The future of post-16 qualifications

Education Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 23 Nov 2021 Closed: 8 Sep 2023 Parliament page
The Education Committee will hold an inquiry examining how effectively post-16, level 3 education and qualifications (such as A Levels, T Levels, BTECs and apprenticeships) prepare young people for the world of work. The Committee will consider the Government’s current work and proposals in this area and look at whether … Read more
4 Recommendations
46 Conclusions
1 Report
7 Oral sessions
2 Letters
7 Events
Activity timeline 18 events
5 Jul
2023
Report published
28 Apr
2023
Report published
17 Jan
2023
Correspondence
10 Jan
2023
Correspondence
13 Dec
2022
Oral evidence
13 Dec
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
8 Nov
2022
Oral evidence
8 Nov
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
18 Oct
2022
Oral evidence
18 Oct
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
12 Jul
2022
Oral evidence
12 Jul
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Oral evidence sessions 7 sessions
13 Dec 2022
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The future of Post-16 qualifications
Rt Hon Robert Halfon · Department for Education Sue Lovelock · Department for Education
8 Nov 2022
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The future of post-16 qualifications (6 of 8)
Alice Barnard · Edge Foundation Kate Grieg · King Ethelbert School Richard Markham · IB Schools and Colleges Association (IBSCA) Tom Richmond · EDSK
18 Oct 2022
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Post 16 qualifications (5 of 7), Alternative qualification models
Andria Singlehurst · Aspirations Academies Trusts Martin Said · XP School Doncaster Tina Götschi · Ada, National College for Digital Skills Yiannis Koursis · Barnsley College
12 Jul 2022
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The future of Post-16 qualifications (4 of 7)
David Gallagher · NCFE Dr Lisa Morrison-Coulthard · National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) Kirsti Lord · Association of Colleges Mrs Ruth Perry · Natspec Tom Bewick · Federation of Awarding Bodies
17 May 2022
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The future of Post-16 qualifications (3 of 7)
Andy Webb · Skysmart Chris Pont · IJYI Ltd Jane Gratton · British Chambers of Commerce Lisa Silcock · Naylor Industries PLC Matthew McCarrick · McCarrick Construction Ltd Peter Cadwallader · The Port Hotel Steven Kearney · SKARCHITECTS
27 Apr 2022
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The future of Post-16 qualifications (2 of 7)
Sir Charlie Mayfield · QA Group The Rt Hon. the Lord Blunkett The Rt Hon. the Lord Willetts
30 Mar 2022
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The future of Post-16 qualifications
Andreas Schleicher · OECD The Rt Hon. the Lord Baker of Dorking CH
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Third Report - The future of post-16 qualifications HC 55 28 Apr 2023 50 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
5 results
Clear
3 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - The future of post-…
T Levels represent a welcome, rigorous, and high-quality technical qualification.
We strongly welcome the aspiration for T Levels to be a rigorous and ambitious new qualification which will level up our technical education system. T Levels have been developed alongside 250 employers and offer a prestigious, high-quality route for students … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the committee's positive assessment of T Levels, affirming they are central to Level 3 reforms, high-quality, employer-led, and include valuable industry placements.
Department for Education
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14 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - The future of post-…
T Level Transition Programme shows inadequate progression rates to full T Levels
Too many learners on the T Level Transition Programme do not progress on to a T Level. The reasons for this are unclear. Only 14% of the first Transition Programme cohort actually progressed to a T Level, and just under … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the T Level Transition Programme is new and states it is working with providers to better understand early progression outcomes and support more learners. They plan to review progression expectations as the programme matures and are reviewing options for recognising attainment for those who do not progress to a full T Level.
Department for Education
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15 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - The future of post-…
Review the Transition Programme to understand low learner progression to full T Levels.
The Department must work with providers to review the Transition Programme to determine why so few learners progress onto the full T Level. We would expect an effectively functioning Transition Programme to support at least half of learners to progress … Read more
Government Response
The government states it is working with providers to better understand early progression outcomes and support learners onto T Levels. They will review expectations and expect the Transition Programme to evolve, and are currently reviewing options to recognise attainment for students who do not progress to a full T Level.
Department for Education
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21 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - The future of post-…
Monitor T Level marketing success by publishing annual awareness statistics nationally and regionally.
The Department must monitor the success of its T Level marketing and communications strategy through the publication of annual statistics—at both national and regional level—on T Level awareness among young people and employers.
Government Response
The government states it continually evaluates its marketing campaigns and its 2022 research showed increased T Level awareness among target groups. It will continue to monitor impact and inform future activity, with a focus on regional variances, without explicitly committing to annual publication of national and regional statistics.
Department for Education
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23 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - The future of post-…
Regional economic variation poses a significant obstacle to equitable T Level access and success.
Regional variation in economic activity remains a significant obstacle to the success of T Levels. Evidence to our inquiry described T Levels as “a city-centric initiative”, and “the ‘urban qualification’ “. There is a risk that young people living in … Read more
Government Response
The government aims for equitable access to T Levels, stating they are available in every region and will be rolled out across the country by 2025. It monitors regional uptake and will ensure marketing strategies address specific regional challenges and promote T Levels in rural, coastal, and disadvantaged areas.
Department for Education
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Government Response AI assessment · 48 of 4 classified
Accepted 22
Accepted in Part 4
Acknowledged 5
Deferred 5
Not Addressed 2
Rejected 10
Total 4 recs + 46 conclusions
Correspondence 2 letters
17 Jan 2023 Correspondence from Minister Halfon to the Chair regarding the Government’s review of post-16 qualifications at level 3 in England, dated 10 January
Parliament page
10 Jan 2023 Correspondence from Jo Saxton, Chief Regulator of Ofqual, regarding post-16 qualifications
Parliament page