Hope that you are all well and are continuing to engage daily with the work set by your teachers.
Please see below the latest information released by Kirsty Williams and WJEC.
As we get more information, we will update you accordingly.
Today, the Minister for Education, Kirsty Williams, has announced the approach for the awarding of GCSEs in summer 2021. The Minister has decided that there will be no end of year exams for learners taking GCSEs.
In her statement, the Minister is proposing:
- that in place of exams, the Welsh Government intends to work with schools and colleges to take forward teacher-managed assessments,
- that this should include assessments that will be externally set and marked but delivered within a classroom environment under teacher supervision,
- her expectation is that this work will form the basis for centre-based outcomes which will be linked to an agreed national approach to provide consistency across Wales.
WJEC have said that they understand the unparalleled challenges facing teachers in Wales and recognise the considerable impact the current situation continues to have on learners due to complete qualifications next summer.
Their role will be to work closely with school and college leaders, supported by Welsh Government and advised by Qualifications Wales to ensure that qualification grades continue to be valid, accurate, and fair to learners.
It’s essential that learners are awarded with qualifications that enable them to progress to the next level and are of equal value to GCSEs and A levels being taken by learners in England and Northern Ireland.
Committed to maintaining the highest standards, we will continue to work closely with Qualifications Wales to ensure that the qualifications we award next summer are fully aligned to their regulatory requirements.
Once the final decision has been confirmed, our teams will be on hand over the coming weeks to provide teachers with a comprehensive package of training and resources to support them during the busy year ahead.
We appreciate your continued patience during this time and will keep you updated as soon as information becomes available to us.
