GCSE Health and Social Care, and Childcare
This is a writing-heavy GCSE: learners read unseen case studies, apply care-sector terminology and write reasoned judgements across two 12-hour NEAs and an examination with extended answers. Numeracy is limited to one area of Unit 1, reading physiological measurements and interpreting wellbeing statistics, surveys and lifestyle data. The biggest thing Key Stage 3 can build is confident reading of a short case study followed by an organised, evaluative written response that uses the right terms.
- Awarding body
- WJEC
- Level
- Level 1 and Level 2
- First taught
- September 2026
- Amount of literacy work
- High
- Amount of numeracy work
- Low
- Specification
- Open the specification
How this qualification is assessed
- Unit 1: Health and Social Care, and Childcare in Wales in the 21st Century: Written examination 1 hour 30 minutes, 40%
- Unit 2: Adult Health and Social Care: Non-examination assessment 12 hours (choice of case studies), 30%
- Unit 3: Childcare: Non-examination assessment 12 hours (case study and investigation), 30%
Skills that use Interpreting data
-
Interpreting wellbeing statistics and lifestyle data
Learners must understand statistics used as wellbeing indicators, such as life expectancy, child poverty, smoking rates and obesity levels, and what they show about health inequality in Wales.
Numeracy: Interpreting data
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils read a simple bar chart of how many portions of fruit and vegetables Year 7 pupils eat and write two statements about it.
- Year 8
- Pupils compare smoking rates for two Welsh local authorities from a table and suggest one reason for the difference.
- Year 9
- Pupils interpret a graph of life expectancy in the most and least deprived areas of Wales, calculate the gap and explain what it means for services.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit 1, Section 1.3.1, page 16
“statistics: educational attainment, employment, housing,”
Progression step 3
I can extract and interpret information from an increasing range of diagrams, timetables and graphs (including pie charts).
I can draw conclusions from data and recognise that some conclusions may be misleading or uncertain.
Progression step 4
I can interpret mathematical information; drawing inferences from graphs, diagrams and data, including discussion on limitations of data.
I can explore trends and extreme values (outliers) for data sets.
Progression step 5
I can interpret graphs that describe real-life situations, including those used in the media, recognising that some graphs may be misleading.
I can draw conclusions from data and recognise that some conclusions may be misleading or uncertain.
Good to know
- The specification awards no separate marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar and says nothing about calculators; assessment detail is left to the Assessment Pack: "The Assessment Pack will include all detailed information relating to assessment." (page 33).
- Unit 1 is a written examination with extended answers: "Written examination: 1 hour 30 minutes" (page 4).
- Both NEAs are 12 hours and must be submitted digitally: "Assessments must be submitted digitally." (page 34).
- Case studies are unseen until the assessment starts, so reading skills cannot be rehearsed on the actual text: "Learners should not have access to the case studies or tasks until the start of the assessment." (page 34).
- Evaluation is heavily weighted: AO3, "Investigate, analyse, and evaluate values, issues and provision in health and social care, and childcare, making reasoned judgements and drawing conclusions.", is 30% of the qualification (page 33).
Links with other qualifications
Pulse and heart rate work overlaps with fitness testing in Physical Education and Health, and wellbeing statistics link to data handling in Mathematics and Numeracy and Geography.
Source: WJEC GCSE Health and Social Care, and Childcare specification, teaching from 2026, for award from 2028 (© WJEC CBAC Ltd 2025).