Qualifications Wales publishes Full 14-16 Qualifications Offer Decisions Report

Today, Qualifications Wales has published their Full 14-16 Qualifications Offer Decisions Report as part of their Qualified for the Future reform work.

Commenting on the announcement is Ian Morgan, WJEC Chief Executive: “Today marks another milestone in ensuring that learners in Wales have access to a wide range of qualifications that meet their needs and are fully aligned with the ‘Curriculum for Wales'.

We have already made significant progress in the development of a suite of new Made-for-Wales GCSEs and related qualifications. Utilising our 75 years’ experience, we have adopted a co-construction approach to the development of these exciting qualifications. Despite the challenging timescale, we are actively engaging with a broad range of stakeholders throughout the process to produce a suite of bilingual qualifications that will equip learners with the skills, knowledge and understanding to enable them to thrive in whatever path they choose to follow,

The Curriculum for Wales has been at the heart of the process; and we have developed principles and guidance on key aspects such as cross-cutting themes, learning experiences and integral skills to reflect the curriculum's ambitions.

Our dedicated Qualification Development Team has been leading the development and continue to have constructive dialogue with a wide range of experts from across the country, including DARPL (Diversity and Anti-Racist Professional Learning) to ensure the new qualifications continue to provide learners with diverse, authentic and relatable learning experiences.

Whilst we are disappointed to see the removal of the National/Foundation Skills Challenge Certificate and Welsh Baccalaureate, we feel it’s important to celebrate its success. Since its launch in 2015, over 370,000 learners across Wales have achieved the National/Foundation Skills Challenge Certificate. These learners have developed an array of transferrable skills, including personal effectiveness, planning and organisation, critical thinking and problem-solving, skills that are integral to the new ‘Curriculum for Wales’ and are desired by employers here in Wales and further afield.

Furthermore, we remain grateful to the organisations who have worked with us to produce innovative and forward-thinking assessments including Natural Resources Wales, National Deaf Children’s Society, Amnesty International and the GOT (Getting on Together) Project, a project aimed at promoting the value of diversity and integration. The wide-ranging partnerships we have developed since 2015 reflect the qualification’s versatility in developing learners’ skills whilst addressing topical and relevant themes linked to the cross-cutting themes within the new ‘Curriculum for Wales’.

Looking to the future, we will work with Qualifications Wales and key stakeholders in our education communities to reform and develop our suite of qualifications in line with the Full 14-16 offer. Utilising our extensive experience and knowledge in the development and delivery of valid and reliable qualifications and assessments, we will develop our qualifications to meet the needs and interests of all learners and align to the ‘Curriculum for Wales’.

We remain committed to offering a comprehensive package of support in the delivery of all our bilingual qualifications, including direct access to subject specialists, nationwide professional learning opportunities and free digital resources.

Our vision remains to enhance our portfolio of qualifications across all levels, and we look forward to offering learners across Wales additional choices to support a greater breadth of learning experiences.”

Keep up to date

To keep you up to date with the latest news, opportunities and FAQs regarding the new GCSEs and related qualifications, visit our ‘Made-for-Wales’ web area. This area hosts a wealth of material, including an introduction to our Qualification Development Team who will lead the creation of the new GCSEs.