Following the November 2012 publication of the Wales Qualification Review (WQR) recommendations, this is a summary of what they mean for the pre- and post-16 curriculum in Wales, including GCSEs, BTECs and skills qualifications.

What’s happening now?
The WQR recommendations are currently under review with the Minister and we anticipate a response before spring half term 2013. We will contact schools and colleges in Wales, at that point, with more information.

How will the WQR affect 2013-14 curriculum planning?
We fully understand that Welsh schools and colleges are in the process of developing their curriculum planning and options booklets for September 2013. We’ve summarised our understanding of the current situation for each area of the curriculum:

GCSE and general qualifications
This academic year it will be business as usual; schools and colleges can continue to offer all their existing general qualifications (including GCSE and A Level) in the 2012-13 and 2013-14 academic years. As we announced earlier in 2012, our GCSEs are now only available as linear qualifications, and we are no longer offering modular GCSEs. The recommendations do propose some future changes to the range of general qualifications available in Wales, and we will update you on final decisions and timelines in the new year.

Vocational qualifications and BTEC
Although we can be confident that BTEC courses will remain available to learners in Wales this academic year, we are awaiting confirmation from the Welsh Government of their preferred versions for teaching from September 2013.

Extensions to the existing BTEC qualifications - We are currently extending our BTEC qualifications on the QCF, including BTEC Firsts and Nationals - you can see a complete list of extension dates.

Next generation BTEC Firsts - Our new next generation BTEC First qualifications are under consideration for the Database of Accredited Qualifications in Wales (DAQW) for teaching pre-16 – here’s the latest situation at a glance:

Edexcel BTEC Level 1 / Level 2 Firsts and the Database of Accredited Qualifications in Wales (DAQW)

We will send an update as soon as we have confirmation of DAQW status for all qualifications still under consideration or in development.

IVETS and BTECs - The Review also discusses the qualifications categories defined by the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, and indicates that all vocational qualifications in Wales will be categorised using these guidelines. Initial Vocational Education and Training (IVETs) are defined as general or vocational education and training carried out in the initial education system, usually before entering working life, and all vocational qualifications delivered to 14-16 year olds in Wales would fall into this category. We are seeking final confirmation that our BTECs do qualify as IVETs and will update you in the new year.

Skills qualifications - Schools and colleges registered on Essential Skills Wales qualifications can carry on with their existing teaching plans for this academic year. The Minister will be considering some changes to the skills portfolio in Wales and, again, we will update you on this once we know more in 2013.

Next Steps
While all awarding organisations are waiting to hear a response from the Minister and next steps from the regulators, we will keep Welsh schools and colleges up to date with the latest news. If you need any further support, in the meantime, please contact us.