14 to 16 learning guidance

Information on its legal status can be found in the Introduction to the Curriculum for Wales guidance.

It is aimed at headteachers of maintained schools, including maintained special schools. It may also be helpful for a teacher in charge of a pupil referral unit (PRU) and its management committee to refer to the principles when designing their curriculum. The curriculum requirements for PRUs are different to maintained schools.

This section of the guidance is intended to support practitioners to design, implement and review an inclusive curriculum for learners in Years 10 and 11 as part of the 3 to 16 curriculum, taking into account the needs of all learners. It provides a reference point when reviewing the effectiveness of a school’s curriculum for Years 10 and 11. It should be used as a basis for professional discussions and learning within and between schools to support reflection, self-evaluation and improvement.

Designing a curriculum for learners aged 14 to 16

The Curriculum for Wales is designed to support a coherent continuum of progression from 3 to 16 with all learners progressing and developing in ways described by the four purposes of the curriculum.

The Summary of legislation section of the Curriculum for Wales guidance sets out the curriculum design requirements on schools.

The legal requirements for a curriculum for learners aged 14 to 16 are different to those for a curriculum for learners aged 3 to 14. This is to take account of the choices that learners make around some of the courses of study that lead to qualifications.

The difference for learners in Years 10 and 11, as distinct from learners aged 3 to 14, is that while learning and teaching must be secured in each area of learning and experience (Area), this does not require learning within each statement of what matters in each Area. However, all Areas need to form part of the curriculum for learners in Years 10 and 11.

All learning and teaching undertaken within Years 10 and 11 should be planned, designed, reviewed and refined in accordance with the Curriculum for Wales guidance. Schools should apply the principles of curriculum design to any learning experiences, including any learning that contributes to achieving a qualification. Key to this will be high-quality teaching and informed pedagogical decisions which reflect the 12 pedagogical principles.

Practitioners should continue to consider the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ of learning when designing their curriculum and choosing their pedagogical approaches, ensuring that learning experiences are engaging and relevant to their learners. The principles of progression can help to frame progression which practitioners and leaders should focus on, and be interested in:

increasing effectiveness as learners
increasing breadth and depth of knowledge
deepening understanding of the ideas and disciplines within the Areas
refinement and growing sophistication in the use and application of skills
making connections and transferring learning into new contexts

Particularly within Years 10 and 11, learners’ experiences can often be influenced by assessment, especially as part of a qualification. Schools should ensure that the Supporting learner progression: assessment guidance continues to form the basis of their assessment arrangements along the 3 to 16 continuum.

Assessment designed to support individual learners on an ongoing basis and that is used to identify, capture and reflect on individual learner progress can contribute significantly to the mental, emotional and social well-being of all learners. Practical advice for schools on this can be found in Learner well-being and assessment: mutual support systems. It encourages practitioners to plan assessment in ways that enhance opportunities to foster learner well-being through a focus on developing their affiliation, autonomy and agency. Ensuring a whole-school approach of this nature can encourage practitioners to consider the way they design their curriculum and assessment, particularly when dealing with external specifications for qualifications.

Studying for qualifications other than in Years 10 and 11

The Curriculum for Wales guidance is clear in respect of progression in learning along the 3 to 16 continuum as well as the expected breadth of that learning. It is essential that schools develop their curriculum arrangements to reflect that progression and breadth in learning, allowing appropriate space and time, up to and including Year 9, for that to happen across all statements of what matters. It would not be appropriate for schools to commence courses that lead to qualifications earlier than in Year 10 where this requires the school to narrow the curriculum for younger learners. This could prevent learners below Year 10 from learning across all of the statements of what matters, alongside other mandatory aspects of learning and teaching.

The 14 to 16 learner entitlement

A school’s curriculum offer in Years 10 and 11 must provide learners with a broad and balanced profile of learning and experiences and should be designed with reference to the 4 components of the 14 to 16 learner entitlement:

Reflections on learning and progress and post-16 planning.
Qualifications in literacy and numeracy.
Qualifications to encourage breadth.
Wider learning and experiences across the curriculum.

A school should ensure that all its learners are able to demonstrate and communicate their learning, progress and achievements in respect of all 4 components of the learner entitlement when they complete compulsory education at age 16. For individual learners, their learner entitlement will be made up of a variety of different learning, experiences and achievements across these components. Information and evidence relating to this should be used to inform schools’ self-evaluation and improvement processes.

Schools should organise their curriculum time and resources around the 4 components of the learner entitlement. The diagram below shows that the 4 components are not mutually exclusive and are interrelated in nature. Learners will encounter learning and experiences across the curriculum and should be able to draw on it all as they reflect on their progress and achievements, and plan for post-16 transition. Practitioners should be encouraged to see their contribution to the whole, rather than to view their role in isolation in delivering one aspect of the curriculum. This can be achieved through a focus on effective curriculum design and high-quality teaching.

The 4 components

Reflections on learning and progress and post-16 planning

This component of the learner entitlement is an offer of dedicated curriculum time for learners to reflect on their progress and plan for post-16.

This component should encompass all the learning and experiences that a learner encounters within their 14 to 16 journey. It should allow learners to reflect on their learning and progression across the curriculum as they seek to draw on their strengths and plan for progression.

The dedicated curriculum time required as part of this component should be focused on supporting individuals to develop their effectiveness as learners. Learners should be given support and be challenged to think about their strengths, areas for improvement, goals and ambitions, ensuring that they are motivated and are setting themselves high standards. It will also allow learners to consider and be supported with planning their post-16 next steps. This can provide an opportunity for schools to provide more tailored and specific careers and work-related experiences (CWRE) within Years 10 and 11.

Qualifications in literacy and numeracy

This component of the learner entitlement is an offer of appropriate, challenging and ambitious qualifications in literacy and numeracy where all learners need to demonstrate their attainment to facilitate successful onward progression.

This component recognises the importance of obtaining qualifications in literacy and numeracy for all aspects of education, work and life, and for their post-16 transitions.

Qualifications to encourage breadth

This component of the learner entitlement is an offer of a wider set of qualifications from which learners can choose, as they begin to specialise. It supports progress in learning and future career pathways but also maintains a breadth of learning.

Schools should offer broad and balanced choices that reflect the needs and contexts of their learners. This should include general, vocational and skills-based qualifications at all appropriate qualification levels.

To allow schools to broaden the curriculum offer available to their learners, exploring opportunities for partnership working with other schools and colleges is encouraged where this is in the best interests of learners.

Wider learning and experiences across the curriculum

This component of the learner entitlement is an offer of a breadth of learning opportunities that develop knowledge and skills, and provide experiences across the curriculum.

Schools must ensure that all learners, no matter their choices of qualifications, secure some learning in all Areas and in all mandatory elements of the curriculum (including relationships and sexuality education (RSE) and religion, values and ethics (RVE)).

Not all of the learning and experiences within Years 10 and 11 need result in a formal qualification. However, schools may wish to provide courses of study that lead to a qualification to support learner progress. Where schools do want to use qualifications to support curriculum provision of wider learning and experiences, they are encouraged to continue to use the Skills Challenge Certificate (SCC) up to September 2027. This is when the Skills Suite (comprising skills for life and work qualifications and the personal project) will replace the SCC and will continue to provide support for this provision.

Within this component, schools should provide all their learners with an opportunity (and associated curriculum time and support) for more independent learning. Courses, such as the SCC individual project, or from 2027 the personal project, can be used by schools to support learning of this nature. For a small proportion of learners, this type of extended independent task may not be appropriate. Schools will be best placed to make that decision and will ultimately be responsible for it. Schools will need to consider a range of factors including what is the best interests of the learners and any views expressed by the learners and their parents or carers. It is vital that this wider learning contributes to a learner’s progress toward the four purposes of the curriculum.

Designing the 14 to 16 curriculum offer

Increasing learner effectiveness: supporting reflections on learning and progress and post-16 planning

Developing the effectiveness of our learners as they progress in the ways described in the four purposes of the curriculum is fundamental and forms part of the mandatory principles of progression.

During Years 10 and 11 continuing to make progress in their effectiveness as learners will be essential. This will support learners to reflect on their learning and progress, and consider and make decisions in respect of their next steps and post-16 planning. It should also allow learners and practitioners to gain a better understanding of their learning as a whole as they consider their strengths, needs, behaviours and responsibilities as learners. Learners who are more aware of their effectiveness and are making progress in this regard will be better equipped to learn and make progress across the curriculum.

In the context of the ‘Reflections on learning and progress and post-16 planning’ component of the learner entitlement, schools should consider how learners are:

becoming increasingly effective as learners in social and work-related contexts
becoming more able to identify appropriate support with increasing independence
developing increasingly successful approaches to self-evaluation and identification of their next steps (in learning and beyond)
developing more effective means of self-regulation

Schools should allocate appropriate curriculum time for learners to reflect on their learning and their progress as learners. They should also allow time for learners to consider their next steps, including time to explore and plan for post-16 transition. It is important that learners have dedicated time and are supported to consider the full range of options available to them post-16. This could include, but is not limited to, continuing education at school, at a college or taking up an apprenticeship.

Schools should ensure that learners are supported to reflect on their strengths and areas for improvement as individuals, across their learning, which might include:

consideration of requirements for post-16 pathways (in terms of qualifications, skills, attributes and characteristics)
undertaking a balanced options analysis for post-16 pathways, ensuring that learners are fully advised and able to make informed decisions (for example having sufficient information around the options available at further education institutions and other post-16 providers)
identifying areas where learners need additional support or challenge in respect of the above, and setting a clear plan for progress
building a holistic picture and understanding of their learning, progression and achievements, and considering how these will support them in the future
reflecting on aspects of their learning within certain disciplines, and considering how these might link with other learning and experiences (in and outside school)
reflecting on aspects of their lives outside school and considering things that help or hinder their progress
providing opportunities for them to showcase and reflect upon their learning and achievements from outside as well as in school (for example sporting or musical achievements, Duke of Edinburgh awards, characteristics or skills developed as a result of personal circumstances such as being a home carer)

The Careers and work-related experiences (CWRE) section of the Curriculum for Wales guidance outlines some of the key aspects of support, advice, learning and experiences that learners will require for work and for post-16 next steps.

Learners (in schools and PRUs) who are over compulsory school age must be provided with a course of careers education. In addition, they must be provided with access to both guidance materials and a wide range of up-to-date reference materials relating to careers education and career opportunities. This duty can be satisfied by ensuring access to information through Careers Wales. Careers Wales can also support ‘Reflections on learning and progress and post-16 planning’ component of the learner entitlement by offering support in developing the CWRE element of the curriculum along with supporting schools to achieve the Careers Wales Quality Award. They can also facilitate employer engagement activities.

Ensuring a broad offer of qualifications, learning and experiences to support learner pathways

While learning and teaching must be secured in each Area for learners in Years 10 and 11, this does not require learning within each statement of what matters in each Area (which is different for learners up to and including Year 9). All Areas need to form part of the curriculum for learners in Years 10 and 11, whether they take a qualification related to that Area or not.

GCSE qualifications have been reformed in recognition of the Curriculum for Wales. Learners who have been learning under the Curriculum for Wales should, wherever possible, be studying for reformed qualifications. This means that learners who will begin Year 10 in September 2025 should be choosing from the Made-for-Wales GCSE offer rather than the legacy qualifications they are replacing. The same principle applies for Year 10 learners in September 2026, when further reformed Made-for-Wales GCSEs, including GCSE The Sciences (double award), will become available. From September 2027, all learners should be making their qualification choices from the National 14 to 16 Qualifications offer (as well as any qualifications that may be designated for 14 to 16-year-olds under Qualifications Wales’ revised designation policy). It is acknowledged that, outside of the GCSE offer, schools will continue to offer learners existing qualifications that are designated as eligible for use on publicly funded courses for 14 to 16-year-olds until the full range of National 14 to 16 Qualifications is available from September 2027.

Schools will need to make decisions on the most appropriate qualifications for each individual learner. What is appropriate will vary from learner to learner, and considerations will include whether the qualification is sufficiently challenging, ambitious and stretching. Schools will need to take account of a range of factors including:

the views of learners and their parents or carers
the best interests of the learner
prior learning
aspirations and pathways

Welsh Baccalaureate

The aggregated qualification known as the Welsh Baccalaureate will end in the summer of 2026 (final award). Learners who begin Year 10 from 2025 onwards will not be able to complete the Welsh Baccalaureate. The Skills Challenge Certificate (SCC) will continue to be available for learners starting Year 10 in 2025 and 2026.

Securing learning in each Area

The learner entitlement is designed to support schools in securing learning and teaching across all Areas, and to satisfy their mandatory curriculum obligations. As such, securing learning can take place across all 4 components of the learner entitlement.

When schools consider their approach to securing learning in all Areas, their curriculum and assessment arrangements must allow for learners to make appropriate progression in accordance with the mandatory principles of progression. Schools should also design learning and experiences that:

draw on knowledge and skills from a breadth of statements of what matters in each Area
capture the broad aims of each Area as described in the ‘Introduction’ section for each Area

Whether a learner completes a qualification in an Area or not, when securing learning in each Area, the learning is expected to:

be meaningful in order to allow learners to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding
support progression in the capacities, dispositions and characteristics set out in the four purposes of the curriculum
challenge learners and enable them to make progress in that Area
include a number of learning experiences over the breadth of Years 10 and 11 rather than providing a one-off experience

In securing learning across the curriculum, schools will need to take into account a range of factors including the views of the learner and their parents or carers and the best interests of the learner. An important factor will be the demands of completing qualifications. Where opportunities for learning that leads to a qualification in an Area are not available or not taken by individual learners, opportunities to secure learning in the Area can be offered within the ‘Wider learning and experiences across the curriculum’ component of the learner entitlement and through opportunities for interdisciplinary learning experiences. Where possible, schools are advised to consider opportunities to develop interdisciplinary learning experiences that contribute towards learners securing learning in more than one Area. This could also involve exploring opportunities where learning in one Area (either as part of a qualification or otherwise) can be built upon or expanded to support securing learning in another Area. Here, the time learners are given to reflect on their learning will be of benefit, and practitioners can support that process of making connections between different aspects of learning and experiences.

Languages, Literacy, and Communication

The Languages, Literacy and Communication Area of Learning and Experience supports learning across the whole curriculum. It aims to enable learners to gain knowledge and skills in Welsh, English and international languages, including in literature.

As a cross-curricular skill, literacy should feature across the whole of a learner’s curriculum and all practitioners should be supporting their progress in that regard.

Welsh

Welsh is a mandatory part of the curriculum for all school years, including Years 10 and 11. All learners should be supported to make continuous progress in their learning and using the Welsh language during these years. Qualifications have an important role to play in supporting schools to fulfil this requirement, in a way that builds on learners’ prior learning.

As part of the ‘Qualifications in literacy and numeracy’ component of the learner entitlement, in Years 10 and 11 learning and teaching for all learners in Category 3 Welsh-medium schools, and those learners in Category 2 dual language schools who have been taught predominantly in Welsh up to the end of Year 9, should lead to a challenging, ambitious and stretching qualification in Welsh.

The Made-for-Wales GCSE suite of qualifications offers an integrated GCSE double and single award in Cymraeg Language and Literature.

The double award has been introduced to provide the most appropriate qualification for most learners in these schools.
The single award provides an alternative route for the small proportion of learners who would benefit from undertaking a smaller qualification than the double award, given their particular circumstances.

Learners who previously would have been expected to study for the GCSE Welsh Language qualification should study the GCSE Cymraeg Language and Literature single or double award.

New joiners to Category 3 Welsh-medium schools, who have not previously been educated in a Welsh-medium school or setting, should be provided with an opportunity to attend a late immersion centre to enable them to access learning as well as gaining an appropriate qualification in Cymraeg Language and Literature.

Learners in Category 3 Welsh-medium schools and those in Category 2 dual language schools who have been taught predominantly in Welsh, who begin Year 10 in 2025 and 2026 and who are not ready to access either the single or double award GCSE Cymraeg Language and Literature, should follow the Entry Level Welsh qualification.

For Category 1 English-medium schools and for learners in Category 2 dual language schools learning in English, the Made-for-Wales GCSE suite of qualifications offers GCSE Core Cymraeg to ensure that all learners can continue to make progress and gain a qualification at 16 in Welsh. The GCSE Core Cymraeg qualification has been introduced in place of the previous GCSE Welsh Second Language to reflect the aspirations of the Curriculum for Wales and to provide an appropriate, suitably challenging and ambitious qualification for learners in these schools.

In addition to the main GCSE Core Cymraeg, the Level 2 Award in Additional Core Cymraeg has been introduced for learners who are progressing further in learning and using Welsh. It is not an alternative to GCSE Core Cymraeg and learners should not be entered for the Level 2 Award in Additional Core Cymraeg qualification unless they have undertaken the GCSE Core Cymraeg qualification or they are undertaking the qualifications in parallel.

Learners who move to Category 1 English-medium schools, who have been taught predominantly in Welsh up to the end of Year 9, should have an opportunity and be encouraged to complete the GCSE Cymraeg Language and Literature double or single award.

The GCSE Core Cymraeg and Level 2 Award in Additional Core Cymraeg qualifications should not be available to learners who have previously followed a Welsh first language programme of study up to the end of Year 9. These learners will only be permitted to enter GCSE Core Cymraeg and Level 2 Award in Additional Core Cymraeg in exceptional circumstances and where their schools can evidence that they represent the most suitable qualifications for them to make progress in their Welsh language learning.

Further guidance on designing a curriculum that supports progression in Welsh in English-medium education is available within the Languages, Literacy and Communication Area of Learning and Experience.

Schools in all 3 language categories will need to consider how they will ensure all learners are challenged and are making suitable progress in their Welsh language learning in line with their local authority’s Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP), by increasing or strengthening Welsh language learning and teaching as well as broadening opportunities to learn and use Welsh beyond the classroom through Siarter Iaith and Cymraeg Campus, a programme for learners who learn Welsh in English-medium schools.

English

As part of the ‘Qualifications in literacy and numeracy’ component of the learner entitlement, in Years 10 and 11 schools should ensure all learners follow a challenging, ambitious and stretching course that leads to a qualification in English. This will allow schools to satisfy the requirement to include this subject as a mandatory part of their curriculum and to support learners’ future transitions.

The Made-for-Wales GCSE suite of qualifications offers an integrated GCSE double award and single award in English Language and Literature.

The double award has been introduced to provide the most appropriate qualification for most learners and should be offered by all schools.
The single award provides an alternative route for the small proportion of learners who would benefit from undertaking a smaller qualification than the double award, given their particular circumstances.

Learners who begin Year 10 in 2025 and 2026 and who are not ready to access either the single or double award GCSE English Language and Literature should follow an Entry Level English qualification. As part of the range of National 14 to 16 Qualifications, from 2027, alongside the English GCSEs, there will be a Foundation qualification in English that spans Entry Level and Level 1, providing an alternative route to a literacy qualification for some learners.

International languages

Some learners will choose to follow qualifications in one or more international language. Schools should ensure that this option is available to learners in Years 10 and 11 within the ‘Qualifications to encourage breadth’ component of the learner entitlement.

Where learners do not choose to follow a qualification in an international language, schools are encouraged to provide learners with opportunities to continue their progression in this regard within the ‘Wider learning and experiences across the curriculum’ component of the learner entitlement.

Mathematics and Numeracy

The Mathematics and Numeracy Area of Learning and Experience underpins many aspects of our daily lives and is essential for progress across Areas.

As a cross-curricular skill, numeracy should feature across a learner’s curriculum and all practitioners should be supporting their progress in that regard.

As part of the ‘Qualifications in literacy and numeracy’ component of the learner entitlement, in Years 10 and 11 schools should ensure all learners follow a challenging, ambitious and stretching course that leads to a qualification in this Area. This will allow schools to satisfy the requirement to include this subject as a mandatory part of their curriculum and to support learners’ future transitions.

The Made-for-Wales GCSE suite of qualifications offers double award GCSE Mathematics and Numeracy. This double award has been introduced to provide the most appropriate qualification for most learners. It will continue to be a tiered qualification (with foundation and higher tiers) so that schools can enter learners at the most suitable tier for their individual needs. From 2026, there will also be a Level 2 Additional Mathematics qualification available. It is designed to build on the learning from GCSE Mathematics and Numeracy, and to provide additional stretch and challenge for learners with the ability or interest to develop their mathematical skills further.

Learners who begin in Year 10 in 2025 and 2026 and who are not ready to access the double award GCSE Mathematics and Numeracy should follow an Entry Level qualification relating to mathematics and numeracy. As part of the National 14 to 16 Qualifications, from 2027, alongside the GCSE, there will be a Foundation qualification in mathematics and numeracy that spans Entry Level and Level 1, providing an alternative route to a numeracy qualification for some learners.

Science and Technology

The Science and Technology Area of Learning and Experience is hugely important in developing an understanding of our modern world with developments in science and technology being drivers of change in society, underpinning innovation, and affecting everyone’s lives economically, culturally and environmentally.

Within the ‘Qualifications to encourage breadth’ component of the learner entitlement, schools should offer a range of ambitious and sufficiently challenging courses that lead to qualifications in this Area. This extends to qualifications in computation and digital technology.

As a cross-curricular skill, digital competence should feature across a learner’s curriculum and all practitioners should be supporting their progress in that regard.

All learners should have the opportunity to acquire an ambitious qualification in the sciences to support their future transitions. In Years 10 and 11, schools should ensure all learners follow a challenging, ambitious and stretching course that leads to a qualification in the sciences.

From 2026 the Made-for-Wales GCSE suite of qualifications will offer GCSE The Sciences (double award). GCSE The Sciences is being introduced to provide the most appropriate qualification for most learners and should be offered by all schools. It will be a tiered qualification (with foundation and higher tiers) so that schools can enter learners at the most suitable tier for their individual needs. Schools should support all learners who wish to undertake GCSE The Sciences to do so, where this is in their best interests.

There will also be an integrated science (single award) GCSE. This will provide an alternative route for the small proportion of learners who would benefit from undertaking a smaller science qualification than GCSE The Sciences, given their particular circumstances. This single award qualification is not designed to support progression to GCE Sciences (AS and A level).

Until the introduction of these qualifications in September 2026, schools should continue to use the existing suite of science qualifications to support learners’ progression and future transitions in the sciences.

Expressive Arts

The Expressive Arts Area of Learning and Experience is designed to engage, motivate and encourage learners to develop their creative, artistic and performance skills to the full.

Within the ‘Qualifications to encourage breadth’ component of the learner entitlement, schools are advised to offer a range of learning that leads to qualifications within this Area.

Whether or not a learner follows a course that leads to a qualification in an expressive arts subject or discipline, it is vital that all learners are given opportunities to make progress towards the four purposes of the curriculum through learning and experiences in this Area. Such opportunities may be planned as learning provided discretely or embedded within wider learning, and would form part of the ‘Wider learning and experiences across the curriculum’ component of the learner entitlement.

Health and Well-being

The Health and Well-being Area of Learning and Experience is concerned with developing the capacity of learners to navigate life’s opportunities and challenges. The fundamental components of this Area are physical health and development, mental health, and emotional and social well-being. Learners should be supported to understand how the different components of health and well-being are interconnected. Good health and well-being are important to enable successful learning.

Within the ‘Qualifications to encourage breadth’ component of the learner entitlement, schools are advised to offer a range of qualifications within this Area.

For the purposes of securing learning, this Area includes a broad range of learning that is critical to enable all learners to develop in the ways described in the four purposes of the curriculum and to their wider progression. Learning and opportunities may be planned and provided discretely through being embedded within wider learning, or offered within the ‘Wider learning and experiences across the curriculum’ component of the learner entitlement.

In addition to a whole-school approach to learner well-being, schools are expected to include within their curriculum:

at least weekly opportunities for learners to enjoy and develop their abilities in physical activities
regular and consistent opportunities for learners to support their mental health, emotional well-being and relationships
opportunities for learners to learn about, and develop positive behaviours around, other aspects of each of the statements of what matters

Separate to the requirement to secure learning in this Area, schools must continue to provide learning in relationships and sexuality education (RSE) for all learners in Years 10 and 11 in accordance with the requirements of the Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021, the RSE Code and RSE guidance. It is not necessary for this learning to lead to any specific qualification. It will be for schools to design the most appropriate approach to meet the needs of their learners. All learning and teaching provided in RSE must be developmentally appropriate.

Humanities

The Humanities Area of Learning and Experience is concerned with encouraging learners to engage with the most important issues facing humanity, including human rights, diversity, sustainability and social change, and help to develop the skills necessary to interpret and articulate the past and the present.

Within the ‘Qualifications to encourage breadth’ component of the learner entitlement, schools are advised to offer a range of qualifications within this Area.

Whether or not a learner follows a course that leads to a qualification in a humanities subject or discipline, it is vital that all learners are given the opportunities to make progress towards the four purposes of the curriculum through learning and experiences in this Area. Such opportunities may be planned as learning provided discretely or embedded within wider learning, forming part of the ‘Wider learning and experiences across the curriculum’ component of the learner entitlement.

Separate to the requirement to secure learning in this Area schools must continue to provide learning in religion, values and ethics (RVE) for all learners in Years 10 and 11 in accordance with the requirements of the Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021 and the RVE guidance. It is not necessary for this learning to lead to any specific qualification. It will be for schools to design the most appropriate approach to meet the needs of their learners.

Self-evaluation and improvement

Schools have ultimate responsibility for the curriculum that is provided for each learner along the 3 to 16 continuum. In Years 10 and 11 this curriculum will be influenced by some of the choices made by learners and associated qualifications. Regardless of those choices, every learner is entitled to end their period of compulsory education at 16 able to demonstrate their learning, progress and achievements in accordance with the 14 to 16 learner entitlement.

Where schools are concerned that a learner will complete compulsory education without learning, progress or achievements in one or more component of the learner entitlement, they should communicate this to the local authority so that adequate support can be made available to this learner as they transition to post-16.

As part of their self-evaluation and improvement processes, schools should monitor, evaluate and reflect upon:

their curriculum offer to learners in Years 10 and 11, making sure it allows all learners to achieve and access learning experiences across all 4 components of the learner entitlement
the quality of the curriculum, learning and teaching offered to each individual learner in Years 10 and 11
the extent to which each learner, on completing their education in Year 11, has made appropriate progress across all 4 components of the learner entitlement
the extent to which all learners have undertaken and achieved challenging, ambitious and stretching qualifications, taking account of their individual needs, prior learning and future pathways

There will be a range of information and evidence that schools can draw on at a school and individual learner level to evaluate their curriculum offer and whether they are meeting the requirements set out in the Curriculum for Wales guidance, including information on qualification entries and outcomes. A significant part of this evidence should also include the way in which their learners are able to reflect upon their learning and progress, and how confident they feel about their transition to post-16.

The conclusions of these evaluations should inform schools’ improvement planning.

Schools should, as part of their statutory obligations (under the Direction from Welsh Ministers pursuant to section 57 of the Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021) in developing a shared understanding of progression, discuss and evaluate their Years 10 and 11 curriculum offer with other secondary schools. This will help schools gain a better understanding of the quality of their curriculum and allow them to have an informed sense of their expectations for learner progress and achievement.

One way of meeting this requirement could be for secondary schools to meet on the following occasions during each academic year.

Early in the autumn term: to reflect on those Year 11 learners who left compulsory education in the previous summer term. Schools could consider the respective learning, progress and achievements of learners within each component of the learner entitlement and how progress along the 3 to 16 continuum has supported them post-16.
Later in the autumn term or early in the spring term: to consider the respective progress, learning, achievements and post-16 plans of the learners in their current Year 11 cohort.

Improvement advisers should help facilitate this evaluation and the development of a shared understanding of progression between schools, as part of their wider role in promoting, brokering and overseeing school-to-school collaboration and cluster working. In working with individual schools, they will also provide feedback and support on a school’s self-evaluation arrangements, taking into account the evaluation of learner progress across all the components of the learner entitlement.

However, work to develop a shared understanding of progression between secondary schools should not be limited to learners in Year 11.

A new education data and information ecosystem

The policy set out in this guidance, centred around the 14 to 16 learner entitlement, summarises those elements of 14 to 16 learning considered to be most important for learners in Years 10 and 11. These elements will help determine one aspect of the information and evidence that should be used at the different levels of the school system for evaluation, improvement and accountability purposes, as a reformed information ecosystem is developed that supports policy objectives.

Drawing on this guidance, proposals for the information ecosystem will be developed with practitioners and leaders and shared with the sector. New arrangements will be finalised by summer 2025, in readiness for the first teaching of Year 10 learners under the Curriculum for Wales.