National Qualifications: made-for-Wales GCSEs arrive in Welsh classrooms

Executive Director of Policy and Reform, Jo Richards, revisits our seven-year journey to establish a set of nationally recognised 14 to 16 qualifications designed specifically for Wales.

Teachers across Wales are now delivering the first of the new National Qualifications, marking a major milestone in education reform for 14 to 16 learning.

The introduction of the Curriculum for Wales kickstarted the transformation of qualifications for learners. Teaching and learning has changed and qualifications are changing as well.

A teacher-led curriculum

The Curriculum for Wales represents a significant departure from the previous national curriculum in how knowledge, skills and experiences are structured and organised. Importantly, the curriculum now gives schools and colleges significantly more agency in how they design and deliver their own school-based curriculum.

Once all of the new qualifications have been introduced between now and 2027, there will be more approved made-for-Wales qualifications available in more subjects than ever before, giving schools, colleges and learners far greater choice in terms of the approved made-for-Wales offer.

The new qualifications are designed to reflect the prominence of digital technologies within the curriculum and give opportunities for schools and colleges to shape learning experiences to meet their learners needs and that have relevance in their local community.

Reforming qualifications alongside educators in Wales

When we began our journey to deliver a new suite of inclusive and cohesive qualifications in 2018, we wanted to do this in collaboration with teachers.

We set up more than 30 subject-specific working groups, which included subject teachers and leaders from across the profession. They shared their expertise and helped refine our thinking, providing the views and evidence which helped us establish an initial set of guiding principles and decide which subjects and units should be available within the GCSEs, VCSEs, Foundation qualifications and the Skills Suite.

The educator voice featured prominently in our consultations, with more than 75% of responses coming from educational professionals. We also reached thousands more professionals via our various reference groups, webinars and face-to-face activities.

There has also been extensive collaboration with further and higher education institutions, Welsh Government and other governmental bodies, awarding bodies, employers and representative groups.

Teacher input and feedback has been invaluable in securing a new set of qualifications that not only reflects classroom realities, but is also fit for purpose, creates pathways to success and effectively prepares young people for life, further learning and work.

Keeping learners at the heart of qualifications reform

Young people in Wales have also been part of shaping the new qualifications.

Members of our learner panel have made their peers’ voices heard throughout the process, providing constructive feedback on proposals and insight into the kinds of skills and experiences they would like to learn and have at school.

We conducted workshops and focus groups across Wales and delivered a dedicated learner survey, reaching more than 1,200 learners from mainstream English-medium, Welsh-medium and faith schools, special educational needs schools, further education colleges, pupil referral units, home learners, and more.

Learners’ input and insight has been important to us and is reflected in some of the decisions we have made. For example, the new qualifications go beyond traditional assessment methods and include non-examination assessment, portfolio work, performances and practical assessments, as well as other forms of digital assessment.

What’s coming up next?

We have two more waves of National Qualifications coming in September 2026 and September 2027.

Next year will see the second wave of GCSEs and Level 2 qualifications being introduced in schools, and WJEC will be publishing the final specifications for these subjects at the end of September 2025.

We're also finalising our approval of the awarding bodies developing the VCSE, Foundation and Skills Suite qualifications coming in September 2027, and we look forward to keeping you updated on this progress.

As Wales embarks on this new chapter in education, these National Qualifications offer a range of routes to provide opportunities for all learners to demonstrate their strengths and progress into further education or employment.

We want to thank everyone who has been involved over the past seven years and helped shape this exciting new suite of qualifications.