GCSE Health and Social Care, and Childcare
This GCSE asks for little named digital work in its content, but both NEA units, worth 60% of the qualification, must be submitted digitally and Unit 3 includes an investigation. Learners also interpret health statistics and analyse health promotion campaigns for the Unit 1 examination. The biggest thing KS3 can build is confident, well-structured word-processed writing backed by reliable, referenced online research.
- Awarding body
- WJEC
- Level
- Level 1 and Level 2
- First taught
- September 2026
- Amount of digital work
- Medium
- 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, 30%
- Unit 3: Childcare: Non-examination assessment 12 hours (case study and investigation), 30%
Skills that use Sourcing, searching and planning digital content
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Researching and evaluating sources for the childcare investigation
Unit 3 includes an investigation, and AO3 asks learners to investigate, analyse and evaluate provision and draw conclusions. The spec does not say how the investigation is researched, but most information on services such as Flying Start or Play Wales will be found online, so searching, judging reliability and referencing matter.
DCF: Sourcing, searching and planning digital content, Digital rights, licensing and ownership, Evaluating and improving digital content
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils find out what a local playgroup or Flying Start service offers from two websites and list both sources with their web addresses.
- Year 8
- Pupils use refined keyword searches to find information on the benefits of play from Play Wales and one other site, then rate each source for reliability using a checklist.
- Year 9
- Pupils carry out a short investigation into childcare provision in their area, using search operators, judging each source for reliability and bias, and referencing every source at the end.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Section 3.1 AO3, page 33; Section 3.2 Unit 3, page 34
“Investigate, analyse, and evaluate values, issues and provision in health and social care, and childcare, making reasoned judgements and drawing conclusions.”
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.
I can cite sources when researching and explain the importance of this, e.g. create simple lists for the referencing of digital and offline sources.
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 independently use a range of complex searches, e.g. and/or/+/-/not.
I can understand copyright and can explain the legal and ethical dimensions of respecting creative work, e.g. exploring the ethical and legal ramifications of piracy and plagiarism and know that they are irresponsible and disrespectful, and I can apply my understanding of the rules and regulations to different scenarios.
Progression step 5
I can search efficiently for information for my digital work and evaluate the reliability of sources of information, justifying opinions and reasons for choices, and I can reference work using appropriate methods.
I can refer appropriately to sources of information used in my digital work.
I can understand individuals' rights and responsibilities as creators and consumers of content, and I can think critically and make ethical decisions about the use of creative works in relation to fair use and reference using formal citation conventions, e.g. Harvard and Oxford.
Good to know
- Unit 1 is a written examination with no digital element stated: "Written examination: 1 hour 30 minutes" (page 4).
- Digital learning experiences are encouraged but not assessed: "experiences will not be directly assessed" (page 32).
- The specification sets no rules on internet, AI or resource use during the 12-hour NEAs, which are left to the Assessment Pack: "The Assessment Pack will include all detailed information relating to assessment." (page 33).
- NEA research cannot start before the tasks are released: "Learners should not have access to the case studies or tasks until the start of the assessment." (page 34).
Links with other qualifications
Health data work overlaps with fitness testing in Physical Education and Health and with statistics in Mathematics, so a shared Excel approach in Years 7 to 9 would serve all three.
Source: WJEC GCSE Health and Social Care, and Childcare specification, teaching from 2026, for award from 2028 (© WJEC CBAC Ltd 2025).