Darllenwch y dudalen hon yn Gymraeg
Trystan Williams has recently started in his post as National ALN Implementation Lead (Welsh Language) and has been busy assessing the landscape of Welsh Language ALN provision across Wales.
With the Implementation of ALNET well and truly under way, Trystan’s focus is on the availability of Welsh Medium provisions.
What is your background in ALN?
I trained as a Welsh first language teacher and started my career as a Welsh teacher in Pembrokeshire.
I then moved to Cardiff where I started working with pupils with a higher level of need and became ALNCo and Assistant Headteacher in Welsh medium high schools in Cardiff.
I was an ALNCo for over a decade and worked as a Cluster Lead and IDP champion during the initial phases of Implementation of ALNET.
More recently I have been working to set up a Welsh medium Specialist Provision for pupils with Emotional Health and Wellbeing difficulties in Cardiff.
What do you aim to achieve?
Quite simply, I am trying to achieve parity and equity for Welsh medium learners and the education workforce.
When considering assessment or diagnostic tools for example, it is far better to assess learners accessing Welsh medium education in Welsh, especially when it comes to literacy and Speech and Language. Formal standardised assessments and diagnostic tools in Welsh are few and far between, and one of my key priorities is to ‘plug the gaps’ in relation to Welsh medium resources. This could involve looking to scale up existing resources, where suitable translating existing resources or exploring options to develop new resources.
I will be striving to gain a national overview of the Welsh Medium workforce and looking at ways to attract educators into the profession. In addition to this, I will be looking at Welsh medium staffing in specialist roles such as Specialist Teachers and Educational Psychology and finding ways to support the Welsh medium system effectively.
One key element of this is to embrace the high-quality work that is already happening in Wales and share this good practice with others. I will also ensure that any new resource comes with in depth training through videos etc to ensure that the Welsh medium colleagues are fully confident in the tools that they have to hand.
How will you achieve this?
I am currently visiting most local authorities and having conversations with different officers to see where Local authorities feel the need lies in their specific context. Hand in hand with LA’s, I will be visiting various school settings and getting input from Welsh Medium practitioners from across Wales. I will also be talking to those individuals who have already been involved in creating various assessments and interventions from Universities to Consortia.
I will also be working Local Authorities to support their work around Outcome 6 of the WESP and to look at the good practice around specialist settings. Supporting Local Authorities to meet their duty under ALNET to provide equitably for both Welsh and English medium learners.
Part of the role will also be to support the Post-16 implementation lead with his work to ensure that there is a clear Welsh Medium pathway for learners with ALN into further education where school is no longer an option.
I also have a great interest in how assistive technologies can support all learners in schools and will be looking at the availability of these technologies through the medium of Welsh.
Any final thoughts?
It is apparent from initial conversations that institutions across Wales have clear views on where they feel the need is for improved Welsh medium provision and they welcome the support and work to improve the offer for Welsh medium learners and staff.
I am keen to hear from as many practitioners as possible to leave ‘no stone unturned’ in pursuit of excellent ALP in Welsh.
If, as a practitioner, you know of any good practice, successful assessment tools or intervention, or believe a specific area needs to be addressed, please email me on trwilliams@carmarthenshire.gov.uk