Four Carmarthenshire school language consultations close on 20 October
Parents, staff and local communities have until 11.59pm on 20 October to respond to proposed changes in Welsh-language teaching at four Carmarthenshire primary schools. The consultations cover Ysgol Bro Banw, Ysgol Griffith Jones, Ysgol Llandybie and Ysgol Llangynnwr. They opened on 7 September; the council issued a reminder on 13 October. No final decision has been taken. The detailed proposals differ between schools. They do not describe an immediate switch for every pupil, and Bro Banw would retain a dual-language pathway for older year groups.
Proposed school phase-ins
- Response deadline
- 20 October 2026, 11.59pm
- Bro Banw
- Nursery, September 2027; choice from Year 3 retained
- Llandybie
- Nursery, September 2027; phased Category 3
- Griffith Jones and Llangynnwr
- Year 3, September 2027; complete by September 2030 if approved
- Decision
- Cabinet after consultation
Bro Banw and Llandybie
At Bro Banw, the proposal would make Nursery to Year 2 mainly Welsh-language provision, known as Category 3. From Year 3, parents would be able to choose either Category 3 or a dual-language Category 2 pathway. It would start with Nursery in September 2027 and progress year by year. The document says existing pupils would continue without disruption and the school’s specialist bases would keep their language provision. Llandybie’s proposal is for Category 3 throughout the school, introduced year by year from Nursery in September 2027. The council describes its existing classes as already mainly Welsh-language, with a small number of older pupils receiving dual-language provision. It says the changes would apply to new year groups as they enter.
Griffith Jones and Llangynnwr
At both schools, Nursery to Year 2 would remain Category 3. The proposed change concerns Years 3 to 6, replacing the choice of Welsh or dual-language pathways with Category 3 for all pupils in those year groups. The phased change would begin with Year 3 in September 2027. Pupils who would then be in Years 4, 5 and 6 would not be affected. Both documents envisage full implementation by September 2030, if approved.
How to respond
Each school has its own council consultation page, online response survey and supporting documents. Written comments can be sent to the school-specific address: wespbrobanw@carmarthenshire.gov.uk, wespgriffithjones@carmarthenshire.gov.uk, wespllandybie@carmarthenshire.gov.uk or wespllangynnwr@carmarthenshire.gov.uk. Postal responses go to Owain Lloyd, Director of Education and Leisure, County Hall, Carmarthen, SA31 1JP. After consultation, Cabinet will consider a report and decide whether to proceed, amend the proposals or stop. The consultation deadline is a deadline for comments, not an implementation date.
Background and supporting figures
Where this sits
Four schools do not share one immediate whole-school switch; BroBanw retainsCategory2option fromYear3.
Current school cohorts protected under different phase-in schemes; GriffithJones fullimplementationSeptember2030 is conditional, not a final approved date.