Cymraeg
NEWS

Published:

06.10.26

Final phase of National Qualification specifications now being published

Approved specifications for VCSE, Foundation and Skills Suite qualifications are now being published by awarding bodies. While most subjects are approved, work continues to secure qualifications in five remaining areas.

Over the past year, Qualifications Wales has worked closely with eight awarding bodies developing specifications for the new National Qualifications offer, which includes:

  • VCSEs
  • general Foundation qualifications
  • work-related Foundation qualifications
  • Skills Suite qualifications (comprising Skills for Life, Skills for Work and Personal Project qualifications)


Which qualifications have been approved?

Qualifications have been approved across the new offer, which will be available for first teaching in schools from September 2027.

Some further qualifications are still progressing through the approval process and we expect more qualifications will be made available in the coming months.


Subjects where qualifications are still in development

Five VCSE and work-related Foundation subjects do not yet have an approved qualification from any awarding body:

  • Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry.
  • Animal Care.
  • Business, Accounting and Finance.
  • Motor Vehicle Maintenance.
  • Nature Restoration.

To provide schools with clarity while approval work continues, a small number of existing qualifications in these subjects will remain available for teaching alongside the new National Qualifications suite for a limited period from September 2027. Schools should note that, as many of these qualifications were developed primarily for use outside Wales, some may only be available in English.

Schools can find a list of which qualifications will continue to be made available on our VCSE and Foundation subject pages.


Continuing to expand the offer

We remain committed to ensuring the full National Qualifications offer for 14 to 16-year-olds is available in both Cymraeg and English and will continue working with awarding bodies to develop qualifications in the five outstanding subjects.

To help schools plan ahead, the following deadlines apply for awarding bodies developing specifications in these subjects:

  • If a qualification is approved by 31 December 2026, it can be made available for teaching from September 2027.
  • If this deadline is not met, the qualification cannot be made available for teaching in schools until September 2028.

In subjects where a National Qualification is already available, additional qualifications may still be approved after 31 December 2026 and made available for first teaching in September 2027.


Staying up to date

Via QiW

Schools are encouraged to refer to the Qualifications in Wales (QiW) database for the most accurate and up-to-date information about which qualifications they may deliver.

When searching, users should select "eligible for public funding" and filter by the pre-16 age range to see relevant results. Search criteria can also be applied by subject area, qualification type and level.

Via email

As soon as a new VCSE, Foundation or Skills Suite qualification is approved, we will update schools by email. This email will be sent to exams officers, who will need to update their heads, deputy heads and curriculum leads accordingly.