DCF Cymru Digital competence for Wales

← All qualifications

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 Storing and sharing

  1. Producing and submitting word-processed NEA work

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

    Both NEA units (24 hours of work, 60% of the GCSE) must be submitted digitally, with no handwritten option stated. Learners need to write extended, structured responses to case study tasks, then save and submit their files correctly.

    DCF: Creating digital content, Storing and sharing, Evaluating and improving digital content

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    In Health and wellbeing lessons, pupils type a short response to a case study about a family's needs in Word, using a heading, bullet points and spellcheck, and save it to a named OneDrive folder.
    Year 8
    Pupils write a structured report on a local care service in Word with headings and a table, then improve it using a partner's comments before handing it in through Teams Assignments.
    Year 9
    Pupils complete a timed, word-processed case study task on an older person's care needs, using heading styles and version history, and submit a correctly named file through Teams Assignments.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Section 3.2, Units 2 and 3, page 34

    “Assessments must be submitted digitally.”
    Progression step 3

    • 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.

    • I can use keyboard commands such as shortcuts.

    • I can manage files and folders locally or online, e.g. move files to a folder.

    Progression step 4

    • I can explore and develop a range of formal text document structures for different audiences and purposes.

    • I can use appropriate advanced file management techniques, e.g. version history, restore previous version, tagging, compression.

    • I can suggest and make improvements that are relevant for audience and purpose, based on feedback and self-evaluation of my digital work.

    Progression step 5

    • I can create formal text documents for a professional audience, incorporating the use of collaborative review tools into activities.

    • I can make informed choices about file types and understand compatibility issues, e.g. the difficulties of editing PDFs, differences between sound files.

    • I can make detailed and specific changes to my digital work, based upon feedback and self-evaluation, as relevant.

Good to know

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).