14 to 16 Learner Entitlement Indicators Framework

The 14 to 16 learner entitlement

The 14 to 16 learning guidance sets out the 14 to 16 learner entitlement, which emphasises a broad range of learning and opportunities for young people. This supports them as they:

• make progress towards the four purposes of the Curriculum for Wales
• approach the end of their statutory schooling
• take qualifications
• prepare for the next stage in their lives, whether that is further education, training or employment

The guidance specifies that schools should ensure all learners can demonstrate and communicate their learning, progress and achievements across all 4 components of the learner entitlement by the time they complete compulsory education at age 16. 

These 4 components are:

• 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

Each learner’s entitlement will consist of various learning, experiences and achievements across these components.

The Welsh Government is committed to all learners following stretching and ambitious qualifications in literacy, numeracy, and the sciences, but recognises the critical issues around wellbeing and readiness to learn, wider experiences and preparation for post-16. This is in line with international expert advice and good practice on education policy.

Schools should use information and evidence relating to the above to support their self-evaluation and improvement processes informed by the principles of progression.

The 14 to 16 Learner Entitlement Indicators Framework

The 14 to 16 Learner Entitlement Indicators Framework (the Framework) outlines what the Welsh Government will routinely publish about each school alongside what information we will ask schools to make available. This supports our aim of providing a more complete, balanced and transparent view of learners’ experiences and outcomes that directly reflect the 14 to 16 learner entitlement. 

Reflecting data and information from across the 4 components of the learner entitlement, the Framework will support 14 to 16 learning under the Curriculum for Wales and enhance public understanding of learners’ experiences in schools.

New reporting arrangements aligned with the Framework will be introduced for the first time with the summer 2027 outcomes, coinciding with the first cohort of 14 to 16 learners to complete Year 11 under the Curriculum for Wales.

Qualifications remain an important part of the picture alongside the wider elements of the learner entitlement. As reformed qualifications are being introduced in 3 waves, these new reporting arrangements will be phased in. Legacy qualifications will continue to be included in reporting until reformed versions become available (for example, new Foundation qualifications will not be available for first teaching until 2027 and first reported in 2029, legacy Entry Level qualifications will be included in reporting up until then). Where they are available, only reformed qualifications will be included in the reporting.

Qualifications data will be reported at the level of individual qualifications, including entries and outcomes data, with results presented across grade ranges where this is possible for the volume of entries within a school. Importantly, these will not rely on complex composite measures that combine multiple qualifications. Where possible, indicators will be shown with context and be broken down by specific learner characteristics.

Qualifications in literacy and numeracy

Overview of entries across qualifications in Cymraeg, English, mathematics and numeracy

These will be reported by the Welsh Government as proportions of learners entered across relevant qualifications in each subject area.

Relevant qualifications for the Cymraeg overview of entries are:

• GCSE Cymraeg Language and Literature (Double Award).
• GCSE Cymraeg Language and Literature (Single Award).
• Entry Level Foundation in Cymraeg.
• GCSE Core Cymraeg.
• Entry Level Foundation in Core Cymraeg.

Reporting of Cymraeg qualifications will be sensitive to school language medium category.

Relevant qualifications for the English overview of entries are:

• GCSE English Language and Literature (Double Award).
• GCSE English Language and Literature (Single Award).
• Entry Level or Level 1 Foundation English.

Relevant qualifications for the mathematics and numeracy overview of entries are:

• GCSE Mathematics and Numeracy (Double Award).
• Entry Level or Level 1 Foundation Mathematics and Numeracy.

Entries and outcomes for relevant qualifications in Cymraeg, English, mathematics and numeracy

These will be reported by the Welsh Government as:

• proportions of learners entered for each individual qualification
• proportions of entries achieving across the grade ranges for each individual qualification (where entry numbers are sufficient to remove risk of disclosure of individuals’ data)

Qualifications that are indicated as appropriate for most learners will appear by default. Otherwise reporting will depend on learners being entered in the school.

For Cymraeg, the following awards will be included:

• GCSE Cymraeg Language and Literature (Double Award).
• GCSE Cymraeg Language and Literature (Single Award).
• Entry Level Foundation Cymraeg.
• GCSE Core Cymraeg.
• Entry Level Foundation Core Cymraeg.
• Level 2 Award in Additional Core Cymraeg.

The GCSE Cymraeg Language and Literature (Double Award) will be reported by default in a Welsh-medium or bilingual school. The GCSE Core Cymraeg will be reported by default in an English-medium or bilingual school. All other awards listed above will be reported where a learner in the school’s cohort has been entered.

For English, the following awards will be included:

• GCSE English Language and Literature (Double Award).
• GCSE English Language and Literature (Single Award).
• Entry Level or Level 1 Foundation English.

The GCSE English Language and Literature (Double Award) will be reported by default. All other awards listed above will be reported where a learner in the school’s cohort has been entered.

For mathematics and numeracy, the following awards will be included:

• GCSE Mathematics and Numeracy (Double Award).
• Entry Level or Level 1 Foundation Mathematics and Numeracy.
• Level 2 Award in Additional Mathematics.

The GCSE Mathematics and Numeracy (Double Award) will be reported by default. All other awards listed above will be reported where a learner in the school’s cohort has been entered.

Qualifications to encourage breadth

Overview of entries across qualifications in science

These will be reported by the Welsh Government as proportions of learners entered across relevant qualifications in the science subject area.

Relevant qualifications for the science overview of entries are:

• GCSE The Sciences (Double Award).
• GCSE Biology, Chemistry and Physics in combination. (continued future inclusion subject to outcome of Qualifications Wales consultation).
• GCSE Integrated Science (Single Award).
• Entry Level or Level 1 Foundation The Sciences.

Entries and outcomes for relevant qualifications in science and all other GCSE, VCSE and Foundation qualifications

These will be reported by the Welsh Government as:

• proportions of learners entered for each individual qualification
• proportions of entries achieving across the grade ranges for each individual qualification (where entry numbers are sufficient to remove risk of disclosure of individuals’ data)

Science qualifications that are indicated as appropriate for most learners will appear by default. Otherwise reporting will depend on learners being entered in the school.

For science, the following awards will be included:

• GCSE The Sciences (Double Award).
• GCSE Biology.
• GCSE Chemistry.
• GCSE Physics.
• GCSE Integrated Science (Single Award).
• Entry Level or Level 1 Foundation The Sciences.

At least 1 of GCSE The Sciences (Double Award) and all 3 separate GCSEs for Biology, Chemistry and Physics will be reported by default. All other awards listed above will be reported where a learner in the school’s cohort has been entered (future inclusion of GCSE Biology, Chemistry and Physics is subject to Qualifications Wales consultation).

Wider learning and experiences across the curriculum

Entries and outcomes for Personal Project

These will be reported by the Welsh Government as:

• proportions of learners entered for each level Personal Project qualification
• proportions of entries achieving across the grade ranges for each level Personal Project qualification (where entry numbers are sufficient to remove risk of disclosure of individuals’ data)

Entries and outcomes for Skills for Life, Skills for Work, and Skills for Life and Work

These will be reported by the Welsh Government as:

• proportions of learners entered for each level of each qualification
• proportions of entries achieving an award for each level of each qualification (where entry numbers are sufficient to remove risk of disclosure of individuals’ data)

The Skills Challenge Certificate and other legacy qualifications will be reported in this component while still available to pre-16 learners and prior to these new qualifications being introduced in the third wave of implementation.

Information on the learning in relationships and sexuality education (RSE) and religion, values and ethics (RVE) that forms part of the school’s curriculum 

Schools are asked to make information on the learning in RSE and RVE that forms part of the school’s curriculum available to the public.

Information on the wider curricular and learning opportunities and participation in the school

Schools are asked to make information on the wider curricular and learning opportunities and participation in the school available to the public.

Reflections on learning and progress and post-16 planning

A. Learner effectiveness and engagement

Information on supporting learners in becoming increasingly effective at learning in the school

Schools are asked to make information on supporting learners in becoming increasingly effective at learning in the school available to the public.

Information on the approach to using Learner Voice and supporting wellbeing in the school

Schools are asked to make information on the approach to using Learner Voice and supporting wellbeing in the school available to the public. 

Attendance levels for Year 10 and Year 11 learners 

These will be reported by the Welsh Government as:

• proportions of sessions attended for each year group

Persistent absence for Year 10 and Year 11 learners 

These will be reported by the Welsh Government as:

• proportions of learners in each year group that are persistently absent
• proportions of absence for each year group that is due to persistent absenteeism

B. Post-16 planning

Information on post-16 and transition planning in the school

Schools are asked to make information on post-16 and transition planning in the school available to the public.

Destinations of past Year 11 learners

These will be reported by the Welsh Government as:

• proportions of learners in education, employment, training or none of these

Year 11 learners with no qualifications

These will be reported by the Welsh Government as:

• proportions of learners leaving Year 11 with no qualifications

Further detail on design, presentation and support for schools

The 14 to 16 cohort

We will:

• report indicators based on outcomes of all learners recorded as being in Year 11 in the school’s Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC) return for that academic year (reported in January) where they are sole registered or main registered at that school. For qualifications-based indicators we will include all relevant awards learners have attained in previous years (those qualifications set out elsewhere in this Framework will be included in reporting)
• use a limited exceptions model, with learners who are new to an English- or Welsh-based education system (NEWBES) whose first language is neither English nor Welsh and learners who are from an English- or Welsh-based education system (FEWBES) (but who hold qualifications or have followed courses that are not counted within the 14 to 16 reporting arrangements for Wales) as the only exceptions policies applicable
• include dual registered learners, including learners receiving education other than at school (EOTAS), in a school’s indicators where the school holds the main registration; we will not include learners registered as subsidiary in the school’s indicators

Qualifications that will be included in reporting

We will:

• include all qualifications approved or designated for 14 to 16 delivery by Qualifications Wales, from Entry Level up to Level 3
• include a learner’s best grade where they have been entered multiple times for the same qualification
• retain a limited discounting system specifically for situations where a learner has progressed through different levels of qualifications in the same subject, where we will only report on the higher level qualification. Discounting is used to determine a single qualification to be included in a school’s indicators when multiple qualifications attained by a learner substantially overlap in content. A discounting system only affects the calculation of reported indicators for a school. It does not affect the qualifications achieved by learners. There are legitimate reasons why a learner might undertake qualifications that discount each other, one being where they have progressed through different levels of qualifications in the same subject, for example taking a foundation qualification before progressing to a GCSE in the same subject
• report separately on awards for multiple syllabus variations of a single qualification (where such qualifications exist, for example GCSE in Art and Design) where a learner holds awards for more than one variation
• report the ‘overview of entries across different qualification types’ indicator as the proportion of learners entered for different combinations of types of qualifications to reflect the variety of programmes of learning and pathways (final categories are still to be defined)
• report on learners attaining no qualifications as a percentage of the cohort

Presenting outcomes data to a public audience

We will:

• use bar charts as the primary visual format, including comparators, and line charts to show trends over time
• adopt a layered access model in which users are presented with a simple, high‑level view; a more detailed analytical view, offering additional context and more complex presentation, will be available as an optional layer
• explore the development of a virtual school comparator model as a potential successor to our existing families of schools comparator model. This will provide meaningful context to a school’s outcomes (the model would match learners in the cohort to peers from across Wales, based on a specific set of factors that include both learner and school characteristics)
• initially publish awards outcomes for English, Cymraeg, mathematics and numeracy, and science GCSEs only: entry volumes for these qualifications are sufficient to avoid high instances of suppression and unavailability of data to a public audience, and avoid volatility in the data due to fluctuations relating to a low number of entries. We will revisit the feasibility of reporting on all other subjects and other qualification awards outcomes once the reformed qualifications landscape is more established, and we better understand entry patterns across the offer. We will still report on entries for all relevant qualifications (those qualifications set out elsewhere in the Framework will be included in reporting) where learners in the cohort have been entered
• use a limited set of learner characteristics for disaggregation (sex and socio-economic disadvantage)

Representing the wider 14 to 16 learning experience

We will:

• present Year 10 and Year 11 attendance and persistent absence using bar charts as the primary visual format, including comparators, and line charts to show trends over time
• adopt a layered model of access, with a simple view presented first; an optional deeper analytical view, allowing for a more complex presentation with additional contextualisation, will be available
• continue work to identify the most appropriate destinations data sources and reporting time periods, with an aim to present post-16 destinations using clear categories and simple trend lines to show outcomes for different cohorts over time

To support schools in providing information to the public that will build a more rounded picture of learner experience, we will:

• provide clear national guidance and a suggested reporting structure for schools to follow when making information available
• explore whether development of a platform, or an addition to an existing platform, through which schools can publish specified areas of information consistently, will help them make this available more easily

Development and continued refinement

Evidence and extensive engagement demonstrated that the reporting arrangements for end of Key Stage 4 outcomes under the legacy curriculum are not well suited to supporting 14 to 16 learning under the Curriculum for Wales.

As part of the public consultation in 2025, we sought views on a proposed 14 to 16 Learner Entitlement Indicators Framework to support 14 to 16 learning under the Curriculum for Wales and aid public understanding of how individual schools are delivering this through the availability of school-level data and information on a publicly accessible platform.

Following consideration of consultation responses and feedback gathered, we published a decision report. The report confirmed that the Framework will be implemented as a set of information designed to reflect the full breadth of the learner entitlement.

We are continuing to work closely with the education sector to refine future 14 to 16 indicators and reporting arrangements. We will also continue wider engagement across the system and with key partners, including parents, carers and the public. 

We are developing digital tools and systems that facilitate the reporting and use of data. This includes the mechanisms for delivering and using the All Wales Core Data Sets provided to schools and local authorities, as well as the public facing My Local School platform. We will also be looking at the design and content of the All Wales Core Data Sets to align with new reporting arrangements and incorporate additional features that would support schools and local authorities further with their self-evaluation and improvement activity.

We will ensure that schools and stakeholders are supported as we move to implementation of the new reporting arrangements.

Updates on the development of the Framework will be highlighted in the Dysg newsletter.