Legislation – Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025

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Introduction

PART 1
PROMOTION AND FACILITATION OF USE OF THE WELSH LANGUAGE

1 Welsh language strategy targets: at least a million Welsh speakers and increase in use

2 Reporting on targets in the Welsh language strategy

3 Calculating the number of Welsh speakers

4 Reviewing the Welsh language standards

PART 2
DESCRIBING WELSH LANGUAGE ABILITY

5 Types of Welsh language user and common reference levels

6 Code to describe Welsh language ability

7 Publishing and reviewing the Code

PART 3
WELSH LANGUAGE EDUCATION

8 Overview and interpretation

9 School language categories

10 Minimum amount of provision of Welsh language education for each language category‍

11 Welsh language learning goals for each language category

12 Assessing progress towards meeting Welsh language learning goals

13 Regulations on school language categories

14 School Welsh language education delivery plans

15 Approval of Welsh language education delivery plans

16 Review and amendment of Welsh language education delivery plan

17 Amending Welsh language education delivery plan to change school language category

18 Minimum amount of Welsh language education: temporary exemption

19 Minimum amount of Welsh language education: further exemption

20 Community special schools: plans and language category designation

21 Welsh language nursery education delivery plans

22 Register of school language categories

23 Late immersion education in Welsh

PART 4
PLANNING WELSH LANGUAGE EDUCATION AND LEARNING WELSH

24 National Framework for Welsh Language Education and Learning Welsh

25 National Framework: further provision on the education workforce

26 Implementing the National Framework

27 National Framework: further provision about content, review and amendment

28 Consultation and publication of the National Framework

29 Reporting on the National Framework

30 Local Welsh in education strategic plans

31 Period of local Welsh in education strategic plans

32 Approval of local Welsh in education strategic plans

33 Publication and implementation of local Welsh in education strategic plans

34 Review and amendment of local Welsh in education strategic plans

35 Regulations

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

37 Interpretation

PART 5
NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR LEARNING WELSH

39 Facilitating and supporting lifelong Welsh language learning

40 Additional functions

41 Promoting equality of opportunity

42 Promoting innovation and continuous improvement

43 Promoting collaboration in relation to learning Welsh

44 Promoting co-ordination in relation to learning Welsh

45 Application of Welsh language standards

46 Strategic plan

47 Annual report

PART 6
GENERAL

48 Directions and guidance

49 Repeal of provisions in the School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013

50 Education Acts

51 Interpretation‍

52 Publication

53 Sending documents

54 Regulations under this Act

55 Consequential and transitional provision etc.

56 Coming into force

57 Short title

SCHEDULES

SCHEDULE 1 TYPES OF WELSH LANGUAGE USER AND COMMON REFERENCE LEVELS

SCHEDULE 2 NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR LEARNING WELSH

Changes to legislation:

There are currently no known outstanding effects for the Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025, Section 16. Help about Changes to Legislation

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PART 3WELSH LANGUAGE EDUCATION

Welsh language education delivery plans

16Review and amendment of Welsh language education delivery plan

(1)

A school’s governing body must review its Welsh language education delivery plan at least once before the end of the period for which it has effect.

(2)

A school’s governing body may amend a Welsh language education delivery plan in accordance with this section (but see section 17 for further provision if the governing body intends to change the school’s language category).

(3)

In reviewing or amending the Welsh language education delivery plan, the school’s governing body must have regard to the local Welsh in education strategic plan of the local authority that maintains the school (see section 30).

(4)

A school’s governing body must submit a draft of the school’s amended Welsh language education delivery plan to the local authority that maintains the school.

(5)

When submitting the draft, the school’s governing body must provide a summary of the amendments proposed and the reasons for them.

(6)

The local authority may—

(a)

approve the amended Welsh language education delivery plan as submitted,

(b)

approve the amended delivery plan with modifications agreed with the governing body, or

(c)

reject the amended delivery plan and give a direction to the governing body to reconsider.

(7)

If a local authority rejects an amended Welsh language education delivery plan, the direction given under subsection (6)(c)—

(a)

must give reasons for the decision;

(b)

must specify by when the school’s governing body must—

(i)

submit a further draft of the delivery plan to the local authority, or

(ii)

notify the local authority that it no longer proposes to amend its delivery plan;

(c)

may require the school’s governing body to consult the persons listed in section 14(2)(b), if such a consultation has not taken place.

(8)

Subsections (5) to (7) apply to an amended Welsh language education delivery plan submitted in response to a direction under subsection (6)(c) in the same way as they apply to an amended delivery plan submitted under subsection (4).

(9)

A school’s governing body must—

(a)

publish the approved Welsh language education delivery plan, as amended;

(b)

take all reasonable steps to implement the proposals set out by virtue of section 14(1)(e),‍ (f), (g), (h) and (i) in the approved Welsh language education delivery plan, as amended.

Annotations:
Commencement Information

I1S. 16 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 56(4)(5)