Cymraeg and Core Cymraeg Foundation qualifications confirmed at Entry Level
Qualifications Wales has finalised the range of Cymraeg qualifications available for 14 to 16-year-olds as part of the new National Qualifications.
Following further engagement with teachers of Cymraeg across all educational settings earlier this year, we can confirm we will be developing Foundation qualifications in Cymraeg and Core Cymraeg at Entry Level.
These Foundation qualifications will support the full range of Cymraeg qualifications available to 14 to 16-year-olds as part of the new National Qualifications suite. The full range of Cymraeg qualifications will be:
- Entry Level Foundation in Cymraeg
- Entry Level Foundation in Core Cymraeg
- GCSE Cymraeg Language and Literature (available as a Single or Double Award*)
- GCSE Core Cymraeg (to replace the current GCSE Welsh Second Language)
- Level 2 Award in Additional Core Cymraeg (for learners in English-medium settings who are making good progress in their study of GCSE Core Cymraeg and who are ready to progress further along the Welsh language continuum)
The new Foundation qualifications will be available for first teaching from September 2027, while the GCSEs and Level 2 Award will be available for first teaching from September 2025.
Until the new Foundation qualifications are introduced, existing Entry Level Welsh qualifications will continue to be available.
Heidi Brown, Senior Qualifications Manager at Qualifications Wales, said: “We’re delighted to confirm the full suite of Cymraeg qualifications that will be available as part of the National Qualifications offer.
“We have had many conversations with key stakeholders and engaged with teachers from different educational settings to make sure that the new range of Cymraeg qualifications meets the needs of all learners. We’re confident that the new GCSEs in Cymraeg and Core Cymraeg will provide relevant and ambitious courses of study for the vast majority of learners, and that the Foundation qualifications will provide a suitable pathway for learners in a range of settings, as well as a small minority of learners in mainstream settings, who may not be ready to study a GCSE.
“We’re keen to play our part to meet the government’s Cymraeg 2050 strategy and support the Welsh Language and Education Bill, and we recognise that the opportunity to develop Cymraeg skills at a range of levels will help support all learners to progress in their Welsh language skills and contribute to the national ambition of increasing the number of Welsh speakers.”
*Expected route for the majority of learners