Annual Report 2023-2024

A word from Philip Blaker, our Chief Executive and David Jones, the Chair of our Board.

This year has been significant for Qualifications Wales in many ways. It has seen the return to pre-pandemic assessment arrangements with outcomes broadly in line with 2019 levels. A hugely important step, bringing Wales in sync with other UK jurisdictions. There were also major milestones with the establishment of a made-for-Wales suite of National Qualifications for 14 to 16-year-olds, and our listing under the Well-being of Future Generations Act.

All of the examination series and other assessments that we oversaw were completed without any significant issues. The return of general qualification national outcomes to pre-pandemic levels was received positively by stakeholders. We congratulate each and every learner on their achievements, and thank all the teachers, lecturers, training staff, parents and carers for supporting them.

We continue to work closely with a wide and growing range of key partners and other stakeholders as part of our regulation and reform activities. We thank them for their engagement, insights and collaboration. We have now designed a suite of National Qualifications that will enable school-aged learners to pursue qualifications that are aligned to the Curriculum for Wales.

Learners will soon, whatever their ability, be able to develop knowledge, skills and understanding across a diverse range of subject and sector areas, studying for a combination of either GCSEs, VCSEs, Foundation or Skills qualifications. This simplification of the Welsh qualifications system will modernise qualifications and allow schools and other education settings to tailor their offer to meet the needs of their learners.

National Qualifications will be available in both Cymraeg and English and be introduced for first teaching in three waves. A new set of GCSEs makes up the first two waves, arriving in September 2025 and September 2026. VCSEs, Foundation and Skills qualifications will come in the final wave, with first teaching from September 2027. The specifications for 17 GCSEs have been published by WJEC and a programme of professional learning and resource publication is now getting underway.

We welcome being listed under the Well-being of Future Generations Act – particularly as we have worked in the spirit of the Act for many years. Our newly published corporate plan integrates our wellbeing objectives, demonstrating our commitment to the Act’s sustainable development principles and ways of working.

 In 2025, we are likely to become subject to the Welsh Language Standards. We are pleased with this positive development, which will enable us to build on our developments supporting Cymraeg over recent years, and to further strengthen our Welsh language services and identity.

We recognise the financial pressures that the UK public sector is facing and have undertaken work to reduce our expenditure and find savings where possible. We anticipate these pressures will continue and have undertaken work to look closely at our priorities for the future and how we can best use the resources available to us.

Finally, we would like to thank all our staff and board member colleagues for their enthusiasm, professionalism, expertise, and hard work to deliver the achievement outlined in this report.