English: As a parent, I know how important my advocacy is on their behalf, and it pains me - and many of you, I'm sure - that children who've already had a tough start in life often don't have someone with the love and passion of a parent to fight their corner. The damage done to the life chances of these children is a stain on us all, and the responsibility to do better falls on us all - all services, businesses, all sectors. I'd like to briefly focus on one area, taking on what David Melding has said. And I'd just like to briefly pay tribute to the leadership David Melding has shown in this area over a number of years, in setting up and leading the all-party group. He has a genuine and sincere passion for it, and I'm very pleased to be working alongside him in that group, as a new Member. He mentioned the shocking statistic that, in key stage 4 - the year leading up to GCSEs - there's a 40 per cent difference in academic performance between children who have been in care and those who have not. Just 18 per cent of children who have been looked after achieve 5 GCSEs grades A to C. So, it's little wonder that the Buttle Trust found in 2011 that only 7 per cent of care leavers were in higher education. As I say, a stain on us all. So, it's self-evident that we need to be far more demanding of ourselves, at every stage of the school journey, to support looked-after children to achieve their potential. Now, there is specific guidance in place, in the form of learner support services and learning pathways, which state that young people aged 14 to 19 will have access to personal support, through their schools' or institutions' pastoral support services. And there are many examples of where schools and further education colleges do provide strong pastoral support for looked-after children. For example, further education colleges report that extra capacity to help support students makes a big difference. Designated learning coaches to provide advice, teaching support, signposting and advocacy are available, but they are costly, and we know that FE has been under strain not just in terms of resources, but growing pressure from supporting the needs of vulnerable learners. But it shows what can be done when we decide to make this a priority. The current guidance has begun to create opportunities for all learners to have access to a wider curriculum. In making their choice to progress to FE or stay in school, young people will rely on their parents and relationships in school to inform their choice. And there's clearly a need for specific support for looked-after children, and I hope the Cabinet Secretary will consider looking at the provisions in place to enable children in care to receive the best support in choosing to study at FE, in work-based learning, or in sixth form, and on to HE, if they desire it. This is already required by statutory guidance, but we need to be satisfied that the current efforts are sufficient. Thank you.
Welsh: Fel rhiant, rwy'n gwybod pa mor bwysig yw hi fy mod yn siarad ar eu rhan, ac mae'n ofid i mi - a nifer ohonoch chi, rwy'n siŵr - yn aml nad oes gan blant sydd eisoes wedi cael dechrau anodd mewn bywyd rywun sydd â chariad ac angerdd rhiant i ymladd drostynt. Mae'r niwed a wnaed i gyfleoedd bywyd y plant hyn yn staen ar bob un ohonom, ac mae'r cyfrifoldeb i wneud yn well yn gyfrifoldeb i bob un ohonom - pob gwasanaeth, pob busnes, pob sector. Hoffwn ganolbwyntio yn fyr ar un maes, gan ystyried yr hyn y mae David Melding wedi'i ddweud. A hoffwn dalu teyrnged sydyn i'r arweinyddiaeth y mae David Melding wedi'i ddangos yn y maes hwn dros nifer o flynyddoedd, wrth sefydlu ac arwain y grŵp hollbleidiol. Mae ganddo angerdd gwirioneddol a diffuant tuag ato, ac rwy'n falch iawn o weithio ochr yn ochr ag ef yn y grŵp hwnnw, fel Aelod newydd. Soniodd am yr ystadegyn syfrdanol a oedd yn dangos, yng nghyfnod allweddol 4 - y flwyddyn sy'n arwain at TGAU - fod gwahaniaeth o 40 y cant mewn perfformiad academaidd rhwng plant sydd wedi bod mewn gofal a'r rhai nad ydynt wedi bod mewn gofal. Dim ond 18 y cant o blant sydd wedi derbyn gofal sy'n cael pum TGAU gradd A i C. Felly, nid yw'n fawr o syndod fod Ymddiriedolaeth Buttle wedi canfod yn 2011 mai 7 y cant yn unig o'r rhai a oedd wedi gadael gofal oedd mewn addysg uwch. Fel y dywedais, staen ar bob un ohonom. Felly, mae'n amlwg fod angen i ni wneud llawer mwy ein hunain, ar bob cam o'r daith drwy'r ysgol, i gynorthwyo plant sy'n derbyn gofal i gyflawni eu potensial. Nawr, mae yna ganllawiau penodol ar waith, ar ffurf gwasanaethau cymorth i ddysgwyr a llwybrau dysgu, sy'n datgan y bydd gan bobl ifanc 14 i 19 oed fynediad at gefnogaeth bersonol, drwy wasanaethau cymorth bugeiliol eu hysgolion neu eu sefydliadau. Ac mae llawer o enghreifftiau o ysgolion a cholegau addysg bellach yn darparu cymorth bugeiliol cryf ar gyfer plant sy'n derbyn gofal. Er enghraifft, mae colegau addysg bellach yn adrodd bod capasiti ychwanegol i helpu i gefnogi myfyrwyr yn gwneud gwahaniaeth mawr. Mae anogwyr dysgu dynodedig i ddarparu cyngor, cymorth addysgu, cyfeiriad ac eiriolaeth ar gael, ond maent yn gostus, a gwyddom fod addysg bellach wedi bod o dan straen nid yn unig o ran adnoddau ond hefyd, o dan bwysau cynyddol i gefnogi anghenion dysgwyr sy'n agored i niwed. Ond mae'n dangos yr hyn y gellir ei wneud pan fyddwn yn penderfynu blaenoriaethu hyn. Mae'r canllawiau cyfredol wedi dechrau creu cyfleoedd sy'n galluogi pob dysgwr i gael mynediad at gwricwlwm ehangach. Wrth benderfynu rhwng symud ymlaen i addysg bellach neu aros yn yr ysgol, bydd pobl ifanc yn dibynnu ar eu rhieni a'u perthnasoedd yn yr ysgol i lywio eu dewis. Ac mae'n amlwg fod angen cymorth penodol ar gyfer plant sy'n derbyn gofal, ac rwy'n gobeithio y bydd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet yn ystyried edrych ar y darpariaethau sydd ar waith i alluogi plant mewn gofal i gael y gefnogaeth orau wrth ddewis astudio mewn coleg addysg bellach, dysgu yn y gwaith, neu fynd i'r chweched dosbarth, ac ymlaen i addysg uwch, os ydynt yn dymuno hynny. Mae hyn eisoes yn ofynnol yn ôl canllawiau statudol, ond mae angen i ni fod yn fodlon fod yr ymdrechion presennol yn ddigonol. Diolch.