Latest news with #MudiadMeithrin
South Wales Argus
a day ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
New chief executive announced for education body in Wales
Dr Gwenllian Lansdown Davies, who currently leads Mudiad Meithrin, will take up the role as head of Wales' new professional learning and leadership body for the education sector. The organisation, launching on September 1, 2025, will support the development of teaching staff and education professionals in Wales. Lynne Neagle, cabinet secretary for education, said: "I am pleased to welcome Dr Gwenllian Lansdown Davies as the new chief executive of the new professional learning and leadership body. "Gwenllian brings with her a wealth of experience and I look forward to working together as we focus on improving professional learning for our education sector. "The professional learning and leadership body will provide a high quality and nationally consistent approach to professional learning across Wales and will include a focus on improving literacy, numeracy and wellbeing, alongside long-term change programmes including support for additional learning needs and improving the teaching of Welsh in our English-medium schools. "I would like to thank Tegwen Ellis for her contribution to educational leadership over recent years, particularly in her role as the chief executive of the National Academy for Educational Leadership. "Her dedication and vision have made a lasting impact on the sector. "The professional learning and leadership body will incorporate some of the functions of the National Academy for Educational Leadership alongside a wider range of national professional learning opportunities." Dr Lansdown Davies said: "Having spent 11 years in the Welsh-language early years, childcare and play sector, I look forward to starting this new role and making a tangible impact by working alongside the education sector and delivering both local and national priorities." The new body will deliver professional learning to support educators and advisors in maintained schools and Pupil Referral Units across Wales.
BBC News
28-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Mudiad Meithrin: Concerns some Welsh-language nurseries could close
There are concerns that some Welsh-language nurseries could face closure if more demands in the childcare sector fall on the shoulders of fewer present, hundreds of Cylch Meithrin nurseries across Wales are run by volunteer committees who are part of the Mudiad Meithrin with increased financial, safeguarding and staffing demands, many volunteers have said the current arrangements are not fit for Meithrin have said its options were limited, since each Cylch was an independent charity. The chief executive added that they "don't have a magic wand to fix things overnight", but that they had not seen evidence of a reduction in Meithrin Cilfynydd in Pontypridd opened following efforts by local parents, who were concerned about the effect closing Ysgol Pont Sion Norton would have on Welsh-medium education in the a few years, however, the Cylch had closed."There were three of us volunteers, without expertise in childcare," said Lowri Real, the Cylch's former secretary."Finding a site was one challenge, staffing was a huge challenge, and trying to ensure that the business was sustainable."But unfortunately, with staffing and site costs it was just impossible to run it viably. The three of us were essentially running a business on goodwill alone."They were encouraged by the Mudiad Meithrin to apply for grants from the Flying Start scheme, but that would have meant offering more childcare hours and so more admin work."That was beyond our means as a small committee," said Ms added that it was frustrating not to be able to continue with what they had been offering."If we don't look again at the system, I worry about small communities like this who will lose the language," she said."We need to come round the table and look at this, because the system isn't working and isn't sustainable."I wouldn't be encouraging anyone to open a Cylch Meithrin, because it has been heartbreakingly difficult." Two years ago, Cylch Meithrin Pontrhydfendigaid in Ceredigion was recognised as the top nursery in Mudiad Meithrin's annual maintaining that high standard was a challenge said Gwawr Evans, chair for the past five years."It's a lot more work than I'd thought," said the mother of four, who also runs a business."It's been an eye-opener seeing how much the committee does for the Cylch."The Cylch had secured grants to pay for a staff member to do admin work, but Ms Evans said more practical help from Mudiad Meithrin would be welcome."The Mudiad does great work, but more help for committees to deal with reports and staff assessments would certainly be welcome."She was worried that fewer people would want to volunteer in the future."I think it would be a challenge to find anyone willing to take over as chair, treasurer, secretary."No one wants to do it because they see how much work it takes."People have so much more going on with children, work, looking after the house."I'm worried about the nurseries' futures, and how they're going to be run, if more people aren't coming through." 'Parents want more childcare provision, not less' Mudiad Meithrin's chief executive Dr Gwenllian Lansdown Davies said she was aware of the pressures on volunteer committees, given the high standards of the childcare Meithrin will now review the voluntary committee model to see whether there were other alternatives."The advantage of a volunteer model is that the Cylch belongs to the community," she said."But of course, as childcare demands become ever more complex, the demands on committees also increases."We have a responsibility as Mudiad to take stock of that, and think what can we do differently, while accepting that we don't have a magic wand that can fix things overnight." Mudiad Meithrin said it was always looking for ways to relieve pressure on volunteer added that although it was impractical for all nurseries to be part of the Flying Start scheme, many parents were now looking for all-day childcare rather than a few mornings a number of Cylchoedd Meithrin providing Flying Start has more than doubled to 44% over the last three years."Communities and parents on the whole want more childcare provision, not less," said Dr Davies."The concern is if it's not being provided in Welsh, that we'll lose children from the Welsh-medium sector to the English-medium sector."Although Mudiad will look at alternative models, Dr Davies said there was no evidence so far that workload concerns were putting people off joining committees, or setting up new Cylchoedd Meithrin."We have more individuals volunteering on the committees this year than last year, but that doesn't mean we aren't aware of the pressures on them," said Dr Davies."The important thing is that we work in partnership with our 1,200 volunteers and say, if there's something we can do differently or better, thrn we should do that together."
