Progressing from primary to secondary education during the COVID-19 pandemic: qualitative study of the experiences of learners in Welsh-medium education and families where Welsh is not spoken

Background and Context

Studying in Welsh is the primary way for children to develop their Welsh language skills. However, lockdowns, school closures, and home learning during the COVID-19 pandemic made accessing the Welsh language difficult. This significantly affected children from non-Welsh speaking families who study in Welsh. One challenge these parents and children faced was the move, or progression, from primary to secondary school. 

Aims

We wanted to explore how children from non-Welsh speaking families in Welsh-medium schools and their parents felt about the pandemic’s effect on:

• Welsh-medium education,
• Development of Welsh language skills,
• Progression from primary to secondary school.

We hoped to identify if these parents and children need extra support and, if they do, what type of support they need. 

Strategy 

We recruited parent-child pairs from families who mainly spoke a non-Welsh language at home whilst their child(ren) attended Welsh-medium or bilingual schools. We interviewed pupils and parents about home learning, progressing to secondary school during the pandemic, and returning to school after lockdown. We collected and analysed this qualitative data from January to June 2023.

Outcomes

The participants agreed they had fewer opportunities to engage with the Welsh language during the pandemic. They felt that the limited exposure delayed the pupils' developing Welsh skills. From their experiences, the participants recommended:

1. Easing the change from primary to secondary school by:

                    a. Strengthening links between the two school settings
                    b. Assessing Welsh language skills before the progression so that support can be provided to pupils who need it

2. Improving bilingual communication between school and home
3. Increasing opportunities for both parents and children to use Welsh

Impact 

Our findings recommend changes to government policy and practice to better support Welsh-speaking pupils and their parents, especially during the challenging transition to secondary school. This research is particularly relevant to pupils who come from non-Welsh speaking homes. 

Lay Summary written by Praveena Pemmasani

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