The Welsh Government has confirmed that the Curriculum for Wales will be rolled out to those in year 10 from September 2025.

Lynne Neagle, the cabinet secretary for education, said that the Curriculum for Wales is a 'purpose-driven curriculum.'

She said it aims to produce "informed citizens, confident individuals, and contributors to society who are ready to learn throughout their lives" by the end of compulsory education at age 16.

The curriculum will be introduced to year 10 in September 2025 and will reach year 11 in September 2026, completing the roll-out.

Ms Neagle stressed the importance of years 10 and 11, as these are the years when students start taking qualifications.

She said: "During these years, their decisions and achievements can have a significant influence on their future choices and pathways.

"Secondary education is, of course, about more than just studying for qualifications.

"And the teaching and learning must be broader than just preparing young people for exams – it’s preparing learners for life."

The Welsh Government aims for all learners to finish compulsory education at age 16 with good qualifications, and the knowledge, skills, and capabilities needed to transition to their next steps, whether that is continuing in formal education, apprenticeship, or work.

The statutory guidance on 14 to 16 learning under the Curriculum for Wales has been published.

This guidance outlines the policy for 14 to 16 learning and teaching, including the legal requirements for schools, and forms part of the Curriculum for Wales framework guidance.

The guidance sets out clear national expectations to provide a consistent approach across all schools.

Central to the guidance is the 14 to 16 Learner Entitlement, which all learners in year 10 and 11 will benefit from under the Curriculum for Wales.

This includes a breadth of GCSE, vocational, and skills-based qualifications drawing from the National 14 to 16 Qualifications offer developed by Qualifications Wales, as well as learners following 'stretching and ambitious' qualifications in literacy, numeracy, and the sciences.

The Learner Entitlement will help ensure each individual young person follows the journey that is right for them, with schools supporting them to plan their next steps.

A package of support for practitioners on how schools can design their 14 to 16 curriculum offer will be published during the autumn term, to align with the publication of WJEC’s new made-for-Wales GCSE specifications.

WJEC has developed a pan-Wales plan to deliver training on made-for-Wales GCSEs to clusters of schools during INSET days from February to April 2025.

A targeted package of professional learning for senior leaders is also being developed to complement both the WJEC training, and the professional learning already available on curriculum design, progression, and assessment.

In addition to providing a structure for curriculum design in years 10 and 11, the Learner Entitlement will provide a framework for schools to use to self-evaluate and reflect upon the learning, progress, and achievements of their learners in these years, and to plan for further improvements in their offer.

The 14-16 learning policy and supporting information requirements will help shape the expectations against which Estyn inspect secondary schools from September 2025.