Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025

Local plans

30 Local Welsh in education strategic plans

(1) Each local authority must prepare a plan (“a local Welsh in education strategic plan”) that sets out how the local authority will—

(a) promote and facilitate, in its area—

(i) Welsh language education, and

(ii) use of Welsh in schools;

(b) fulfil the duty imposed upon it under section 26(2)(a) (to take all reasonable steps to meet the targets set by the Welsh Ministers in the National Framework on Welsh Language Education and Learning Welsh).

(2) A local Welsh in education strategic plan must also, to the extent that regulations made by the Welsh Ministers so require, set out how the local authority will exercise its education functions to promote and facilitate—

(a) teaching Welsh, and

(b) education and training through the medium of Welsh,

in relation to children of compulsory school age who are not pupils in schools.

(3) A local Welsh in education strategic plan must, in particular, set out the steps the local authority will take—

(a) to exercise its education functions—

(i) to improve provision of Welsh language education‍ in its area,

(ii) to improve the process of planning the provision of Welsh language education in its area,

(iii) to increase the number of pupils of compulsory school age receiving education in “Primarily Welsh language “category schools in its area,

(iv) to increase the number of “Primarily Welsh Language” category schools in its area, and

(v) to ensure that it has sufficient education practitioners working in its area,

for the purpose of meeting targets it has been set by virtue of section 24(5);

(b) to promote and provide information about the Welsh language education provided in “Primarily Welsh Language” category schools in its area;

(c) to meet its duties under section 23 in respect of late immersion education in its area;

(d) to facilitate‍ continuity in teaching Welsh and education through the medium of Welsh between—

(i) nursery education and education for pupils of compulsory school age,

(ii) maintained primary schools and maintained secondary schools,

(iii) education for pupils of compulsory school age and tertiary education.

(4) A local Welsh in education strategic plan must also include—

(a) information on the education practitioners working in the local authority’s area;

(b) a report on progress made in relation to the previous plan (in the case of each plan other than the first).

(5) In preparing its local Welsh in education strategic plan, the local authority must—

(a) have regard to the National Framework for Welsh Language Education and Learning Welsh;

(b) consult on a draft of the plan with the following—

(i) its neighbouring local authorities;

(ii) the head teacher of every school and the head teacher of every maintained nursery school it maintains;

(iii) the governing body of every school and the governing body of every maintained nursery school it maintains;

(iv) the principal of every further education institution in its area;

(v) in relation to any foundation or voluntary school in its area, the person who appoints the‍ foundation governors, and if the school is a school with a religious character, the appropriate religious body;

(vi) His Majesty’s Chief Inspector for Education and Training in Wales;

(vii) the National Institute for Learning Welsh;

(viii) the Welsh Language Commissioner;

(ix) the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research;

(x) Mudiad Meithrin Cyf (company number 02164058);

(xi) persons specified in regulations made by the Welsh Ministers.

31 Period of local Welsh in education strategic plans

(1) Each local Welsh in education strategic plan has effect for a period of 5 years, where—

(a) the first period of 5 years starts on a date specified by the Welsh Ministers by regulations, and

(b) each subsequent period of 5 years starts on the day after the previous period of 5 years comes to an end.

(2) But each local Welsh in education strategic plan must set out the steps a local authority intends to take in accordance with section 30(3) over a period of 10 years.

32 Approval of local Welsh in education strategic plans

(1) A local authority must submit a draft of its local Welsh in education strategic plan to the Welsh Ministers.

(2) When submitting the draft local Welsh in education strategic plan, the local authority must provide a summary of the responses to the consultation undertaken under section 30(5)(b), and the local authority’s response to that consultation.

(3) In relation to a draft local Welsh in education strategic plan submitted under subsection (1), the Welsh Ministers may—

(a) approve the plan,

(b) approve the plan with modifications agreed with the local authority, or

(c) reject the plan and give a direction to the local authority to reconsider the plan.

(4) If the Welsh Ministers reject a draft local Welsh in education strategic plan submitted under subsection (1), the direction must—

(a) give reasons for the decision;

(b) specify by when the local authority is required to submit a further draft of the plan to the Welsh Ministers.

(5) Subsections (3) and (4) apply to a further draft as they apply to a draft submitted under subsection (1).

33 Publication and implementation of local Welsh in education strategic plans

(1) A local authority must, as soon as practicable after its local Welsh in education strategic plan has been approved, publish it and send it to—

(a) the governing body of every‍ school and the governing body of every maintained nursery school it maintains;

(b) to the principal of every further education institution in its area;

(c) in relation to any foundation or voluntary school in its area—

(i) the person who appoints the‍ foundation governors, and

(ii) if the school is a school with a religious character, the appropriate religious body.

(2) A local authority must take all reasonable steps to implement its approved local Welsh in education strategic plan.

34 Review and amendment of local Welsh in education strategic plans

(1) A local authority must keep its local Welsh in education strategic plan under review, and if it considers it appropriate, amend it.

(2) Subsection (3) applies if the Welsh Ministers consider—

(a) that a local authority is unlikely to meet a target that applies to it in the National Framework for Welsh Language Education and Learning Welsh, and

(b) that the local authority’s local Welsh in education strategic plan needs to be amended accordingly.

(3) Where this subsection applies, the Welsh Ministers may give a direction to a local authority—

(a) setting out that they consider that the local authority is unlikely to meet a target that applies to it in the National Framework for Welsh Language Education and Learning Welsh;

(b) requiring it to consider amending its local Welsh in education strategic plan.

(4) Where a local authority receives a direction under subsection (3) but decides not to amend its local Welsh in education strategic plan, the local authority must give reasons to the Welsh Ministers for not doing so.

(5) Where a local authority decides to amend its local Welsh in education strategic plan under subsection (1) or in response to a direction under subsection (3), it must submit an amended plan to the Welsh Ministers in draft form.

(6) Sections 30 to 33 and the remainder of this section apply to the amended plan as they apply to the original plan.

35 Regulations

(1) The Welsh Ministers may, by regulations, make further provision in relation to local Welsh in education strategic plans, including but not limited to provision about the following—

(a) the form and content of a plan;

(b) timing in relation to the preparation of a plan;

(c) the process of consultation when preparing a draft plan;

(d) the procedure for approval of a plan;

(e) how and when to publish a plan;

(f) reporting on the implementation of the plan.

(2) Regulations under subsection (1) may also make provision enabling two or more local authorities to produce a joint local Welsh in education strategic plan, and any such regulations may make provision to apply sections 30 to 34 with modifications for that purpose.

36 Amendments to the School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013

(1) The School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013 (anaw 1) is amended as follows.

(2) Omit Part 4 (Welsh Language in Education Strategic Plans).

(3) In section 1 (overview) omit subsections (13) and (14).