NASUWT Cymru has secured an extension to the new GCSE History rollout in Wales after members expressed concerns over the speed and scale of changes. The new GCSE History is part of a wider range of reforms which include a number of changes to 14-16 curriculums.

88% of NASUWT Cymru members were not confident about delivering the new qualification and 95% believed there would be a significant impact on workload. 44% said the workload would be unmanageable. Qualifications Wales has announced today that in response to these concerns and those of other stakeholders, they are delaying the rollout of the new GCSE from September 2025 to September2026.

Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union, said:

“When our members come together, they achieve great things.  

“It is crucial that teachers receive adequate time and support to prepare for curriculum changes, especially for qualifications like GCSEs . We are glad that Qualifications Wales has listened to the concerns of our members over the original schedule, and we will continue to feed back so that the final rollout of the new GCSE History is successful for pupils and teachers.”

Neil Butler, National Official for Wales, said:

“As with any significant curriculum change, teachers need time to plan, test, and update their own expertise.

“Our members rightly pointed out that they do not have the resources they need to deliver the new GCSE as soon as September 2025. Proceeding would have a negative impact on learners.

“Teachers’ workloads are already unmanageable and adding extra pressure is not ethical or productive. Teachers and pupils will benefit massively from this extra year of development.”

Notes to Editors

Over 200 History teachers in Wales were surveyed in summer 2024 over proposed changes to the GCSE History curriculum. Their original concerns included:

•             Not enough resources
•             Limited access to technology in schools
•             No Textbook
•             No SAMS until December
•             No guidance until January
•             No time allocated for NEA marking
•             Training too late
•             Topics and content dull and obscure
•             Very difficult for teachers who are not subject specialists
•             Too soon after Curriculum reform