Reforming our Essential Skills Wales qualifications
Qualifications Wales recently consulted on their proposals to reform the suite of Essential Skills Wales qualifications and will be publishing their findings and decisions during the summer term 2026. Alongside these reports Qualifications Wales will also publish the final approval criteria that awarding bodies will use to develop the qualifications.
You can read more about their proposals .
Your insight is essential. Complete our survey
If you currently teach Essential Skills Wales qualifications (from any awarding body), we would value your input. We also welcome feedback from those who have taken the ESW Practitioner qualification.
Join our Qualification Development team
We are recruiting qualification writers and reviewers to support the development of the reformed qualifications.
Join our Advisory Groups
We will be establishing Qualification Development Advisory Groups for each of the three skill areas – Literacy, Numeracy and Digital.
Advisory group members will play a central role in advising, informing and constructively challenging the development of the new qualifications.
What happens next
Over the coming months, we will:
- confirm the final scope and timelines for qualification development
- establish advisory groups and agree ways of working
- provide further updates as the reform progresses.
This page will be updated regularly as new information becomes available.