The Department for Education has opened a consultation reviewing post-16 qualifications at level 3. The scope of the consultation is for classroom based learning for both academic and technical qualifications.
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The consultation is based on the premise that A Levels and T Levels will be the primary route for classroom based learning for students aged 16-19 wanting to pursue academic or technical paths respectively. These proposals are aimed at simplifying the routes available for students who them wish to progress onto higher technical qualifications, i.e. Level 4 or 5 apprenticeships.
The key proposals include:
Removing funding for the majority of current technical qualifications at Level 3 with the exception of:
- Qualifications providing competence against employer-led standards not covered by T Levels1
- Additional Specialist Qualifications which develop more specialist skill and knowledge than could be acquired through T Levels alone2
The Lifetime Skills Guarantee funds Level 3 technical courses for adults, and so T Levels should also be available to adult learners with the below difference:
- The courses should offer greater flexibility and allow for modular delivery of content recognising prior learning and including a robust competency assessment at the end of the course.3
- The exceptions listed for T Level qualifications would also apply to adult learners.
Members are asked to consider the following questions in relation to the consultation
- Are there any classroom based Level 3 qualifications currently used by the sector that would be at risk of defunding? What impact would this have?
- Will T levels cover the learning from these defunded qualifications? Where are there potential gaps?
- Are there any potential issues from these proposals we should flag to government?
- Please share any comments/concerns that may not have already been covered.
Notes
1. DfE Review of post-16 qualifications at level 3 in England: Second Stage, pg. 21
Consultation closed
We are currently formulating our response
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