Ipsos helps develop new GCSE qualification in Northern Ireland

School pupils in Northern Ireland are to be offered a new GCSE in statistics - part of the north's exams board's growing portfolio of `stem' qualifications - which has been developed in partnership with local employers like Ipsos.

Big Data, statistical analysis and open data were just some of the topics discussed for the launch of a new GCSE in Statistics.

Developed by The Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) in partnership with local employers, including Ipsos and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), along with further and higher education institutions, GCSE Statistics is a new qualification which draws on real-life scenarios set in a Northern Ireland context, engaging learners and leading them into a variety of career pathways.

Fiona Rooney, Managing Director of Ipsos Northern Ireland, was in attendance at the launch and commented:

Ipsos are delighted to have been involved in the development of the new GCSE Statistics qualification alongside CCEA.  This qualification is an excellent introduction to the very topical Big Data and how large quantities of data are used and analysed to reveal trends. It will capture the interest and imagination of learners and give them an insight into the importance of statistics in the real world.

Justin Edwards, CCEA’s CEO commented:

GCSE Statistics is a relevant addition to CCEA’s growing portfolio of STEM qualifications.  It enables learners to develop a set of transferable skills that will be of benefit in other GCSE subjects and further study.  It also supports the transition to the revised A Level in Mathematics that, for the first time, has a compulsory statistics section.

The NEW GCSE Statistics qualification is available for first teaching in September 2017.

Related news

  • Welsh Senedd polling
    Politics Survey

    Plaid Cymru has slight lead over Reform UK in new Ipsos Wales Senedd poll, but half of voters may change mind

    New polling data from Ipsos in the UK, conducted 2–8 April 2026, reveals a complex political landscape in Wales ahead of the Senedd elections. While Plaid Cymru has a slight lead in voting intentions, Reform voters are more committed, and many voters say they may still change their mind. The research also highlights widespread public frustration with the performance of the Welsh Government and a significant lack of trust in any single party to address the nation's top priorities.
  • Ipsos Scotland Political Pulse
    Scotland Survey

    Scots unimpressed by Holyrood campaigns, but give SNP the edge

    With just two weeks to go until the Scottish Parliament election on 7th May, new data from Ipsos’s Scotland Political Pulse shows that, while voters are not particularly impressed by any of the parties, the SNP have the edge, with views on both the party and their leader improving since last month.
  • Money jar
    Issues Index Survey

    Economic optimism falls to record low as concern over inflation rises

    The latest Ipsos Economic Optimism Index (EOI) reveals that net economic optimism in Britain has fallen to the lowest levels ever recorded since Ipsos began collecting this data in 1978. In the latest data, collected 8-14 April 2026, 78% of Britons expect the economy to get worse over the next 12 months (up 3ppts since last month), the highest level recorded since the Index began.