GCSE Core Cymraeg - Teaching from 2025
For more information on the Professional Learning courses for the new Made-for-Wales GCSEs, please visit the Professional Learning page here.
The construct of GCSE Core Cymraeg is based on the Welsh Government subject specific considerations and statements of what matters for Languages, Literacy and Communication:
- understanding the world around us
- enjoyment of Cymraeg and seeing value for Cymraeg outside the classroom
- using language associated with interests
- developing the use of Cymraeg for socialising and the workplace
- a wide variety of opportunities for learners to hear, see and read material which is rich and diverse in Cymraeg
- develop linguistic skills in order to use Cymraeg in a confident manner.
The GCSE Core Cymraeg qualification will support the Curriculum for Wales by:
- Supporting the statements of what matters by giving learners the opportunity to:
- develop their understanding, empathy and ability to respond and mediate effectively
- interact, explore ideas, express viewpoints knowledge and understanding and build relationships
- experience and respond to a variety of diverse literature that gives them insight into the culture, people and history of Wales as well as the wider world
- spark their imagination and creativity.
- Supporting the principles of progression by giving learners the opportunity to:
- build on their linguistic skills
- grow holistically in their understanding and purposeful use of languages, literacy and communication
- develop their linguistic repertoire through understanding how Cymraeg works
- adapt and manipulate language to communicate effectively to a range of different audiences
- develop receptive, interpretive and expressive language skills
- transfer existing knowledge and skills into new contexts including the social and cultural aspects of language.
- Supporting the key considerations for language development by giving learners the opportunity to:
- develop phonological awareness and phonemic awareness
- build on learners’ previous knowledge of language(s) to support Welsh learning
- hear, view and read rich and varied Welsh
- provide suitable and sufficient opportunities for learners to use their Welsh purposefully in an authentic context.
Supporting our Made-for-Wales qualifications with FREE tailored resources
To support our centres in the delivery of our new Made-for-Wales qualifications, we are pleased to confirm that our Digital Resources Team will produce a package of FREE bilingual resources for each subject. This will initially feature 130 packages, which consist of blended learning resources and knowledge organisers for the first group of qualifications which will be taught from September 2025.
Publication schedule
Our Digital Resources Team will be working at pace to produce these new support materials. These will be published in phases beginning from late Autumn 2024, and the full suite of bilingual resources will be available by June 2025.
Further information is available here.
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