Welsh-Baccalaureate
At Coleg Cymunedol Y Dderwen we will be studying the new National/Foundation Welsh Baccalaureate from September 2016. The central focus of these new qualifications at Key Stage 4 is to provide a vehicle for 14 -16 year olds to consolidate and develop essential transferable employability skills.
The programme will require the completion of a Skills Challenge Certificate along with supporting qualifications such as GCSEs at Key Stage 4. The requirements of both the Skills Challenge Certificate and Supporting Qualifications must be met in order to achieve the overarching Welsh Baccalaureate.
The Skills Challenge Certificate consists of four components which are followed by all learners:
Individual Project
Enterprise and Employability Challenge
Global Citizenship Challenge
Community Challenge
Each component of the Skills Challenge will incorporate a selection of skills which learners need for learning, work and life. These skills are outlined below:
Literacy
Numeracy
Digital Literacy
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Planning and Organisation
Creativity and Innovation
Personal Effectiveness
Skills Challenge Certificate Components | Weighting | Assessed Skills | Internal Assessment | External Moderation |
Individual Project | 50% | Planning and Organisation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Digital Literacy | Yes | Yes |
20% | Creativity and Innovation,Personal Effectiveness and Digital Literacy | Yes | Yes | |
15% | Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Creativity and Innovation. | Yes | Yes | |
15% | Planning and Organisation and Personal Effectiveness | Yes | Yes |
The Supporting Qualifications include a mandatory GCSE of English Language together with Mathematics and Numeracy. A minimum of a further three GCSEs are also required, of which two may be of equivalent qualifications.
The award will offer two levels of achievement either at the higher National level or the lower Foundation level. To achieve the National Welsh Baccalaureate learners must achieve the National Skills Challenge Certificate together with the following Supporting
Qualifications:
GCSE English Language at grade A* – C
GCSE Numeracy at grade A* – C
A minimum of three further GCSEs grade A*- C, of which two may be equivalent qualifications.
To achieve the Foundation Welsh Baccalaureate learners must achieve either the National or Foundation Skills Challenge Certificate together with the following Supporting Qualifications:
GCSE English Language at grade A* – G
GCSE Numeracy at grade A* – G
A minimum of three further GCSEs grade A*- G, of which two may be equivalent qualifications.
