Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025

51 Interpretation‍ E+W

(1) In this Act—

• “basic Welsh user” (“defnyddiwr Cymraeg sylfaenol”) has the meaning given in the Table in Schedule 1;

  in relation to a pupil referral unit, “governing body” (“corff llywodraethu”) means the committee (if any) established to act as the management committee for the unit under regulations made under Schedule 1 to the Education Act 1996 (c. 56) and the teacher in charge of the unit;

• “independent Welsh user” (“defnyddiwr Cymraeg annibynnol”) has the meaning given in the Table in Schedule 1;

• “local authority”(“awdurdod lleol”) means a council of a county or county borough in Wales;

• “maintained nursery school” (“ysgol feithrin a gynhelir”) means a nursery school maintained by a local authority and that is not a special school;

• “maintained school (“ysgol a gynhelir”) means—

  (a)

  a community, foundation or voluntary school in Wales,

  (b)

  a community special schoo‍l in Wales, other than a community special school established in a hospital, or

  (c)

  a pupil referral unit in Wales;

• “proficient Welsh user” (“defnyddiwr Cymraeg hyfedr”) has the meaning given in the Table in Schedule 1;

• “school sessions” (“sesiynau ysgol”) means school sessions commencing and ending at such times as may be determined from time to time in accordance with section 32C of the Education Act 2002 (c. 32);

• “tertiary education” (“addysg drydyddol”) has the meaning given in section 144 of the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022 (asc 1);

• “Welsh language education delivery plan” (“cynllun cyflawni addysg Gymraeg”) has the meaning given by section 14(1).

(2) In this Act, the following expressions have the same meaning as given by the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (c. 31)—

• “community school” (“ysgol gymunedol”);

• “community special school” (“ysgol arbennig gymunedol”);

• “foundation school” (“ysgol sefydledig”);

• “voluntary school” (“ysgol wirfoddol”).

(3) Other expressions in subsection (1), section ‍1, section 2(1)(b) and (c) and Parts 3 and 4 of this Act that are defined in, or given a meaning by, the Education Act 1996 (c. 56) have the same meaning as in that Act, including—

• “compulsory school age” (“oedran ysgol gorfodol“) (see section 8 of the Education Act 1996);

• “education functions” (“swyddogaethau addysg”) (see the functions specified in Schedule 36A to the Education Act 1996);

• “primary school” (“ysgol gynradd”) (see section 5(1) of the Education Act 1996);

• “pupil” (“disgybl”) (see section 3 of the Education Act 1996);

• “pupil referral unit” (“uned cyfeirio disgyblion”) (see section 19A(2) of the Education Act 1996);

• “school year” (“blwyddyn ysgol”) (see section 579(1) of the Education 1996);

• “secondary school” (“ysgol uwchradd”) (see section 5(2) of the Education Act 1996).

(4) But where for the purposes of this Act an expression is given (either by this Act or by the Legislation (Wales) Act 2019 (anaw 4)) a meaning different from that given to it for the purposes of the Education Act 1996, that meaning applies for the purposes of that provision instead of the one given for the purposes of the 1996 Act.

Commencement Information

I1 S. 51 in force at 8.7.2025, see s. 56(1)(a)