Peilot Bagloriaeth Cymru 14-19 ar Lefelau Sylfaen a Chanolradd

Good progress is being made towards the next phase of the pilot of the Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification.  Centres have been selected by the Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC) to pilot the Welsh Bac at Foundation and Intermediate levels in 14-19 education from September 2006.

The post 16 pilot now has 31 schools and colleges from across Wales delivering the Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification at Intermediate and Advanced levels.  An external evaluation will be reporting on the post 16 pilot very soon and I will be basing decisions about the roll-out of the qualification in post 16 provision on the evidence from that report.  

I am delighted that we are now able to move to the next phase of the pilot by introducing a Foundation level model from September 2006.  The Foundation Welsh Bac will be piloted in 14-19 provision, alongside the Intermediate model.  This fulfils our commitment in Wales a Better Country and goes further by bringing provision at Key Stage 4 into the pilot project.  This increases the already substantial alignment of the Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification with our wider 14-19 agenda.

WJEC has recommended 18 pilot centres to me.  These are drawn from centres that are already piloting the Welsh Baccalaureate in post 16 provision, and a further 10 centres will be added in September 2007. I am delighted to agree the WJEC’s proposals.   The 18 pilot centres are:

• Cathays High School
• Ysgol Tre-gib
• Ysgol Preseli
• Barry Comprehensive School
• Ysgol Bryn Elian
• Porth County High School
• Cardinal Newman School
• St Cyres School
• Ysgol Bryntirion
• Builth Wells High School
• St Davids College
• Pembrokeshire College
• Coleg Sir Gar
• Deeside College
• Coleg Llandrillo
• Coleg Menai
• Coleg Gwent
• Neath Port Talbot College

WJEC will be working closely with these centres, both in preparing for the pilot and during the piloting period.  This is a key development and I am very grateful to our partners in the WJEC and to the 18 pilot centres.