English: Can I thank Bethan for those questions? The online adaptive testing is intended to replace the current paper-based tests that all children sit from year 2 through to year 9. So, these online adaptive tests will be available to the same timescales, so children will be able to take these assessments from year 2 through to year 9. The important thing about the adaptive testing is that the questions that are asked of the child are reflective of the child's individual ability. It's not based on their age, it's not based on the year group that they are in, but genuinely based on individual children's ability to engage in those questions. That means, for some parents - and I would agree with you, there are parents who have expressed concerns about the suitability of the paper-based, one-size-fits-all arrangements that we've had to date - . If those children, for whatever reason, are unable to engage in that paper test, it can be very demoralising and potentially upsetting to the child. The fact is that the adaptive assessment literally does change depending on the ability of a child, so there's no assumption that because a child is a certain age or at a certain stage in their academic career, the questions will all be the same. That should take away some of the anxiety that I know sometimes parents do feel. The fact that the children will not have to do it in a controlled situation - so, again, sometimes that adds to the anxiety and the high-stakes nature of what we've done in the past - where the entire classroom has to sit down for an allotted time and do the paper - that sometimes can create an atmosphere that can be stressful to children. As I said, it'll be up to individual classroom teachers whether a small group of children do an assessment at a particular time or whether an individual child does it. So, again, this is about trying to ensure that those issues that sometimes can cause angst to children and to parents are removed. I can't say it enough - because I sometimes think that there is still a misconception amongst the profession themselves - these assessments and the data arising from them is not used as any high-stakes accountability measure regarding that school. Sometimes even the professionals themselves assume that the data collected from previous tests and now these assessments are somehow used to make a judgment on them. These are for the purpose of progressing learners. Now, quite rightly, we do have to be mindful of workload for our teachers. This in fact takes workload away from teachers in the sense that these are less bureaucratic to administer. When we talk about instantaneous feedback, the results are literally driven by the test results and are available immediately. That's not to say that the teacher needs to then immediately sit down with the child. Clearly, a teacher will need to look at what the assessment says about that child and make progress, but it's far less bureaucratic for teachers than what we had done previously, and, actually, the investment that we're making in these online assessments is actually coming out of a Welsh Government spend-to-save budget, because, actually, we think that this will save us money in the long-term compared to what we're currently spending on the paper-based tests. In an age when we really need to be careful about what we're spending, actually this presents us with a more cost-effective way, as well as a better way, of delivering the system. Teachers and classroom assistants will be supported through this process. There will be support and training materials available. We'll be running a series of webinars so teachers don't even have to travel. These are available within their own communities and contacts, and help is literally only a telephone call away. There is a hotline available, so if the school is struggling with some IT issues or how to actually run the test, there is a helpline available. Assessments began before Christmas, and, to date, the feedback that we've had is that those schools that have employed them so far and used them so far have not anticipated any problems. It's also important to remember - and I'm sure this would be of interest to Siân Gwenllian if she were here - that the assessments are available fully bilingually. Teachers are able to choose which language they want the assessment to be carried out in, and obviously that's a very important equity issue for all of our learners.
Welsh: A gaf i ddiolch i Bethan am y cwestiynau hynny? Y bwriad yw y bydd y profion ymaddasol ar-lein yn disodli'r profion papur presennol y mae pob plentyn yn eu sefyll o flwyddyn 2 hyd flwyddyn 9. Felly, bydd y profion ymaddasol ar-lein hyn ar gael i'r un cyfnod amser, a bydd plant yn gallu cymryd yr asesiadau hyn o flwyddyn 2 hyd flwyddyn 9. Y peth pwysig am y profion ymaddasol yw bod y cwestiynau a ofynnir i'r plentyn yn adlewyrchu gallu unigol y plentyn. Nid yw'n seiliedig ar eu hoedran, nid yw'n seiliedig ar eu grŵp blwyddyn nhw, ond yn wirioneddol seiliedig ar allu plant unigol i ymdrin â'r cwestiynau hynny. Mae hynny'n golygu, i rai rhieni - a byddwn i'n cytuno â chi, mae yna rai rhieni sydd wedi mynegi pryderon am addasrwydd y profion ar bapur sy'n trin pob plentyn yr un fath sydd wedi bodoli hyd yma - . Os na fydd y plant hynny, am ba reswm bynnag, yn gallu ymdopi â'r prawf papur hwnnw, gall hyn fod yn siom fawr iawn a pheri gofid i'r plentyn o bosib. Y ffaith yw bod yr asesiad ymaddasol mewn gwirionedd yn newid gan ddibynnu ar allu'r plentyn, felly nid oes unrhyw ragdybiaeth o ran oedran neilltuol unrhyw blentyn neu ei fod ar unrhyw gyfnod yn ei yrfa academaidd, y bydd y cwestiynau i gyd yr un peth. Dylai hynny ddileu rhywfaint o'r pryder y gwn y bydd rhieni yn ei deimlo weithiau. Y ffaith na fydd y plant yn gorfod sefyll prawf mewn sefyllfa a reolir - felly, unwaith eto, weithiau mae hynny'n ychwanegu at y pryder a'r ymdeimlad bod llawer yn y fantol yn yr hyn yr ydym wedi ei wneud yn y gorffennol - lle mae'r dosbarth cyfan wedi gorfod eistedd i lawr ar amser penodol i wneud y papur - gall hynny weithiau greu awyrgylch a all fod yn straen i blant. Fel y dywedais i, yr athrawon dosbarth unigol fydd yn penderfynu a fydd grŵp bach o blant yn cael yr asesiad ar amser penodol neu a fydd plentyn unigol yn ei gael. Felly, unwaith eto, mae hyn yn ymwneud â cheisio sicrhau bod y materion hynny sydd weithiau'n achos gofid i blant a rhieni yn cael eu dileu. Ni allaf ddweud digon am hyn - oherwydd rwy'n credu weithiau fod yna gamsyniad o hyd yn y proffesiwn ei hunan - nid yw'r asesiadau hyn a'r data sy'n deillio ohonyn nhw yn mynd i gael eu defnyddio fel unrhyw ddull o fantoli atebolrwydd yr ysgol honno. Weithiau mae hyd yn oed y gweithwyr proffesiynol eu hunain yn tybio bod y data a gesglir o'r profion blaenorol a'r asesiadau hyn nawr yn cael eu defnyddio rywsut i'w barnu nhw. Y diben yw dwyn dysgwyr yn eu blaenau. Nawr, yn gwbl briodol, mae'n rhaid inni fod yn ymwybodol o'r llwyth gwaith i'n hathrawon. Bydd hyn mewn gwirionedd yn ysgafnhau llwyth gwaith yr athrawon yn yr ystyr eu bod yn llai biwrocrataidd i'w gweinyddu. Pan ydym yn sôn am adborth ar unwaith, caiff y canlyniadau eu gyrru'n llythrennol gan ganlyniadau'r profion ac maen nhw ar gael ar unwaith. Nid yw hynny'n golygu bod angen i'r athro wedyn eistedd i lawr gyda'r plentyn ar unwaith. Yn amlwg, bydd angen i athro edrych ar yr hyn a ddywed yr asesiad am y plentyn hwnnw a gwneud cynnydd, ond mae hyn yn llawer llai biwrocrataidd i'r athrawon na'r hyn yr oeddem yn ei wneud o'r blaen ac, yn wir, mae'r buddsoddiad a wnawn ni yn yr asesiadau ar-lein hyn yn tarddu o gyllideb gwario i arbed Llywodraeth Cymru. Yn wir, rydym ni o'r farn y bydd hyn yn arbed arian i ni yn y tymor hir o'i gymharu â'r hyn yr ydym ni'n ei wario ar hyn o bryd ar y profion papur. Ar adeg o angen gwirioneddol, mae angen inni fod yn ofalus ynghylch yr hyn yr ydym yn ei wario, ac mae hwn yn ddull mwy cost-effeithiol mewn gwirionedd, yn ogystal â bod yn ffordd well o ddarparu'r system. Caiff athrawon a chynorthwywyr ystafell ddosbarth eu cynorthwyo drwy gydol y broses hon. Bydd cymorth a deunyddiau hyfforddi ar gael. Byddwn yn cynnal cyfres o weminarau fel na fydd yn rhaid i athrawon deithio hyd yn oed. Bydd y rhain ar gael o fewn eu cymunedau a'u cysylltiadau eu hunain, ac mae cymorth ar gael dim ond i rywun godi'r ffôn. Mae llinell gymorth ar gael, felly os oes ysgol yn cael trafferth gyda rhai materion TG neu o ran sut i gynnal y prawf mewn gwirionedd, mae help ar-lein ar gael. Dechreuodd asesiadau cyn y Nadolig, a hyd yn hyn yr adborth a gawsom yw fod yr ysgolion sydd wedi eu rhoi ar waith ac wedi eu defnyddio ddim yn rhagweld unrhyw broblemau. Mae hefyd yn bwysig cofio - ac rwy'n siŵr y byddai hyn o ddiddordeb i Siân Gwenllian pe byddai hi yma - bod yr asesiadau ar gael yn gwbl ddwyieithog. Mae'r athrawon yn gallu dewis pa iaith i'w defnyddio i gynnal yr asesiad, ac mae hynny'n amlwg yn fater pwysig iawn o degwch i bob un o'n dysgwyr.