiau Bach pre-school in Clapham and Leytonstone: Dreigiau Bach baby and toddler group and with Mudiad Meithrin: Mudiad Meithrin / The Nursery Movement. Do you offer wraparound care? We offer wraparound care provision before and after school: a) Before school – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 8.00am to 8.40am. We do not provide breakfast but pupils are welcome to bring their own to eat. b) After school – Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 3.30pm to 5.00pm. c) Thursday – Urdd Club, 3.30pm to 5.00pm. Please contact the school office for more information or if additional days are required: info@ysgolgymraegllundain.co.uk We try our best to accommodate parent needs. How are the children taught in the primary school? Our pupils are taught in a caring community, where individuality is valued and intellectual curiosity is nurtured and encouraged. Our class sizes are small and teachers are able to discover and encourage children’s talents whilst simultaneously stretching ability and supporting individual pupils’ needs accordingly. At London Welsh School we teach in mixed age classes across the progression steps outlined in the Curriculum for Wales as follows - Progression Step 1 = nursery and reception pupils; Progression Step 2 = years 1, 2 and 3; Progression Step 3 = years 4, 5 and 6. In Progression Steps 1 and 2, pupils are taught mainly through the medium of Welsh to build a solid language foundation. In Progression Step 3, there is a more equal balance of Welsh and English taught to ensure that pupils are ready for their transition to high school. Primary School Do you provide school dinners? Lunch is not provided at the school. We encourage healthy eating and ask that children bring in healthy lunch boxes to school each day. We recommend that children bring a drink of water with them to school every day and a healthy snack/fruit for their morning break. The pupils in Class 1 have milk every day before morning break. Where can we purchase the school uniform? Uniform can be purchased from Price and Buckland schoolwear shop or from their website - Price and Buckland school uniform shop. What’s exciting about the Curriculum? The Primary School offers a broad range of academic and co-curricular activities framed in the context of the 6 Areas of Learning within the Curriculum for Wales. Our holistic approach is designed to encourage our children to have zest for life and to cherish life-long learning. Curriculum What extra-curricular activities or clubs are available? We run a variety of interesting and enjoyable clubs and try our best to respond to our children’s interests depending on staff strengths. Presently, we offer after school clubs on Mondays - Thursdays until 5pm. We currently offer French, Cooking, Topical Fun Club, Urdd Club, Art/Crafts. Private singing and piano lessons are also available. Please contact the school office for further information about costs etc. What enrichment opportunities does the school provide? To complement classroom teaching, our pupils benefit greatly from enrichment activities, workshops and trips that further inspire children and bring classroom learning to life. For instance, we invite M-Sparc annually from Bangor University to involve the children in science, technology or enterprise workshops; trips around London that coincide with thematic learning are popular such as St Paul’s Cathedral for RE and ‘Grand Designs,’ The Fire of London Monument and the Ealing Fire Station for the Fire of London theme. For more examples from 2023-24, click the link and scroll to the bottom of the page: Enrichment How does the school cater for gifted and talented pupils? Individual progress and achievement is monitored regularly and also at set times. For example, at the start of term 1 each year we run maths tests and standardised spelling and reading age tests. If a pupil is clearly performing at a level higher than the expected average or higher than the expected level for their age, we inform staff to ensure that differentiated work of a higher level is provided to challenge and develop the pupil’s potential and also collaborate with parents to make sure that suitable opportunities are made available, where possible. What learning support provision is available for pupils with additional learning needs? At London Welsh School, we pride ourselves in our proactive approach to recognising pupils’ additional needs at an early stage. Our team of caring staff work alongside our experienced SEN specialist to ensure purposeful provision for all types of additional needs. We use a range of interventions and we work closely with parents and external agencies in a positive way for the benefit of the pupils.We can also assist with the process of assessing and applying for Educational Health Care Plans. S.E.N.D. What can you tell me about pupils’ literacy, numeracy and digital competency skills development? These three important core skills run through the heart of the teaching and learning curriculum and pupils’ progress and their practical application of these skills is tracked over the course of the progression steps as they develop these skills through cross-curricular themes. How much time is given to PE lessons? Pupils get 2.5 hours of PE each week. This includes time in the sports hall and also outdoors. Teachers follow the ‘Get Set for PE’ scheme of work. Religious Education: Pupils get one hour of RE lessons per week where they learn about all religions and are given the opportunity to visit different religious buildings in the local vicinity to help them understand the multi-cultural nature of the city in which they live. In addition, the school has strong links with the Welsh chapels and pupils are often invited to take part in concerts or events linked to the Welsh chapels such as the Chapels Race and the London Welsh Choir summer concert. Homework policy: Homework is set every week. Pupils in Progression Step 2 will alternate Maths and Language on a weekly basis; Progression Step 3 pupils will have homework in both subjects every week. Teachers mark the work regularly and feedback to pupils and parents. Reading books are changed frequently each week and pupils are encouraged to become avid independent readers. Our school also recognises the importance of family time and also respects the need for down-time at home after a busy school day. How do you measure individual progress and achievements? • Children sit NFER termly tests. We record spelling age and reading age data at the beginning and end of the year. Teachers mark pupils’ classwork and homework and give feedback to the children and parents with targets. Progress in literacy, numeracy and digital competency is tracked across the progression steps from the cross-curricular themed work. • We award achievement, effort, good behaviour and speaking Welsh in the class. We recognise all pupils’ successes both in and outside of school in the weekly assembly. What can you tell me about safeguarding procedures in the school? All of our staff are DBS checked and DSL trained. The Designated Safeguarding Leads and Deputies have DSL Level 3 certificates; all other staff and governors are required to have done a DSL Level 1 course. Our Safeguarding Policy is updated annually and can be viewed on the website in the Documents section: Policies Where can I find the school Behaviour Policy? You can view our Behaviour, Curriculum and Safeguarding policies on our website in the ‘Everything Statutory’ section: Everything Statutory Can parents get involved in the life of the school? The PTFA organises fund-raising activities for the school and offers everyone the opportunity to come together socially and to create a supportive community. These events can be a lot of fun and are a way for parents to be part of the school community. Examples of our events are: Hanwell Carnival, Light up the Lane, Open Days, annual BBQ and much more. A very warm welcome is extended to new parents. Ask the school for details. What links does the school have with the community? The school has well-established links with the local community in Hanwell and Ealing, the Welsh Chapels, the London Welsh Community and choirs, the Urdd, the National Eisteddfod, Menter Iaith, Mudiad Meithrin and other groups in Wales. The school also collaborates with partner schools, businesses and Welsh government. Can I visit the school on Open Days? Yes of course! We arrange an Open Evening every term [keep an eye on the NEWS section of the website] but you are more than welcome to visit the school as a prospective parent at any time by e-mailing info@ysgolgymraegllundain.co.uk or phoning the office on 020 8575 0237 to arrange a mutually convenient tour. How easily do pupils transition from a small primary school to a large high school in Year 7? • Our Year 6 cohort successfully transition into their chosen schools. As a feeder school, we make every effort to create relationships with local high schools and actively encourage the pupils to attend Year 6-7 transition days before they start to make the process smoother. Which schools do pupils attend after Year 6? Some of our pupils move on to local schools in London; other families move back to Wales where the pupils can continue with Welsh-medium education. I would like my child to join the school. Where can I find the Admissions form please? The Admissions Form is in the Join Us section: Admissions Form

Address London Welsh School Hanwell Community Centre Westcott Crescent Hanwell London W7 1PD

Contact Telephone Number: 020 8575 0237 E-mail: info@ysgolgymraegllundain.co.uk In an emergency, when the school is closed, please use: Email: info@ysgolgymraegllundain.co.uk

Information Headteacher: Ms Julie K Watkins B.A.Hons, P.G.C.E., M. Ed Cantab Part of the Welsh Schools Trust Limited Charity Number: 1167479