INCA Education around the world
INCA Summary Profile - Education in Wales
1. Control and organisation
Overall responsibility for the administration of the education system in Wales, for implementing legislation and formulating secondary legislation lies with the National Assembly for Wales (NAfW) and the Welsh Assembly Government. The Welsh Assembly Government's Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS) is responsible for administering education across all phases. The Department's aim is to improve children's services, education and training provision to secure better outcomes for learners, business and employers. The Department operates through four groups, which are responsible for policy, planning, funding, and monitoring services in their respective areas.
Central government, that is, the UK Parliament in London, via the Department for Education (DfE) and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) retains primary legislation-making powers for education. In reality, many responsibilities are delegated to local education authorities and school governing bodies.
A single body, Estyn, inspects pre-school education, schools and further education institutions in Wales.
2. Public sector/private sector education
Most publicly-funded schools receive all of their funding via the local education authority (LEA).
Private sector education is that provided in schools which are not funded by their local education authority, and receive most of their income from tuition fees. There is private provision at all levels of education. Generally known as independent schools, private schools must be registered with the National Assembly for Wales (NAfW) and are subject to school inspections.
In 2008/09, 97 per cent of pupils attended maintained schools (not including special schools), while 0.8 per cent attended special schools and 1.9 per cent attended independent schools.
3. Language of instruction
The language of instruction is either English or Welsh. Parental preferences for the language of instruction can normally, but not always, be met, either by choosing a particular school, or by choosing a particular stream within a bilingual school. Welsh-medium pre-school education is also available, and some further and higher education courses are also taught through the medium of Welsh, although not in all subject areas. All pupils in Wales are required to follow a programme of study in Welsh, either as a first or second language, throughout the years of compulsory education.
4. Compulsory education
Education in Wales is compulsory from age 5 to age 16. Many children in Wales start in the reception class of primary school at age 4.
Parents may apply to any school for a place for their child. The local education authority or school governing body (depending on the legal category of school) must establish an admissions policy to explain how places will be allocated if there are more applications than places at a school. All secondary schools in Wales are comprehensive schools, accepting pupils without regard to academic ability.
Compulsory education is organised into two phases - primary and secondary education - and four key stages as follows:
| Phases | Age range and key stages | Year of compulsory education |
| Primary education | 5 - 11 years | |
| Key Stage 1, 5-7 years | Years 1 and 2 of compulsory education | |
| Key Stage 2, 7-11 years | Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 of compulsory education | |
| Secondary education | 11-16 years | |
| Key Stage 3, 11-14 years | Years 7, 8 and 9 of compulsory education | |
| Key Stage 4, 14-16 years | Years 10 and 11 of compulsory education |
5. Pre-compulsory education
Government-funded, part-time pre-compulsory education is available for all children from the age of 3 whose parents request it. This can be provided in LEA-funded nursery schools or classes, in the reception classes of local primary schools, or in nursery schools, day nurseries or schools run by the private and voluntary sectors, which generally receive some government funding for this purpose. Pre-compulsory provision for children under the age of 3 is usually provided by the private and voluntary sectors and paid for by parents.
The Foundation Phase began to be introduced in September 2008, with full implementation due in September 2011. It is a statutory framework for three to seven-year-olds, which combines and replaces early years education (ages three to five) and key stage 1 (ages five to seven). The Foundation Phase focuses on experiential learning through organised play activities and practical investigation and is structured around seven 'areas of learning': personal and social development and well-being; language, literacy and communication; mathematical development; bilingualism and multicultural understanding; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical development; and creative development. Assessment in the Foundation Phase is continuous and based on observations of the child during activities.
6. Post-compulsory education
Full-time, post-compulsory upper secondary education for 16- to 18-year-olds is offered in the sixth form of many secondary schools. Further education or tertiary colleges also provide full- or part-time education and training for students over compulsory school age (16+).
Students at this level can take either vocational or academic courses or a combination of both, selected from the range offered by the school or further education institution. The curriculum is determined by this choice of courses; there is no compulsory core curriculum during this phase. Further education or tertiary colleges generally offer more vocational course options than schools.
Post-compulsory education is free of charge up to the age of 19. Students may apply to any institution offering their choice of course.
7. Special needs education
Children are identified as having special educational needs (SEN) if they have "a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made" for them. Wherever possible, this provision should be in ordinary mainstream schools alongside their peers. Where this is not possible, the usual alternatives are special classes or units in mainstream schools, special school provision, or education at home.
In legislation, gifted students are not identified as having special educational needs, although some local education authorities do cater for this situation in their special education provision.
In 2008/09 3 per cent of all pupils in Wales had a statement of special educational needs. In the same year, the percentage of students attending special schools was around 0.8 per cent.
8. School year
The school year usually runs from September to July and is divided into three terms with a long summer break of around six weeks in July and August, shorter breaks of around two weeks at Christmas and Easter, and one week in the middle of each term. Some schools are currently piloting a six-term year.
The school year consists of 380 half-day sessions; one in the morning between around 9am and 12 noon, the other in the afternoon usually between 1pm and 3.30pm. There is no fixed number of lessons per week.
Recommended minimum weekly lesson times (excluding breaks) are 21 hours for 5- to 7-year-olds; 23.5 hours for 7- to 11-year-olds; and 25 hours for 11- to 16-year-olds.
9. Statutory curricula
A revised curriculum for three- to 19-year-olds began to be introduced in September 2008 and full implementation is due in September 2011. One of the key changes is the introduction of the Foundation Phase for three- to seven-year-olds which covers pre-compulsory school and key stage 1 of compulsory primary education (see section five).
National Curriculum compulsory subjects for key stages 2 and 3 (ages seven to 11 and 11 to 14 respectively) include English, Welsh, mathematics, science, design and technology, information and communication technology (ICT), history, geography, art, music and physical education (PE). At key stage 3 a foreign language is also compulsory. At key stage 4 (ages 14 to 16) pupils are only required to study English, Welsh, mathematics, science and PE. Other subjects studied at this phase depend on the qualifications which the pupils are taking - by far the most common during key stage 4 is the GCSE.
Outside the National Curriculum, there are separate statutory frameworks for religious education (ages three to 19), personal and social education (PSE) (ages seven to 19) and careers and the world of work (ages 11 to 19). There is also a non-statutory skills framework for three-to 19-year-olds.
10. Religious education
Religious education and collective worship must be provided by publicly-funded schools. Although religious education is an additional statutory subject requirement throughout compulsory education, parents have the right to withdraw their children from collective worship and from religious education lessons.
11. Citizenship education, personal, social and health education, work related education or careers education
There are separate statutory frameworks for religious education (ages three to 19), personal and social education (PSE) (ages seven to 19) and careers and the world of work (ages 11 to 19). There is also a non-statutory skills framework for three-to 19-year-olds.
12. Textbooks
Textbooks are commercially produced, not approved by government and selected for classroom use by teachers. Although, in general, compulsory booklists do not exist, there are some prescribed texts which students must study at secondary level to meet the requirements of certain examination syllabuses. Publicly-funded schools provide textbooks for students during compulsory phase education.
13. Statutory system of assessment
The Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS) in Wales is the statutory body responsible for keeping assessment arrangements under review. At key stages 1, 2 and 3, pupils are assessed by their teachers in all National Curriculum subjects.
Teachers must provide at least one written report for each student in each academic year and, where students have taken part in statutory assessment, parents must be informed of their child's results.
14. Examinations and certification
Assessment on completion of compulsory education (at age 16) usually involves General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examinations. Traditionally taken in academic subjects, and increasingly available in a range of vocational (or 'applied') subject areas, GCSE qualifications are usually required for access to further study. 'Entry-level awards' are also available for students who, on reaching compulsory school leaving age, are judged not to be ready for GCSEs or similar qualifications.
The main qualifications offered in post-compulsory education in schools are GCE 'A' Levels (in general/academic or applied/vocational subjects) and GCE Advanced Subsidiary qualifications. Success in these qualifications is usually required for university entrance. In Wales, the Welsh Baccalaureate has also been developed.
Other institutions providing post-compulsory education offer a vast range of general, academic, vocational and recreational courses and qualifications.
15. Initial teacher training
Initial teacher training is usually provided in higher education institutions. The main routes are the 'concurrent route' (three or four years' full-time, leading to the Bachelor of Education degree) and the 'consecutive route' (one year of full-time postgraduate study leading to the award of the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)). Both routes are common for primary school teachers; the latter route is more common for secondary teachers. There are also an increasing number of part-time, flexible and employment-based routes to qualification as a teacher. Initial teacher training courses lead to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in Wales.
