Post-16 data collection: 10 September 2024 to 4 October 2024

These notes are for use by maintained secondary schools, middle schools, and local authorities in completing the post-16 collection in September to October 2024. 

References to ’academic year’, should be read as academic year starting 01/09/2023 to 31/08/2024. 

References to ‘academic year +1’,should be read as academic year starting 01/09/2024 to 31/08/2025.

It is recommended that you read the full technical completion notes alongside this document. The technical completion notes are available at Post-16 data collection.

2.1 What reference should I use for Learning Activities?

Learning activity references have been replaced by Qualifications Wales Approval/Designation (QWAD) numbers. These can be found on the Qualification in Wales (QiW) website.

2.2 How will the data be used in the monitoring and allocation of funding?

Programme data will be used in a number of ways:

Planning

1. to compare performance against the final delivery plans submitted in March each year
2. to compare performance against the previous years’ allocations

Funding

1. to derive an average programme value to inform future years’ allocations
2. to compare performance against previous years’ allocations
3. to ensure compliance with the programme specification
4. to compare and contrast varying delivery modes and methods

2.3 How will the data be used in the post-16 performance measures?

The post-16 collection is a whole year data submission that uses learning programme and activity codes to identify the programmes, qualifications, subject and level of the learning activities undertaken in the previous academic year. It enables the Welsh Government to use the data to calculate the achievement measures, which include the retention and achievement of learners undertaking A-level, vocational and Welsh Baccalaureate programmes.

2.4 How do you record the start and end date of a Programme where the learning activities being undertaken span two academic years?

Each programme should have the relevant learning activities attached to it. The start date of the programme should be the date that the first learning activity begins, and the end date should be the date that the last learning activity is completed. If a pupil drops a learning activity during the academic year, that learning activity end date and completion status should reflect this.

The AS programme should be recorded as completed because the school will record an A2 programme for the second year of study. Any learning activity that spans two years (for example Welsh Baccalaureate, Skills Challenge Certificate, or BTEC Extended Diploma) should be recorded as continuing at the end of the first year. It should then be included in the next year’s collection (under the A2 programme).

2.5 How does a school decide if a Learning Activity Category is ‘Main’ or ‘Other’?

A ‘main’ learning activity would be an AS-level, A-level, BTEC, or Welsh Baccalaureate/Skills Challenge Certificate, whilst an ‘other’ learning activity consists of any core and community learner industry focus (CLIF) components. This could include a GCSE resit or an industry specific requirement, for example Health and Safety Certificate.

2.6 Should schools still send details of courses for which there are no timetabled classes but teaching towards the qualification takes place in another class, for example Essential Skills Wales?

Yes. We want any activity being undertaken by a pupil to be included on the post-16 return. It’s not about how it’s timetabled as we no longer request guided contact hours (GCH) at activity level. We do however want to know what pupils are being taught and what they may or may not achieve. Learning activity information will, where possible, be automatically extracted from your management information system, however, where class information has not been input for a pupil, the post-16 return must be manually amended or supplemented after your software has automatically generated the initial compilation of your return.

An example of this is where you may be delivering Essential Skills Wales qualifications in an integrated curriculum. Whilst these qualifications may not be separately timetabled, they should still be included as an activity delivered on the post-16 collection.

2.7 How should the new Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales (level 3) be recorded?

For the 2024 collection (covering 2023 to 2024 academic year), year 13 learners that started the Welsh Baccalaureate in 2022 will have completed their second year. Therefore, schools will need to use the existing QWADs listed below:

• WJEC Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate: QWAD C00/0721/6
• WJEC Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate: QWAD - C00/0721/2

The final date a learner can be certified for the qualification, (including resits) is 31 August 2025.

The new Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales (level 3) qualification replaced the existing Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate qualification in September 2023 and will have been started by year 12 learners. For these learners, schools will need to use the new QWAD listed below:

• Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales (level 3): QWAD C00/4571/8

2.8 What should we record if a pupil moves from one programme to another during the academic year?

A decision tree has been included in the technical completion notes to assist with the actions to be undertaken for transfers and withdrawals.

2.9 How should the guided contact hours (GCH) be recorded for each programme?

An estimate of the planned number of teaching, instructional or assessment contact hours for the programme (rounded to a whole number) for this learning programme in this current post-16 collection academic year. If a programme spans two years, only the planned guided contact hours for the current post-16 collection academic year are required.

Please note this should not be lifted from awarding body recommendations but rather what your school plans to timetable. For example, if your school delivers AS levels at 4 hours per week, over a period of 30 school weeks, then each AS level would account for 160 hours against the total programme GCH.

2.10 Is there a lower time limit you expect each programme to be delivered in?

No there is not a ‘set in stone’ timescale that we expect schools to deliver each programme. Each programme is funded on the basis of a typical number of GCH. Delivering in less time than this is acceptable but will form part of the programme monitoring to ensure the typical learner remains accurate.

2.11 How do I record a pupil if they don't fit into a programme outlined in the programmes directory?

Where there is no exact programme code, the following general rules should be applied:

• mixture of A2 and AS levels, make it an A2 equivalent
• mixture of AS and other qualifications (for example BTEC), make it an AS equivalent
• mixture of A2 and other qualifications (for example BTEC), make it an A2 equivalent
• where GCSEs are being undertaken as part of an A level or equivalent programme, it is expected that these GCSEs would be delivered as part of the CLIF (recorded as ‘other in the post-16 collection) element of the Learning Programme
• if a pupil is undertaking a vocational programme but taking an AS-level to supplement it, vocational programme code should be used

A table detailing the Programme queries we have had to date is included below:

2.12 What data should be recorded in the ‘length of programme’ and ‘year of programme’ fields?

These two fields are used to identify:

• the length of the programme (programme reference 0401A03B Manufacturing and Engineering Level 3, could be a L3 Diploma which is one year in length (so a code of 1 would be used) or an Extended Diploma which is two years in length (so a code of 2 would be used)
• the year of the programme (if the learner is following a two year extended diploma and are in the second year of the programme, a code of 2 would be used)

2.13 How should resits be recorded?

If a pupil does a whole activity again (i.e. takes the same teaching and learning activity two years in a row) then this activity is recorded again in the second year. This includes one or more timetabled activities (which may include revision classes).

However, if the only thing that the pupil does is sit the same exam again (twice, or more) for any reason, that should not be recorded as a learning activity as part of a Programme.

2.14 How will you ensure that all schools are including all learners in their post-16 return?

All pupils recorded on the January pupil level annual school census (PLASC) for the academic year return should appear on the October post-16 return for the academic year and we will be doing a cross reference to check that this is the case.

2.15 Do Pupil Referral Units need to submit a post-16 return?

No, Pupil Referral Units are not required to submit a post-16 return.