Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025

18 Minimum amount of Welsh language education: temporary exemption

(1) This section applies where a school’s governing body—

(a) is preparing or amending the school’s first Welsh language education delivery plan, and

(b) considers that it is not reasonably practicable for the school to provide the minimum amount of Welsh language education required for a “Primarily English Language, partly Welsh” language category school (see section 10(2)(c)).

(2) The school’s draft Welsh language education delivery plan submitted to the local authority under section 15(1) or 16(4) must set out—

(a) the reasons why, in the opinion of the school’s governing body, it is not reasonably practicable for the school to provide the minimum amount of Welsh language education;

(b) the governing body’s proposals for ensuring that the school can provide the minimum amount of Welsh language education (at least);

(c) a date by which the proposals referred to in paragraph (b) will be implemented, such a date being no later than the end of the three-year period for which the draft delivery plan has effect;

(d) information about the support the governing body considers is necessary to enable the school to provide the minimum amount of Welsh language education.

(3) If the local authority (in accordance with section 15 or 16) approves a Welsh language education delivery plan for a school that sets out the matters referred to in subsection (2)—

(a) the school’s governing body is exempt from the requirement to provide the minimum amount of Welsh language education until the end of the three-year period for which the first delivery plan has effec‍t;

(b) the school’s language category is deemed to be designated as the “Primarily English Language, partly Welsh” category for that period;

(c) the school’s governing body must take all reasonable steps to implement the proposals set out in the delivery plan in accordance with subsection (2)(b) by the date set out in accordance with subsection (2)(c).