DCF Cymru Digital competence for Wales

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Foundation The Sciences

Foundation The Sciences is an Entry Level and Level 1 qualification for learners in Years 10 and 11 who need a practical, accessible science course, with energy, materials, cells, the environment and health taught through scientific enquiry. It names almost no digital tools. Its digital work sits in the data behind enquiry: recording results in tables and charts, turning tables into graphs, spotting patterns and doing simple calculations in the Unit 2 enquiry tasks and the Unit 3 health tasks, plus finding secondary information on websites and judging whether it looks valid. Unit 1 topic tests can be taken on screen. The biggest thing Key Stage 3 can build is confident use of a spreadsheet to record a results table and turn it into a clear chart.

Awarding body
WJEC
Level
Entry Level and Level 1
First taught
September 2027
Amount of digital work
Low
Specification
Open the specification
How this qualification is assessed
  • Unit 1: Science in Everyday Life: Two topic tests of 30 minutes each, 30%, 60 marks (2 × 30), set and marked by WJEC; tiered (Foundation tier Entry 1 to Entry 3, Higher tier Entry 3 to Level 1); centres choose on-screen or paper tests within a four-week window
  • Unit 2: Caring for the Planet: Non-examination assessment, four enquiry tasks of 30 minutes each plus up to one additional hour per task for data collection or data presentation, 40%, 60 marks (4 × 15); centres choose one WJEC set task for each of the four contexts; marked by the centre and moderated by WJEC
  • Unit 3: Me and My Health: Non-examination assessment, two tasks with up to 20 hours in total, 30%, 60 marks; set by WJEC, centres can tailor the practical elements; marked by the centre and moderated by WJEC

The digital skills in this qualification

  1. Recording practical results in tables and charts

    Assessed: In coursework (non-examination assessment, NEA)

    In the Unit 2 enquiry tasks learners make observations or measurements and record their results clearly in tables, tally charts and simple charts such as bar charts. Each task allows up to an extra hour for data collection or data presentation, so a spreadsheet is a sensible way to record and present results, although no tool is named.

    DCF: Data and information literacy, Creating digital content

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils type the results of a dissolving experiment into a ready-made spreadsheet table with headings and units, then make a bar chart from it.
    Year 8
    Pupils set up their own spreadsheet table for a pulse rate investigation, choosing column headings and units, and add a tally of results from the class.
    Year 9
    Pupils design a spreadsheet to record repeat readings from a heat loss experiment, then choose and format the best chart to present the results for a display.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 2, Using primary data, page 18; Section 3.2, Unit 2 overview, page 27

    “record results clearly, including tables, tally charts, simple charts”
    Progression step 3

    • I can construct, refine and interrogate data sets within tables, charts, spreadsheets and databases to test or support an investigation.

    • I can use a range of software to select, produce and edit a range of multimedia components for a purpose, such as:

      • text and images, e.g. format text (bold, underline, italics, highlight); insert and edit text boxes; columns; use refine tools (spellchecker, find and replace); word wrap; crop; alter size and shape; alter images; add effects; trim and split sound and video clips; transitions; onion skin
      • presentation, e.g. page orientation; animations; transitions; remove and alter images; use background; use action buttons to create hyperlink; embed objects.
    Progression step 4

    • I can create a data capture form, capture data, search data and create a database and spreadsheet with appropriate data input method.

  2. Turning data into graphs and doing simple calculations

    Assessed: In the exam and in coursework (NEA)

    Learners look at results, identify simple patterns, do simple maths to help understand the data and change data from a table to a graph or chart. Appendix C adds finding arithmetic means and plotting two variables from experimental data, which suit spreadsheet formulae and charts. These skills are assessed in the Unit 2 and Unit 3 tasks and in the Unit 1 topic tests.

    DCF: Data and information literacy

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils enter the heights of bean seedlings into a spreadsheet, use the AVERAGE formula to find the mean for each group and make a bar chart.
    Year 8
    Pupils plot a line graph of temperature against time for cooling water in a spreadsheet, and use MAX and MIN to find the temperature drop.
    Year 9
    Pupils use a spreadsheet to calculate means of three repeats, plot one variable against another as a scatter graph, and write one sentence on the pattern it shows.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 2, Analyse data, page 18; Appendix C, page 42; Section 3.2, Unit 1 overview, page 26

    “change data from one form to another, including from a table to a graph or chart”
    Progression step 3

    • I can construct, refine and interrogate data sets within tables, charts, spreadsheets and databases to test or support an investigation.

    • I can use a range of spreadsheet formulae, e.g. + - / x, sum, average, max, min.

    Progression step 4

    • I can perform analysis on simple data sets including grouping data as appropriate.

  3. Finding secondary information online and checking it

    Assessed: In coursework (non-examination assessment, NEA)

    Learners find scientific information from a book, website, worksheet or video, pick out key facts or data and present them simply in lists, tables or graphs. They begin to evaluate secondary data by noticing if the information looks valid or if something does not fit. This is one of the Unit 2 enquiry skills.

    DCF: Sourcing, searching and planning digital content

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils search a teacher-chosen website for three facts about how much household waste goes to landfill in Wales and note the web address for each fact.
    Year 8
    Pupils refine their search words to find recycling rates for their local council and another council, put the figures in a table and say which source they trust more.
    Year 9
    Pupils find data on water use from two websites, compare the figures, spot one that does not fit and explain whether each source is reliable, with a simple reference list.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 2, Using secondary data, page 18

    “find scientific information from a book, website, worksheet or video”
    Progression step 3

    • I can adjust keywords and search techniques to find relevant information.

    • I can begin to reference sources used in my work, and consider if content is reliable.

    Progression step 4

    • I can search a variety of sources using relevant search techniques with increased complexity.

    • I can evaluate the reliability of sources of information, justify my opinions and reasons for choices, and reference using appropriate methods.

  4. Judging health claims in the media and online

    Assessed: In coursework (non-examination assessment, NEA)

    In Unit 3 learners consider the scientific evidence for using vaccinations to reduce serious disease, and must be aware that vaccine safety is often discussed in the media and that some reports are not scientifically accurate. They also study public health messages such as catch it, bin it, kill it. This calls for thinking critically about information shared online.

    DCF: Identity, image and reputation, Sourcing, searching and planning digital content, Health and well-being

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils look at two online adverts for health drinks and pick out which claims give evidence and which do not.
    Year 8
    Pupils compare an NHS Wales web page on hand washing with a social media post about germs and list three checks that show which one is reliable.
    Year 9
    Pupils read two online articles about a vaccine, one from a health service and one from a blog, and explain which claims are backed by scientific evidence and which are not.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 3, Section 3.2.3, page 23

    “the safety of vaccinations is often discussed in the media”
    Progression step 3

    • I can think critically about information shared online, e.g. the impact of sharing images and videos, metadata of images and videos.

    • I can begin to reference sources used in my work, and consider if content is reliable.

    Progression step 4

    • I can evaluate the reliability of sources of information, justify my opinions and reasons for choices, and reference using appropriate methods.

    • I can reflect on the role of digital media in my life and habits.

  5. Analysing health data such as BMI and reaction times

    Assessed: In coursework (non-examination assessment, NEA)

    Unit 3 asks learners to use BMI data to assess obesity levels, investigate their own reaction times and heart rate recovery, and analyse data on the effect of caffeine and alcohol on reaction times. Collecting class results in a spreadsheet and sorting or graphing them is a natural way to do this in the Unit 3 tasks.

    DCF: Data and information literacy

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils use an online reaction timer five times each, enter their scores in a shared spreadsheet and find their own fastest and mean time.
    Year 8
    Pupils sort a class spreadsheet of resting and after-exercise pulse rates and make a chart comparing the two.
    Year 9
    Pupils use a spreadsheet of anonymised BMI values for a sample population, group them into the healthy weight ranges with a formula and chart how many fall in each range.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 3, Sections 3.1.3, 3.2.1 and 3.2.2, pages 21 to 22

    “analyse data on the effect of caffeine and alcohol on”
    Progression step 3

    • I can construct, refine and interrogate data sets within tables, charts, spreadsheets and databases to test or support an investigation.

    Progression step 4

    • I can perform analysis on simple data sets including grouping data as appropriate.

    • I can analyse large data sets and identify trends where appropriate.

  6. Modelling energy transfers and payback times

    Assessed: In the exam

    In Unit 1 learners interpret and complete Sankey diagrams of given data and suggest insulation methods for homes, linking them to payback times. Working out wasted energy and how many years a measure takes to pay for itself suits a simple spreadsheet model, and this content is tested in the Unit 1 topic tests.

    DCF: Data and information literacy, Problem-solving and modelling

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils use a spreadsheet that subtracts useful energy from input energy to find the wasted energy for three light bulbs.
    Year 8
    Pupils build a spreadsheet that divides the cost of loft insulation by the yearly saving to give the payback time, and test it with different prices.
    Year 9
    Pupils make a spreadsheet model comparing payback times for four insulation methods, chart the results and recommend one for a house.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 1, Section 1.1.1, page 12

    “interpret and complete Sankey diagrams of given data”
    Progression step 3

    • I can use a range of spreadsheet formulae, e.g. + - / x, sum, average, max, min.

    Progression step 4

    • I can create a simple model or self-contained algorithm.

  7. Measuring pollution and sampling wildlife with digital instruments

    Assessed: In coursework (non-examination assessment, NEA)

    Unit 2 enquiries include practical activities such as gas tests, biological indicators or sound measurements, and ecological sampling to estimate biodiversity. Appendix B notes that noise mapping can be used to estimate noise pollution from road and rail sources. Sound level meters, data loggers or tablet apps are one way to gather this data, though the specification does not require them.

    DCF: Data and information literacy

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils use a sound meter app on a school tablet to measure noise in three places around the school and record the readings in a table.
    Year 8
    Pupils count plants in quadrats on the school field, enter the counts in a shared spreadsheet and compare the mean for a trampled and an untrampled area.
    Year 9
    Pupils log sound levels at set times beside a road and a quiet area, store them in a spreadsheet and present a chart that shows when noise pollution is highest.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 2, Overview of unit, page 16; Appendix B, Sections 2.3.3 and 2.4.1, pages 39 and 40

    “practical activities such as gas tests, biological indicators or sound measurements”
    Progression step 3

    • I can construct, refine and interrogate data sets within tables, charts, spreadsheets and databases to test or support an investigation.

    Progression step 4

    • I can create a data capture form, capture data, search data and create a database and spreadsheet with appropriate data input method.

    • I can perform analysis on simple data sets including grouping data as appropriate.

  8. Learning from scientists on screen and working with others

    Assessed: Taught, but not assessed

    The qualification gives opportunities for learners to engage with the work of diverse scientists in person, on screen or remotely, to visit areas of scientific interest in person or digitally, to research careers that draw on science, and to develop collaboration skills. These learning experiences are not directly assessed.

    DCF: Communication, Collaboration

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils watch a short recorded talk by a scientist working in Wales and post one question each to a class online board.
    Year 8
    Pupils join a live video call with an NHS worker, ask prepared questions and share their notes in a shared class document.
    Year 9
    Pupils work in groups on a shared online slide deck about a science career, after taking a virtual tour of a science facility, and set edit permissions for each member.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Opportunities for integration of learning experiences, page 24

    “either in person or on-screen and/or remotely”
    Progression step 3

    • I can show an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of communication and when it is appropriate to use each, e.g. explain when video conferencing may be more appropriate than e-mail, and vice versa; explain the pros and cons of using instant messaging in social contexts; talk about purpose and audience.

    • I can work with others to create an online collaborative project for a specific purpose, sharing and appropriately setting permissions for other group members, e.g. editing, commenting, viewing.

    Progression step 4

    • I can select and use different online communication tools for specific purposes with higher levels of competence, e.g. set up and manage an address book, organise contacts, use advanced features of e-mail provider (signature, auto reply, read receipt, widgets).

Good to know

Links with other qualifications

Foundation The Sciences leads towards GCSE The Sciences (Double Award) and GCSE Integrated Science (Single Award), which build on the same scientific enquiry skills of recording, graphing and evaluating primary and secondary data, then add data logging, gradients and fuller evaluation of accuracy. The waste, pollution and biodiversity enquiries overlap with Geography fieldwork, the BMI, diet and exercise work links with Physical Education and Health, and the Appendix C data skills support Foundation Mathematics and Numeracy.

Source: WJEC Entry Level/Level 1 Foundation The Sciences specification, approved by Qualifications Wales, teaching from September 2027, for award from 2029 (© WJEC CBAC Ltd 2026).