CARDIFF COUNCIL proposes to undertake an engagement exercise aimed at shaping the future of Welsh-medium secondary education in the city and supporting the Council’s long-term ambition to grow the Welsh language and deliver an inclusive education system.
In a report to Cardiff Council’s Cabinet, a number of key objectives have been outlined in line with Cardiff’s ambitions to deliver a stronger, fairer, greener city and an approach to education which supports the Education Investment Strategy 2024–2033.
If agreed, the Council would carry out two public engagement exercises and consider feedback in order to shape the development of future formal proposals.
The first would look at seeking options to ensure short term sufficiency of places for 2027/28 where projections show that demand for places could temporarily exceed current capacity.
This would ensure all learners seeking Welsh-medium secondary places continue to be admitted.
A second engagement exercise would look at collating views around options for the longer term. This includes:
- Reviewing primary and secondary school catchment areas to ensure fair and sustainable access across Cardiff and helping to address concerns from families, particularly in the south.
- Informing the development of strategic changes to Welsh-medium secondary provision, aligned with Cardiff’s Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) and the Welsh Government’s Cymraeg 2050 vision.
- Consideration given to the sustainability of growth and ensuring that any expansion must balance financial constraints, site availability and the need to maintain high educational standards.
- Supporting learners with more flexible home to school travel, increasing access to extracurricular activities.
- Gathering input to help set future priorities for Welsh-medium education in Cardiff.
If agreed, a consultation would be launched to seek the views on a range of possible future options which could consist of:
- Expanding existing Welsh-medium secondary schools.
- Creating a new Welsh-medium secondary school in south Cardiff.
- Relocating and expanding Ysgol Bro Edern, with the potential for a fourth Welsh-medium secondary school in the future.
- Establishing a combined and expanded Welsh-medium post-16 site.
- Introducing Welsh-medium provision within an existing English-medium secondary school.
Cardiff Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Sarah Merry said: “Cardiff Council remains committed to driving the growth of Welsh-medium education and ensuring fair access for all learners.
“The city has seen a steady increase in the number of Welsh speakers and learners, but further growth is needed to meet national targets.
“Our Welsh in Education Strategy (WESP) aims for 25–29% of Year 1 pupils being taught in Welsh by 2031, up from 17.6% in 2023/24.
“Providing Welsh-Medium education for local children, promoting sustainable travel, and supporting the wellbeing of future generations is essential and the launch of an engagement exercise would ensure that the voices of learners, parents, school staff, and the wider community are heard.
“Expanding Welsh Medium secondary education has been a long-standing ambition of this administration, and so this is an important step in engaging with stakeholders across the city about how we make that a reality.”
Cardiff Council’s Cabinet will meet on Thursday, January 22 to consider the recommendations contained in the report, and a webcast of that meeting will be available to watch on the day here: Agenda for Cabinet on Thursday, January 22, 2026, 2.00 pm : Cardiff Council
Prior to the Cabinet meeting, the report with be scrutinised by the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee when it meets on Tuesday, January 20. A recording of that meeting will be available to view here: Agenda for Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, 4.30 pm : Cardiff Council
The Council will consider all feedback from the engagement before developing formal proposals. Any significant changes will be subject to further consultation and dependent on the identification of financial resources.
