Guilsfield has become the first primary school in Powys to receive a Silver Cymraeg Campus Language Charter award.

The charter was specifically created to develop Welsh in English medium schools, and it is something Guilsfield has been on board with from the very beginning.

“It’s superb. It’s the first primary school in Powys to get it. And we were the first to get the Bronze too,” said the school’s headteacher, Huw Jones.

Mr Jones largely credits the school’s pupils, who he says love the Welsh language, for the achievement.

Pupils from Reception to Year 6 form part of ‘Criw Cymraeg’ in the school, and he says that those children are often the ones to push staff forward.

And it’s the students who were interviewed when it came to deciding whether the school deserved its Silver Award.

“They interview the pupils to gain an understanding; children will always tell the truth,” Mr Jones said.

“The staff did really well at making sure we reached the targets. It’s not an easy award to win,” he added.

Only a few members of staff at the school are fluent Welsh speakers. “The rest of us are learning Welsh alongside the children,” said Mr Jones.

He says that Guilsfield Primary School is trying to create an environment where staff and children are immersed in the language and culture. To begin with, Mr Jones said the children didn’t know what staff were saying when they asked a question in Welsh.

He said: “Now they know exactly what we’re saying. Pupils even initiate conversations in Welsh.”

“We live in Wales and the Welsh language needs to survive. It needs to be taught, and the benefits of learning the language do too.”

“I’m extremely proud of all the children for using Welsh. And the staff for working hard as well.”

And in the future, Guilsfield are planning to go for gold too.