Letter to learners from Qualifications Wales

Letter to all learners in Y11 from Qualifications Wales, please note we have had to change the formatting to add the letter to the website.

Dear Learner,

                      GCSE and AS/A level, Vocational qualifications, what should you do now?

If you haven’t heard of us before, Qualifications Wales make sure that qualifications in Wales are the best they can be for learners and we make sure that those who create exams and assessments, such as the WJEC, create exams and assessments in an appropriate way and to a high standard.

What’s changing?

Following the First Minister’s announcement today (8 January 2021) that most learners will continue to learn remotely until 29 January or possibly even February half term, Qualifications Wales is announcing that the spring internal assessment window for GCSE, AS, and A level, which were planned to take place between 22 February and 23 April, will not take place and new arrangements will be made.

This was a new assessment window that was announced before Christmas as part of new arrangements to award these qualifications in Summer 2021. Why is it changing? We’ve decided to do this because we don’t think you will have enough time with your teachers or lecturers to prepare for these assessments.

How is it changing? We are working with a group of head teachers and college leaders, set up by the Minister for Education, Kirsty Williams, called the Design and Delivery Advisory Group (DDAG). This group will now be considering the way forward and more detailed information about revised arrangements will be made available shortly.

The assessments for some vocational qualifications are still available this January for those who are ready and able to take them. If you can’t sit your exams now, you will have the opportunity to be assessed in the summer. Support We know you may be anxious about what it means for you and you want to have clarity on how and when you will be assessed as soon as possible.

We will publish more information as soon as we can. We’ll make sure that the changes will mean you’ll have a fair chance to gain your qualifications this year – this is our focus. In the meantime, if you are concerned about any of this please do discuss with your school, college or wherever you get your education.

We will be providing regular updates on our website, if you have any specific questions, contact us via email on communications@qualificationswales.org.

Yours sincerely

 Philip Blaker

Chief Executive Qualifications Wales