The National/Foundation Welsh Baccalaureate provides a vehicle for learners to consolidate and develop integral and cross-curricular skills
Developing skills, attributes and behaviours
The qualification helps learners to prepare for their future by developing skills, attributes and behaviours valued by educators and potential employers. The emphasis in the Welsh Baccalaureate is on applied learning i.e. acquiring and applying a range of transferable skills. Learners will develop skills in the context of purposeful tasks and appropriate knowledge and understanding.
The National/Foundation Welsh Baccalaureate encourages the learner to value skills development as a key aspect of education and life-long learning.
Skills Challenge
The National/Foundation Welsh Baccalaureate is comprised of the National/Foundation Skills Challenge Certificate alongside Supporting Qualifications. 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:
- Individual Project
- Enterprise and Employability Challenge
- Global Citizenship Challenge
- Community Challenge.
Certificate Components
| Skills Challenge Certificate components | Weighting | Assessed Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Individual Project (Mandatory) | 50% | • Planning and Organisation • Critical Thinking and Problem Solving • Digital Literacy |
| Enterprise and Employability Challenge (Optional) | 25% | • Creativity and Innovation • Personal Effectiveness • Digital Literacy |
| Global Citizenship Challenge (Optional) | 25% | • Critical Thinking and Problem Solving • Creativity and Innovation |
| Community Challenge (Optional) | 25% | • Planning and Organisation • Personal Effectiveness |
Requirements
To achieve the qualification, learners must complete the Individual Project and two of the Challenge components. The combined outcomes of the three chosen components will determine whether the Skills Challenge Certificate is awarded at National or Foundation level.
The Supporting Qualifications include two mandatory GCSEs of English Language or Welsh Language together with Mathematics-Numeracy or Mathematics. A further three GCSEs are also required, of which two may be of equivalent qualifications.
To meet the National Welsh Baccalaureate requirements all five of the Supporting Qualifications must be achieved at grades A*-C. Similarly, for the Foundation Welsh Baccalaureate the Supporting Qualifications must be achieved at grades A*-G. All learners may undertake the same Individual Project topics and the same Challenge Briefs, with attainment at either National or Foundation level being determined through assessment.
When completing the chosen Challenges for assessment, the Global Citizenship Challenge must be completed individually, the Enterprise and Employability Challenge must be completed in a team (consisting of 3-6 members), and the Community Challenge can be completed either as an individual or within a team. Learners are required to complete two of the three Challenge components. The components chosen to be completed are at the discretion of the centre.
Enrichment
The qualification is delivered in collapsed timetable days therefore no enrichment opportunities.
Homework
Homework can take a variety of forms including written tasks, revision exercises, online tasks and preparation for coursework or practical examinations. The aim of homework is to supplement the learning that takes place in the classroom and instil independent learning, a crucial lifelong skill. Staff aim to give ample time to complete homework tasks so learners should plan their own time carefully in order to meet deadlines. The frequency of homework can vary depending on the number of lessons offered over a fortnight.
The majority of subject areas make use of Google Classroom to communicate any homework requirements to the learners. I would encourage learners and parents/carers to check Google Classrooms regularly. Please note that college link courses will have their own google classrooms separate to those in schools.
Parents/Carers should endeavour to provide a quiet space for their children to complete homework tasks. Where this is not possible, the school does provide such places for learners to access in their lunchtime or afterschool hours. Please encourage learners to discuss this with their tutors or progress leaders in the first instance.
No homework is set for this subject as it’s delivered in collapsed timetable days.
Feedback
Feedback is given verbally.
Assessment
Assessment is an important aspect of a learner’s learning journey. Apart from indicating the current performance of an individual, assessments also inform learners and staff which areas they need to develop. At Ysgol y Grango, staff continuously assess a learner’s progress through a variety of methods. This could include informal assessment, such as quizzes or observations, or formal assessments, such as written tests or coursework.
Ysgol y Grango use an online system called Go4Schools to track and monitor individual learners. Learners and parents/carers can also access information such as reports and subject progress through their own Go4schools login.
Throughout Key stage 4, learners will sit various external assessments. The timing of these assessments varies depending on the subject. Some of these assessment timings are controlled by the school but many are put in place by the examination board. As such it is important that learners are present for these assessments as missing elements of a course can significantly affect the overall grade for a learner.
Qualification is made up of three components:
Enterprise and Employability Challenge, Global Challenge (both delivered in Year 10) and the Individual Project which is delivered in Year 11.
Support Toolkit
Links & Resources
Staff Roles & Responsibilities
Welsh Baccalaureate
Mr N. Thomas – Skills Challenge Certificate Co-ordinator
Mr I. Thomas – Assistant Headteacher
Mrs D. McIntyre – Teacher of Languages
Miss A. Molyneux – Teacher of English
Miss E. Tudor – Higher Level Teaching Assistant and Learning Support Worker