Ysgol Clywedog Explain English / Polish Open Day Leaflet Confusion

Ysgol Clywedog have released a statement explaining the language translation on many leaflets that recently distributed by the school.

The release of the school’s ‘Open Day’ leaflet has caused confusion amongst many, who have queried why the school’s leaflet had been published in English and Polish – rather than in English and Welsh.

On Monday ‘FeedShallow’ started a thread on the Wrexham.com Forums asking if anyone else had seen a ‘faux pas committed by Ysgol Clywedog’, adding: “We have just received an invitation to their Open Evening on 24th September. It is printed in English and Polish. Not a scrap of Welsh to be seen. Is this legal under the Welsh Language Act?”

Since the initial post, there have been a further 20 comments on the Wrexham.com forms – along with a number of people contacting us via Facebook and Twitter regarding the open day leaflets.

We have since contacted Ysgol Clywedog, querying the leaflet and asking for more clarity on the situation.

Headteacher for Ysgol Clywedog, Martin Hulland told Wrexham.com: “Last Monday (8th September), Ysgol Clywedog posted Open Evening Anglo-Polish leaflets and posters. This was followed on Tuesday (9th September) by Open Evening Anglo-Welsh leaflets and posters. Also, on the 5 September, the same content was created in Welsh and Polish for our social media channels.

“It appears the Anglo-Polish leaflet being printed first lead to the incorrect assumption we had not produced an Anglo-Welsh leaflet despite us being a Welsh school with mainly Welsh pupils. Even though the event was first published on social media in all three languages.

“Ysgol Clywedog has a proud history of promoting bilingualism and celebrating our wonderful Welsh heritage and culture. In fact, our most recent inspection report from Estyn praised us for exactly that. We are, of course, delighted that the local community have read about our 16% increase in GCSE performance in two years. We are the most improved school in Wrexham.

“We have always welcomed pupils and parents from all cultures and nationalities at Ysgol Clywedog from our feeder schools and the local community, and will continue to do so.

“Ysgol Clywedog is a school where everyone matters. It is the diversity and variety of our pupils that makes us special and I believe, is something we should celebrate together.”

You can read the full debate on the Wrexham.com Forums here…