Language Policy
Gwynedd Education Authority operates a bilingual policy in all its schools and is also developing a bilingual policy for the Further Education establishments within the county.
The aim is to develop the ability of pupils and students within the county to be confidently bilingual in order that they can be full members of the bilingual society of which they are a part.
All educational establishments within the county should reflect and reinforce the language policy in their administration, their social life and pastoral arrangements as well as their academic provision.
Specific Aims
Nursery Education
To ensure, through sensitively structured provision and organization, that each child receives a firm foundation in Welsh to enable him/her in due course to attain the aim of full bilingualism.
Reception to Year 2
To build on the Welsh language foundation laid through nursery education, to consolidate and develop the mother tongue of children who are Welsh learners and extend the children from a Welsh speaking home’s competence in English.
Year 3 to 6
To consolidate and develop each child’s Welsh and English capabilities in all aspects, both active and receptive, to ensure that he/she can speak, read and write fluently and confidently in both languages on transferring to the secondary school. (Special provision will be made for junior latecomers).
Child Protection
All members of staff within this school are responsible for the safety and protection of the children who attend. If there are concerns regarding neglect or physical, emotional or sexual abuse then, under the County’s Child Protection Procedures, staff are duty bound to report the matter to the school’s Child Protection Co-ordinator.
The school’s Co-ordinator may consult with professional colleagues as well as relevant agencies such as Health and Social Services. Following these discussions, the school’s Co-ordinator may be obliged to make an official referral to the Social Services Department in accordance with county guidelines and protocol. It is the Social Services Department who decides on the next course of action. Due to the nature of the allegations it may not always be appropriate to discuss matters with parents prior to making a referral. The responsibility for investigating allegations lies with Social Services and the Police.
The Headteacher, Gwion Wyn Owens, is the school’s Designated Child Protection Officer, and during his absence it is Esyllt Rhys (Deputy Headteacher), Arwel Hughes (Year 6 teacher) and Eleanor Griffiths (Year 1 teacher) on the Ysgol Cefn Coch site
The Governor responsible for Child Protection is Gwynfor Owen/Meryl Roberts.
The Designated Protection Manager in the education department is:
Bethan Helen Jones
Phone: 07977504344
Anit-Bullying Policy
Every member of the school has a basic right to be respected by everyone and to enjoy a happy life at school. Any form of bullying is totally unacceptable. The school reacts firmly and thoroughly to every instance of bullying. The school will make every attempt to ensure that bullying does not occur.
The School Council meets regularly with the Deputy Headteacher to discuss any matters which affect their rights as individuals. Parents should contact the school immediately if they are concerned about an instance of bullying.
School Rules and Discipline
Every child is expected to behave in an acceptable manner and as a member of a community within the school. Children are encouraged to respect the property and rights of others. Any punishment which is administered will be reasonable and moderate in accordance with the Education Authority’s guidelines.
The school encourages self-discipline in accordance with the school’s aims and objectives. Our three main rules are:
- Respect yourself, each other, staff, and property.
- Be safe.
- Be ready to learn.
The ‘pupil’s voice’ is important to us, and these rules are regularly reviewed with the School Council and presented to our pupils during school assemblies.
Other rules include:
- No valuable items should be brought to school. The school cannot accept responsibility for damaged or stolen property.
- No toys of any kind are permitted at the school. Toys may be accidentally broken, causing children distress.
- Pupils are permitted to bring fruit to eat during break times. Children are not allowed to bring junk food, fizzy drinks, or sweets to school.
- Pupils are expected to look after their reading books, library books and all materials or equipment that happen to be in their possession, be it at home or at school.
Money or any valuable items should not be kept in coat pockets or bags. They should be handed over to teachers for safe keeping.
Equal Opportunities
The school’s main philosophy and aims are to provide every child with an equal opportunity to receive a communal education within a homely and happy atmosphere where honesty, dignity and the integrity of every individual are of the utmost importance. We strive to give every pupil and members of staff, equal opportunities on all occasions without discrimination because of sex, religion, colour, language or disability.
We endeavor to create a safe and happy environment which encourages children to fulfil their potential as individuals and to foster sensitivity towards the needs of others.
Showing respect towards every individual is essential, resulting in the achieving of much more than educational objectives. At all times, we would expect the parent’s support to be forthcoming to collaborate closely to develop every child’s physical, educational, and moral aspect.
Pupils with disabilities
The school is sensitive towards the needs of pupils with disabilities and makes every effort to ensure that they are included in all aspects of the school’s life and work.
The school admits children with any disabilities. As part of Gwynedd’s policy regarding entry for children with disabilities, adequate provision would be made at the school if there was a child with disabilities attending the school.
Please contact the Headteacher for more information.
Provision for children looked after by the Local Authority
Every child looked after by the Local Education Authority is entitled to access to pre-school education and all education services and have every opportunity and support for educational and social development.
The Headteacher is the staff member that has been designated specific responsibility for looked after pupils by the local authority.
Additional Learning Needs
Our aim is to develop a comprehensive and detailed means of assessment to identify each pupil’s specific needs and to devise a work schedule that is relevant to that pupil. The school also considers talented pupils or those with a special ability as individuals with Additional Learning Needs. Every child with Additional Learning Needs is included in the Additional Learning Needs Register.
The ALN Co-Ordinator is Sara Elan Roberts and the Designated Governor is Gwynfor Owen.
The ALN Code is implemented at our schools. This means that any pupil who encounters learning difficulty of any kind receives the necessary support and provision within the school or a further provision from the Local Education Authority.
The children’s development is regularly assessed as they complete tasks at the school and if they are not working at the same level as the expectations and targets within a particular year, they are placed on one of the stages within the ALN Code to receive the appropriate support.
Individual Education Plans are drawn up for pupils to ensure that they receive the appropriate provision to educate and support them. Annual Reviews are arranged to allow parents to discuss development in children’s work with the class teacher, support staff and external agencies.
Arrangements to consider complaint relating to the ALN provision.
A parent seeking to make a complaint can first contact:
- the ALN Co-ordinator
- the Head Teacher
- parents’ representatives on the Governing Body
- the designated SEN Governor If these routes do not offer a solution to the complaint, parents may use the following channels or as illustrated on page 37:
The document Local Arrangements to consider complaint made under Section 23 of the Education Reform Act, available at every school.
Authorized and Unauthorized absences
Every child is expected to attend school regularly. Welsh Assembly Government regulations stipulate that the school must receive an explanation from parents regarding each absence from school. Please send an e-mail (meinir.jones@cefncoch.ysgoliongwynedd.cymru / gwion.owens@talsarnau.ysgoliongwynedd.cymru ) or phone the school by 9:15am to explain your child’s absence.
Therefore, in accordance with those guidelines, we must receive an explanation from you directly, be it verbally or in note form, or any absence from school will be recorded on the register as an “unauthorised absence”.
Even if we do receive a note from you, it is possible that the absence may be recorded as “unauthorised”, depending on the reason for the absence.
It is kindly requested that parents take note of Public Health Wales’ Health Protection Team guidelines for the recommended absences regarding infections: –
Holidays during term time
No parent can demand holidays as the children’s right, during school term. Parents who arrange holidays during the school term should consider the school calendar and its obligations to the child.
It is emphasised in a circular letter from the Welsh Assembly Government, that every parent should ask permission for their child to go on holiday during school term. Under rule 12 of the 1981 education act, children can be released, with the head teacher’s permission for a family holiday for up to 10 days during the school year.
Only in exceptional circumstances can permission be granted to exceed this number. A holiday permission request form can be obtained from the school secretary. The school staff will not prepare extra work for children who are absent from school because of holidays taken during the school term.
Fixed Penalty Notice for unauthorised absence
In law, an offence occurs if a parent/carer fails to secure their child’s attendance at school and that absence is not authorised by the school.
Sections 444A and 444B of the Education Act 1996 provide that certain cases of unauthorised absence can be dealt with by way of a penalty notice.
This may lead to the school referring “unauthorised school absences” to the Local Authority requesting a Fixed Penalty Notice to be issued.
This Policy reflects accurately the current legislation and as a school, we have a duty to point this out to parents/carers /guardians.
Further details and background information can be obtained from
- Gwynedd County Council
- Welsh Government
Data Protection
Privacy Notice
(How we use pupil information)