Foundation English
WJEC Entry Level/Level 1 Foundation English is a two year, 120 guided learning hour course for learners aged 14 to 16 working at entry level, graded Entry 1 to Level 1 Pass, with a route on to GCSE English Language and Literature. Literacy is the whole qualification. Unit 1 tests reading short texts and functional writing, Unit 2 asks for a reading response, a functional piece and a short creative piece under high control, and Unit 3 assesses a researched presentation and a group discussion of a literary extract. Accuracy in spelling, punctuation and grammar is marked throughout. Numeracy is light: learners read tables, charts, infographics, times and prices in everyday texts and may use statistics as evidence in their presentation.
- Awarding body
- WJEC
- Level
- Entry Level and Level 1
- First taught
- September 2027
- Amount of literacy work
- High
- Amount of numeracy work
- Low
- Specification
- Open the specification
How this qualification is assessed
- Unit 1: Reading and Writing for Practical Purposes: Two topic tests of 40 minutes each (plus 10 minutes reading time), 30%, 60 marks (2 x 30), set and marked by WJEC, taken on screen or on paper within a four week assessment window under invigilated examination conditions
- Unit 2: Reading and Writing for Real-World and Creative Contexts: Written assessment of two tasks of 40 minutes each (plus 10 minutes reading and planning time), 40%, 40 marks (2 x 20), outline set by WJEC and tailored by the centre, sat under high control conditions, marked by the centre and moderated by WJEC
- Unit 3: Speaking and Listening for Real-World and Literary Contexts: Speaking and listening assessment of approximately 12 minutes: an Individual Researched Presentation of 3 to 5 minutes and a group discussion of a literary extract of 5 to 7 minutes, 30%, 40 marks (2 x 20), WJEC set tasks, marked by the centre and moderated by WJEC
Skills that use Planning and organising for different purposes, audiences and context
-
Writing functional texts for a clear purpose and audience
Learners write short and extended functional pieces in Unit 1 and, in Unit 2, a functional response linked directly to the reading stimulus, such as a job application, leaflet, review or blog. They adapt tone, register and format and organise ideas clearly and logically.
Literacy: Planning and organising for different purposes, audiences and context, Vocabulary, spelling, grammar
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils write a short email to a teacher asking to join a club, using a greeting, a clear request and a polite sign off.
- Year 8
- Pupils write a leaflet section for Year 6 pupils about their school, then rewrite the same information as a formal letter to parents and compare the tone.
- Year 9
- Pupils read a job advertisement and write a letter of application in response, organising paragraphs logically and matching the formal register the advert expects.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit 1, Section 1.3, page 12; Unit 2, Section 2.3, pages 14 and 15
“adapt tone, register and format to suit audience and”
Progression step 3
I can adapt my writing style and structure to suit the audience, purpose and context, e.g. suitable balance between facts and viewpoints, a precise conclusion.
I can use and adapt different structures within my writing, e.g. reporting an event, investigation or experiment.
I can make appropriate choices about vocabulary, idiomatic language and syntax in order to express myself with fluency and clarity for different audiences and purposes.
Progression step 4
I can adapt my writing style, choosing and using the best structures for different contexts and purposes, e.g. to successfully describe, explain, persuade, discuss.
I can organise and construct my writing effectively, connecting and developing my ideas for a range of different contexts.
-
Writing creatively to describe or narrate
In Unit 2 learners produce a short creative response, either descriptive or narrative. They write descriptively using sensory detail, write narratively about a sequence of events, and select vocabulary to create tone and a particular effect.
Literacy: Planning and organising for different purposes, audiences and context, Vocabulary, spelling, grammar, Connectives and syntax
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils describe a busy market using one detail for each of the five senses.
- Year 8
- Pupils write a short story opening about a first day somewhere new, varying sentence length and choosing words to build a nervous mood.
- Year 9
- Pupils write a full short narrative with a clear sequence of events and a descriptive paragraph, then underline three word choices and explain the effect they wanted.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit 2, Section 2.4, page 15
“write descriptively using sensory detail”
Progression step 3
I can write about my thoughts, feelings and opinions, showing empathy and respect.
I can use varied, appropriate and precise vocabulary including area of learning and experience/discipline-specific words for different purposes.
I can use simple, compound and complex sentence structures for emphasis and effect.
Progression step 4
I can make informed choices about vocabulary, idiomatic and figurative language, and syntax in order to express myself with fluency, accuracy and clarity.
I can write about my thoughts, feelings and opinions, using a range of techniques, e.g. emotive language, hyperbole, choice of pronouns (you, we), to show impact.
-
Writing accurately with correct spelling, punctuation and grammar
Accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar is required in Unit 1 functional writing and in both Unit 2 writing tasks, alongside clear organisation of ideas. It is assessed under AO2, which carries half of the qualification's weighting.
Literacy: Punctuation, Vocabulary, spelling, grammar, Planning and organising for different purposes, audiences and context, Connectives and syntax
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils learn ten commonly misspelt words each week and practise full stops, capital letters and commas in lists in their own sentences.
- Year 8
- Pupils use apostrophes for possession and contraction correctly and join ideas with connectives such as however and because in paragraphed writing.
- Year 9
- Pupils write a timed piece of around 250 words, then check every sentence for punctuation, tense and spelling using a short checklist.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit 1, Section 1.3, page 12; Unit 2, Sections 2.3 and 2.4, pages 14 and 15; Section 3.1, page 19
“Write with general accuracy, including grammar, punctuation and spelling”
Progression step 3
I can use a range of punctuation accurately (including apostrophe for possession) to clarify and expand meaning.
I can use strategies to correctly spell polysyllabic, complex and irregular words in the context of each area of learning and experience.
I can use paragraphs and make links between them.
I can use an increasing range of connectives to organise my ideas in sentences, paragraphs and whole texts.
Progression step 4
I can use the full range of punctuation accurately (including colons, semicolons and parenthesis) to clarify, organise and expand meaning.
I can select and use a variety of different sentence structures (simple, compound and complex sentences) with grammatical accuracy in my writing.
I can use a variety of strategies and resources to spell familiar and unfamiliar vocabulary and area of learning and experience/discipline-specific words correctly.
Good to know
- Both kinds of text appear in the tests: continuous and non-continuous texts are defined and "Both types will be used in assessment." (Unit 1, page 11).
- Each Unit 1 test and Unit 2 task is 40 minutes "(plus 10 minutes reading time)" (Summary of assessment, page 5), so short timed reading practice matters.
- Unit 2 texts are chosen by the teacher: "Teachers must select short functional texts that reflect the real-world, learning and work in Wales" (Section 3.2, page 20).
- Accuracy is half the marks: AO2 includes "Write with general accuracy, including grammar, punctuation and spelling." and carries 50% of the overall weighting (Section 3.1, page 19).
- Notes are allowed for speaking: "Candidates are permitted to produce annotated texts and brief notes during the preparatory stages" (Section 3.2, page 21).
- Units 2 and 3 allow one resubmission: "teachers may allow a learner one opportunity to improve their evidence and resubmit it" (Section 3.4, page 22), but any feedback must "avoid directing learners on how to improve their mark" (page 23).
- Appendix A ticks Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing for all three units, and maps the number system and statistics strands of Developing Mathematical Proficiency to Units 1 and 2 only (Appendix A, pages 28 and 29).
- The Unit 3 weighting is inconsistent: the summary gives "30% of qualification" (page 5) but the overview says "The two tasks contribute to 40% of the overall qualification grade." (page 20). The 30% figure matches the grading table on page 26. The Unit 3 content headings are also numbered 3.1, 3.2, 3.4 and 3.5 on page 17 while the amplification uses 3.1 to 3.4.
Links with other qualifications
Foundation English builds directly towards GCSE English Language and Literature, which the specification names as a progression route. The skills are the same in kind: reading for explicit and implicit meaning, analysing language and layout, writing for purpose and audience, creative writing, a researched individual presentation and group discussion of literature. The GCSE steps these up with longer and more complex texts, comparison of poems and whole literary texts, extended critical essays and more sustained, accurate writing. Reading functional texts about work and leisure in Wales also supports the vocational Foundation qualifications, and reading charts and infographics links with Mathematics and Numeracy.
Source: WJEC Entry Level/Level 1 Foundation English specification, approved by Qualifications Wales, teaching from September 2027, for award from 2029 (© WJEC CBAC Ltd 2026).