English: - to consider what more we can do as a Government in line with increased funding that we're already providing for the pupil development grant and through innovative food and fun schemes, to name just two, because I'm interested in finding every way I can to support the education, the aspiration and the life chances of our most disadvantaged young people. Now, with regard to the issue of uniform and the costs of uniform, let me outline my intention. In fact, Llyr and Lynne Neagle have made the case for me. At a time of really, really squeezed budgets, we are in fact supporting a really, really expensive way of providing uniform, which was outlined. So, firstly, I am determined to review the guidance that is available for governing bodies on school uniform and appearance policies. This has not been done since 2011, and, whilst there is much good practice, as identified by Lynne Neagle, within that document, it is not on a statutory footing. And, from the evidence that was just given by Lynne and Llyr and many others, it is clear to me that the real way to attack the issue of affordability of uniform - . We need to do something about the costs of uniform, which will benefit not only those families who are eligible for support - [ Interruption.] - which will not only help families that are eligible for support under the old grant; actually, that will be a benefit to all families in all parts of Wales, regardless of the stage of education that their children are in. It will also give us an opportunity, by the way, if we revise that guidance and put it onto a statutory footing, to address the issue of gender-neutral uniforms, which I'm also interested in tackling. With regard to ongoing support for families who might find it difficult to afford a uniform, I am already exploring and developing options for an improved and wider offer to replace the school uniform grant. As the First Minister said last week, for many, the school uniform grant was inflexible. The money could only be used for uniforms and, predominantly, only for Year 7 pupils. I want to see something much more flexible that better suits the needs of disadvantaged learners and families and gives them some more flexibility. Now, I believe we have a fantastic template and foundation with the PDG, but I am keen to see what more we can do. Lynne, let me reassure you, I am anticipating that we will spend more resource on this new successor grant than we did previously. I do believe, and it is my intention, that families should be able to use that grant to support the costs of school uniform. But, I have to say, we also know that many children and young people from more deprived backgrounds can sometimes find it difficult to access and participate in a range of extracurricular and school-based activities. Many schools go above and beyond and do their very best to take measures to support those children to negate those issues, but it becomes increasingly difficult to do so, especially in senior school. And that impact can be really long-lasting. It's not just missing out on the opportunity to participate in an individual scheme. Off the top of my head, it may be the ability to join the Urdd and go to Llangrannog; it may be the ability to ability to join the Duke of Edinburgh scheme and participate in that. It not only deprives the children of that individual experience, it goes on impacting and putting them at a disadvantage to their better-off counterparts: the inability to put that on a cv, the inability to put it on a college application form, to be able to talk about those experiences and those skills that you've learnt when you're applying for your first part-time job and you're up against somebody who's got all of those experiences to talk about. The injustice goes on and on and on beyond the initial inability to participate in those activities. Now, this was recognised back in the Government in 2010 when the issue around school uniform and the costs of education were looked at. Children from more deprived backgrounds were disproportionately affected by these issues and I want to do something about it. I want to do something about it. So, Deputy Presiding Officer, my officials will continue to work to replace the scheme, which will be in place for the new academic year in September - [ Interruption.] - in September, and I'm very interested to hear suggestions from across the Chamber and to look at the most effective mechanisms by which that can be distributed. I am absolutely determined that we take every opportunity to support children from more disadvantaged backgrounds, not just in the cost of their logoed jumper, but in their ability to participate fully in all aspects of school life.
Welsh: - i ystyried beth arall y gallwn ei wneud fel Llywodraeth, yn unol â'r cynnydd yn yr arian rydym eisoes yn ei ddarparu ar gyfer y grant datblygu disgyblion a thrwy gynlluniau bwyd a hwyl arloesol, i enwi dau yn unig, oherwydd mae gennyf ddiddordeb mewn canfod pob modd posibl o gefnogi addysg, dyhead a chyfleoedd bywyd ein pobl ifanc fwyaf difreintiedig. Nawr, mewn perthynas â gwisg ysgol a chostau gwisg ysgol, gadewch imi amlinellu fy mwriad. Yn wir, gwnaeth Llyr a Lynne Neagle yr achos ar fy rhan. Ar adeg o gyllidebau gwirioneddol dynn, rydym yn cefnogi ffordd wirioneddol ddrud o ddarparu gwisgoedd ysgol, fel yr amlinellwyd. Felly, yn gyntaf, rwy'n benderfynol o adolygu'r canllawiau sydd ar gael i gyrff llywodraethu ar bolisïau gwisgoedd ysgol ac edrychiad disgyblion. Nid yw hyn wedi'i wneud ers 2011, ac er bod llawer o arferion da, fel y nododd Lynne Neagle, yn y ddogfen honno, nid yw ar sail statudol. Ac o'r dystiolaeth a roddwyd gan Lynne a Llyr a sawl un arall, mae'n amlwg i mi mai'r ffordd go iawn o ymosod ar broblem fforddiadwyedd gwisg ysgol - . Mae angen inni wneud rhywbeth ynglŷn â chost gwisg ysgol, a fydd o fudd nid yn unig i'r teuluoedd sy'n gymwys ar gyfer cael cymorth - [ Torri ar draws.] - a fydd nid yn unig yn helpu teuluoedd sy'n gymwys i gael cymorth o dan yr hen grant; mewn gwirionedd, bydd o fudd i'r holl deuluoedd ym mhob rhan o Gymru, ni waeth ym mha gyfnod o addysg y mae eu plant. Gyda llaw, os ydym yn adolygu'r canllawiau hynny ac yn eu rhoi ar sail statudol, bydd hefyd yn rhoi cyfle inni fynd i'r afael â mater gwisgoedd niwtral o ran rhywedd, a hoffwn fynd i'r afael â hynny hefyd. O ran cymorth parhaus ar gyfer teuluoedd a allai ei chael hi'n anodd fforddio gwisg ysgol, rwyf eisoes yn archwilio ac yn datblygu opsiynau ar gyfer cynnig gwell ac ehangach yn lle'r grant ar gyfer gwisg ysgol. Fel y dywedodd y Prif Weinidog yr wythnos diwethaf, i lawer, roedd y grant ar gyfer gwisg ysgol yn anhyblyg. Ni ellid ond defnyddio'r arian ar gyfer gwisgoedd ysgol ac yn bennaf, ar gyfer disgyblion blwyddyn 7. Rwyf am weld rhywbeth sy'n llawer mwy hyblyg, sy'n gweddu'n well i anghenion dysgwyr a theuluoedd dan anfantais ac sy'n rhoi mwy o hyblygrwydd iddynt. Nawr, rwy'n credu bod gennym dempled a sylfaen wych gyda'r grant datblygu disgyblion, ond rwy'n awyddus i weld beth arall y gallwn ei wneud. Lynne, gadewch imi eich sicrhau, rwy'n rhagweld y byddwn yn gwario mwy ar y grant newydd olynol nag a wnaem o'r blaen. Rwy'n credu, ac mae'n fwriad gennyf sicrhau, y dylai teuluoedd allu defnyddio'r grant hwnnw i gefnogi costau gwisg ysgol. Ond rhaid imi ddweud, rydym hefyd yn gwybod bod llawer o blant a phobl ifanc o gefndiroedd mwy difreintiedig weithiau'n gallu ei chael hi'n anodd cymryd rhan mewn amrywiaeth o weithgareddau allgyrsiol ac yn yr ysgol. Mae llawer o ysgolion yn mynd allan o'u ffordd i wneud eu gorau glas i roi camau ar waith i helpu'r plant hyn i gael gwared ar broblemau o'r fath, ond mae'n mynd yn fwyfwy anodd gwneud hynny, yn enwedig yn yr ysgol uwchradd. A gall effaith hyn bara'n hir iawn. Nid yn unig ei fod yn golygu colli cyfle i gymryd rhan mewn cynllun unigol. Er enghraifft, efallai ei fod yn golygu'r gallu i ymuno â'r Urdd a mynd i Langrannog; gallai olygu'r gallu i ymuno â chynllun Dug Caeredin a chymryd rhan yn hwnnw. Nid yn unig y mae'n amddifadu plant o'r profiad unigol hwnnw, mae'n dal ati i effeithio arnynt ac yn eu rhoi dan anfantais o gymharu â'u cymheiriaid mwy cefnog: yr anallu i roi hynny ar cv, yr anallu i'w roi ar ffurflen gais am le mewn coleg, i allu sôn am y profiadau a'r sgiliau rydych wedi'u dysgu pan fyddwch yn ymgeisio am eich swydd ran-amser gyntaf ac rydych yn cystadlu yn erbyn rhywun sydd â'r holl brofiadau hynny i sôn amdanynt. Mae'r anghyfiawnder yn ddiddiwedd ac yn mynd y tu hwnt i'r anallu cychwynnol i gymryd rhan yn y gweithgareddau hynny. Nawr, cydnabuwyd hyn yn y Llywodraeth yn ôl yn 2010 pan edrychwyd ar fater gwisg ysgol a chostau addysg. Câi plant o gefndiroedd difreintiedig eu heffeithio'n anghymesur gan y pethau hyn ac rwyf am wneud rhywbeth yn ei gylch. Rwyf am wneud rhywbeth amdano. Felly, Ddirprwy Lywydd, bydd fy swyddogion yn parhau i weithio ar gynllun newydd a fydd ar waith ar gyfer y flwyddyn academaidd newydd ym mis Medi - [ Torri ar draws.] - ym mis Medi, ac mae gennyf ddiddordeb mawr mewn clywed awgrymiadau o bob rhan o'r Siambr ac edrych ar y mecanweithiau mwyaf effeithiol ar gyfer ei ddosbarthu. Rwy'n gwbl benderfynol ein bod yn bachu ar bob cyfle i gefnogi plant o gefndiroedd mwy difreintiedig, nid yn unig o ran cost eu siwmper â logo, ond o ran eu gallu i gymryd rhan lawn ym mhob agwedd ar fywyd yr ysgol.