Explanatory note

Section 4(1) and (2) of the Education Reform Act 1988 places a duty on the Secretary of State to establish the National Curriculum by specifying by order appropriate attainment targets, programmes of study and assessment arrangements for each of the foundation subjects. Attainment targets and programmes of study for pupils in Welsh Second Language were specified in the Education (National Curriculum) (Attainment Targets and Programmes of Study in Welsh) Order 1990.

This order specifies the assessment arrangements for Welsh Second Language in the final year of the first key stage, as they apply to maintained schools in Wales.

Pupils are to be assessed during the summer term by teachers and a record of the results, consisting of pupils' levels of attainment in relation to each attainment target specified for the key stage (levels 1-3), is to be made (article 4). If a teacher considers that a pupil’s level of attainment exceeds the specified levels he or she must record that fact. In making these assessments, teachers must take into account guidance issued by local education authorities or (in the case of grant-maintained schools) the school’s governing body, and may take into account the outcomes of non-mandatory standard assessment tasks (SATs).

Rules are specified for deriving profile component levels from the pupils' attainment target results (article 5) and for deriving a subject level from pupils' profile component levels (article 6). These rules are modified in the case of pupils to whom provisions of the National Curriculum do not apply.