9. What support does the Cabinet Secretary provide to people with additional learning needs who want to study the Welsh baccalaureate? OAQ51838

Thank you, Mark. Local authorities are responsible for providing suitable educational provision for all learners to enable them to access a range of qualifications, including the Welsh baccalaureate. Those with additional learning needs will receive additional support to meet their individual needs.

Thank you. I've been contacted by the mother of a young man on the autism spectrum. They've looked at the Welsh bac at level 3 and have doubts about their son's ability to cope with aspects of the Welsh bac, particularly the maths skills needed for the level 3 Welsh bac, where there's a need for a lot of executive functioning skills and collaborative and social skills that are likely to cause stress for their son and prevent him from coping with the course. How, therefore, will you address the barriers to achievement presented by the compulsion of the Welsh bac for all learners, and in particular learners with additional learning needs, on a level 3 course? And, what consideration will you give to a more flexible attitude that allows for learners with 'spiky profiles' to achieve, for some it would mean the baccalaureate and for others that would be too much, but nonetheless they need the opportunity to achieve with the great skills that they have?

Thank you, Mark. I start from the basis that all qualifications should be available to all of our cohort, and I don't think any of us would want to start from the provision of saying that there are certain groups of learners who cannot access a certain qualification. We have to start on the basis of equity.

However, I would expect headteachers to use their professional judgment in determining which learners should be undertaking the Welsh baccalaureate at the relevant level, according to the individual learning pathway, and what support individual learners may need to allow them to access a qualification that could be of benefit to them. But it has to be down to the professional judgment of those teachers who work with individuals and families.