Delivering a national qualifications system for Wales Owen Evans Director General, Department for Education and Skills, Welsh Government Kate Crabtree Head of Qualifications and Regulation Division, Welsh Government

Review launched September 2011 Concerns: complexity, clarity, relevance, value, progression Independent Review Board Evidence-based Stakeholder engagement Reported November 2012 with 42 recommendations All recommendations accepted by January 2013 Background: Review of Qualifications

Qualifications that are understood and valued and meet the needs of our young people and the Welsh economy Vision

A national qualification system for Wales Independent, rigorous quality assurance Meet the needs of all learners, and our economy Broad and balanced education 14 to 16 Coherent programmes of learning 16 to 19 Literacy and numeracy are central Portable qualifications, internationally respected Build on strengths, steady pace, listen to evidence and stakeholders Principles

Establish Qualifications Wales Rigorous new Welsh Bac with focus on skills GCSEs to continue New GCSEs to assess literacy and numeracy A levels to continue – with coupled AS level Vocational qualifications – new categorisation, stronger gatekeeping Changes to performance measurement Major communications campaign – awareness and confidence Key changes

New independent body Emphasis on quality assurance and improvement In time, awarding most qualifications 14-16, most AS and A levels, Welsh Baccalaureate Providing information and advice to stakeholders and Welsh Government Aim to simplify the system and strengthen confidence and understanding Qualifications Wales: What’s changing?

Consultation ‘Our Qualifications – Our Future’ – runs to 20 December Officials analyse responses to consultation with a view to the Welsh Government bringing forward legislation Subject to legislation passing all the Assembly’s scrutiny processes, the intention is: Organisation to be established September 2015 Qualifications Wales: When?

Strong focus on skills for learning and work Revised, more rigorous model: –grading –more demanding individual project Literacy and numeracy assessed through new GCSEs Skills assessed through ‘Challenges’ – same skills as in Curriculum Review No requirement to take Essential Skills Wales qualifications Universal adoption at Welsh Baccalaureate: What’s changing?

Literacy Numeracy Planning and organising Personal effectiveness Critical thinking and problem solving Creativity and innovation Digital literacy Welsh Baccalaureate: Skills

Grading introduced this year at Advanced Level Steering group and working groups advised on new model High level model developed and agreed Stakeholder survey is live – runs to 20 December 2013 Next phase: detailed development, workforce/support/CPD Specifications available autumn 2014 First teaching of new model September 2015 Evaluation of new model from 2016 Welsh Baccalaureate: When?

Adopt European categories: –Initial or Continuing Vocational Education and Training (IVETs/CVETs) –Only IVETs available pre-16 –Develop new generic IVETs for KS4 Stronger gatekeeping –Relevance, value, purpose, progression –Sector bodies to do relevance checks Welsh Bac model gives equal status Vocational Qualifications: What’s changing?

IVETs/CVETs categorisation is complete Only IVETs will be available pre-16 from 2014 Gatekeeping – DfES/Awarding Organisation Liaison Group set up Pilot Sector Qualifications Advisory Panels being established The Panels will consider the need for generic IVETs Vocational Qualifications: When?

Revised GCSEs in English Language and Welsh (first) Language - greater assurance of literacy Two new maths GCSEs – greater assurance of numeracy Close links with LNF – progression from KS3 expectations New GCSEs in other subjects to incorporate subject-specific literacy and numeracy Move towards a single suite – one specification per subject But we will: Keep GCSEs – and modular courses where appropriate Allow controlled assessment, tiering, short courses – where justified GCSEs: What’s changing?

Strategy and subject planning groups set up First new GCSEs being developed with expert groups Draft design principles developed for new GCSEs Stakeholder survey now live – runs to 20 December 2013 Further development and consultation 2014 Specifications available autumn 2014 Resources and CPD available from 2014 GCSEs: When?

First teaching of new English/Welsh and Maths GCSEs 2015 Next tranche of revised GCSEs taught from September 2016 (final list to be agreed) GCSEs: When?

New content for many A levels from 2015 (Wales, England and Northern Ireland) While content will be the same as England and Northern Ireland where possible, we will allow variation to meet needs in Wales One re-sit per module with the best mark counting But we will: Keep A levels Keep AS levels as coupled qualifications Review relative weightings of the AS and A2 components of A levels A levels: What’s changing?

Strategy group set up Policy announced – re-sits, January assessment, AS level Stakeholder survey now live – runs to 20 December No January assessment opportunities for AS or A levels after January 2014 Challenging timetable for A level redevelopment for 2015 across UK Aim to have revised specifications available autumn 2014 Resources and CPD available from autumn 2014 A levels: When?

Essential Skills Wales qualifications will not –be used pre-16 (except Entry level) –be required for the Welsh Baccalaureate New revised Essential Skills qualifications will –be available post-16 –include new Digital literacy qualifications –include new employability skills (old Wider Key Skills) –have more robust assessment Essential Skills: What’s changing?

Comparison of range of skills frameworks is complete Set of skills areas developed – aligned with curriculum review proposals Same set of skills to form core of Welsh Bac Development of new suites of qualifications underway Steering group and working groups are advising New qualifications to be trialled 2014 New qualifications to be available for use 2015 Essential Skills: When?

Key stage 4 –No qualification worth more than 2 GCSEs –Welsh Bac measures to replace threshold measures –Further work to consider measures and their use/weighting in reporting, etc. –Early entry issues to be addressed Post-16 –Consistent measures across sectors Measurement of Performance: What’s changing?

Working group set up Some changes announced for reporting Further development work 2014 Announcement of outcome by summer 2014 New equivalences for reporting 2016 (2 GCSEs max) Welsh Bac measures introduced, reporting 2017 Post-16 measures to be considered through project to develop consistent measures across sectors Measurement of Performance: When?

Analyse survey and consultation responses Roadshows for managers, spring 2014 Development of specifications Development of CPD/teaching/resources/support Analysis of workforce implications CPD materials and events from autumn 2014 Next steps

Further information available on the new website Further information