'They are guinea pigs' - fears for pupils on new GCSEs

A head teacher has expressed concerns for the "guinea pig year group" who are the first to study 15 new-look GCSEs in Wales.

Year 10 students started studying the new courses earlier this month as part of the rollout of the Curriculum for Wales, with more new qualifications set to be introduced over the next two years.

The major changes to qualifications and courses have been described as a "gamble" which pose "clear risks" by education experts.

The WJEC exam board, which has developed the new GCSEs, said details were available to schools a year in advance and there were subject officers on hand to offer support.

Helen Jones, head teacher at Maesteg School in Bridgend county, said: "I think change is good. I think we're well overdue curriculum reform.

"However, the challenges on the teaching profession in upskilling themselves to be able to deliver the new curriculum in time for examination is a real challenge.

"I would hate to think that any cohort of young people lost out or were sacrificial lambs because of this new qualifications.

"We'll do our very, very best obviously, but it's very unpleasant to be the guinea pig year group."

Last week Qualifications Wales paused the most controversial part of the original shake-up plans, which was to scrap separate science GCSEs in biology, chemistry and physics from September 2026.

It said those qualifications would still be offered until at least 2031 alongside new combined sciences qualifications, saying there was still debate about the best approach.

The decision to pause the changes to science was welcomed by Ms Jones, who said science teachers across the country would be relieved.

But she said there was "frustration" at the last-minute change and that it was "further evidence of lack of clarity and clear direction".

While Ms Jones welcomed reform to the curriculum, she expressed concerns about the volume of changes schools were having to manage, with more new GCSEs coming in 2026 and vocational VCSEs and other qualifications from 2027.

More assessments throughout the courses would also increase teachers' workload, she added.

"My teachers are going to need regular support and intervention and a go-to person to seek advice and guidance," she said.

In maths, separate numeracy and mathematics qualifications are now merged in one GCSE - a "positive" change, according to Liz John, head of department at Maesteg School.

But she said the unknown was "scary", and while giving schools a lot of flexibility to decide how they teach subjects was good, there were risks when it came to exams.

"We're always doing the best by our pupils and we're going with what we think is best but with the limited example material - there won't be any past papers for example... we're just really hoping that we get it right," said Ms John.

The WJEC exam board said details and sample assessment materials had been available to schools one year in advance of first teaching them and there were subject officers on hand to offer support.

There had also been many training events for teachers to help them prepare, Delyth Jones, assistant director at the WJEC, said.

"Obviously with any big change there are challenges involved for the profession in getting ready, but we're doing what we can to support them," she said.

Fears for the first pupils going through the new qualifications was a "natural concern", she said.

"It's something that we discuss with the regulator to make sure that those learners are protected in that first year."

But the author of a critical Institute for Fiscal Studies report on education in Wales said more coursework could widen inequalities because it tended to favour children from more advantaged backgrounds.

Luke Sibieta warned it was also vulnerable to the "widespread and growing use of generative AI".

"The new GCSEs in Wales are a bit of a gamble, with some very clear risks," he said.

He welcomed the decision to maintain triple science, when the reason to get rid of it was "never very clear at all".

Mali and Thomas, both 14, are among the first to start the revamped GCSEs, including taking a merged English language and literature qualification.

Mali said she was pleased there was some more coursework for pupils who may "struggle with exams and struggle with the pressure".

"They're actually giving people the opportunity to have time to do it," she said, "rather than two hours, get it done in an exam you've got to revise for, because that's just not some people's forte".

"I don't mind" exams, said Thomas, but "sometimes I feel like the coursework is a bit better because it's such low pressure - it keeps the stress off a lot".

As a parent with children in both Year 11 and Year 10, Sian John's family bridges the old and new systems.

She works in Maesteg School and said the teachers were doing all they could to support the pupils.

Ms John had some reservations about the greater emphasis on coursework in some subjects, but she acknowledged it could be helpful for students who struggled with exam pressure.

"On the other hand my children are very sporty," she said.

"We do a lot of extracurricular activities outside of school so I do worry how the balance is going to affect them with all the deadlines that they're going to have to meet."

"It's fear of the unknown, isn't it? We just don't know until we've gone through that first full year," she added.

Education Secretary Lynne Neagle said the government had taken steps to ensure schools were well prepared.

She said extra funding to Adnodd, which oversees resources, and the WJEC would continue for the next wave of new GCSEs being introduced in September 2026.