Qualifications Wales publishes a new guide to the National 14-16 Qualifications
Today, Qualifications Wales has published a comprehensive guide to support centres in Wales with their transition to the new National Qualifications.
The guide has been designed to help educational professionals understand the changes to qualifications provision for 14 to 16-year-olds from September 2025 and aid centres’ continuing preparation.
It also includes a toolkit to help centres communicate the new qualifications to learners, and their parents or carers, governors and other key local stakeholders.
The contents will be updated as new information becomes available, and Qualifications Wales will let educational colleagues know about these updates via its monthly newsletter.
Philip Blaker, Chief Executive at Qualifications Wales, said: “We know how challenging a period this is for heads, leaders, teachers and support staff who are working tirelessly to implement the infrastructure and carry out the preparation needed to deliver these new qualifications.
“We hope this guide will support educators with their National Qualifications preparation by bringing together lots of information which has been shared at different stages during this exciting period of qualification reform. It also includes new details which we hope will build teachers’ understanding of, and preparation for, the new qualifications.
“We’re now less than a year away from the first wave of new GCSEs being taught in schools and colleges, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with centres, WJEC and Welsh Government in the run up to this crucial moment in our journey to qualification reform.”
The guide explains how the National Qualifications support the Curriculum for Wales and Welsh Government’s learner entitlement for 14 to 16-year-olds. It also identifies opportunities for learners to engage with the curriculum’s areas of learning and experience, cross-cutting themes, cross-curricular and integral skills.
Details also include:
- what qualifications will be available on publicly-funded programmes of education, and when
- subjects and/or units available for each type of qualification
- assessment structures, including information regarding digital and non-examination assessments
- levels, guided learning hours and grading structures
- links to relevant approval criteria and specifications, all in one place