Notice

Notice of Chief Regulator's Rebuke - WJEC

Published 22 April 2026

Applies to England

Notice of Chief Regulator’s Rebuke

Date: 15 April 2026

To: Responsible Officer

Awarding Organisation: WJEC CBAC Ltd (“WJEC”)

Subject: Non-compliance relating to Centre declaration forms

This notice issues WJEC with a formal rebuke from Ofqual’s Chief Regulator, following a determination that it has failed to comply with its conditions of recognition.

1. 1. This action is taken under Ofqual’s Supporting Compliance and Taking Regulatory Action policy as a non-statutory enforcement response, where the seriousness of the failings requires a formal public outcome, but the circumstances do not warrant a financial penalty.

Circumstances of non-compliance

1. 2. WJEC submitted 4 event notifications to Ofqual between October and December 2025 relating to its failure to collect and monitor centre declaration forms between 2019 and 2025, across the following qualifications:

2. Incident 1: GCSE drama and GCE drama and theatre^{[footnote 1]} – Live Performance statements;
3. Incident 2: GCE drama and theatre^{[footnote 2]} – Text suitability forms;
4. Incident 3: GCSE geography^{[footnote 3]} – Fieldwork statements; and
5. Incident 4: GCSE computer science^{[footnote 4]} – Practical Programming statements.

Incident 1: GCSE/GCE drama and theatre – Live performance statements

1. a) Conditions and Requirements – The subject content requirements for GCSE/GCE drama and theatre require that students experience live performance as members of an audience in the same space as the performers. The Subject Level Conditions require WJEC to obtain a ‘live performance statement’ from each Centre confirming this requirement has been met and to treat non-submission as malpractice or maladministration. WJEC’s specification and assessment strategy also include this requirement.
2. b) Failures – WJEC failed to monitor the submission of live performance statements from Centres across multiple years (2019 and 2022 to 2025), did not follow up missing forms, and had no quality assurance processes in place to confirm compliance before awarding the qualification.
3. c) Root cause – WJEC’s subject team was unaware of the Subject Level requirements that were introduced in January 2019.
4. d) Breaches –
   1. GCSE/GCE (drama and theatre) 3.1(a) and (b) – failure to require live performance statements from Centres and act upon missing statements,
   2. GCSE/GCE (drama and theatre) 2.3 – failure to ensure delivery complied with the assessment strategy,
   3. General Condition C1.1(b) – failure to monitor Centre arrangements,
   4. General Conditions A5.1, A5.2(a) and (e) – failure to maintain a competent workforce and appropriate systems of planning and internal control.
5. e) Impact – Without collecting and reviewing these forms, WJEC cannot be assured that all Learners received the required live theatre experience. However, WJEC is satisfied that there should be no Adverse Effect to Learners, who will have been prepared by Centres to write about live theatre in their assessments.
6. f) Remedial action – WJEC has collected the live performance statements retrospectively from Centres for 2025, but not for previous years due to the administrative burden on Centres.

Incident 2: GCE Drama and Theatre – Text suitability forms

1. a) Conditions and Requirements – The subject content requirements for GCE drama and theatre require Learners to have studied texts representing a range of social, historical and cultural contexts. WJEC’s specifications and assessment strategy require it to collect a text suitability form from each Centre confirming this requirement had been met.
2. b) Failure – WJEC failed to collect and monitor text suitability forms from all Centres in 2024–2025, and from AS Centres between 2019 and 2022–2025, missing forms were not followed up and there was no quality assurance process in place to check the suitability of text selections for 2024 and 2025.
3. c) Root cause – WJEC’s subject team was unaware of the Subject Level requirements that were introduced in January 2019.
4. d) Breaches –
   1. GCE (Drama and Theatre) 2.3 – failure to collect and monitor text suitability forms from all Centres as required by the assessment strategy,
   2. General Condition C1.1(b) – failure to monitor and enforce Centre arrangements,
   3. General Conditions A5.1 & A5.2(a) and (e) – failure to maintain a competent workforce and appropriate systems of planning and internal control.
5. e) Impact – Without collecting and reviewing these forms, WJEC cannot be assured that all Centres met the requirement for Learners to study an appropriately diverse range of texts and there is the potential for some Learners to have been disadvantaged by this.
6. f) Remedial action – WJEC has retrospectively checked all AS Level candidates and found no issues. For A Level candidates, it has assured itself that a range of texts had been studied insofar as this is required to prepare Learners for assessment.

Incident 3: GCSE geography – Fieldwork statements

1. a) Conditions and Requirements – The subject content requirements for GCSE Geography require that Learners are given the opportunity to conduct fieldwork. The Subject Level Conditions require WJEC to obtain a fieldwork statement from each Centre to confirm this requirement has been met, and to treat non-submission as malpractice and/or maladministration. WJEC’s specification and assessment strategy also include these requirements.
2. b) Failures – WJEC failed to collect fieldwork statements from every Centre in 2025. There were no quality assurance checks in place to confirm completion of the fieldwork statements.
3. c) Root cause – WJEC’s subject team was unaware of the Subject Level requirements that were introduced in January 2019.
4. d) Breaches –
   1. GCSE (geography) 2.1(a) and (b) – failure to require fieldwork statements from Centres and act upon missing statements,
   2. GCSE (geography) 2.3 – failure to ensure delivery complied with assessment strategy,
   3. General Condition C1.1(b) – failure to monitor and enforce Centre arrangements,
   4. General Conditions A5.1 and A5.2(a), (e) – failure to maintain a competent workforce and appropriate systems of planning and internal control.
5. e) Impact – there is a risk that not every Learner had been given the opportunity to conduct fieldwork. However, any potential Adverse Effect on Learners is mitigated by Centres needing to meet the fieldwork requirement in order to prepare them for assessment.
6. f) Remedial action – WJEC has collected the fieldwork statements retrospectively and received compliant declarations from all Centres.

Incident 4: GCSE computer science – Practical Programming statements

1. a) Conditions and Requirements – The subject content requirements for GCSE computer science require that Learners have the opportunity to undertake a programming task during their course of study. The Subject Level Conditions require WJEC to obtain a Practical Programming statement from each Centre, confirming this requirement has been met, and to treat non-submission as malpractice and/or maladministration. WJEC’s specification and assessment strategy also include these requirements.
2. b) Failure – WJEC failed to collect Practical Programming statements from any Centre in 2022-2025. There were no quality assurance checks in place to check statements were being returned and monitored.
3. c) Root cause – WJEC’s subject team was unaware of the requirements that were introduced in January 2019.
4. d) Breaches –
   1. GCSE (computer science) 3.1(a) and (b) – failure to require Practical Programming statements and act upon missing statements,
   2. GCSE (computer science) 2.3 – failure to ensure delivery complied with the assessment strategy,
   3. General Condition C1.1(a) – failure to ensure arrangements established with Centres to enable compliance,
   4. General Conditions A5.1, A5.2(a) and(e) – failure to maintain a competent workforce and appropriate systems of planning and internal control.
5. e) Impact – WJEC could not assure itself that practical programming took place during the course delivery, rather than just for the assessment, which may have disadvantaged some Learners. However, the risk is low given that preparation for assessment is likely to be more effective if Learners have undertaken the programming task.
6. f) Remedial action – WJEC did not collect forms retrospectively as it considers the structure of the course ensures learners engage in all stages during preparation and assessment.

WJEC’s response and admissions

1. 3. WJEC has:

2. a) accepted all facts and all allegations of non-compliance as set out in this rebuke;
3. b) stated that the likely Adverse Effect to Learners was low but cannot provide assurance that no Learners were prejudiced as a result of the incidents;
4. c) acknowledged that the delivery failures indicate a weakness in its arrangements, planning, delivery and internal control;
5. d) accepted that these incidents have the potential to undermine public confidence in the validity of its regulated qualifications;
6. e) undertaken urgent action to ensure future compliance with the relevant Conditions and Requirements and prevent recurrence of these incidents including:
   1. i. retrospective collection of forms in some subjects,
   2. ii. implementing new forms,
   3. iii. completing staff training,
   4. iv. improving communication with Centres, and
   5. v. revising monitoring approaches.

Why a rebuke has been issued

1. 4. Ofqual considers the circumstances of non-compliance to be sufficiently serious for a rebuke. In reaching this decision, Ofqual has had regard to:

2. a) Scale and duration of the failings – systemic failures across three subjects over multiple years. These failures started at various points throughout 2019 to 2025, affecting large numbers of Centres and multiple cohorts of Learners.
3. b) Qualification validity – each declaration form served as a key assurance mechanism for qualification validity, without which WJEC could not be assured that qualifications were delivered in line with its assessment strategy and the subject content requirements.
4. c) Failure of internal controls – the subject teams at the time were unaware of the relevant Subject Level Conditions and Requirements which were introduced in January 2019, indicating weaknesses in governance, staff competence and systems of planning and internal control.
5. d) Public confidence – the nature and duration of these incidents have the potential to adversely affect public confidence in regulated qualifications.
6. e) Adverse Effects on learners – the Adverse Effect on Learners is likely to be low, however WJEC could not provide assurance that no Learners were prejudiced by the incidents.
7. f) Admissions and co-operation – WJEC has made admissions, has been fully cooperative with Ofqual and has taken urgent steps to improve its processes and reduce the risk of recurrence.

Other regulatory options considered

1. 5. Ofqual has considered whether to simply record the non-compliance without taking further action, however it considers that this would not:

2. a) sufficiently reflect the seriousness of the breaches which were prolonged and not isolated;
3. b) adequately promote public confidence in regulated qualifications; or

4. c) deter future non-compliance by WJEC or the wider regulated community.

5. 6. Ofqual does not consider that a financial penalty is necessary in the specific circumstances of this case, which includes the fact that there is no evidence to indicate:

6. a) any actual Adverse Effects on Learners, or

7. b) that the breaches gave rise to financial gain or competitive advantage.

8. 7. Ofqual therefore considers that a rebuke is the most proportionate and appropriate outcome in the circumstances of this case.

Summary of WJEC’s representations and Ofqual’s response

1. 8. WJEC has accepted the issue of the rebuke and did not make any substantive representations.

Right to appeal

1. 9. WJEC may appeal this rebuke in accordance with Ofqual’s published Appeal Rules which set out the procedure for appeals to the Ofqual Enforcement Appeal Panel.

2. 10. The rebuke will remain confidential until the appeal period expires. Where an appeal is submitted, the rebuke will not be published until the appeal is concluded. If the appeal is dismissed, Ofqual will normally publish both the rebuke and the appeal outcome.

Publication of the rebuke

1. 11. If no appeal is submitted, Ofqual will publish the rebuke after the appeal period has expired or on such earlier date as may be agreed with WJEC.

Conclusion

1. 12. These failings represent serious breaches of Ofqual’s General and Subject Level Conditions across multiple subjects and years. Although WJEC has taken steps to rectify its processes and prevent recurrence, the failures undermined essential assurance mechanisms and had the potential to prejudice Learners and undermine public confidence in the validity of regulated qualifications.

2. 13. This rebuke serves both as a formal expression of regulatory concern regarding these incidents and as a clear expectation that WJEC must ensure it has in place a strong regulatory compliance culture, systems and oversight to prevent similar incidents recurring in the future.

Signed:

Sir Ian Bauckham CBE,

Chief Regulator, Ofqual

1. WJEC Eduqas level 1/level 2 GCSE (9-1) in drama, WJEC Eduqas level 3 Advanced Subsidiary GCE in drama and theatre and WJEC Eduqas level 3 Advanced GCE in drama and theatre qualifications. ↩

2. WJEC Eduqas level 3 Advanced Subsidiary GCE in drama and theatre and WJEC Eduqas level 3 Advanced GCE in drama and theatre qualifications. ↩

3. WJEC Eduqas level 1/level 2 GCSE (9-1) in geography A and WJEC Eduqas level 1/level 2 GCSE (9-1) in geography B qualifications. ↩

4. WJEC Eduqas level 1/level 2 GCSE (9-1) in computer science qualification. ↩