Foundation Mathematics and Numeracy
WJEC Entry Level/Level 1 Foundation Mathematics and Numeracy is a two year, 120 guided learning hour course for learners aged 14 to 16, graded from Entry 1 Pass to Level 1 Pass and designed as a broad basis for progression onto GCSE Mathematics and Numeracy. Numeracy is the whole qualification: money and personal finance, time and schedules in the Unit 1 portfolio, non-calculator number, algebra, geometry and probability in the Unit 2 topic tests, and data handling and measuring in the Unit 3 practical tasks. Literacy demand is lower but real: learners read bills, payslips, timetables and infographics, use mathematical vocabulary, and explain their choices and conclusions in Unit 3. Key Stage 3 should build secure mental and written calculation with money and measures in everyday contexts.
- Awarding body
- WJEC
- Level
- Entry Level and Level 1
- First taught
- September 2027
- Amount of literacy work
- Low
- Amount of numeracy work
- High
- Specification
- Open the specification
How this qualification is assessed
- Unit 1: Mathematics and Finance in Everyday Life: Portfolio (non-examination assessment) of six WJEC set tasks, 3 hours (6 x 30 minutes), 40%, 60 marks, set by WJEC, marked by the centre and moderated by WJEC, calculator allowed, foundation tier (Entry 1 to Entry 3) and higher tier (Entry 3 to Level 1) task sets
- Unit 2: Non-calculator Mathematics: Two topic tests, Test A Number and Probability and Test B Algebra and Geometry, 2 x 30 minutes, 30%, 40 marks (20 per test), set and marked by WJEC, on screen or on paper within a four week window, calculator not allowed, foundation and higher tiers
- Unit 3: Data Handling and Measures: Practical assessment (non-examination assessment) of two tasks, Data handling and Measures, up to 2 hours each, 30%, 40 marks, set by WJEC, marked by the centre and moderated by WJEC, calculator allowed, not tiered
Skills that use Understanding, response and analysis
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Reading everyday financial documents and visual information
Unit 1 asks learners to recognise payslips, bank statements and bills, read household bills to find the amount to pay, and extract information from infographics, tables, calendars, timetables and charts. At Level 1 they use this in less familiar contexts such as a health infographic, a weather chart or holiday booking information.
Literacy: Reading strategies, Understanding, response and analysis
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils scan a printed bus timetable and a cinema listing to answer questions such as which film starts after 6pm.
- Year 8
- Pupils read a sample electricity bill and a payslip, highlight the amount due, the dates and the deductions, and explain each in a sentence.
- Year 9
- Pupils read an unfamiliar holiday booking page and a weather infographic, pick out the costs, dates and conditions that matter and summarise them for a family member.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit 1, Section 1.2.2, page 15; Unit 1, Section 1.4.1, page 19
“reading simple household bills and identifying the amount to be paid”
Progression step 3
I can use a range of strategies for finding information, e.g. skimming for gist, scanning for detail.
I can read closely, identifying and noting features of texts, e.g. introduction, sequence, illustrations, formality, key vocabulary.
Progression step 4
I can use a range of strategies, e.g. speed reading, close reading, annotation, prediction, to skim texts for gist, key ideas and themes, and scan for detailed information.
I can read, with concentration, printed and digital texts that are new to me and update, broaden and deepen my understanding of information, ideas and issues.
Good to know
- Calculators are allowed in Unit 1 and Unit 3 but Unit 2 is non-calculator: "A calculator will not be allowed in this assessment." (Summary of assessment, page 5).
- Units 1 and 2 are tiered and Unit 3 is not: foundation tier covers Entry 1 to Entry 3 and higher tier covers Entry 3 to Level 1, and "Learners may be entered at different tiers across units." (page 6).
- The Unit 2 tests mix "multiple choice questions (MCQ), objective test questions (OTQ) and short answer questions" and "will include mostly context-free mathematical questions" (Section 3.2, page 36), so written explanation is light there.
- The Unit 1 portfolio tasks are set in real-life contexts: "Each task will explore a range of mathematical skills set in a real-life context." (Section 3.2, page 36). The tasks change every year and are released in June.
- Appendix A (page 44) ticks Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing for all three units, and the numeracy strands for all units except statistics and probability for Unit 2 (page 45). No marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar are mentioned.
- The grade is reported on "a 4 point scale: Entry 1 Pass, Entry 2 Pass, Entry 3 Pass and Level 1 Pass" (Section 5.3, page 42), and the model is compensatory, so strength in one area can offset weakness in another.
Links with other qualifications
The qualification "provides a broad basis for progression onto GCSE Mathematics and Numeracy" (page 8) and mirrors its structure: a finance unit, a non-calculator unit and data handling and measures. The GCSE steps up the same skills, adding VAT, interest and exchange rates to personal finance, ratio and percentage change to percentages, and a full statistical enquiry with grouped data, and it awards marks for explaining working in writing, which the Foundation does not. Money, time and measures also appear in Foundation Hospitality and Catering, and data handling supports The Sciences and Humanities.
Source: WJEC Entry Level/Level 1 Foundation Mathematics and Numeracy specification, approved by Qualifications Wales, teaching from September 2027, for award from 2029 (© WJEC CBAC Ltd 2026).