Significant changes to new GSCEs in Wales likely after burnout concerns

Significant changes are apt to Wales' caller English Language and Literature GCSE aft warnings much assessments passim the schoolhouse twelvemonth were leading to burnout among unit and pupils.

New qualifications were introduced from September 2025, portion of a large overhaul of the schoolhouse curriculum.

Opening a consultation connected projected changes to the English and Welsh connection and lit qualifications, the WJEC exam committee said it had "listened cautiously to concerns raised by schools leaders, teachers and different stakeholders regarding the workload".

A headteachers' national said it was "relieved" changes were being looked astatine to what it called a "totally unmanageable" further workload for schools.

Some caller GCSE courses person a acold greater proportionality of non-examination assessments (NEA), on with little accent connected ceremonial exams.

NEAs see a scope of activities specified arsenic oral assessments, fieldwork, portfolio enactment and applicable assessments which are often acceptable and marked by teachers.

Only months since it started being taught, the WJEC said it had "concluded that important adjustments are needed" to the GCSE English Language and Literature people aft feedback from schools.

The exam committee is consulting connected reducing the level of oracy assessments, portion it is besides considering dropping the request for readying and probe for tasks to beryllium completed nether a precocious level of teacher supervision.

Any large changes would beryllium introduced for Year 10 students starting successful September 2026 but would not use to pupils who were already a twelvemonth into the course, the WJEC said.

More constricted changes are besides being considered for the Welsh connection and lit qualification.

Tasks would not beryllium removed from the GCSE, but the WJEC said it was considering "several imaginable changes that could assistance amended manageability successful the future". Those changes would beryllium introduced from September 2027.

The developments travel warnings from teachers astir the pressures of readying and marking the work, arsenic good arsenic the demands connected pupils.

Headteachers successful Cardiff sent a missive to the WJEC and regulator Qualifications Wales informing the reforms were placing schools "under utmost pressure" and calling for "urgent action…. to support unit wellbeing and pupil learning".

The WJEC said it had been "working intimately with practitioners, caput teachers, Qualifications Wales and different cardinal stakeholders to research ways of improving the manageability of these qualifications portion maintaining their acquisition integrity and supporting affirmative outcomes for learners".

"The consultations volition stay unfastened until mid-June, aft which we volition cautiously reappraisal each responses and corroborate the outcomes earlier the extremity of the summertime term," the spokesperson said.

"We stay committed to moving collaboratively with the acquisition assemblage and to implementing changes that enactment some teachers and learners, ensuring these qualifications tin beryllium delivered efficaciously and with confidence."

A 'totally unmanageable' workload

Claire Armitstead, manager of the Association of School and College Leaders Cymru, welcomed the move.

"It has been wide from the outset that the level of further workload the caller GCSEs has placed connected schools is wholly unmanageable," she said.

"We are truthful relieved that WJEC are looking to marque adjustments to immoderate of these qualifications successful consultation with the profession.

"We anticipation this volition pb to an introspection strategy that is much manageable and deliverable going forward."

The UCAC national said it was pleased the WJEC had listened to the concerns of teachers and pupils.

"We anticipation that immoderate changes resulting from the consultation volition mean determination is little unit connected learners and teachers."

Exams watchdog Qualifications Wales said it supported the enactment being done by WJEC to "address concerns raised by teachers" associated with NEA successful a "small fig of subjects".

"Once its consultation is complete, WJEC volition contiguous its projected changes to us.

"Any changes to the specifications volition request to beryllium approved by Qualifications Wales earlier they are implemented.

"We proceed to enactment intimately with WJEC and Welsh Government to unafraid the palmy implementation of the afloat suite of caller GCSEs."