‘Croeso’ to the new range of 14 to 16 Cymraeg qualifications
Bethan Spencer, Qualifications Manager, considers the key changes made to the new range of 14 to 16 Cymraeg qualifications, and what they mean for learners and their teachers.
Understanding the new range of national 14 to 16 Cymraeg qualifications
From this September, an exciting new range of Cymraeg qualifications will be available for 14 to 16-year-old learners in Wales. The new GCSE Cymraeg Language and Literature and GCSE Core Cymraeg qualifications, as well as a brand-new Level 2 Award in Additional Core Cymraeg, will ensure that all learners are able to follow ambitious courses of study which enable them to progress in their lifelong learning of Cymraeg.
The changes are a major step forward as we work with other parts of the education sector in Wales to create learners who are confident to use Cymraeg every day as part of their life, learning and work.
GCSE Cymraeg Language and Literature
The new GCSE Cymraeg Language and Literature (Single Award and Double Award) replaces the current GCSE Welsh Language and GCSE Welsh Literature qualifications for learners in Category 2 schools (bilingual schools) or Category 3 schools (Cymraeg medium schools). It moves away from the traditional separation of Welsh language and Welsh literature to reflect the ambitions of the Curriculum for Wales.
This exciting new approach aims to inspire learners to see the interconnectedness of their learning as they engage with rich sources of Cymraeg language and literature and develop the linguistic and literary skills that will support them to become capable, confident and creative communicators in Cymraeg.
There have been some significant changes to the GCSE to reflect the aims of the languages, literacy and communication area of learning and experience. Some are structural, while others relate to content and assessment. These changes have been brought about in response to consultation feedback and wide collaboration with stakeholders.
Integrating language and literature
Integrating language and literature means literature can become more accessible to a broader range of learners who can continue to develop their language knowledge and skills through the study of literature until the age of 16.
This approach is designed to provide a more engaging learning experience, where learners explore the power of language through diverse literary works and contexts. Students will not only enhance their vocabulary, grammar and communication abilities, but will also become critical thinkers and confident, natural speakers of Cymraeg, capable of expressing themselves in a variety of contexts.
A unitised qualification structure
In line with Welsh Government’s expectations, the double award has been designed as an ambitious and suitable course of study for the majority of learners, while the single award offers an alternative, more accessible route for learners who may benefit from focusing on a smaller volume of content over the duration of the course. However, both awards include content which is of the same level of demand and which supports progression to further study in this subject.
It is a unitised qualification meaning that learners can sit some of the units in their first year of study, instead of completing all units at the end of Year 11. This staged assessment means that the assessment load is spread out, supporting manageability for learners and centres. In addition, there are common units between the single and the double award, allowing centres the time to develop learners' skills and knowledge and make effective decisions about the most suitable qualification route for learners before they begin Year 11.
Increased flexibility
The new qualification provides opportunities for centres to tailor study to best suit their learners by offering greater flexibility and choice of texts.
Unit 3 allows centres to choose poets and poems that will encourage learners to explore the theme of ‘attitudes’. Centres are free to select different poems and/or poets for different groups of learners, according to their interests or needs. The autonomy offered here is designed to aid engagement by allowing learners to focus on issues and topics that are relevant to them.
Developing a sense of cynefin
The Curriculum for Wales places a strong emphasis on learners developing a sense of cynefin. In Unit 2, learners will study a free choice of visual text and discuss how it develops and communicates a sense of identity in either local or wider Welsh contexts. Centres could explore their own local ‘cynefin’ or choose to engage with and learn about different ‘identities’ within Wales, allowing learners to consider, or even reconsider, their own sense of Wales or Cymreictod (Welshness).
A broader range of assessment methods
The qualification has a greater proportion of non-examination assessment (NEA). Learners will be assessed via NEA in Units 2 and 3 in the single and double award, and Unit 5 in the double award. This allows for a wider range of assessment methods, including individual and group oracy tasks, designed to allow learners’ speaking skills in Cymraeg to be developed and assessed in a range of relevant and engaging contexts both literary, and non-literary.
This also supports flexibility, choice, and learner wellbeing, enabling schools to make choices which reflect their own curricula and cohort.
GCSE Core Cymraeg
This new qualification for learners educated in Category 1 schools (English medium schools) builds on the strengths of the recent reforms to the GCSE Welsh Second Language qualification and aims to develop learners who can use Cymraeg confidently and spontaneously in a range of everyday contexts. It retains a strong focus on developing speaking and listening skills with oracy assessments contributing to 50% of the qualification result. Within these assessments, learners will be given opportunities to develop their ability to understand, respond and communicate with each other in authentic and meaningful contexts.
To support the Curriculum for Wales, the qualification has been designed to include literature for the first time and learners will study two short stories and two poems. This ensures that all learners in Wales have an opportunity to engage with their Welsh literary and cultural heritage, regardless of their educational setting.
During the design stage, we considered the need for learners to engage with an appropriate range of written and literary forms which reflect the diverse nature of Welsh citizenship and its cultures. As a result, WJEC commissioned poems to ensure that there are engaging and accessible opportunities for learners to explore cross-cutting themes such as Relationships and Sexuality Education and Diversity, whilst developing their Cymraeg skills. This exciting new approach will help with progression to further study at AS and A level.
In order to aid manageability for centres, WJEC will release information in the first week of March, during the exam year, indicating which set text will be examined. One set text will be examined each year.
Learners will also have the opportunity to develop valuable skills for the future such as translanguaging, empowering them to see the relevance and the value of the Welsh language socially and in the world of work.
Level 2 Award in Additional Core Cymraeg
This brand-new qualification is specifically designed for learners who are progressing well in their study of GCSE Core Cymraeg and who are ready to further develop their use of Cymraeg in authentic and relevant contexts. It builds on the skills and knowledge developed in GCSE Core Cymraeg, including understanding of language and grammar.
The qualification aims to engage learners by providing flexibility for them to complete two NEAs, one in speaking and listening and one in reading and writing.
In the speaking and listening task, learners will have the opportunity to discuss contemporary topics of personal interest in a pair or group and interact with an external examiner. In the reading and writing task, learners will be able to choose a topic of personal interest linked to Cymraeg a fi (Cymraeg and me), again enabling a degree of flexibility and choice to allow learners to develop their Cymraeg skills in the context of what matters to them.
Progression to AS and A level
The new Cymraeg qualification offer has been designed to support learner progression to the new AS and A levels in Cymraeg or Core Cymraeg, which will be available from September 2027. We are currently consulting on design proposals for these qualifications.
You can read more about these exciting changes here.
Supporting centres through change
To ensure a smooth transition, WJEC has already delivered face-to-face and online professional learning opportunities to support delivery of the new specifications. WJEC is also releasing a comprehensive suite of digital resources this summer.
Teachers can catch up on the latest updates through WJEC’s specification briefings for these Cymraeg qualifications which can be found here.