£20m i wella cyfleusterau anghenion dysgu ychwanegol
£20m to improve ALN facilities
Mae Gweinidog y Gymraeg ac Addysg, Jeremy Miles wedi cyhoeddi £20 miliwn o gyllid i awdurdodau lleol er mwyn gwella neu greu mannau a chyfleusterau cynhwysol i gefnogi dysgwyr sydd ag anghenion dysgu ychwanegol (ADY).
Gellir defnyddio’r cyllid, er enghraifft, i greu mannau tawel neu synhwyraidd, uwchraddio neu brynu offer newydd fel cymorthyddion synhwyraidd arbenigol, ac ar gyfer gwaith i wneud amgylcheddau dysgu yn fwy cynhwysol.
Bydd y cyllid yn cael ei ddosbarthu drwy awdurdodau lleol er mwyn cefnogi ysgolion prif ffrwd, ysgolion arbennig neu unedau cyfeirio disgyblion.
Bydd y buddsoddiad yn cefnogi’r broses o weithredu’r Ddeddf Anghenion Dysgu Ychwanegol, yn ogystal â chefnogi’r Cwricwlwm i Gymru drwy sicrhau bod pob dysgwr yn cael eu dysgu mewn ystafelloedd dosbarth a gofodau sydd â’r technolegau a’r cyfleusterau sydd eu hangen arnynt. Penderfynir ar y gwelliannau ar sail angen lleol, ac awdurdodau lleol fydd yn penderfynu sut mae’r cyllid yn cael ei ddosbarthu.
Yn ddiweddar mae Ysgol Uwchradd Whitmore yn y Barri wedi cwblhau Canolfan Adnoddau Awtistiaeth arbenigol newydd o ganlyniad i gyllid gan Raglen Cymunedau Dysgu Cynaliadwy Llywodraeth Cymru.
Mae’r ganolfan newydd yn cynnig amgylchedd tawelach digynnwrf i ddisgyblion sydd angen gorffen gwaith neu gymryd ychydig o amser i ymdawelu, ac ystafelloedd synhwyraidd tawel (gyda golau synhwyraidd a phethau synhwyraidd fel blancedi trwm a theganau ‘ffidlan’). Mae hefyd yn cynnig cyfleusterau cegin ar gyfer sesiynau coginio, gofod awyr agored ar gyfer gweithgareddau corfforol, a Daisy, ci lles sydd yn gysur anhygoel i’r disgyblion.
Dywedodd Innes Robinson, Pennaeth yr ysgol:
“Mae’n Canolfan Awtistiaeth yn rhoi profiad ysgol prif ffrwd mewn lleoliad arbenigol i ddisgyblion, lle defnyddir empathi i wneud pob penderfyniad. Rydym yn gweithio’n agos gyda theuluoedd ac yn deall ein bod ar daith bwysig gyda nhw. Mae ein darpariaeth yn rhan ganolog o Ysgol Uwchradd Whitmore ac rydym eisiau i’n disgyblion deimlo eu bod yn cael eu cynnwys yn llawn ym mywyd yr ysgol ac yn cael yr un cyfleoedd â disgyblion eraill.”
Mae Ysgol Dinas Brân yn Llangollen hefyd wedi derbyn cyllid gwella ADY fel rhan o brosiect Havens, yn ogystal ag ysgolion eraill yn Sir Ddinbych. Model o greu gofodau o fewn ysgolion prif ffrwd yw prosiect Havens, sy’n pontio bwlch i ddisgyblion sy’n ei chael hi’n anodd mynychu ysgol prif ffrwd yn llawn amser.
Yn Ysgol Dinas Brân, mae’r cyllid wedi ei ddefnyddio i greu gofod lles o’r enw Hafan. Mae’r Hafan yn cynnwys ‘ystafell werdd’ i ddisgyblion gael amser i ymdawelu pan fydd angen hynny arnynt, ac mae ffocws ar fan gwyrdd gyda gofod awyr agored ar gyfer plannu, a llefydd i eistedd lle gall y disgyblion ymlacio a mwynhau eu hunain.
Dywedodd y Pennaeth, Mark Hatch:
“Mae’r gofod hwn yn gweithio’n arbennig o dda i’r disgyblion ac mae wedi bod yn fuddsoddiad gwych.”
Dywedodd Gweinidog y Gymraeg ac Addysg, Jeremy Miles:
“Bydd y buddsoddiad hwn yn gwneud gwir wahaniaeth i ddysgwyr sydd ag anghenion ychwanegol ledled Cymru, gan sicrhau bod y cyfleusterau angenrheidiol ganddynt i gefnogi eu dysgu.
“Rwyf am sicrhau ein bod yn cefnogi ac yn ysbrydoli pob dysgwr i gyrraedd ei lawn botensial, a dyna pam bod gweithredu ein Deddf Anghenion Dysgu Ychwanegol yn greiddiol i’n rhaglen ehangach o ddiwygio addysg.
“Yn ddiweddar adroddodd Estyn ar y cynnydd cyson sy’n cael ei wneud tuag at ddiwygio ADY, a chefnogaeth gadarn gan y sector. Mae’n bwysig bod buddsoddi mewn lleoliadau addysg yn ategu’r broses honno.”
Nodiadau i olygyddion
Filming opp
There is an opportunity to film at Whitmore High School in Barry on Tuesday 4th October to demonstrate the impact that ALN improvements have made. To arrange, please contact rachel.bowyer@gov.wales
Case studies
- Whitmore High School’s Specialist Autism Resource Base, Vale of Glamorgan
The Autism Base at Whitmore High School is the first of its kind in the Vale of Glamorgan, and gives pupils with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder a mainstream school experience within a setting which has a high level of specialism and understanding of ASD, and also has empathy embedded into every decision.
The Base itself offers a quieter, low-arousal environment for any of our students who need to complete work here or take a moment to recuperate. Facilities include quiet sensory rooms (complete with sensory lighting and sensory objects such as weighted blankets and fiddle toys), kitchen facilities for cookery sessions and independent skills sessions, an outdoor space for physical activities and we also have our own wellbeing dog, Daisy, who is an incredible support for many of our students.
Provision in the Base is not a ‘one size fits all’ ethos, but is committed to individual pupils, their learning, their families and their long-term prospects. Some students are working towards their GCSEs, but there is also an understanding that education goes beyond the classroom, so there are also individualised sessions on topics such as emotional literacy, social skills and independent living skills such as cookery and travel training.
Many of our pupils attend after-school clubs and some are involved in the school’s sports teams. The aim is for pupils to access as many of their mainstream classes as possible, supported by our Learning Support Assistants from the Base. Our staff work closely with mainstream teachers to ensure our students are accessing the curriculum and are well-supported across the whole school.
Parent feedback:
“The Special Resource Base at Whitmore High has been instrumental in transforming my child from someone who had real trauma about school, was barely functioning and extremely unhappy, into a child who has hopes and aspirations for the future. My child started at the Base only being able to cope with half an hour a day and is now attending for a full day every day. His education is entirely (and necessarily) bespoke for him and as a result he is happy, interested and keen to go back each day. This has entirely been down to the skilled and experienced staff knowing exactly what my child needs – understanding, being listened to and being valued.”
- Havens project, Denbighshire
The Havens project runs across some secondary and primary schools in Denbighshire. It is a model of Havens – or hubs – that provide a necessary bridge for pupils finding it difficult to attend mainstream school full-time, but don’t meet the threshold for specialist provision. The Havens provide a place where students feel safe and can support their school readiness, develop their social communication skills and prepare them physically and emotionally for learning.
Ysgol Dinas Brân has significantly improved its facilities within the Additional Learning department with the help of a large sum of grant money from the Welsh Government.
The department has now developed the ‘Hafan’ to create a lovely environment for students to work, a ‘green room’ for students to take time out when they need, and two spaces for group interventions to take place.
Green space is an important part of the Hafan. Studies show the benefits of Biophilia for students, so a large, fenced area outside the Hafan has been created, incorporating raised beds for planting and seating for pupils to enjoy the area and relax in.