Welsh Baccalaureate
What is the Welsh Baccalaureate?
The Welsh Baccalaureate is an exciting qualification f
or students in Wales that adds a valuable new dimension to the subjects and courses already available for 14 to 19 year old students.
It combines personal development skills with existing qualifications like A levels, NVQs and GCSEs to make one wider award that is valued by employers and universities.
The Welsh Assembly Government introduced the Welsh Baccalaureate to transform learning for young people in Wales. It gives broader experiences than traditional learning programmes, to suit the diverse needs of young people. It can be studied in English or Welsh, or a combination of the two languages.
The Qualification
The Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification consists of two parts:
Core - consisting of four components i.e. Key Skills, Wales, Europe and the World, Work-related Education and Personal and Social Education.
Options - courses/programmes currently offered e.g. GCSE, VGCSE, AS/A levels, VCE (Vocational A levels), NVQ, BTEC.
Together, the Core and Options make up the Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification.
The Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification is nationally approved and currently offered at Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced levels. Following a successful pilot, beginning in September 2003 the qualification is now being studied by students across Wales at Advanced and Intermediate levels. The Foundation level is currently offered as part of a pilot scheme operating from 2006 – 2009. Schools, colleges and training providers from across the principality are involved.
The three levels of the Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification
You decide which level you want to follow by looking at the level you are working at for your options. For example, if you’re likely to get mainly A* – C grades at GCSE or NVQ Level 2 you would follow the Intermediate Diploma.
