DCF Cymru Digital competence for Wales

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GCSE Social Studies

GCSE Social Studies is data heavy: learners calculate averages and percentages, build graphs and judge how data is presented in the examinations, and in the NEA they design questionnaires, assess and reference sources, and create an artefact such as an email, blog post or research poster. Digital exclusion, social media campaigning and online petitions also appear as content, and both NEA units are submitted digitally. The single biggest thing KS3 should build is a secure routine of collecting data with an online form, analysing it in a spreadsheet and presenting it clearly with referenced sources.

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: Society and Social Issues: Examination 1 hour 15 minutes, 30%
  • Unit 2: Investigating Society and Social Issues: NEA 6 hours 30 minutes, 20%, set and marked by WJEC
  • Unit 3: Social Change in Contemporary Society: Examination 1 hour 15 minutes, 30%
  • Unit 4: Planning to Effect Social Change: NEA 6 hours 30 minutes, 20%, set by WJEC, marked by the centre and moderated by WJEC

Skills that use Health and well-being

  1. Understanding digital exclusion and technology as a driver of social change

    Assessed: In the exam

    Digital exclusion is a set social issue: its causes (broadband access, online safety concerns, disability, lack of digital skills), its impact on communicating, employability and transactions, and comparisons with South Africa and South Korea. Unit 3 adds technology in globalisation, including the Internet, translation apps and cyber-attacks.

    DCF: Health and well-being, Identity, image and reputation, Online behaviour and online bullying

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils list everyday tasks that now need the internet, such as booking a GP appointment, and discuss who might struggle to do them.
    Year 8
    Pupils chart data on internet use by age group in Wales in Excel and explain which groups are most likely to be digitally excluded.
    Year 9
    Pupils compare digital exclusion in Wales with another country using online data and suggest how a charity or the Senedd could reduce it.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 1, Section 1.3.3, page 15; Unit 3, Section 3.1.6, page 24

    “Learners should understand the impact of digital exclusion”
    Progression step 3

    • I can identify the wider positive and negative influences of technology, e.g. on my life, on society, on the environment.

    • I can understand how to protect myself from online identity theft, e.g. identifying secure sites, phishing, scam websites.

    Progression step 4

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

    • I can use strategies for guarding myself against identity theft and online scams that try to access my personal information.

    Progression step 5

    • I can continuously evaluate online behaviour, taking into consideration the consequences of actions; take action to minimise risk to safety and security; consider global and cultural perspectives and adapt behaviour accordingly.

    • I can recognise the risks and the uses of data/services on personal devices, within the terms and conditions of a range of software and web services, and identify how organisations become data compliant when using multi-national products.

Good to know

Links with other qualifications

The questionnaire, chart and digital NEA submission demands closely match GCSE Business, and source credibility and referencing overlap with History and Geography, so a shared KS3 enquiry routine would serve all of them.

Source: WJEC GCSE Social Studies specification, Version 2, October 2025 (teaching from 2026, for award from 2028).