Qualification entry fees reduced
Today we informed our schools and colleges in Wales that we have reduced qualification entry fees by 42% this summer, a discount that puts £8m back into schools and colleges in Wales.
In recognition of additional work undertaken by schools and colleges to support Centre Determined Grades, the Welsh Government has also committed to providing an additional £1.6m of support to centres in Wales, meaning the overall discount will be 50%.
We understand that it’s been a year like no other for all of us in the education sector, and appreciate the continued patience and support from our centres as we finalised this year’s fees arrangements.
Entry fees cover a range of costs
As a charity, we would never seek to take advantage of the current circumstances and are committed to re-investing in continuously improving the support we provide to schools, colleges, and learners, as we do every year.
Our fees not only cover the costs associated with running and delivering summer exams; they’re also needed to fund the development of new qualifications. This includes a new suite of bi-lingual Vocational Awards due to be launched in the coming weeks, and significant work on supporting the new curriculum for Wales.
We also provide a cycle of continuous support – including direct access to subject specialists, centre support teams, free bilingual resources, and professional learning opportunities.
Supporting centres during this exceptional year
Following the cancellation of this summer’s exams, we have developed a range of new systems and processes to ensure learners receive a valid grade this summer.
We have also invested significantly in a new and extensive package of support to help schools and colleges assess their learners with confidence, including comprehensive training opportunities, assessment materials, exemplars, and detailed professional guidance. This includes:
- More than 3,000 adapted past papers and mark schemes
- Over 900 subject-specific training presentations
- 16 training sessions – viewed more than 15,000 times
Ongoing support
Our teams remain on hand to provide continued support and guidance to our centres. In addition, if any centre would like any further advice on any aspect of grading for Summer 2021 please contact assessments2021@wjec.co.uk
