Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025

23 Late immersion education in Welsh

(1) In this section, “late immersion education” means intensive education in Welsh—

(a) for children of compulsory school age who are at least 7 years of age who attend, or want to attend, a “Primarily Welsh Language” category school or a “Dual Language” category school, and

(b) that immerses children in Welsh to enable them to fully benefit from education in a “Primarily Welsh Language” category school or a “Dual Language” category school.

(2) Each local authority must—

(a) encourage an increase in demand in its area for late immersion education, and increased participation in it;

(b) make arrangements to provide information and advice to the following persons about the availability of late immersion education in its area—

(i) children of compulsory school age in its area,

(ii) parents of children in its area,

(iii) children looked after by the local authority but that live outside its area,

(iv) governing bodies of schools maintained by the authority, and

(v) any other persons it considers appropriate;

(c) take all reasonable steps to provide late immersion education that meets the demand for it in its area.

(3) Where a school’s governing body has received information (by virtue of subsection (2)(b)(iv)) about the availability of late immersion education in the area of the local authority in which the school is located, it must take all reasonable steps to ensure that pupils of the school and their parents are aware of—

(a) the availability of the education, and

(b) how that education can be accessed.

(4) See also section 14(1)(d) in respect of making provision about late immersion education in schools’ Welsh language education delivery plans.