England's only Welsh language school 'could close' as Welsh Government withdraws £90k funding
Ysgol Gymraeg Llundain, in Ealing in London is the only Welsh language school outside of Wales
Pupils at Ysgol Gymraeg Llundain/London Welsh School in 2023
(Image: London Welsh School )
The future of a Welsh language school in London is said to be in doubt if the Welsh Government withdraws its funding. Ysgol Gymraeg Llundain, in Ealing in London, has been teaching children in the capital to become bilingual in both Welsh and English for seven decades.
However, the school fears it will lose a £90,000 Welsh Government grant. The school had been receiving funding via the Cymraeg 2050 strategy, a Welsh Government strategy to achieve one million Welsh speakers by 2050.
The school has reportedly received this grant for many years, but has now been told it will be withdrawn by March next year. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here
The Welsh Conservatives say the school's funding was never intended for formal education. Losing it will mean closure, it is claimed.
A source close to Ysgol Gymraeg Llundain said: "The decision to cut funding is abrupt and unjust. Not only have we been given less than a year's notice, but the funding is being withdrawn part-way through an academic year — an approach that is both unreasonable and deeply disruptive.
"It leaves teachers in a position of anxious job uncertainty and families with no viable school alternatives.
Article continues below
"The closure of the school would mean losing a unique educational setting, a deeply rooted community, and a proven model of cultural and linguistic transmission.
"The school is already doing everything the Cymraeg 2050 strategy sets out to achieve: creating fluent speakers, embedding Welsh in daily life, and building an intergenerational community around the language.
"Re-directing funding elsewhere would not only dismantle this success, but require years of investment to even begin replicating it — with no guarantee of the same results."
Conservative shadow Welsh secretary Mims Davies said: "This is yet another example of these two Labour governments working in tandem to fail Wales.
"It is appalling Labour is continuing to shoot down opportunities both in Wales and beyond with their policies on independent schools and now withdrawing this funding.
"For the sake of all of our young people, I urge these governments to wake up and stop failing our youngsters."
The issue was brought up in the Senedd by independent MS Rhys ab Owen. He said: "The grant of £90,000 to Ysgol Gymraeg Llundain, the London Welsh School, will come to an end in March of next year, in the middle of the school's academic year.
"The school is clear: without that £90,000, the school will close, and thereby bring to an end 70 years of Welsh education in London.
"The school has ensured generation after generation of Welsh speakers. For such a small figure £90,000, the implications are huge for the school—teachers will lose their jobs, children will have to leave the school in the middle of an academic year, and the impact will be huge on the broader London community.
"It would be a great shame if the school had to close because the Welsh Government wasn't providing £90,000 to them."
The school, originally founded in 1958 by a group of parents who sent their children to Welsh lessons in London, began with 30 pupils.
In 2015 it moved from Wembley to Ealing and has started new initiatives to bring in income and pupils, including a mother and toddler group, a before and after school club and hiring out hot desks to parents to work from inside the building.
Article continues below
In 2023, the school said it had seen its number fall as families returned to Wales post-pandemic. You can read about that here.
The Welsh Government has been asked for comment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Pembrokeshire Herald
4 hours ago
- Pembrokeshire Herald
NHS in Wales to offer protection for premature babies against respiratory virus
A 'KANGAROO COURT' on the Covid-19 pandemic will be formally disbanded after members quit, but another Senedd committee will take over rather than a judge-led Wales-specific inquiry. At least 13,000 people died in Wales during the pandemic but, more than five years later, Senedd scrutiny of the decisions made in Cardiff Bay has stalled – if it ever got going. Elin Jones, the Senedd's speaker or Llywydd, announced the end of the 'Wales Covid-19 inquiry special purpose committee', which was set up to look at gaps in the UK inquiry. In March, Tom Giffard, its co-chair, and his Conservative colleague Sam Rowlands quit the committee after Labour blocked calls for witnesses to swear an oath. He said he had no confidence in the committee, saying he would no longer associate himself with a process 'seemingly designed to protect those it is supposed to hold to account'. The Welsh Government refused to set up a judge-led Wales-specific inquiry in the wake of the pandemic like in Scotland, where a public inquiry was established to learn lessons. Ms Jones announced the committee would be dissolved in the autumn after months of wrangling behind closed doors, with the Senedd's public accounts committee picking up the baton. Llywydd Elin Jones In a statement on July 16, she said: 'Due to the breakdown of the co-chair model that was adopted, it hasn't been possible for the committee to proceed with its work. 'It's been evident through discussions… that a different model will be required to move forward with the committee's scrutiny of this vital work.' Mark Isherwood chairs the public accounts committee which will now lead scrutiny of gaps identified by the Covid committee in its report on module one. The Conservative expressed concerns about the committee's capacity and the limited time left in this Senedd term, with an election on the horizon in May 2026. Conservative MS Mark Isherwood But he said: 'We have agreed to take on the task that has been asked of us to ensure that some scrutiny of these important matters is done within this Senedd – rather than none. 'While there is scope within the committee's work plan to accommodate some work on module one during the autumn term, this work will be limited and the scope of our work will need to be sharp and focused. 'Our work on module two will depend on when the report is published and will naturally be limited in any event, with issues potentially arising for our legacy report.' He stressed: 'We may not be best placed to pursue this work. And we cannot be sure any outcome will be sufficiently comprehensive to satisfactorily address the issues arising from the module one report, rather than through a Wales-specific public inquiry…. However, we will do our best to conduct work as effectively as we can within these constraints.' Mr Isherwood said the committee will want to take evidence from First Minister Eluned Morgan, given her responsibility for civil contingencies in Wales. Mabon ap Gwynfor said: 'Unfortunately, the main lesson that we've learned over the past few years is that the Welsh Government has an ongoing hatred of accountability.' Plaid Cymru's shadow health secretary paid tribute to the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru group for their tireless campaigning on the issue. Mr ap Gwynfor expressed concerns about the 'shambolic' handling of the Covid committee, with months 'wasted debating the actual purpose of the special purposes committee'. He criticised the Tories for 'pulling the plug' on a committee they had a hand in setting up, saying: 'They're now proposing to belatedly re-enter the conversation by chairing a separate committee that also doesn't have any authority to compel oathtaking.' James Evans, the Conservatives' shadow health secretary, reiterated his party's position that a specific Covid inquiry is the only way Wales will get the focus and answers it needs. His colleague Mr Giffard said resigning from the committee he co-chaired was never his preferred outcome but it was better than the alternative: 'Presiding over a kangaroo court that would never have got to the bottom of the issues that the families deserve.' Conservative MS Tom Giffard Julie James, for the Welsh Government, urged Mr Giffard, a public accounts committee member, to reflect on his 'disgraceful' depiction of the Covid committee as a kangaroo court. At the outset, families led by Anna-Louise Marsh-Rees feared the 'not-fit-for-any-purpose' committee would be whitewashed by politicians marking their own homework. Following the latest debate, she said: 'It's clear to everyone there must be a Welsh inquiry into the handling of the pandemic in Wales and the continued failure to hold one is because the current government does not want its actions to be scrutinised.'
The Herald Scotland
8 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Scottish Government strove to be Israel's ‘critical friend'
Opposition politicians have accused the Scottish Government of hypocrisy, saying its private efforts to engage with Israeli officials contradict its public stance on Gaza. Labour MSP Mercedes Villalba said the Swinney administration had "actively sought a meeting with a representative of a state whose prime minister is now wanted by the ICC for crimes against humanity". The planned meeting did not go ahead due to what the Israeli Embassy described as "sudden security threats", but a follow-up visit by Israel's deputy ambassador, Daniela Grudsky, was arranged for Thursday August 8. Ms Grudsky met with Cabinet Secretary for External Affairs Angus Robertson in Edinburgh, sparking widespread internal criticism and a furious backlash from SNP MSPs and activists. READ MORE The documents reveal that ministers and senior advisers were closely involved in managing the meeting, with discussions focused on communications strategy and anticipating FOI requests. One official remarked: "Transparency is obviously a good thing, but it takes up such a lot of our time." While the Scottish Government said the August 8 meeting allowed it to express concern about civilian deaths in Gaza, other topics including culture and renewable energy were also discussed. In the redacted minutes released to The Ferret, much of the section on "Israel/Scotland relations" is blacked out. However, the minutes state: "The Scottish Government's position remained that the Palestinian people had the right to self-determination and that a secure Israel should be able to live in peace and security. There was value in dialogue between Scotland and Israel as critical friends." The diplomatic row first came to light when the Israeli embassy tweeted a photo of Ms Grudsky and Mr Robertson on Monday August 12, shortly after the meeting. The backlash grew after it emerged that the Scottish Government had not initially disclosed the visit. Mr Swinney later replaced Mr Robertson at a scheduled Edinburgh Book Festival event with former Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford. In internal discussions days later, Mr Swinney and Mr Robertson agreed to clarify the Government's position, acknowledging the controversy and agreeing that "normal" relations with Israel were not currently possible. Amnesty International said the documents raised questions about whether Mr Robertson strongly challenged Israel over its conduct in Gaza. "It is squarely in the public interest to have absolute clarity," said Amnesty's Liz Thomson. "Such guidance is clearly needed to inform all external affairs activity." In response to the story, Mr Robertson said: "Close to 60,000 people have been killed in Gaza — many more are now being left to starve at the hands of the Israeli government. Civilians who queue to access what little humanitarian aid is permitted to enter Gaza are frequently shot at and killed by Israeli Defence Forces. "The rhetoric of Israeli politicians has become increasingly extreme in recent months. Under such abhorrent circumstances, the Scottish Government is unequivocal that it would not be appropriate to meet with the Israeli government. "This will remain our position until real progress has been made towards peace and Israel co-operates fully with its international obligations on the investigation of genocide and war crimes."
The Herald Scotland
17 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Jenny Gilruth: We must recommit to LGBT-inclusive education
As Education Secretary, I see first-hand the transformative power of inclusive education in Scotland's classrooms. Historically, it is vitally important to remember this was not always the case. Teachers were once forbidden in law from even discussing issues pertaining to the LGBT community in Scotland; the impact and legacy of Section 28 remains an important lesson for those of us who seek to build a more inclusive country. As we mark ten years since the Time for Inclusive Education (TIE) campaign began, we have an opportunity to reflect on how far we've come and the work that still lies ahead. Back in 2018, Scotland made history by becoming the first country in the world to embed LGBT inclusive education across the entire curriculum. This wasn't about adding separate lessons or treating LGBT issues as an afterthought. Instead, we integrated these discussions naturally into subjects from History to Modern Studies, from Personal and Social [[Education]], to English, Maths and the Sciences. As a result, classrooms are places where all children and young people can see themselves reflected in their learning. Scotland's young people are growing up in a fundamentally different environment to the one which I experienced at school in the nineties. Then, to be 'gay' was too often connected with negativity, derision and ridicule. We know that today, bigotry and intolerance still exist – though they may present in different ways. TIE's Digital Discourse Initiative is, therefore, helping to tackle online hate and disinformation to create safer online spaces. READ MORE I've listened to teachers and school pupils discuss the impact of this intervention, which is really crucial in an era where young people's digital experiences can be as formative as their school experiences. When we teach empathy and respect for difference, we're not just supporting LGBT pupils - we're creating citizens who value diversity and understand that our differences make us stronger. Ten years ago, TIE challenged us to imagine and deliver for a better future for our LGBT young people. Ten years ago, every single political party in the Scottish Parliament signed up to meet that challenge. As we mark TIE's tenth anniversary, we must also recommit to ensuring that every young person in Scotland - regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or family structure - can access education that values and includes them. Inclusive education matters for every child and young person, but it matters for grown-ups too. That includes the committed LGBT teachers working in our classrooms every day. I pay tribute to those teachers and LGBT staff working in our schools today; to the allies working to make a difference and to the next generation who – I know – will never allow us to return to the dark days of Section 28.
