English: The number of vulnerable children attending school has been discussed at length during this debate and has increased as lockdown progressed. That is something that is not unique to Wales, and our experience in persuading parents of vulnerable children to send their children into our hubs is one that was mirrored in Northern Ireland, England and Scotland. I have to acknowledge it took until we were able to open up all schools that we saw the numbers increase significantly, and that was one of my main reasons for opening all schools to check in, catch up and prepare at the end of this term. If I could clarify, for Hefin, we have a very clear definition of what constitutes vulnerability during this crisis - a definition that was expanded and was supported by many of the key stakeholders that gave evidence to the committee, in terms of how we had identified children who were able to get support from hubs. I acknowledge that for some of our special schools - our special educational needs schools - there have been particular challenges, but I would also like to highlight the very good practice. In many local areas special schools remained open, providing support for those children in familiar settings. It's a pity that Mr Melding is in an acting Presiding Officer role this afternoon, because he has some very good examples of a school, which he has a close connection with, that cares for very vulnerable children that has remained open throughout this pandemic and has supported parents to an excellent extent. To help schools with their other functions during this time, we've provided guidance on the continuity of learning with our 'Stay Safe. Stay Learning' document. This comprehensive plan included consideration for the provision, not just of those children who would attend mainstream school, but also children that would otherwise be educated in places other than at school. We also sought to tackle digital exclusion, provide additional learning resources and guidance for parents to how best to support their children during this time. I'm sure many colleagues will have seen the stories in England and Scotland of the millions that have been spent on laptops that never actually reached learners ahead of the summer holiday. And I'm very pleased that, thanks to the innovative way we invested our funding, and the hard work, again, of schools and local authorities, that was much less of a problem here in Wales, and we were able to quickly mobilise support for digitally excluded learners, ensuring that they were equipped with the kit that they needed to carry on learning. Of course, we were very fortunate to be working off a strong base with our online learning platform, Hwb, which provides unparalleled access to a wide range of bilingual digital tools and content to support digital education transformation. Logins throughout this period to Hwb have been incredible, as has been the professional engagement with professional learning opportunities provided by our regional school improvement services to ensure that our professionals could get the most out of it also. On the issue of vulnerability, again, Wales was the first country in the United Kingdom to guarantee free-school-meal provision during the Easter holiday, during the Whitsun half-term holiday and over the summer holiday. And we made that decision because we knew it was the right one to do, rather than being forced into it by a high-profile campaign. But I know that transition to home schooling and online learning has not been easy and that, for some learners and their parents and carers, it has presented particular difficulties. On top top of that, as we've known from the children's commissioner survey, many learners have been concerned about missing school, about exams and results, about missing out on those end-of-year activities, saying goodbye to their friends and simply that structure that is so important to them. But mitigating the impact of this pandemic has been the major focus for the Welsh Government. If I could turn to the issue of mental health, which, quite rightly has been the focus of this afternoon's debate also, in anticipation of increased demands of mental health resources, we have provided additional moneys to support children's mental health, on top of the investment that we made in counselling services and mental health support over the past year. And I am, indeed, very glad that we are now out to consultation on our whole-school approach. That work has been amended to reflect the COVID-19 situation, and I'm looking forward to a good response to the consultation that is out at the moment. Can I say a little bit, briefly, about our youth services that moved to a new way of working and developed a new innovative practice, again at speed, and have continued to support children the length and breadth of Wales, although doing that in a very different form? And that support has been invaluable. I remember, acting Presiding Officer, seeing a tweet from a youth worker right at the beginning of this crisis. She had been carrying out a weekly check-in with one of the young people - a primary-aged pupil that she was working with. She asked the young boy whether he was going to be okay, and whether he would have enough to eat and things to do. He replied to her and said, 'You don't need to worry about me - I'm going to be fine. I've been one that's chosen to be in the valuable group, so I'm going to school every day.' And I think that's wonderful that that school was able to identify that young boy as being valuable rather than vulnerable, and ensuring that he continued to have access, not only to the hub, but to his youth worker that was supporting him. Last week I announced that all pupils will be able to return to school in September, and that is as a result of the hard work and the efforts of the people of Wales. We are now seeing community transition rates coming down, and that effort and hard work and sacrifice has allowed us to make that announcement. But I recognise that this needs to be planned and that schools and pupils will need support. And schools will have flexibility right at the very beginning of the new academic year to priorities certain groups of learners, as many already do. Safeguarding measures, such as hand washing, risk assessments and appropriate restriction measures will, however, have to remain in place, and updated operational and learning guidance was published earlier this week to support that return to school in September. Also to support schools, we will recruit extra staff and support the recovery phase and continue to raise standards as part of our national mission by making available some £29 million in that effort. This is not a short-term fix, and I'm guaranteeing this money and extra staff and support for the whole of the next academic year. This means we will be able to recruit the equivalent of 600 extra teachers and 300 extra teaching assistants throughout the next school year. Extra support will be focused on those taking public examinations, as well as disadvantaged and vulnerable learners of all ages. Approaches could include extra coaching support, personalised learning programmes and additional time and resources for the examination of pupils. Very quickly, acting Presiding Officer, we will be working with the childcare sector over the summer, and our aim is to increase the size of contact groups and support their move towards full operations, and I'm working very closely with my colleague the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services to enable that to happen. And additional resources for support for families of vulnerable children has been made for the summer holidays. I recognise that nursery education has its own complexities, and we are developing further guidance to support the sector. I have been clear throughout this pandemic that our priority must be to deliver maximum learning with minimal disruption for our young people, and I'm also clear that we must never lose our expectations that any of our young people, no matter what their background, can be supported to achieve the very highest standards. And I'm determined that we will not lose that momentum, despite COVID-19, and I know that that ambition is shared by teachers and parents across Wales. Alongside our new curriculum, which I was very pleased to spend an hour and a half -
Welsh: Mae nifer y plant agored i niwed sy'n mynychu'r ysgol wedi ei drafod yn helaeth yn ystod y ddadl hon ac mae wedi cynyddu wrth i'r cyfyngiadau symud fynd yn eu blaen. Mae hynny'n rhywbeth nad yw'n unigryw i Gymru, ac mae ein profiad ni o argyhoeddi rhieni plant agored i niwed i anfon eu plant i'n hybiau yn un a gafodd ei adlewyrchu yng Ngogledd Iwerddon, Lloegr a'r Alban. Mae'n rhaid i mi gydnabod iddo gymryd hyd nes yr oeddem ni'n gallu agor pob ysgol i ni weld y niferoedd yn cynyddu'n sylweddol, a dyna oedd un o fy mhrif resymau dros agor pob ysgol i ailgydio, dal i fyny a pharatoi ar ddiwedd y tymor hwn. Hoffwn i egluro, i Hefin, fod gennym ni ddiffiniad clir iawn o'r hyn yw bod yn agored i niwed yn ystod yr argyfwng hwn - diffiniad a gafodd ei ehangu ac a dderbyniodd gefnogaeth lawer o'r rhanddeiliaid allweddol a roddodd dystiolaeth i'r pwyllgor, o ran sut yr oeddem ni wedi nodi plant a oedd yn cael derbyn cymorth gan yr hybiau. Rwy'n cydnabod bod rhai o'n hysgolion arbennig - ein hysgolion anghenion addysgol arbennig - wedi wynebu heriau penodol, ond hoffwn i hefyd dynnu sylw at yr arferion da iawn. Mewn llawer o ardaloedd lleol parhaodd yr ysgolion arbennig ar agor, gan roi cymorth i'r plant hynny mewn lleoliadau cyfarwydd. Mae'n drueni bod Mr Melding yn swydd y Llywydd dros dro y prynhawn yma, oherwydd bod ganddo enghreifftiau da iawn o ysgol, y mae ganddo gysylltiad agos â hi, sy'n gofalu am blant agored iawn i niwed, sydd wedi parhau ar agor drwy gydol y pandemig hwn ac sydd wedi cefnogi rhieni i raddau rhagorol. I helpu ysgolion gyda'u swyddogaethau eraill yn ystod y cyfnod hwn, rydym ni wedi darparu canllawiau ar barhad dysgu gyda'n dogfen 'Cadw'n ddiogel. Dal ati i ddysgu'. Roedd y cynllun cynhwysfawr hwn yn ystyried darpariaeth, nid yn unig i'r plant hynny a fyddai'n mynychu ysgol brif ffrwd, ond hefyd i blant a fyddai fel arall yn cael eu haddysgu mewn lleoedd heblaw am yn yr ysgol. Fe wnaethom ni hefyd geisio mynd i'r afael ag allgáu digidol, darparu adnoddau dysgu ychwanegol a chanllawiau i rieni ar y ffordd orau o gefnogi eu plant yn ystod y cyfnod hwn. Rwy'n siŵr y bydd llawer o gyd-Aelodau wedi gweld y straeon yn Lloegr a'r Alban ynghylch y miliynau sydd wedi eu gwario ar liniaduron na wnaethon nhw gyrraedd y dysgwyr mewn gwirionedd cyn gwyliau'r haf. Ac rwy'n falch iawn, o ganlyniad i'r ffordd arloesol y gwnaethom ni fuddsoddi ein cyllid, a gwaith caled, unwaith eto, yr ysgolion a'r awdurdodau lleol, fod hynny yn llawer llai o broblem yma yng Nghymru, a'n bod ni wedi gallu sicrhau cymorth yn gyflym i ddysgwyr sydd wedi eu hallgáu yn ddigidol, gan ofalu eu bod yn cael y pecyn yr oedd ei angen arnyn nhw i barhau i ddysgu. Wrth gwrs, roeddem ni'n ffodus iawn i fod yn gweithio ar sylfaen gref gyda'n platfform dysgu ar-lein, Hwb, sy'n darparu mynediad heb ei ail i ystod eang o offer a chynnwys digidol dwyieithog i gefnogi trawsnewidiad addysg ddigidol. Mae mewngofnodi i Hwb drwy gydol y cyfnod hwn wedi bod yn anhygoel, ac yn yr un modd, yr ymgysylltiad proffesiynol â chyfleoedd dysgu proffesiynol sydd wedi eu darparu gan ein gwasanaethau gwella ysgolion rhanbarthol er mwyn sicrhau y gallai ein gweithwyr proffesiynol ei ddefnyddio i'r eithaf hefyd. O ran bod yn agored i niwed, unwaith eto, Cymru oedd y wlad gyntaf yn y Deyrnas Unedig i warantu darpariaeth prydau ysgol am ddim yn ystod gwyliau'r Pasg, yn ystod gwyliau hanner tymor y Sulgwyn a thros wyliau'r haf. Ac fe wnaethom ni'r penderfyniad hwnnw oherwydd ein bod ni'n gwybod mai hwnnw oedd y penderfyniad iawn, yn hytrach na chael ein gorfodi i wneud hynny gan ymgyrch proffil uchel. Ond rwy'n gwybod na fu'n hawdd trosglwyddo i'r ysgol gartref ac i ddysgu ar-lein, ac i rai dysgwyr a'u rhieni a'u gofalwyr, y mae wedi cyflwyno anawsterau penodol. Ar ben hynny, fel yr ydym ni wedi cael gwybod o arolwg y comisiynydd plant, mae llawer o ddysgwyr wedi bod yn pryderu am golli ysgol, am arholiadau a chanlyniadau, am fethu'r gweithgareddau diwedd blwyddyn hynny, ffarwelio â'u ffrindiau ac yn syml y strwythur hwnnw sydd mor bwysig iddyn nhw. Ond lliniaru effaith y pandemig hwn sydd wedi bod yn brif ffocws i Lywodraeth Cymru. Os caf i droi at fater iechyd meddwl, sef canolbwynt y ddadl y prynhawn yma, a hynny'n briodol hefyd, wrth ragweld y cynnydd yn y galw am adnoddau iechyd meddwl, rydym ni wedi darparu arian ychwanegol i gefnogi iechyd meddwl plant, yn ogystal â'r buddsoddiad a wnaethom ni mewn gwasanaethau cwnsela a chymorth iechyd meddwl yn ystod y flwyddyn ddiwethaf. Ac rwyf i, yn wir, yn falch iawn ein bod ni bellach yn ymgynghori ar ein dull ysgol gyfan. Mae'r gwaith hwnnw wedi ei ddiwygio i adlewyrchu sefyllfa COVID-19, ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen at ymateb da i'r ymgynghoriad sydd ar waith ar hyn o bryd. A gaf i ddweud ychydig bach, yn fyr, am ein gwasanaethau ieuenctid a symudodd i ffordd newydd o weithio ac a ddatblygodd arfer arloesol newydd, unwaith eto yn gyflym, ac sydd wedi parhau i gefnogi plant ar hyd a lled Cymru, er eu bod yn gwneud hynny ar ffurf wahanol iawn? Ac mae'r cymorth hwnnw wedi bod yn amhrisiadwy. Rwy'n cofio, Llywydd dros dro, gweld trydariad gan weithiwr ieuenctid ar ddechrau'r argyfwng hwn. Roedd hi wedi bod yn cynnal archwiliad wythnosol gydag un o'r bobl ifanc - disgybl oedran cynradd yr oedd hi'n gweithio gydag ef. Gofynnodd i'r bachgen ifanc a oedd yn mynd i fod yn iawn, ac a fyddai ganddo ddigon i'w fwyta a phethau i'w gwneud. Atebodd a dweud, 'Nid oes angen i chi boeni amdanaf i - rwy'n mynd i fod yn iawn. Rwy'n un sydd wedi ei ddewis i fod yn y grŵp gwerthfawr, felly rwy'n mynd i'r ysgol bob dydd.' Ac rwy'n credu bod hynny yn wych bod yr ysgol wedi gallu nodi bod y bachgen ifanc hwnnw yn werthfawr yn hytrach nag yn agored i niwed, a sicrhau ei fod yn parhau i gael mynediad, nid yn unig i'r hyb, ond i'w weithiwr ieuenctid a oedd yn ei gefnogi. Fe wnes i gyhoeddi yr wythnos diwethaf y bydd pob disgybl yn gallu dychwelyd i'r ysgol ym mis Medi, ac mae hynny o ganlyniad i waith caled ac ymdrechion pobl Cymru. Erbyn hyn rydym ni'n gweld cyfraddau trosglwyddo cymunedol yn gostwng, ac mae'r ymdrech honno a'r gwaith caled a'r aberth wedi ein galluogi i wneud y cyhoeddiad hwnnw. Ond rwy'n cydnabod bod angen cynllunio hyn ac y bydd angen cymorth ar ysgolion a disgyblion. A bydd gan ysgolion hyblygrwydd ar ddechrau'r flwyddyn academaidd newydd i roi blaenoriaeth i rai grwpiau penodol o ddysgwyr, fel y mae llawer yn ei wneud eisoes. Fodd bynnag, bydd yn rhaid i fesurau diogelu, fel golchi dwylo, asesiadau risg a chyfyngiadau priodol barhau i fod ar waith, a chafodd canllawiau dysgu a gweithredol diwygiedig eu cyhoeddi yn gynharach yr wythnos hon i gefnogi'r broses dychwelyd i'r ysgol honno ym mis Medi. Hefyd i gefnogi ysgolion, byddwn yn recriwtio staff ychwanegol ac yn cefnogi'r cam adfer ac yn parhau i godi safonau yn rhan o'n cenhadaeth genedlaethol drwy sicrhau bod tua £29 miliwn ar gael ar gyfer yr ymdrech honno. Nid ateb tymor byr yw hwn, ac rwy'n gwarantu'r arian hwn a staff a chymorth ychwanegol drwy gydol y flwyddyn academaidd nesaf. Mae hyn yn golygu y byddwn yn gallu recriwtio cyfwerth â 600 o athrawon ychwanegol a 300 o gynorthwywyr addysgu ychwanegol drwy gydol y flwyddyn ysgol nesaf. Bydd y cymorth ychwanegol yn canolbwyntio ar y rhai sy'n sefyll arholiadau cyhoeddus, yn ogystal â dysgwyr difreintiedig ac agored i niwed o bob oed. Gallai'r dulliau gynnwys cymorth hyfforddi ychwanegol, rhaglenni dysgu personol ac amser ac adnoddau ychwanegol ar gyfer archwiliadau disgyblion. Yn gyflym iawn, Llywydd dros dro, byddwn yn gweithio gyda'r sector gofal plant yn ystod yr haf, a'n nod yw cynyddu maint y grwpiau cyswllt a chefnogi eu symudiad tuag at weithrediadau llawn, ac rwy'n gweithio'n agos iawn gyda fy nghyd-Aelod, y Dirprwy Weinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol, i alluogi hynny i ddigwydd. Ac mae adnoddau ychwanegol ar gyfer cymorth i deuluoedd plant sy'n agored i niwed wedi eu neilltuo ar gyfer gwyliau'r haf. Rwy'n cydnabod bod gan addysg feithrin ei chymhlethdodau ei hun, ac rydym ni'n datblygu canllawiau eraill i gefnogi'r sector. Rwyf i wedi bod yn glir drwy gydol y pandemig hwn fod yn rhaid i ni roi blaenoriaeth i sicrhau'r dysgu mwyaf posibl gan darfu cyn lleied â phosibl ar ein pobl ifanc, ac rwyf i hefyd yn glir na ddylem ni byth golli ein disgwyliadau y gellir cefnogi unrhyw un o'n pobl ifanc, ni waeth beth fo'u cefndir, i gyrraedd y safonau uchaf posibl. Ac rwy'n benderfynol na fyddwn ni'n colli'r momentwm hwnnw, er gwaethaf COVID-19, ac rwy'n gwybod bod athrawon a rhieni ledled Cymru yn rhannu'r uchelgais hwnnw. Ynghyd â'n cwricwlwm newydd, yr oeddwn i'n falch iawn o dreulio awr a hanner -