The Welsh Government has awarded an £8 million grant to a Bangor University research project to found CAL:ON (Canolfan Addysgu Llythrennedd: Offer tuag at Newid / Centre for the Advancement of Literacy: research-led Outcomes and Nation-wide change) Cymru. The Curriculum for Wales grant will fund a wide-ranging collaboration between Bangor University, the University of York, Oxford Education & Assessment, partnering with Swansea University, University College London, and Book Trust Cymru. The centre will work closely with the Welsh Government to improve literacy outcomes for 3-16 years olds nation-wide.
Professor Manon Jones from the School of Psychology at Bangor University will lead CAL:ON Cymru which incorporates several projects headed by a team of literacy experts including Dr Cameron Downing from University of York, Dr Angela Cooze from Swansea University, Professor Dominic Wyse from UCL, and Professor Charles Hulme of OxEd & Assessment.
Manon said, “We are absolutely delighted to be working on improving literacy in Wales. Our aim is for Wales to become an international example of excellence in bilingual education.”
Since the pandemic in particular, many young people in Wales are struggling to read at the expected level, a trend observed across the UK and other OECD countries. The Welsh Government seeks to significantly improve literacy via CAL:ON Cymru. Building on previous literacy projects from the wider team, including the Research Informed Literacy with Language (RILL) programme at Bangor University, the Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) at the University of Oxford and OxEd and Assessment, and the DEMSI professional learning project at the University of York, CAL:ON Cymru unites, develops, and implements these activities on a larger scale, as well as creating additional programmes for the full 3 – 16 year age range. All activities and programmes will be fully bilingual in Welsh and English.
“Drawing from the work of our Literacy Expert Panel, the CAL:ON Cymru national centre of excellence ensures nationwide professional learning and ensures our expectations for literacy reflect the latest evidence on how to learn to read,” said Lynne Neagle, Cabinet Secretary for Education.
The main aim of CAL:ON Cymru is to provide language and literacy programmes, professional learning resources, and accessible assessments for educators to improve literacy outcomes for Welsh school children.
CAL:ON Cymru will deliver:
- effective, bilingual whole class language and literacy programmes and interventions for ages 3–16 years
- new bilingual professional learning modules, including phonics and reading fluency alongside national guidance aligned with the Curriculum for Wales, which will also be embedded in Initial Teacher Education, and co-developed with educators.
- new bilingual assessment tools at key transition points.
The project alone is set to reach over 3000 Welsh pupils in over 240 schools across 22 local authorities in Wales. The long-term impact of the project is designed to improve the language and literacy skills of each and every child in Wales.
“This is a hugely positive step for education in Wales – strengthening literacy for all our learners. CAL:ON Cymru is a fantastic initiative that will empower learners in both Welsh and English, supporting their success across the curriculum. As a school, we welcome this exciting development – strong literacy skills are the foundation of learning, and this investment in support will make a real difference to our learners enabling them to thrive in both Welsh and English,” Mrs Louise Ankers, Headteacher at the Hafod Federation.
