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This guide provides you with information about this year's arrangements for qualifications regulated by Ofqual. It also explains what support is in place when taking exams and assessments.

Applies to England

Documents

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email publications@ofqual.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

This guide is for students taking any of the following qualifications:

GCSEs

AS or A levels

other general qualifications, including International Baccalaureate, core mathematics and Pre-U

Technical Qualification (part of a T Level)

BTEC, Cambridge Technicals and other vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) taken alongside GCSEs and A levels

In this guide, we refer to schools and colleges as a collective term for all schools, colleges and other exam centres.

Some students won't be studying at a school or college and will be private candidates. They are often home educated or are re-taking a qualification after leaving school or college. They may be studying with a distance learning provider, tutor, parent, or without any support. Private candidates will need to register at a school, college or other exam centre to sit their exams. More information on how to do this can be found in this guide. We make clear in this guide where information only applies to a certain type of qualification. If you are not sure exactly which qualifications you are taking, check with your school or college.

This guide talks about awarding organisations and exam boards. All organisations that offer qualifications regulated by Ofqual are called awarding organisations. The 4 awarding organisations that offer GCSEs, AS and A levels in England are also called exam boards.

This guide refers to exams officers. An exams officer is the person in a school or college that organises exams. An exams officer's duties will vary by school or college. Check with your school or college who your exams officer is and how to contact them.

Thank you for your feedback

Report a problem with this page

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This guide provides you with information about this year's arrangements for qualifications regulated by Ofqual. It also explains what support is in place when taking exams and assessments.

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Edumentors: GCSE 2023 - Everything You Need to Know BLOG

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Edumentors: GCSE 2023 - Everything You Need to Know BLOG

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Published: 23rd March 2023

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Table of Contents:

Will There Be Changes to GCSE 2023?

Formal assessments, including GCSE 2023, will gradually return to normal as England moves on from the pandemic. It is now unlikely that schools will close or exams are cancelled, as the national return to exam-oriented learning has come. The government does not intend for exams to ever be cancelled but recognises that contingency plans are necessary in case of unexpected events.

Ofqual has confirmed that in 2023 a pre-pandemic grading scale will be reinstated for GCSE exams. However, the government has announced that it will offer support to students taking GCSEs in 2023, recognising the disruption caused by the pandemic.

Here's everything you need to know about GCSEs in 2023:

Will GCSE Students Get Advanced Information?

In 2022, the exam boards released topics for some papers in advance to help students who had been impacted by the pandemic. This practice will not feature again next year, Ofqual has confirmed that there will be no advanced information for GCSE students in 2023. The reasoning behind this conclusion is that students have experienced less disruption due to Covid-19 than in previous years.

While Ofqual has confirmed that there will be no advanced information for GCSE students in England in 2023, pupils in Northern Ireland taking GCSE, AS and A-level exams in 2023 have been given advance information for most subjects, as published by the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA). However, it's important to note that this decision only applies to Northern Ireland and not to other parts of the UK, such as England, Wales, or Scotland.

Will GCSE Students Get Formulae Sheets in 2023?

Yes! Formulae and equation sheets will be provided for GCSE exams in 2023. In acknowledgement of the disturbance caused by exam season, this support will be offered to students taking GCSE exams in 2023.

The subjects that formulae sheets and equation sheets are provided for this year have remained the same as those from last year:

GCSE Physics

GCSE Combined Science

GCSE Mathematics

Will GCSE Grades Fall Back to Pre-Pandemic Grades?

The pandemic caused a learning loss that is expected to lower GCSE and A-level grade boundaries in 2023. A grade boundary is a minimum mark pupil needs to get a certain qualification level. For example, if the grade boundary for 7 is 150 marks, students must get at least 150 marks to achieve that grade. In order to avoid unfairness in grading, senior examiners use various data such as previous cohorts' exam results and prior attainment to set grade thresholds every year. Experts expect that grades will be lower than 2022 this year but similar to 2019's results.

"We expect that overall results in 2023 will be much closer to pre-pandemic years than results since 2020. This decision means that results in 2023 will be lower than in 2022." - according to Jo Saxton, the chief regulator of Ofqual.

The reason for this is that it took some pupils longer than others to get back on track. Natalie Perera, chief executive of the Education Policy Institute states that she has concerns about disadvantaged students who were affected by the learning loss during the pandemic.

"Although their course of study for their qualifications may not have been affected by national closures, the years leading up to them - and providing the foundations for their courses - were significantly disrupted" - states Natalie.

Plan B for GCSE 2023

The "Plan B" guidance has been implemented by the Department for Education and Ofqual as a precautionary measure in the event that the GCSE exams are disrupted or cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic or other unforeseen circumstances. This guidance instructs schools and colleges to collect and retain evidence that can be used for potential teacher grades for GCSEs and A-levels. While the probability of the GCSE exams being cancelled is low, this guidance aims to ensure that students have the opportunity to obtain valid and reliable qualifications in the face of any disruptions.

What is the Hardest Exam Board for GCSE 2023?

Firstly, What Exam Boards are There in the UK?

The exam boards currently in use are - AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR and WJEC. They develop secondary school level qualifications such as GCSEs, A-levels, AS levels and vocational qualifications. They are also responsible for marking and awarding points.

Schools have the freedom to choose their exam board, however, most schools use a mixture of some boards, because not all boards provide all subjects. The exam board the school or college chooses will affect how a student's course is taught and what kind of material they study.

If your child is being homeschooled, then you have to do some research into different exam boards and choose the one that seems most suitable for him or her.

To learn more about this topic, you can consult the exam boards' guides for private candidates. The guide can be available by calling the relevant board directly or downloading a pdf from their website.

How are Exam Boards Different?

All exam boards follow the guidelines of Ofqual to ensure parity and to regulate standards. However, the layout, and format vary. To check what differences are there in a specific subject, you can visit each exam board's website or contact them directly. However, at the end of the day, all exam boards mark students on the same skills and techniques. Even if they don't use the same books. If you don't plan to change your child's secondary school and are content with their current exam board's results, there is no need for concern. The awarding committee evaluates each exam board every year and sets grade boundaries so that no student will be treated unfairly in relation to another.

Which is the Hardest Exam Board?

Typically, the difficulty of an exam board's content depends on a student's learning style and the type of questions that they find easiest to answer. Each of the exams is designed for a different type of student. Hence, Edexcel may seem easier to one person than AQA does to another.

The grades students receive are a reflection of the grade boundaries that have been set by exam boards. These boundaries shift depending on how difficult an examination paper is. It's possible for someone to earn lower marks than your child but still be awarded a higher overall grade because they're on another board.

Students have their own favourite based on the subject. For instance, in Maths, Pearson Edexcel is the most popular. Generally, the easiest exam board for languages is considered AQA. Research each subject's requirements and overall grades throughout the years and choose based on your child's strengths and weaknesses.

GCSE 2023 exam timetables have been published:

AQA's GCSE exams start on the 15th of May and end on June 23. Contingency day is on Wednesday, 28th June.

Edexcel's GCSE exams start on the 15th of May and end on Wednesday, June 21st.

OCR's GCSE exams start on the 15th of May and end on the 20th of June.

GCSE Results Day 2023

GCSE results day is an exciting and nerve-wracking time for students across the UK. This year, GCSE results day is scheduled for Thursday, August 24th, 2023. Students can collect their results from their school or college in the morning from 8am. However, some schools may stagger this time or email out results instead.

On GCSE results day, students will find out how they performed in their exams and whether they have achieved the grades they need to progress to their next stage of education. If a student did not achieve the grades they needed, they may be able to request a review of their marking or resit their exams.

It's important for students to remember that results day is not the end of the road. If they did not achieve the grades they needed, there are still options available to them. They can speak to their school or college about alternative options, such as resitting exams or taking vocational qualifications. They can also seek advice from their teachers or careers advisors on the next steps to take.

When Should Students Start Revising for GCSE 2023?

There is no definitive answer to that question. The earlier GCSE students start their revision, the better. If you see your child struggling to start their revision, there are so many ways you can support your child during this stressful time. Here's how:

Study Plan

Help them make a study plan by writing down all the things they need to remember. Then break those things down into smaller chunks. This will help them see what they should be working on and when. This is important so they don't get overwhelmed and develop exam anxiety. Their revision schedule is going to look different depending on which subjects they're taking and when they are being taken. But, there are some general rules they can apply to all of them.

Revision Techniques

Help them find new revision techniques. Notetaking is a widely recommended way to learn. But some students don't take notes and prefer making flashcards instead. Encourage them to experiment with different ways of studying to find what works for them.

Good Physical and Mental Health

Motivate them to maintain a good sleeping routine and eat healthily. This is one of the most important things for being able to focus on their revision. Especially if they're feeling stressed out about something else going on in their lives. Read how can one maintain good mental health during the exam season. Try to help them incorporate some good habits into their lifestyle.

Revising for GCSEs can be a stressful time for both students and parents. As a parent, you can help your child by reminding them that grades are not everything. Sometimes your support is all they need. There are many alternatives to get the education they need, such as apprenticeships, university coursework, and internships. In addition, they can always retake GCSEs next year if they didn't get the desired grade.

The government provides access arrangements for students with disabilities, temporary illnesses or special needs. They may get extra time, modified papers or other aids. Check the government's website to learn more about how AA works. Knowing they'll get some extra help during exams may ease their anxiety.

GCSE Past Papers - Effective Revision for GCSE 2023
GCSE English language GCSE Chemistry GCSE Biology GCSE Physics GCSE English literature
To Sum Up

GCSE 2023 grades are predicted to be lower than pre-covid grades due to a huge learning loss, especially with disadvantaged students. In an effort to help students prepare for the new GCSE exams, the government will provide them with formulae and equation sheets in Physics, Maths and Combined Science. Unfortunately, no advanced information will be given. There will be support in modern foreign languages too. Students won't longer be tested on unfamiliar vocabulary.

It's worth mentioning that during the pandemic, GCSE exams were more spaced out during the summer. Ofqual states that it was well received by schools since it reduced the risk of students being unable to come to exams. The Council for Qualifications will consult on the topic this year too!

If you don't want to miss out on any news regarding GCSEs, there are numerous great communities you can join. You can follow GCSE 2023 on TikTok or join r/GCSE on Reddit. You can also fill out this form to receive important updates.

If you find the information in this article useful, feel free to share it with other parents. You never know how much you can help them!

If you're looking for an effective and supportive way to help your child excel at their GCSEs, check out this 1-day Crash-course! Top-talent tutors from top UK universities can provide your teen with the essential study skills they need to succeed in exams, all from memorisation tips to tricks on how to think like an examiner!

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GCSE 2023: Everything You Need to Know - Edumentors

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GCSEs are coming and parents want their children to be as ready as possible. Read this article to understand everything you need to about GCSE 2023.

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DfE: Guide to post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below in England from 2025

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DfE: Guide to post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below in England from 2025

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Published: 20th April 2023
Summary - Post 16 Level 3 there will be a choice of A level or T level with the option to take additional single size (1 A level equivalent) technical qualification alongside an A level if you wanted a mixed programme. The old style 2 year full time BTEC technical qualifications type programme will gradually disappear.

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An overview of post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below for awarding organisations and providers.

Details

The guide provides a high-level overview of the post-16 qualifications landscape from 2025 onwards, including:

changes to the funding approval process and criteria

the subjects that will be considered for funding

the implications for the availability of qualifications for teaching in England

The separate level 2 and 3 timeline documents provide a chronology of important dates for awarding organisations.

Post-16 qualifications at level 2 and below from spring 2023 signposts awarding organisations and providers to information that is already available and which they may find helpful in preparing for the reforms at level 2 and below.

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Guide to post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below in England

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Published: 21 March 2023
This guide for students provides information about this year’s arrangements for qualifications regulated by Ofqual. It also explains what support is in place when taking exams and assessments.

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This guide provides you with information about this year's arrangements for qualifications regulated by Ofqual. It also explains what support is in place when taking exams and assessments.

Applies to England

Documents

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email publications@ofqual.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

This guide is for students taking any of the following qualifications:

GCSEs

AS or A levels

other general qualifications, including International Baccalaureate, core mathematics and Pre-U

Technical Qualification (part of a T Level)

BTEC, Cambridge Technicals and other vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) taken alongside GCSEs and A levels

In this guide, we refer to schools and colleges as a collective term for all schools, colleges and other exam centres.

Some students won't be studying at a school or college and will be private candidates. They are often home educated or are re-taking a qualification after leaving school or college. They may be studying with a distance learning provider, tutor, parent, or without any support. Private candidates will need to register at a school, college or other exam centre to sit their exams. More information on how to do this can be found in this guide. We make clear in this guide where information only applies to a certain type of qualification. If you are not sure exactly which qualifications you are taking, check with your school or college.

This guide talks about awarding organisations and exam boards. All organisations that offer qualifications regulated by Ofqual are called awarding organisations. The 4 awarding organisations that offer GCSEs, AS and A levels in England are also called exam boards.

This guide refers to exams officers. An exams officer is the person in a school or college that organises exams. An exams officer's duties will vary by school or college. Check with your school or college who your exams officer is and how to contact them.

Thank you for your feedback

Report a problem with this page

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This guide provides you with information about this year's arrangements for qualifications regulated by Ofqual. It also explains what support is in place when taking exams and assessments.

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National Statistics: 2022 Alevel and other 16 to 18 results Breakdown

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National Statistics: 2022 Alevel and other 16 to 18 results Breakdown

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Updated: 2nd February 2023

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Last updated

Release type

National statistics ?

This academic year saw the return of the summer exam series, after they had been cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, where alternative processes were set up to award grades. As part of the transition back to the summer exam series adaptations were made to the exams (including advance information) and the approach to grading for 2022 exams broadly reflected a midpoint between results in 2019 and 2021.

The 16 to 18 performance measures reported in this revised release for the 2021/22 academic year, and to be included on the Find School and College Performance Data website, have been affected by our commitment not to include results from qualifications awarded between January 2020 and August 2021 (see section 'Changes to the data in 2021/22').

Throughout this release, comparisons are made with both 2021, the most recent year, and 2019, because it is most meaningful to compare to the last year summer exams were sat. Given the unprecedented change in how A level and vocational and VTQ grades were awarded in 2020 and 2021, as well as changes to the grade boundaries and methods of assessment for 2021/22, users need to exercise caution when considering comparisons over time, as they may not reflect changes in student performance alone.

Related information

Releases in this series

View releases (23)

Methodologies

Headline facts and figures - 2021/22

A level retention

95.1%

An increase of 3.8 ppts from 2018/19

What is this?

This is the headline retention rate for A level programmes. (The percentage of students who completed their A level programme).

Applied general retention

91.7%

An increase of 5.1 ppts from 2018/19

What is this?

This is the headline retention rate for applied general programmes. (The percentage of students who completed their applied general programme).

Tech level retention

91.1%

An increase of 3.2 ppts from 2018/19

What is this?

This is the headline retention rate for tech level programmes. (The percentage of students who completed their tech level programme).

Average Point Score (APS) per entry for all level 3 cohorts is lower compared to 2020/21: A level, -2.8 pts; applied general, -0.7 pts; tech level, - 1.1 pts. However, attainment remains higher compared to 2018/19: A level, +4.9pts; applied general, +3.1 pts; tech level +1.9 pts. [An increase of 10 points is equivalent to an increase in one full grade]. This follows Ofqual's announcement in September 2021 that 2022 will be a transition year where the aim was for exam results to broadly reflect a midway point between 2021 (TAG grades) and 2019 (the last year all students sat exams).

The trend for falling average attainment across level 3 cohorts in 2021/22 compared to 2020/21 was observed across institution types generally (when grouped into state-funded schools, independent schools, sixth form colleges, and 'Other FE sector colleges') with the exception of applied general attainment in sixth form colleges and independent schools which increased in 2021/22 (+ 0.2 pts and + 0.8 pts respectively).

The disadvantage gap (between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students) is at its widest level for all Level 3 cohorts (A level, tech level, and applied general) since disadvantage measures began in 2016/17.

Gender gaps in favour of female students in average attainment at A level, applied general, and tech level have narrowed in 2021/22 compared to 2020/21; average attainment had increased more for female students than males with the alternative Centre Assessment Grade (CAG) and Teacher Assessed Grade (TAG) awarding processes in 2019/20 and 2020/21 compared with 2018/19.

The percentage of students who completed their main or 'core' aim from their study programme, known as the Retention rate, increased across all programmes in 2021/22.

Non-disadvantaged students are more likely to be retained than disadvantaged students, across all cohorts.

Students with higher prior attainment are more likely to be retained than students with lower prior attainment, across all level 3 cohorts.

Given the unprecedented change in the way results were awarded in the summers of 2020 and 2021, as well as the changes to methods of assessment for 2021/22, users need to exercise caution when considering comparisons over time, as they may not reflect changes in pupil performance alone.

The changes seen in the headline statistics likely reflect the changes in methodology for awarding grades and in calculating the measures, rather than demonstrating a difference in standards.

Explore data and files used in this release

View tables that we have built for you, or create your own tables from open data using our table tool

Browse and download open data files from this release in our data catalogue

Learn more about the data files used in this release using our online guidance

Download all data available in this release as a compressed ZIP file

All supporting files from this release are listed for individual download below:

Provisional results (November 2022) for A level and other 16 to 18 results 2021-22

Transition matrices data used for visualising the progress of pupils aged 16 to 18 from key stage 4 (KS4) to key stage 5 (KS5).

Instructions to accompany the transition matrices data

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the summer exam series was cancelled in both 2020 and 2021, and alternative processes set up to award grades. Throughout this release, comparisons are made with both 2021, the most recent year, and 2019, because it is most meaningful to compare to the last year summer exams were sat.

A/AS and vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs)

In summer 2021 students were awarded A/AS grades based on an assessment by their teachers using a range of available evidence. Students were only assessed on the content they had been taught. In 2021 some VTQ grades were decided using teacher-assessed grades, others using normal assessment routes, and some through adapted assessment such as remote invigilation.

Exceptionally in autumn 2020 and 2021 an autumn series was put in place to allow students the opportunity to try to improve their A level or AS grade from the summer, if they wished to do so. Further information on the autumn 2021 series is available at this link:
https://ofqual.blog.gov.uk/2021/12/16/as-and-a-level-results-in-the-autumn-2021-series/
A/AS exams returned in 2022 and adaptations were made to exams (including advance information), and the approach to grading for 2022 exams broadly reflected a midpoint between results in 2019 and 2021.

The diversity of vocational qualifications meant that Ofqual did not prescribe a single approach to adaptations, so Awarding Organisations (AOs) had flexibility to choose how to adapt their assessments. However, Ofqual's regulatory framework requires AOs as far as possible to ensure VTQ learners were not disadvantaged nor advantaged compared with their A level peers when setting standards.

For further information on the process to award grades in 2021 and 2022 see the following links:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/awarding-qualifications-in-summer-2021/awarding-qualifications-in-summer-2021 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/guidance-for-centres-awarding-vtqs-in-2021-and-2022
Reporting of 2022 results by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) and Ofqual

As happens every year on A level results day (18 August for summer 2022 results) JCQ published data on A level entries for qualifications awarded in summer 2022, and for each subject the distribution of grades awarded (with data for the previous summer for reference): https://www.jcq.org.uk/examination-results/

The data published by JCQ can be expected to show the same broad patterns as the underlying data published in this statistical release 'Entries and results - A level and AS by subject and student characteristics (single academic year). However, the coverage of the data is different: JCQ data covers all A level entries in the UK by people of all ages. Data in this statistical release covers exam entries by 16 to 18 year olds in schools and colleges in England, and includes breakdowns by a wide range of student characteristics.

In addition, Ofqual also routinely publish data on results day: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/guide-to-as-and-a-level-results-in-england-summer-2022

Data excluded from 2021/22 measures due to alternative assessment arrangements in 2020 and 2021

We have committed not to include results of qualifications achieved between January 2020 and August 2021 in school and college performance measures on Find Schools and College Performance Data website, given the alternative assessment arrangements used to award those grades.

For consistency, when calculating 16 to 18 performance measures for 2021/22 in this statistical release, data will only include entries and grades from qualifications awarded in the 2021/22 academic year, with the exception of AS and A level qualifications taken as part of the extraordinary autumn 2021 examination series which are also excluded.

However, results from qualifications routinely offered in the autumn of 2021 that would usually be approved for reporting, such as vocational and technical qualifications taken in autumn 2021, will be included even if some of the VTQ constituent unit-level grades were awarded between January 2020 and August 2021 via Centre Assessment Grade, Teacher Assessed Grade, or another process.

The table below shows the impact at national level of excluding these data, by comparing the number of students and headline attainment measures for each cohort.

The impact on A level student numbers is modest. It is greater for students entering vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs), who are more likely to enter qualifications over multiple years. It should be noted that students may have results from multiple years including 2021/22. In this case the student is included in this data but some of their results are excluded.

The technical certificate cohort has been substantially impacted by this change, as students are often not triggered for reporting in the same year as they complete the qualification.

Smaller cohorts in 2021/22, do not necessarily translate into impacts on attainment. Nationally, the impact on A level Average Point Score (APS) is minimal (1/200th of a grade) with slightly larger changes for the level 3 vocational and technical qualifications.

Impact of the change

Number of students
-2% -10% -15% -84%

APS
+0.06 +0.60 +0.72 +0.12

Other changes for the 2021/22 release

English and maths progress measures will not be published in this statistical release until these measures return to Find school and college performance data website (likely 2024/25, as set out in 16 to 18 accountability headline measures: technical guide, due to the impact of excluding CAG/TAG grades on this performance measure).

Similarly, 16 to 18 value-added measures, which would rely on KS4 prior attainment including some data from summer 2020, continue not to be published in 2021/22. Value-added measures will return as soon as possible, which will be for the 2023/24 academic year at the earliest; further details are included in the technical guide.

Breakdowns of performance measures by prior attainment, usually published in spring with the Retention update have been brought forward to the provisional release along with other breakdowns by student characteristics. Note, we distinguish between the use of prior attainment data nationally to breakdown measures by student characteristics in this statistical release and their use to calculate performance measures that will be published for individual schools and colleges on Find School and College Performance Data.

SEN Provision contains additional breakdowns by SEN types for the first time in national level data at 16 to 18.

Additional 'bivariate' data giving a breakdown of headline attainment and disadvantage status in combination with other characteristics are available for the first time.

Changes continuing from the 2020/21 release

Characteristic breakdowns usually published in the revised update have been brought forward to the provisional release. This is a permanent change.

The rules for determining when students reach the end of their 16-18 study changed in 2020/21 and students can no longer be triggered solely due to spending two years in the same school or college. The impact of this change on 2020/21 data was to reduce the number of students in each cohort, with vocational and technical qualifications impacted most. In 2021/22, student numbers returned to pre-rule change levels, as expected.

Full details of the trigger change are set out in the section 'Changes introduced in the 2020/21 release' in the Quality and Methodology documentation.

Checking exercise and other amendments

This updated release is based on revised data. Since the release of provisional data in November, amendments to the data have been made. These include the addition of 'late' results from some Awarding Organisations, and changes made by schools and colleges through a 'checking exercise'.

The checking exercise takes place in the autumn term and gives schools and colleges the opportunity to amend their data. Some students are removed from a school or colleges results, for example because the student wasn't on roll or has not yet completed 16-18 study. Some students are added where they are flagged by a school or college as having completed 16-18 study despite not being triggered. Changes need to be approved to be included in revised data.

The 2021/22 academic year saw the return of the school and college checking exercise, after it was suspended in the two previous years. In this release data for 2019/20 and 2020/21 is labelled as 'final' data. This is provisional data adjusted for results from the autumn series for AS and A levels. (The autumn series gave students an opportunity to sit an exam if they were unhappy with the grade awarded to them through the alternative process). Data from 2019/20 and 2020/21 did not go through a checking exercise; schools and colleges did not have an opportunity to amend their data as described above.

The table shows the size of the change between provisional and revised/final data. Generally, the change in the numbers of students included in the data in 2021/22 is relatively small in terms of the overall cohort size, the exception being technical certificates where there are 655 more students in the revised release than the provisional (an increase of 87%). This increase is predominantly due to results being reported late by Awarding Organisations.

The size of the change between provisional and revised data is generally smaller in 2021/22 than in 2017/18 and 2018/19. Changes to the trigger rule were introduced to reduce the burden on schools and colleges. This gives an indication that the change is working as intended.

Change in the numbers of students between the provisional and revised/final data:

Cohort

Report year

2017/18

2018/19

2019/20

2020/21

2021/22

The table below shows the size of the change in the average point score between the provisional and the revised release. The changes are minimal. A change of 0.1 pts at A level / applied general / tech level is equivalent to 1/100th of a grade.

Change in Average Point Score (APS) per entry between the provisional and revised/final data.

Report year

2017/18

2018/19

2019/20

2020/21

2021/22

Unless stated otherwise statistics reported here refer to 16 to 18 year olds in England:

who reached the end of their 16 to 18 study in 2021/22. Students typically spend either two or three years in the 16 to 18 phase. (Usually, attainment includes results from qualifications entered during all those years. However, this year, attainment excludes results from qualifications that were awarded between January 2020 and August 2021).

who entered qualifications approved for reporting in 2022 school and college performance tables, set out in the 16 to 18 qualifications, discount codes and point scores guidance.

Qualifications are grouped into A level (subset of Academic), Applied General, and Tech Level exam cohorts at level 3, and Technical Certificates at level 2. Students can be reported in more than one exam cohort.

Student numbers by cohort

Students are included in this statistical release when they reach the end of their 16 to 18 study in schools and colleges in England. As set out in the Methodology guidance, the rules for determining when that happens changed in 2020/21, and students are no longer automatically triggered for reporting after spending two years in the same school or college.

The impact of the trigger change in 2020/21 was to reduce the number of students in each cohort, with vocational and technical qualifications impacted most. As expected, student numbers have generally returned to their pre-rule change level in 2021/22, with student numbers in all level 3 cohorts being higher than in 2019/20 and 2020/21.

Results for qualifications awarded between January 2020 and August 2021 have been excluded from the data. The technical certificate cohort has been substantially impacted by this change, as students are often not triggered for reporting until they turn 18, often a year or two after they complete the qualification. More detail is provided in the section 'Changes to the data in 2021/22', where in particular excluding CAG and TAG grades reduced reported technical certificate student numbers by 84%.

The growth in the number of students entered for applied general and tech level qualifications in 2021/22 approved for reporting in performance measures reflects the removal of funding approval from 1 August 2020 for pre-existing qualifications which were running in parallel with newer redeveloped qualifications. Prior to that numbers had been increasing more slowly following big falls in 2017/18 when qualifications were reformed. The number of students in the A level cohort, which includes students who only enter AS levels, has increased after several years of decline. (The previous decline reflected fewer AS level entries following the now completed A level reform to decouple A and AS levels.)

The overall growth in student numbers may also be partly attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some students reported here completed their pre-16 study in 2019/20 where higher grades were awarded via Centre Assessment Grades. These higher grades resulted in greater numbers of students applying for post-16 places and may have shifted some students away from level two technical certificates and into level 3 qualifications. There were also fewer alternative options available for these students in terms of apprenticeships and other employment opportunities ( Key stage 4 destination measures showed that a smaller proportion of students who completed key stage 4 in 2019/20 progressed to sustained apprenticeship or employment outcomes in 2020/21).

Disadvantage

Disadvantaged students are all students who were in receipt of pupil premium when they were in their last year of KS4.

Disadvantage measures do not include students who were not reported at the end of KS4 - for example, because they came from overseas. Students who were known to be at independent schools in their last year of KS4 are treated as non-disadvantaged.

Disadvantage measures cover students in state-funded schools or colleges.

23.6% of state-funded students, at the end of 16 to 18 study, were recorded as having disadvantaged status in 2021/22. The percentage of students examined in level 3 vocational and technical qualifications was generally in line with this. (Applied general 23.0% and tech level 23.0%). Disadvantages students were overrepresented at technical certificate with 32.4% of the cohort identified as having disadvantaged status. Disadvantaged students were underrepresented at A level with 14.3% of the cohort identified as having disadvantaged status.

Prior attainment

Prior attainment is a measure of the average points attained per qualification at Key Stage 4. Simple discounting rules apply, with the best result in any subject used when calculating the average point score at KS4. Any GCSE resits or additional qualifications gained during 16 to 18 are ignored. For the vast majority, prior attainment is between 0-9 reflecting the range of possible grades at GCSE (where 9 is the highest grade).

[Note, whilst results from January 2020 to August 2021 are removed from calculation of performance measures, for the purposes of this statistical release they will be retained when calculating a student's prior attainment to explain outcomes in performance measures, in the same way that outcomes nationally are broken down by gender, disadvantage, etc].

In 2021/22, 18.4% of students at the end of their 16 to 18 study had the highest prior attainment (grade 7+). The large majority of students with the highest prior attainment choose to study at least one A/AS level (94.8%). High attainers now make up 36.2% of the A level cohort compared to 4.7% of the applied general and 3.7% of the tech level cohort. The proportion of students with the highest prior attainment has increased year on year for each cohort since 2019/20 (from when KS4 prior attainment has been calculated in this release).

27.5% of students at the end of 16 to 18 study in 2021/22 had the lowest prior attainment (from grade 0 up to grade 4). The proportion of students with the lowest prior attainment has decreased year on year for each exam cohort since 2019/20.

This change in the distribution of prior attainment for exam cohorts, will in part reflect year on year grade increases at KS4 and in part reflect that the majority of students at the end of 16-18 study in 2021/22 will have completed KS4 in 2019/20, and whose GCSE prior attainment will include Centre Assessment Grades (CAG).

Summary

These figures give the average points and average result that students achieved throughout their 16 to 18 study. Results awarded between January 2020 and August 2021 have been excluded from this data. (See the section 'Changes to the data in 2021/22). While the majority of results come from the student's final year of study (in particular for A levels), a small number of results awarded prior to January 2020 are included.

Points are given to all qualifications so we can compare qualifications of different size and grading structures. A maximum of 60 points are available for A level, 50 points for applied general and tech level and 8 points for technical certificates. More information on points, APS bands and grade boundaries can be found in the technical guide for 16 to 18 accountability measures (from page 27).

In September 2021 Ofqual announced that 2022 will be a transition year where the aim was for exam results to broadly reflect a midway point between 2021 and 2019. Consequently, the average results are lower in 2021/22 across all level 3 cohorts than in 2020/21.

A level programmes have seen the largest decrease (2.8 pts, compared to 0.7 pts for applied general and 1.1 pts for tech level). This is as expected due to the larger increases seen in A level grades between 2018/19 and 2020/21 relative to the vocational and technical qualifications. Technical certificates have seen a small increase (0.2 pts) in the average points score. However, interpretation of this increase is undermined by a 58% drop in cohort numbers. Given that 84% of technical certificate students have been excluded form the data (see 'Changes to the data in 2021/22'), technical certificate results will not be discussed in the breakdowns, however the data is available in the table builder tool.

For all Level 3 cohorts, the average result remains the same as in 2020/21.

At A level, the South East, London and East of England tend to do better, being on or near the top in the last 3 years. These same regions have ranked in the bottom 4 for applied general in the same time period.

The North West is in the top half of the table for both A level and applied general, although the region dipped in both exam cohorts in 2020/21 when teacher assessed grades were used.

The East Midlands is in the bottom half of the table for both A level and applied general. The region attained the lowest A level results this year.

Regional rankings are more variable for tech levels (which may be attributable to the smaller total number of tech level entries).

Average results by disadvantage status

The 2021/22 disadvantage gap has increased in comparison to last year for the A level cohort and has remained stable for applied general and tech level cohorts. For the level 3 exam cohorts, the average point score has decreased for both disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students, however for A level students, the decrease was larger for disadvantaged students.

The disadvantage gap for Level 3 cohorts is at its widest point since the measure was introduced in 2016/17. (NB, this statistical release contains data for the last 5 years back to 2017/18, but disadvantage data was first published based on 2016/17 revised data).

To get a fuller picture on the impact of disadvantage status, this data should be looked at in conjunction with data on retention rates (the percentage of students who have completed their main study programme at a provider). In 2020/21, 94.3% of non-disadvantaged A level students were retained and assessed compared to 88.5% of disadvantaged students. Students are only included in the average point score measure if they are entered for examination i.e. if they are retained and assessed. More information on 2020/21 retention can be found in the 2020/21 version of this statistical release. An update to this statistical release with 2021/22 retention figures will be released on 30th March 2023.

Average results by gender

For the level 3 exam cohorts, both female and male students saw a drop in average attainment in 2021/22 when compared to 2020/21. The decrease was larger for female students than male students, which has resulted in a narrowing of the gender gap compared to last year.

When compared to 2018/19, the gender gap is slightly wider for A level students, but slightly narrower for applied general students in 2021/22. For tech level students the gender gap has reversed such that in 2018/19 it was in favour of male students, but since 2020/21 it has been in favour of female students.

The gender gap for the percentage of students achieving at least 2 A levels has been continuously decreasing for the past 5 years, falling from 5.2 ppts in 2017/18 to 0.9 ppts in 2021/22 in favour of female students.

Average results by ethnicity

Of the major ethnicity groups, Black or Black British students attained the lowest average result across all level 3 cohorts in 2021/22. At A level, Black or Black British students' attainment was almost a full grade lower than that of Chinese students. The rank order of attainment by ethnicity has remained almost unchanged at A level through the COVID-19 pandemic and the changes to the grading processes.

Prior attainment

Typically, the higher the average KS4 prior attainment, the higher the average outcome at the end of 16 to 18 study, regardless of the programme of study.

The attainment gap between students with the highest and lowest prior attainment has remained stable throughout different grading processes since 2019/20 (when this prior attainment data is available). The attainment gap at A level is around 25 pts (or 2.5 grades) and at applied general and tech level is around 19 pts (or just under 2 grades).

Average results for other student characteristics

Breakdowns of other student characteristics, including SEN provision, first language and more, are available in the featured tables and create your own tables sections of this statistical release.

This year we have introduced a new data file to this statistical release called 'Attainment and other performance measures - student characteristics and disadvantage status'. This data file gives more detail about disadvantaged students by breaking down the disadvantaged status of students by other student characteristics. In breaking down the data in this way we hope to be able to better identify how student characteristics interact. The following sections show some illustrative analyses.

Disadvantage and prior attainment

The distribution of disadvantaged students is uneven across the prior attainment bands. At A level, 9.3% of students in state-funded institutions with the highest prior attainment (grade 7+) have disadvantaged status, while 27.8% with prior attainment from grade 0 up to grade 4 have disadvantaged status.

At A level the disadvantage gap for students with the lowest prior attainment was 1.3 pts in 2021/22 or just over 1/10th of a grade. The gap increased to 2.8 pts for A level students with prior attainment from grade 4 up to grade 7 and 3.5 pts (or just over 1/3 of a grade) for students with the highest prior attainment.

The increase in the overall A level disadvantage gap was driven by the increase in the disadvantage gap for students with the highest prior attainment. (Up 0.9 pts from 2.7 pts in 2020/21). There was a small increase for those with prior attainment of grade 4 up to grade 7 (up 0.2 pts from 2.6 pts) and the gap stayed steady for those with prior attainment of grade 0 up to grade 4.

Disadvantage and other student characteristics

Across level 3 exam cohorts, non-disadvantaged students with English as their first language obtained higher average results than students with a first language other than English. However, the reverse is true for disadvantaged students. Here students with a first language other than English achieved higher average results.

Disadvantaged Black or Black British students attained the lowest average results in 2021/22 of any ethnicity across level 3 cohorts. Non-disadvantaged Black or Black British students also attained lower average results than their non-disadvantaged peers. White students had the biggest disadvantage gaps (of students with known ethnicity) across level 3 cohorts.

The disadvantage gap remains greater for female students in all level 3 cohorts, as it has since 2019/20.

Summary

Data in this section covers A level entries and results for all students aged 16-18 at the start of the respective year. Students don't need to be triggered for inclusion in this data, so it is not impacted by the change in the 'trigger' rules, introduced in 2020/21, that determined when a student had reached the end of 16-18 study. It is also not impacted by removing CAG and TAG grades from data for 2021/22.

The chart below shows the distribution of A level grades for students aged 16 to 18 for each academic year. Overall, the proportion of entries achieving top grades (between A* and B) has decreased in comparison to 2020/21 but remains higher than 2018/19.

In 2021/22, 14.8% of awarded grades were at A*. This is an increase of 6.9ppts from 2018/19, but a decrease of 4.3ppts from 2020/21. The percentage of entries achieving A*-A grades is now 36.4%, which similarly corresponds to an increase of 10.6ppts compared to 2018/19 but a decrease of 7.9ppts from 2020/21. As previously noted however, year on year comparisons cannot be interpreted as students achieving at a higher standard. Where achievement gaps alter in 2019/20 and 2020/21 compared to previous years, it might reflect the different process by which grades were awarded across these years.

A level results by gender

Overall, in 2021/22 both male and female students were more likely to be awarded the higher A level grades (A*/A/B) than in 2018/19 but less likely than in 2020/21.

Across the top A* and A*-A grades the gender gap has decreased in comparison to 2020/21. Female students continue to be more likely to achieve these grades, which has been the trend for the last three years (since 2019/20) when a reversal of the gender gap was observed.

At A*-B the gap between female and male student achievement had been continuously increasing since 2017/18, however this year the gender gap has reduced from 6.9ppts in 2020/21 to 4.7ppts.

Data is this section covers A level entries and results for all students aged 16 to 18 at the start of respective year. Students don't need to be triggered for inclusion in this data, so it is not impacted by the change in the 'trigger' rules, introduced in 2020/21, that determined when a student had reached the end of 16 to 18 study. It is also not impacted by removing CAG and TAG grades from data for 2021/22.

STEM subjects here are defined as: biology, chemistry, physics, maths, further maths, and computing.

A level grades in STEM subjects

For 2021/22, the proportion of students achieving top grades (A*, A*-A, A*-B) in STEM subjects compared to 2020/21 has fallen. At A*, the largest decrease was in further maths (8.4ppts) and the smallest decrease was in physics (4.7ppts).

The STEM subjects have generally seen large increases in the proportion of students achieving top grades when compared to 2018/19. The largest increase at A* was further maths rising by 15.7ppts, and the smallest increase was in biology at 6.3ppts. The A*-A grade boundary also observed large increases in the proportion of entries achieving these grades, ranging from computer science (17.1ppts increase) to maths (6.6ppts increase).

This section replaces one that usually describes outcomes in the English and maths progress accountability measures. These are not being created in 2021/22 in Find School and College Performance Data due to the impact of excluding CAG and TAG grades on this measure (set out in more detail in the 16 to 18 accountability measures: technical guide).

These alternative data have been published as part of this statistical release since 2015/16. Coverage is all entries and outcomes in below level 3 English and maths qualifications for students aged 16 to 18 at the start of the respective year. Unlike data based on students at the end of 16-18 study, it means these data are not impacted by the trigger change in 2020/21, and not impacted by removing CAG and TAG grades from data for 2021/22.

It also means a student here can be reported in successive years, for example at age 16 in 2019/20, at age 17 in 2020/21, and at age 18 in 2021/22 if they entered exams in each year.

The tables below focus on GCSEs, and Functional Skills qualifications at level 2, level 1 and Entry level which make up the large majority of English and maths qualifications entered below level 3 (though outcomes for Other level 2, level 1, and Entry Level qualifications are available via the 'Explore data and files' section).

Fewer students are entering below level 3 maths and English qualifications

Most students aged 16 to 18 enter below level 3 English and maths qualifications because they did not achieve a GCSE pass at grade 9-4 or equivalent during key stage 4, and so are required to continue to study those subjects under Condition of Funding rules (CoF).

The overall fall observed in the number of below level 3 entries across both English and maths in GCSEs and Functional Skills is consistent with data published in Key Stage 4 performance showing an increasing proportion of pupils achieving grades 4 or above in English and maths GCSE during key stage 4 ( increasing from 59.8% in 2018/19 to 67.1% in 2020/21 in provisional data) - and so not being required to study below level 3 English or maths during the 16-18 phase.

An additional factor explaining the big fall in entries at GCSE from 2019/20 to 2021/22 (-27% English, -12% maths) is the higher proportion of GCSE entries in 2019/20 and 2020/21 during the 16-18 phase that resulted in a grade 9-4 pass, when grades were awarded through the CAG and TAG processes, because once a student achieves a 9-4 GCSE pass during 16-18 they no longer have to continue studying English and/or maths the following year.

Achievement of Level 2 English and maths through GCSE and Functional Skills qualifications

Many more age 16-18 students enter GCSEs (a level 1/level 2 qualification) than are entered for Functional skills (distinct qualifications at level 2, level 1 and Entry level).

Overall pass rates are broadly comparable at GCSE and L1 and L2 Functional skills. Given that the prior attainment distributions are similar at GCSE and level 2 functional skills (see table below), we might have expected to see a higher level 2 pass rate (grades 9-4) at GCSE. Although it is difficult to make direct comparisons due to range of grades available within the GCSE qualification.

Qualification KS4 Prior Attainment English entries in 2021/22 Proportion of English entries at prior attainment band maths entries in 2021/22 Proportion of maths entries at prior attainment band

All level 1 and level 2 qualifications have had decreases in their pass rates in 2021/22. Mathematics qualifications have seen much larger decreases than English across all qualifications.

Maths L2 functional skills decreased by 20.8 ppts to 63.6% (12.0 ppts fall in English to 81.0%). Maths L1 functional skills decreased by 10.2 ppts to 85.4% (English fall, 3.3ppts to 94.0%). For maths GCSE the overall pass rate (grade 9-1) decreased by 5.8ppts to 84.9% (English decreased by 3.7 ppts to 85.8%) and the level 2 pass rate (grade 9-4) also decreased 16.7ppts to 15.3% for Maths and 13.9ppts to 25.7% for English

In contrast, at KS4 the English language GCSE level 2 pass rate (grade 9-4) fell by more than maths. English language fell by 4.0 ppts and maths by 3.1ppts between 2020/21 and 2021/22 (provisional data).

Pass rates in English and maths at level 2 by institution type

GCSE entries by students at independent schools are most likely to pass at level 2, but it should be noted that Condition of Funding rules are not relevant for these schools, and these students may be resitting GCSEs to improve their KS4 grade, which could have already been at grade 4 or above. Amongst state-funded institutions, students in schools are consistently most likely to pass GCSE at level 2, then sixth form colleges and other FE sector colleges in both English and maths in 2020/21 and 2021/22.

Level 2 Functional Skills entries: within state-funded institutions sixth form colleges and 'Other FE sector' colleges are consistently more likely to pass than schools. Most entries in L2 Functional Skills are in 'Other FE sector' colleges.

Applied general, tech level, and technical certificate qualifications approved for reporting in this statistical release (and institution level performance data) are updated annually and published on gov.uk:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/performance-tables-technical-and-vocational-qualifications
The concept of qualifications approved for reporting has been applied since 2015/16 following Professor Alison Wolf's Review of Vocational Education. From 2017/18 at level 3 and from 2018/19 for technical certificates, the quality threshold for vocational and technical qualifications to be included in performance measures further increased. The later reforms include criteria relating to the size, content, and assessment, including a requirement that a proportion of a qualification's content is subject to external assessment. From 1 August 2020 the ESFA removed funding approval for pre-existing applied general and tech level qualifications (which had been approved in 2015/16 and 2016/17) which were running in parallel with newer redeveloped qualifications.

The measures presented in this section show the students entering these approved qualifications as a proportion of students entering a wider set of vocational qualifications that had been approved by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) for funding during 16 to 18 study.

Proportions entering approved tech level and applied general qualifications continue to increase following a large fall in 2017/18 (when both lists of approved qualifications changed substantially), with a jump in students entering reformed versions of qualifications in 21/22 (in part attributable to the defunding of unreformed pre-existing qualifications).

The coverage of the measure for technical certificates is strongly impacted by the removal of CAG and TAG data from 2021/22 accountability data (as coverage is students at the end of 16-18 study, and level 2 vocational qualifications are more often entered during a student's first year of 16-18 study and so are excluded from the calculation).

The following table shows that there is variation in whether different institution types enter students for qualifications approved for reporting in performance tables versus the wider set of qualifications that were approved for funding.

Overall students in state-funded schools continue to be most likely to enter reformed versions of vocational and technical qualifications at level 3 (reformed in 2017/18), but 2021/22 saw a marked increase in the proportion of students entering approved/reformed applied general and tech levels across all broad institution types.

Introduction to retention measures

The Retention measure shows the percentage of students who are retained to the end of the 'core aim' (or main learning aim) of their study programme at a school or college.

Students are counted as retained if they are recorded as having "completed the learning activities leading to the learning aim" by their institution. This information is collected in the school census or for students that attended sixth form or FE colleges, the Individualised Learner Record (ILR).

Retention measures are not calculated for independent schools or special schools (both independent and maintained) as learning aims data is not available for these schools.

The Retention measure is calculated by dividing the total number of students retained by the total number of students with a core aim, in each of the five programmes approved for reporting in performance tables: academic, A level, applied general, tech level, and at level 2, technical certificate programmes.

Since academic programmes comprise largely of A levels, only data for A level core aims are described here; overall data for academic programmes can be found in the 'create your own tables' section and in the underlying data available to download.

Alongside the headline Retention measure there are two supporting retention measures:

Retained and Assessed: The percentage of students who are retained to the end of their course and are assessed.

Returned and Retained for a second year: The percentage of level 3 students who return to the same provider and complete their programme of study in their second year. (The main difference when compared to Retention is for students who complete their core aim in one year.)

A fuller description of the methodology underlying retention measures can be found in the 16-18 technical guide (from page 41).

Retention measures and the impact of the trigger change in 2020/21

The impact of the trigger rule change, meaning that students were no longer automatically reported after two years in 16-18 study, was to reduce the reported number of students in scope for retention measures across all exam cohorts in 2020/21, with the biggest impact on vocational and technical cohorts (VTQs).

For retention measures, this meant that Retention rates were slightly increased in 2020/21 for level 3 cohorts (A level, applied general, tech level) than would have been seen otherwise. However, the impact on the level 2 technical certificate cohort was a large decrease in Retention rates (and in cohort size).

Fuller analysis on the impact on 2020/21 retention data can be found in the methodology document, in the section 'Changes introduced in the 2020/21 release', under the heading 'Impact of the trigger change on headline retention rates'.

Students whose reporting was delayed for one year due to the 2020/21 trigger change are reported in 2021/22. In other words, the impact of the trigger change was one-off discontinuity in retention data for 2020/21. For this reason, when looking at trends, data for 2021/22 is better compared to data for 2019/20 and earlier years.

All level 3 study programmes show increases in Retention rates in 2021/22 (A level +0.1 pts to 95.1%; applied general +1.8 pts to 91.7%; tech level +0.5 ppts to 91.1%). This continues a trend of increasing Retention rates since 2018/19. A level programmes continue to have the highest Retention rate as has been the case since the measure was introduced in 2015/16, but for the first time applied general programmes have a higher Retention rate than tech levels programmes.

Technical certificates have had lower Retention rates than Level 3 cohorts since being added to performance measures in 2016/17. However, they have seen an increase in Retention rate this year (+4.5 ppts to 86.6%), recovering from the impact of the trigger change that was seen last year and returning to previously-seen levels.

For the A level and applied general cohorts, rates for the Retained and Assessed measure have increasingly followed the same general trend as the Retention rate in recent years. Similarly, the Returned and Retained measure now also follows the same trend. This is most notable for the A level cohort where the phased decoupling of AS and A levels predominantly between 2017 and 2019 has resulted in a much smaller proportion of the A level cohort taking AS levels only and not then returning for a second year of study.

The tech level cohort shows a slightly different pattern this year whereby the Retained and Assessed rate has dropped slightly despite increases in both the Retained rate (retention to the end of the course) and the Returned and Retained rate (retention specifically over two years of a course). This means that within this cohort there was an increase in the proportion of students not being assessed at the end of their course .

The much smaller technical certificate cohort (Level 2) was heavily impacted by the trigger change in 2020/21 and shows less stable trends. In addition, the low cohort numbers mean that breakdowns of the technical certificate data, by student characteristics become increasingly unreliable, and therefore this cohort isn't discussed further.

Due to the similarity in the trends shown by the three retention measures, in particular for the two largest cohorts (A level and applied general), our further narrative will focus on the Retained and Assessed measure. Further breakdowns of the Retention measure and the Returned and Retained measure across all qualification cohorts are available in underlying data and through the table builder.

The Retained and Assessed rate is higher for non-disadvantaged students across all level 3 cohorts. Disadvantaged tech level students are least likely to be Retained and Assessed at 79.1%, which is 7.1 ppts lower than their non-disadvantaged peers. The Retained and Assessed disadvantage gap is smaller for A level and applied general (5.6 ppts and 5.3 ppts respectively).

The disadvantage gap has been narrowing for the A level cohort since 2018/19 (from 8.4 ppts to 5.6 ppts). Similarly, the applied general cohort has, overall, seen a substantial decrease in the gap in that time (from 7.9 ppts to 5.6 ppts). In contrast, the tech level cohort did not consolidate an initial decrease in the gap in 2019/20 and is now only slightly smaller than in 2018/19 (from 7.6 ppts to 7.1 ppts).

Changes to the distribution of prior attainment at A level between 2017/18 and 2021/22

The coverage of the retention measures is different to the attainment measures, and is described above in 'Retention: introduction and changes to the data in 2021/22'. The largest difference is that independent schools are excluded from the data, and this impacts the distribution of the prior attainment groups as students from independent schools have higher prior attainment on average.

The distribution of prior attainment has changed over time for all cohorts. The proportion of A level students with low prior attainment (from grade 0 up to grade 4) has decreased from 8.1% of the cohort in 2017/18 to 1.9% in 2021/22. High prior attaining students (average grade 7 or more) have increased their proportion of the cohort from 16.1% in 2017/18 to 35.3% in 2021/22.

This increase in the proportion of KS4 students achieving grades averaging 7 or more, in part reflects year on year grade increases at KS4, and in part reflects that most A level students at the end of 16-18 study in 2021/22 will have completed KS4 in 2019/20, and so their GCSE prior attainment will include Centre Assessment Grades (CAG).

However, in the vocational and technical cohorts, a larger proportion of students are being reported after three years in 16-18, hence prior attainment for these cohorts is less affected by CAGs. This is following delay in their reporting last year due to the change in the rule in 2020/21 triggering students for reporting.

Overall, students with the highest average prior attainment (grade 7+) are most likely to be Retained and Assessed in their main programme of study and students with the lowest prior attainment (grade 0 up to grade 4) the least likely to be Retained and Assessed. The highest Retained and Assessed rate is for high prior attaining A level students at 98.7%. The lowest Retained and Assessed rate is also for A level students. Low prior attaining A level students have a Retained and Assessed rate of 66.0%.

The Retained and Assessed rate for low prior attaining A level students has fallen and is now close to the 2018/19 rate, whereas the rate remains higher for other level 3 cohorts.

A full breakdown of all three retention measures by a range of other student characteristics is available through the table builder. Here, we draw attention to small number of breakdowns that may be of interest.

English Language

Across all level 3 cohorts, students with English as their first language have lower Retained and Assessed rates than students who do not. The difference is driven by poor rates for disadvantaged students with English as their first language.

The applied general cohort similarly has an increase in the Retained and Assessed rate since last year for all major (known) ethnicity groups and shows many of the same trends between groups. The Chinese ethnic group has the highest Retained and Assessed rates since 2018/19 (now at 95.8%) and the Black or Black British ethnic group and the Mixed Dual background ethnic group have made the biggest improvements in Retained and Assessed rates over recent years (+9.9 ppts to 89.1%, +9.9 ppts to 87.0% respectively). Again, the White ethnic group shows the largest disadvantage gap and White disadvantaged students have the lowest rates for Retained and Assessed.

The tech level cohort and the technical certificate cohort have very low numbers in some ethnic groups, and show less distinct patterns over recent years.

For the A level cohort, state-funded mainstream schools and Sixth form colleges have seen an increase in rates for Retained and Assessed this year (+1.5 ppts to 95.4% and +0.5 ppts to 92.3% respectively). In contrast, 'Other FE sector colleges' have seen a decrease (-2.3 ppts to 88.2%). However, the decrease for 'Other FE sector colleges' follows very large increases last year; the relative rates of the three major institution types have returned to levels seen before the change to the trigger rule.

There have also been decreases in the Retained and Assessed rate for 'Other FE sector colleges' in the applied general and tech level cohorts, following larger increases in the previous two years. All state-funded mainstream schools continue to have the lowest Retained and Assessed rates for applied general and tech level qualifications. This has been the case since 2018/19.

This data is available through the 'Explore data and files' section in the file called 'Time series - APS per entry by institution type'.

In addition it is accessible through the dashboard linked below. The dashboard combines data from this statistical release (covering the last 5 years) with selected older data compiled from previous versions of the 'A level and other 16 to 18 results' statistical release:
16-18 Time-series attainment and single year entries
On the left-hand side, clicking on the link ' Attainment: APS per entry and average result' brings up the dashboard with attainment data in terms of APS per entry.

Data including the applied general and tech level cohorts starts in 2015/16 (when these cohorts were first defined in this statistical release, and school and college data). Data for the A level cohort starts in 2012/13.

This data is available through the 'Explore data and files' section in the file called 'Time series - A level subject entries and grade by gender'.

In addition it is accessible through the dashboard linked below. The dashboard combines data from this statistical release (covering the last 5 years) with selected older data compiled from previous versions of the 'A level and other 16 to 18 results' statistical release:
16-18 Time-series attainment and single year entries
On the left-hand side, clicking on the link ' Attainment: A level entries and grade distribution' brings up the dashboard with A level entries data by subject, and A level grades by subject.

These data cover A level entries by students aged 16 to 18 within each academic year from 1995/96.

We have moved our Transition Matrices tool into a web based app for easier use. It is available at the following link:
16-18 Transition Matrices
Transition matrices (TM) are a useful tool to help visualise the progression from different groups of attainment at key stage 4 (KS4) to outcomes achieved during 16 to 18 for a range of different subjects.

Note that the 16 to 18 outcomes here will also be impacted by the different process to award grades in 2022, which is likely to impact the relationship between outcomes and KS4 prior attainment in 2021/22 for subjects.

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Methodology

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A level and other 16 to 18 results, Academic year 2021/22

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This academic year saw the return of the summer exam series, after they had been cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, where alternative processes were set up to award grades.

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Published: 19th January 2023
"We expect that overall results in summer 2023 will be much closer to the pre-pandemic years than results since 2020. In other words, we expect that overall, nationally, results in 2023 will be lower than they were in 2022."

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Good afternoon. It is a pleasure to be with you this afternoon as Chair of Ofqual. Unfortunately, the Chief Regulator is unable to be with us today, which I know she very much regrets. She spoke to your winter conference last year in remote format, but it's obviously much better to be here face to face and talk in person.

And what a difference a year makes. Last year saw the very welcome return of a normal series of examinations and formal assessments, or nearly normal. Thank you for everything you did to enable those to run smoothly in your colleges. I know it wasn't always easy but we had a really good outcome for young people, nonetheless.

I will be saying something later on exams this summer, but I wanted to start with what is happening on the review of level 3 qualifications, including, for example, courses like BTECs at level 3, but also the whole range of alternative academic and technical qualifications at level 3.

I know that there are questions and potentially some concerns about what is happening, including the approval process for continued funding, and why all this is happening, so I thought it might be helpful for me to offer a brief overview.

Aside from a small number of exceptions, all level 3 alternative academic and technical qualifications (qualifications at level 3 which are not T Levels or A levels, like for example level 3 BTECS, alongside many others) are being required to re-apply for funding as part of a government-led streamlining programme for these qualifications.

The government's aim for this exercise is in essence threefold:

firstly, to simplify the landscape, including addressing what is seen as in some cases unnecessary duplication where that exists

to drive up the quality of qualifications and the assessment that underpins them

and to ensure that appropriate priority is given to T Levels and their place in the landscape

These alternative and technical qualifications constitute a large and complex area in comparison, say, with A levels and T Levels. For example, there are more than 60 awarding organisations offering the qualifications that are in scope, and several thousand different level 3 qualifications in the alternative academic and technical space.

Some of these are large entry and well known to you in your colleges, and some, of course, are very small in terms of entry, and not likely to be on your radar as college leaders.

Last week the government published details of their new qualifications funding approval process for qualifications at level 3. Talking to your colleagues, I know that that is under scrutiny by your representatives and I am sure debate will continue. What the document sets out to do is bring clarity on what type of L3 qualifications are likely to be publicly funded alongside A levels and T Levels, and bring clarity on the timescales.

I recommend that you take a look at this for more detailed information. I believe the Department for Education will be running some webinars to look at some of this in more detail, which may be useful for colleagues here as well.

As part of the process that awarding organisations are going through, re-applying for funding, we, Ofqual, are contributing by providing qualitative feedback to the DfE on each qualification where funding is being reapplied for, as well as on the awarding organisation itself.

This means that these qualifications are coming under much greater individual regulatory scrutiny than has been the case up to now. Ofqual has put in place a range of higher expectations relating to quality that we expect awarding organisations to meet in their reapplications. It is against those expectations that we provide our qualitative feedback to the DfE and the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE).

As the process plays out, the DfE is taking decisions on funding for the reapplications it receives taking into consideration the quality-based advice Ofqual provides, as well as the contribution of IfATE, that represents the employer voice.

It is probably important to flag that the government absolutely recognises that, alongside the aim of simplifying the landscape, there will, in the future, still need to be a range of qualifications at L3 available alongside A levels and T Levels.

For many students these qualifications are important, not only as vehicles for their continued education and engagement in education, but also because they provide important routes for further study or employment. So there will likely be many decisions to approve applications for funding, alongside decisions not to continue to fund.

You might be wondering what this means for you as a college leader.

In short, unless you are a college which offers only A levels and GCSEs, or T Levels, it is almost certain you will be offering some of these qualifications, maybe for example level 3 BTECs or equivalent.

It is also at least possible that the government will determine that some of those qualifications do not meet the criteria for continued funding, which may mean you will need to take decisions about changing the portfolio of courses you provide in the interests of your students to reflect what is available and funded in the future. So following this process, including through your representatives in this association, to make sure that you are up to speed with decisions being taken is critically important. I am sure you will also continue to make your views heard.

Grading in 2023

Moving on now, I will now say something about arrangements for grading GCSEs, AS and A levels in 2023. We published our plans back in September so that higher education institutions could factor in decisions that were being made about grading before they embarked on their offer-making, and of course because some of you will have been arriving at UCAS predictions for students. We felt it was important you had as much information as possible before you started that process. Our plans for 2023 take us a step further on the road to normality, building on what happened in 2022, while also recognising the impact of the pandemic.

You will recall that in summer 2022, we aimed for a staging post on the way back to more normal grading. In 2023, we will return to pre-pandemic grading, but with some protection in place for your students, a soft landing, if you like.

Students in the 2023 cohort have not, during their exam courses, experienced the level of national school or college closures experienced by students in the 2 years before them. But I know, from listening to teachers, college leaders and students themselves, that many have certainly experienced some level of disruption.

So, to achieve that extra bit of protection, Ofqual will put in place the same sort of safeguards used for the first students taking reformed GCSEs and A levels from 2017 onwards.

Back in the reform context, that meant not disadvantaging students in the first cohorts if overall they performed less well because they were the first to sit the new exams.

So how will it work this summer? In practice, as in any year, grade boundaries for every specification will be set by senior examiners after they have reviewed the work produced by students in their exams.

But those senior examiners will be guided in their decisions about where to set grade boundaries by information about the grades achieved in pre-pandemic years, along with prior attainment data for the cohort.

So that means students in 2023 will be protected in grading terms if their examination performance in 2023 is a little lower than it might have been had the pandemic not taken place. That is what I mean by a soft landing.

What that means is, a typical student who would have achieved an A grade in their A level geography before the pandemic will be just as likely to get an A in summer 2023, even if their performance in the assessments is a little weaker in 2023 than it might have been before the pandemic.

We expect that overall results in summer 2023 will be much closer to the pre-pandemic years than results since 2020. In other words, we expect that overall, nationally, results in 2023 will be lower than they were in 2022.

Individual providers, including colleges and schools, should be prepared for this. I know, as a school leader myself, it's worrying if you look at figures that are lower than the previous year.

It's important that we don't compare the results in 2022 with any other year. Lower results in 2023 compared with 2022 will not mean, by itself, that your college's performance has fallen. It will be much more likely to reflect the return nationally to normal grading standards.

It is important to note that, while we aim to return pretty much to normal grading in 2023, this does not mean there is any nationally pre-determined 'quota' of grades. Every set of grade boundaries, qualification by qualification, is determined by human, senior examiners, taking account of all the information they have available, including actual student performance.

I did want to sound one note of caution: if you are using summer or autumn 2022 papers as mock or trial exams, the grade boundaries set for those papers are likely to be more generous, reflecting the approach we took in 2022, both summer and autumn. Do bear that in mind if you are using the results from mocks to give indicative grades for students being examined this year.

For vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) taken alongside or instead of GCSEs and A levels, awarding organisations are expected to take account of the grading approach being used in GCSEs and A levels. So for VTQ qualifications certificating in 2023, this also means a return to normal grading arrangements.

And a word about universities and higher education: decisions about grading by themselves have no effect on the number of higher education places available. That is determined by other factors and has got nothing to do with grading decisions.

Universities themselves will take account of how exams will be graded when they make their offers, including any differences between the 4 nations of the UK (which already exist). Universities are well-experienced in factoring those in to their offering arrangements.

UCAS wrote out to all schools just after Ofqual announced our grading decision, to explain how offers will be made this year, and to confirm that universities would take our grading decision into account. The Chief Regulator also wrote to admissions officers just before Christmas.

Formulae/equation sheets, MFL and resilience

Further points on 2023: there are one or two changes to support students taking GCSEs. Students will be given formulae sheets for GCSE maths and revised equation sheets for GCSE physics and combined science, which we did in 2022 for those GCSEs. This will give some additional reassurance to GCSE students in the exam itself.

And for modern foreign languages GCSEs, Ofqual's changed requirements mean that exams do not have to test unfamiliar vocabulary. That's to make it feel a bit more accessible for students this year.

Delivering exams

Turning now to resilience, the arrangements in place should the unthinkable happen in summer 2023. Clearly the closer we get to the summer, the less likely that becomes, but we've all learned to be cautious in how we predict the future. In November, Ofqual and the DfE jointly published guidance on resilience, in the very unlikely event that exams are not able to go ahead as planned. Some colleges may be running mock exams now and I know this is a big operation, particularly in colleges such as yours with large cohorts of students. You are also, simultaneously, preparing students to take their end of year exams. Ofqual was conscious of this when we published the guidance.

The thrust of that guidance, designed to minimise the burden on you and your students, is that any assessment opportunities you plan should be in line with your normal approaches, as far as possible.

As well as all the work you do to prepare your students to take their assessments through your teaching and learning, we know that the administration and delivery of exams is something you take seriously. We take our hats off to people in colleges leading the examinations operation.

It is enormously complex, but there is training and support available, and I encourage you to make sure those who are charged with doing this work get access to the range of training available for them so they can benefit from it and deliver as well as possible on behalf of students.

If you've looked at the GCSE and A level exam timetables for next year, you'll see there are some changes from 2022.

The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) listened to feedback about the spacing between exams in the same subject in summer 2022. They have taken this on board for 2023.

They will largely be preserving those gaps, to reduce the risk of students missing all exams in a subject, but the spacing between some papers is slightly less next summer.

I did just want to draw your attention to the contingency days that they have built in. Both the 8 and 15 June will be 'contingency afternoons' and the 28 June will be a contingency day in case there is national or local disruption that would mean exams had to be re-scheduled.

Do please let your students know about this and remind them that they might have to be available on those dates. It's particularly important for them to be aware if they are planning holidays.

There are more details on the JCQ website, and a quick plug for Ofqual's resources as well: every year we provide a guide for students and a guide for schools and colleges. These will be published in the spring, and always live somewhere central on our website. I hope you'll be able to point your students to them.

Vocational and technical qualification results in 2023

And finally, just as Ofqual regulates in the interests of students of all ages and apprentices, we are also convinced of the need for parity of treatment for students across the different sorts of qualifications your colleges provide, whether vocational or academic.

So I wanted to reassure you that we have in train a series of actions to prevent a repeat of the delayed results in vocational and technical qualifications that we saw last August. I know this affected some of you and your students.

We were shocked by what became apparent in August. Not only that around 20,000 students from 1,550 centres had delayed results, but that for some time, there hadn't been a single date by which VTQ students could expect results - even when they were used for progression. That is not acceptable and Ofqual will work with the sector to fix this, not just for this summer, but for the long term and in the interests of being fair to students taking these qualifications.

Our investigation of the awarding organisations involved continues, as does our review of the extent of the problem. We will consider whether enforcement action is appropriate after that concludes.

In December, we published the 5 key actions that Ofqual, working with you and others in the sector, will deliver.

These actions cover a range of areas, and there isn't time to cover them in detail here. They include putting in place clear deadlines, improving data sharing, introducing check-ins for colleges and awarding organisations, improving information accessibility about these qualifications, improving communications from awarding organisations to centres, improving training for staff running exams, and monitoring the implementation of all this via a joint taskforce from around the sector chaired by the Chief Regulator.

We are certain that taken together these actions will to a very significant extent address the issues we saw playing out this summer (and which to a greater or lesser extent have been endemic in the system).

Thank you very much for your attention - I think we still have a few moments for any questions.

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Sir Ian Bauckham CBE at the Sixth Form Colleges Association winter conference

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Ofqual's Chair looks ahead to assessment and examination results in 2023.

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Inspiration Teaching School Hub: Spring Newsletter

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Inspiration Teaching School Hub: Spring Newsletter

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For schools in Mid, South and East Norfolk

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Julian Teaching School Hub: NPQ IN LEADING TEACHING

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Julian Teaching School Hub: NPQ IN LEADING TEACHING

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February 2023 Start

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Julian Teaching School Hub: NPQ IN SENIOR LEADERSHIP

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Julian Teaching School Hub: NPQ IN SENIOR LEADERSHIP

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February 2023 Start

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Ofqual: Letter to Heads and Principals - arrangements for exams and assessments in 2023

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Ofqual: Letter to Heads and Principals - arrangements for exams and assessments in 2023

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Published: 9th December 2022

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Thank you to you and your colleagues for the vital part you played in the successful return to exams and formal assessments earlier this year. Over one million students received more than 5 million qualifications despite the disruption caused by the pandemic. From talking to teachers and students wh…

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DfE: T Levels capital fund for September 2024

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DfE: T Levels capital fund for September 2024

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Deadline: Midday on 3 February 2023

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Stay at home

Only go outside for food, health reasons or work (but only if you cannot work from home)

If you go out, stay 2 metres (6ft) away from other people at all times

Wash your hands as soon as you get home

Do not meet others, even friends or family.

You can spread the virus even if you don't have symptoms.

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Only go outside for food, health reasons or work (but only if you cannot work from home) If you go out, stay 2 metres (6ft) away from other people at all times Wash your hands as soon as you get home Do not meet others, even friends or family.

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National Statistics: 2021/22 16 to 18 Results and Performance Measures 

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National Statistics: 2021/22 16 to 18 Results and Performance Measures 

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Published: 10th November

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Last updated

Release type

National statistics ?

This academic year saw the return of the summer exam series, after they had been cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, where alternative processes were set up to award grades. As part of the transition back to the summer exam series adaptations were made to the exams (including advance information) and the approach to grading for 2022 exams broadly reflected a midpoint between results in 2019 and 2021.

The 16 to 18 performance measures reported in this revised release for the 2021/22 academic year, and to be included on the Find School and College Performance Data website, have been affected by our commitment not to include results from qualifications awarded between January 2020 and August 2021 (see section 'Changes to the data in 2021/22').

Throughout this release, comparisons are made with both 2021, the most recent year, and 2019, because it is most meaningful to compare to the last year summer exams were sat. Given the unprecedented change in how A level and vocational and VTQ grades were awarded in 2020 and 2021, as well as changes to the grade boundaries and methods of assessment for 2021/22, users need to exercise caution when considering comparisons over time, as they may not reflect changes in student performance alone.

Related information

Releases in this series

View releases (23)

Methodologies

Headline facts and figures - 2021/22

A level retention

95.1%

An increase of 3.8 ppts from 2018/19

What is this?

This is the headline retention rate for A level programmes. (The percentage of students who completed their A level programme).

Applied general retention

91.7%

An increase of 5.1 ppts from 2018/19

What is this?

This is the headline retention rate for applied general programmes. (The percentage of students who completed their applied general programme).

Tech level retention

91.1%

An increase of 3.2 ppts from 2018/19

What is this?

This is the headline retention rate for tech level programmes. (The percentage of students who completed their tech level programme).

Average Point Score (APS) per entry for all level 3 cohorts is lower compared to 2020/21: A level, -2.8 pts; applied general, -0.7 pts; tech level, - 1.1 pts. However, attainment remains higher compared to 2018/19: A level, +4.9pts; applied general, +3.1 pts; tech level +1.9 pts. [An increase of 10 points is equivalent to an increase in one full grade]. This follows Ofqual's announcement in September 2021 that 2022 will be a transition year where the aim was for exam results to broadly reflect a midway point between 2021 (TAG grades) and 2019 (the last year all students sat exams).

The trend for falling average attainment across level 3 cohorts in 2021/22 compared to 2020/21 was observed across institution types generally (when grouped into state-funded schools, independent schools, sixth form colleges, and 'Other FE sector colleges') with the exception of applied general attainment in sixth form colleges and independent schools which increased in 2021/22 (+ 0.2 pts and + 0.8 pts respectively).

The disadvantage gap (between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students) is at its widest level for all Level 3 cohorts (A level, tech level, and applied general) since disadvantage measures began in 2016/17.

Gender gaps in favour of female students in average attainment at A level, applied general, and tech level have narrowed in 2021/22 compared to 2020/21; average attainment had increased more for female students than males with the alternative Centre Assessment Grade (CAG) and Teacher Assessed Grade (TAG) awarding processes in 2019/20 and 2020/21 compared with 2018/19.

The percentage of students who completed their main or 'core' aim from their study programme, known as the Retention rate, increased across all programmes in 2021/22.

Non-disadvantaged students are more likely to be retained than disadvantaged students, across all cohorts.

Students with higher prior attainment are more likely to be retained than students with lower prior attainment, across all level 3 cohorts.

Given the unprecedented change in the way results were awarded in the summers of 2020 and 2021, as well as the changes to methods of assessment for 2021/22, users need to exercise caution when considering comparisons over time, as they may not reflect changes in pupil performance alone.

The changes seen in the headline statistics likely reflect the changes in methodology for awarding grades and in calculating the measures, rather than demonstrating a difference in standards.

Explore data and files used in this release

View tables that we have built for you, or create your own tables from open data using our table tool

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All supporting files from this release are listed for individual download below:

Provisional results (November 2022) for A level and other 16 to 18 results 2021-22

Transition matrices data used for visualising the progress of pupils aged 16 to 18 from key stage 4 (KS4) to key stage 5 (KS5).

Instructions to accompany the transition matrices data

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the summer exam series was cancelled in both 2020 and 2021, and alternative processes set up to award grades. Throughout this release, comparisons are made with both 2021, the most recent year, and 2019, because it is most meaningful to compare to the last year summer exams were sat.

A/AS and vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs)

In summer 2021 students were awarded A/AS grades based on an assessment by their teachers using a range of available evidence. Students were only assessed on the content they had been taught. In 2021 some VTQ grades were decided using teacher-assessed grades, others using normal assessment routes, and some through adapted assessment such as remote invigilation.

Exceptionally in autumn 2020 and 2021 an autumn series was put in place to allow students the opportunity to try to improve their A level or AS grade from the summer, if they wished to do so. Further information on the autumn 2021 series is available at this link:
https://ofqual.blog.gov.uk/2021/12/16/as-and-a-level-results-in-the-autumn-2021-series/
A/AS exams returned in 2022 and adaptations were made to exams (including advance information), and the approach to grading for 2022 exams broadly reflected a midpoint between results in 2019 and 2021.

The diversity of vocational qualifications meant that Ofqual did not prescribe a single approach to adaptations, so Awarding Organisations (AOs) had flexibility to choose how to adapt their assessments. However, Ofqual's regulatory framework requires AOs as far as possible to ensure VTQ learners were not disadvantaged nor advantaged compared with their A level peers when setting standards.

For further information on the process to award grades in 2021 and 2022 see the following links:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/awarding-qualifications-in-summer-2021/awarding-qualifications-in-summer-2021 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/guidance-for-centres-awarding-vtqs-in-2021-and-2022
Reporting of 2022 results by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) and Ofqual

As happens every year on A level results day (18 August for summer 2022 results) JCQ published data on A level entries for qualifications awarded in summer 2022, and for each subject the distribution of grades awarded (with data for the previous summer for reference): https://www.jcq.org.uk/examination-results/

The data published by JCQ can be expected to show the same broad patterns as the underlying data published in this statistical release 'Entries and results - A level and AS by subject and student characteristics (single academic year). However, the coverage of the data is different: JCQ data covers all A level entries in the UK by people of all ages. Data in this statistical release covers exam entries by 16 to 18 year olds in schools and colleges in England, and includes breakdowns by a wide range of student characteristics.

In addition, Ofqual also routinely publish data on results day: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/guide-to-as-and-a-level-results-in-england-summer-2022

Data excluded from 2021/22 measures due to alternative assessment arrangements in 2020 and 2021

We have committed not to include results of qualifications achieved between January 2020 and August 2021 in school and college performance measures on Find Schools and College Performance Data website, given the alternative assessment arrangements used to award those grades.

For consistency, when calculating 16 to 18 performance measures for 2021/22 in this statistical release, data will only include entries and grades from qualifications awarded in the 2021/22 academic year, with the exception of AS and A level qualifications taken as part of the extraordinary autumn 2021 examination series which are also excluded.

However, results from qualifications routinely offered in the autumn of 2021 that would usually be approved for reporting, such as vocational and technical qualifications taken in autumn 2021, will be included even if some of the VTQ constituent unit-level grades were awarded between January 2020 and August 2021 via Centre Assessment Grade, Teacher Assessed Grade, or another process.

The table below shows the impact at national level of excluding these data, by comparing the number of students and headline attainment measures for each cohort.

The impact on A level student numbers is modest. It is greater for students entering vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs), who are more likely to enter qualifications over multiple years. It should be noted that students may have results from multiple years including 2021/22. In this case the student is included in this data but some of their results are excluded.

The technical certificate cohort has been substantially impacted by this change, as students are often not triggered for reporting in the same year as they complete the qualification.

Smaller cohorts in 2021/22, do not necessarily translate into impacts on attainment. Nationally, the impact on A level Average Point Score (APS) is minimal (1/200th of a grade) with slightly larger changes for the level 3 vocational and technical qualifications.

Impact of the change

Number of students
-2% -10% -15% -84%

APS
+0.06 +0.60 +0.72 +0.12

Other changes for the 2021/22 release

English and maths progress measures will not be published in this statistical release until these measures return to Find school and college performance data website (likely 2024/25, as set out in 16 to 18 accountability headline measures: technical guide, due to the impact of excluding CAG/TAG grades on this performance measure).

Similarly, 16 to 18 value-added measures, which would rely on KS4 prior attainment including some data from summer 2020, continue not to be published in 2021/22. Value-added measures will return as soon as possible, which will be for the 2023/24 academic year at the earliest; further details are included in the technical guide.

Breakdowns of performance measures by prior attainment, usually published in spring with the Retention update have been brought forward to the provisional release along with other breakdowns by student characteristics. Note, we distinguish between the use of prior attainment data nationally to breakdown measures by student characteristics in this statistical release and their use to calculate performance measures that will be published for individual schools and colleges on Find School and College Performance Data.

SEN Provision contains additional breakdowns by SEN types for the first time in national level data at 16 to 18.

Additional 'bivariate' data giving a breakdown of headline attainment and disadvantage status in combination with other characteristics are available for the first time.

Changes continuing from the 2020/21 release

Characteristic breakdowns usually published in the revised update have been brought forward to the provisional release. This is a permanent change.

The rules for determining when students reach the end of their 16-18 study changed in 2020/21 and students can no longer be triggered solely due to spending two years in the same school or college. The impact of this change on 2020/21 data was to reduce the number of students in each cohort, with vocational and technical qualifications impacted most. In 2021/22, student numbers returned to pre-rule change levels, as expected.

Full details of the trigger change are set out in the section 'Changes introduced in the 2020/21 release' in the Quality and Methodology documentation.

Checking exercise and other amendments

This updated release is based on revised data. Since the release of provisional data in November, amendments to the data have been made. These include the addition of 'late' results from some Awarding Organisations, and changes made by schools and colleges through a 'checking exercise'.

The checking exercise takes place in the autumn term and gives schools and colleges the opportunity to amend their data. Some students are removed from a school or colleges results, for example because the student wasn't on roll or has not yet completed 16-18 study. Some students are added where they are flagged by a school or college as having completed 16-18 study despite not being triggered. Changes need to be approved to be included in revised data.

The 2021/22 academic year saw the return of the school and college checking exercise, after it was suspended in the two previous years. In this release data for 2019/20 and 2020/21 is labelled as 'final' data. This is provisional data adjusted for results from the autumn series for AS and A levels. (The autumn series gave students an opportunity to sit an exam if they were unhappy with the grade awarded to them through the alternative process). Data from 2019/20 and 2020/21 did not go through a checking exercise; schools and colleges did not have an opportunity to amend their data as described above.

The table shows the size of the change between provisional and revised/final data. Generally, the change in the numbers of students included in the data in 2021/22 is relatively small in terms of the overall cohort size, the exception being technical certificates where there are 655 more students in the revised release than the provisional (an increase of 87%). This increase is predominantly due to results being reported late by Awarding Organisations.

The size of the change between provisional and revised data is generally smaller in 2021/22 than in 2017/18 and 2018/19. Changes to the trigger rule were introduced to reduce the burden on schools and colleges. This gives an indication that the change is working as intended.

Change in the numbers of students between the provisional and revised/final data:

Cohort

Report year

2017/18

2018/19

2019/20

2020/21

2021/22

The table below shows the size of the change in the average point score between the provisional and the revised release. The changes are minimal. A change of 0.1 pts at A level / applied general / tech level is equivalent to 1/100th of a grade.

Change in Average Point Score (APS) per entry between the provisional and revised/final data.

Report year

2017/18

2018/19

2019/20

2020/21

2021/22

Unless stated otherwise statistics reported here refer to 16 to 18 year olds in England:

who reached the end of their 16 to 18 study in 2021/22. Students typically spend either two or three years in the 16 to 18 phase. (Usually, attainment includes results from qualifications entered during all those years. However, this year, attainment excludes results from qualifications that were awarded between January 2020 and August 2021).

who entered qualifications approved for reporting in 2022 school and college performance tables, set out in the 16 to 18 qualifications, discount codes and point scores guidance.

Qualifications are grouped into A level (subset of Academic), Applied General, and Tech Level exam cohorts at level 3, and Technical Certificates at level 2. Students can be reported in more than one exam cohort.

Student numbers by cohort

Students are included in this statistical release when they reach the end of their 16 to 18 study in schools and colleges in England. As set out in the Methodology guidance, the rules for determining when that happens changed in 2020/21, and students are no longer automatically triggered for reporting after spending two years in the same school or college.

The impact of the trigger change in 2020/21 was to reduce the number of students in each cohort, with vocational and technical qualifications impacted most. As expected, student numbers have generally returned to their pre-rule change level in 2021/22, with student numbers in all level 3 cohorts being higher than in 2019/20 and 2020/21.

Results for qualifications awarded between January 2020 and August 2021 have been excluded from the data. The technical certificate cohort has been substantially impacted by this change, as students are often not triggered for reporting until they turn 18, often a year or two after they complete the qualification. More detail is provided in the section 'Changes to the data in 2021/22', where in particular excluding CAG and TAG grades reduced reported technical certificate student numbers by 84%.

The growth in the number of students entered for applied general and tech level qualifications in 2021/22 approved for reporting in performance measures reflects the removal of funding approval from 1 August 2020 for pre-existing qualifications which were running in parallel with newer redeveloped qualifications. Prior to that numbers had been increasing more slowly following big falls in 2017/18 when qualifications were reformed. The number of students in the A level cohort, which includes students who only enter AS levels, has increased after several years of decline. (The previous decline reflected fewer AS level entries following the now completed A level reform to decouple A and AS levels.)

The overall growth in student numbers may also be partly attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some students reported here completed their pre-16 study in 2019/20 where higher grades were awarded via Centre Assessment Grades. These higher grades resulted in greater numbers of students applying for post-16 places and may have shifted some students away from level two technical certificates and into level 3 qualifications. There were also fewer alternative options available for these students in terms of apprenticeships and other employment opportunities ( Key stage 4 destination measures showed that a smaller proportion of students who completed key stage 4 in 2019/20 progressed to sustained apprenticeship or employment outcomes in 2020/21).

Disadvantage

Disadvantaged students are all students who were in receipt of pupil premium when they were in their last year of KS4.

Disadvantage measures do not include students who were not reported at the end of KS4 - for example, because they came from overseas. Students who were known to be at independent schools in their last year of KS4 are treated as non-disadvantaged.

Disadvantage measures cover students in state-funded schools or colleges.

23.6% of state-funded students, at the end of 16 to 18 study, were recorded as having disadvantaged status in 2021/22. The percentage of students examined in level 3 vocational and technical qualifications was generally in line with this. (Applied general 23.0% and tech level 23.0%). Disadvantages students were overrepresented at technical certificate with 32.4% of the cohort identified as having disadvantaged status. Disadvantaged students were underrepresented at A level with 14.3% of the cohort identified as having disadvantaged status.

Prior attainment

Prior attainment is a measure of the average points attained per qualification at Key Stage 4. Simple discounting rules apply, with the best result in any subject used when calculating the average point score at KS4. Any GCSE resits or additional qualifications gained during 16 to 18 are ignored. For the vast majority, prior attainment is between 0-9 reflecting the range of possible grades at GCSE (where 9 is the highest grade).

[Note, whilst results from January 2020 to August 2021 are removed from calculation of performance measures, for the purposes of this statistical release they will be retained when calculating a student's prior attainment to explain outcomes in performance measures, in the same way that outcomes nationally are broken down by gender, disadvantage, etc].

In 2021/22, 18.4% of students at the end of their 16 to 18 study had the highest prior attainment (grade 7+). The large majority of students with the highest prior attainment choose to study at least one A/AS level (94.8%). High attainers now make up 36.2% of the A level cohort compared to 4.7% of the applied general and 3.7% of the tech level cohort. The proportion of students with the highest prior attainment has increased year on year for each cohort since 2019/20 (from when KS4 prior attainment has been calculated in this release).

27.5% of students at the end of 16 to 18 study in 2021/22 had the lowest prior attainment (from grade 0 up to grade 4). The proportion of students with the lowest prior attainment has decreased year on year for each exam cohort since 2019/20.

This change in the distribution of prior attainment for exam cohorts, will in part reflect year on year grade increases at KS4 and in part reflect that the majority of students at the end of 16-18 study in 2021/22 will have completed KS4 in 2019/20, and whose GCSE prior attainment will include Centre Assessment Grades (CAG).

Summary

These figures give the average points and average result that students achieved throughout their 16 to 18 study. Results awarded between January 2020 and August 2021 have been excluded from this data. (See the section 'Changes to the data in 2021/22). While the majority of results come from the student's final year of study (in particular for A levels), a small number of results awarded prior to January 2020 are included.

Points are given to all qualifications so we can compare qualifications of different size and grading structures. A maximum of 60 points are available for A level, 50 points for applied general and tech level and 8 points for technical certificates. More information on points, APS bands and grade boundaries can be found in the technical guide for 16 to 18 accountability measures (from page 27).

In September 2021 Ofqual announced that 2022 will be a transition year where the aim was for exam results to broadly reflect a midway point between 2021 and 2019. Consequently, the average results are lower in 2021/22 across all level 3 cohorts than in 2020/21.

A level programmes have seen the largest decrease (2.8 pts, compared to 0.7 pts for applied general and 1.1 pts for tech level). This is as expected due to the larger increases seen in A level grades between 2018/19 and 2020/21 relative to the vocational and technical qualifications. Technical certificates have seen a small increase (0.2 pts) in the average points score. However, interpretation of this increase is undermined by a 58% drop in cohort numbers. Given that 84% of technical certificate students have been excluded form the data (see 'Changes to the data in 2021/22'), technical certificate results will not be discussed in the breakdowns, however the data is available in the table builder tool.

For all Level 3 cohorts, the average result remains the same as in 2020/21.

At A level, the South East, London and East of England tend to do better, being on or near the top in the last 3 years. These same regions have ranked in the bottom 4 for applied general in the same time period.

The North West is in the top half of the table for both A level and applied general, although the region dipped in both exam cohorts in 2020/21 when teacher assessed grades were used.

The East Midlands is in the bottom half of the table for both A level and applied general. The region attained the lowest A level results this year.

Regional rankings are more variable for tech levels (which may be attributable to the smaller total number of tech level entries).

Average results by disadvantage status

The 2021/22 disadvantage gap has increased in comparison to last year for the A level cohort and has remained stable for applied general and tech level cohorts. For the level 3 exam cohorts, the average point score has decreased for both disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students, however for A level students, the decrease was larger for disadvantaged students.

The disadvantage gap for Level 3 cohorts is at its widest point since the measure was introduced in 2016/17. (NB, this statistical release contains data for the last 5 years back to 2017/18, but disadvantage data was first published based on 2016/17 revised data).

To get a fuller picture on the impact of disadvantage status, this data should be looked at in conjunction with data on retention rates (the percentage of students who have completed their main study programme at a provider). In 2020/21, 94.3% of non-disadvantaged A level students were retained and assessed compared to 88.5% of disadvantaged students. Students are only included in the average point score measure if they are entered for examination i.e. if they are retained and assessed. More information on 2020/21 retention can be found in the 2020/21 version of this statistical release. An update to this statistical release with 2021/22 retention figures will be released on 30th March 2023.

Average results by gender

For the level 3 exam cohorts, both female and male students saw a drop in average attainment in 2021/22 when compared to 2020/21. The decrease was larger for female students than male students, which has resulted in a narrowing of the gender gap compared to last year.

When compared to 2018/19, the gender gap is slightly wider for A level students, but slightly narrower for applied general students in 2021/22. For tech level students the gender gap has reversed such that in 2018/19 it was in favour of male students, but since 2020/21 it has been in favour of female students.

The gender gap for the percentage of students achieving at least 2 A levels has been continuously decreasing for the past 5 years, falling from 5.2 ppts in 2017/18 to 0.9 ppts in 2021/22 in favour of female students.

Average results by ethnicity

Of the major ethnicity groups, Black or Black British students attained the lowest average result across all level 3 cohorts in 2021/22. At A level, Black or Black British students' attainment was almost a full grade lower than that of Chinese students. The rank order of attainment by ethnicity has remained almost unchanged at A level through the COVID-19 pandemic and the changes to the grading processes.

Prior attainment

Typically, the higher the average KS4 prior attainment, the higher the average outcome at the end of 16 to 18 study, regardless of the programme of study.

The attainment gap between students with the highest and lowest prior attainment has remained stable throughout different grading processes since 2019/20 (when this prior attainment data is available). The attainment gap at A level is around 25 pts (or 2.5 grades) and at applied general and tech level is around 19 pts (or just under 2 grades).

Average results for other student characteristics

Breakdowns of other student characteristics, including SEN provision, first language and more, are available in the featured tables and create your own tables sections of this statistical release.

This year we have introduced a new data file to this statistical release called 'Attainment and other performance measures - student characteristics and disadvantage status'. This data file gives more detail about disadvantaged students by breaking down the disadvantaged status of students by other student characteristics. In breaking down the data in this way we hope to be able to better identify how student characteristics interact. The following sections show some illustrative analyses.

Disadvantage and prior attainment

The distribution of disadvantaged students is uneven across the prior attainment bands. At A level, 9.3% of students in state-funded institutions with the highest prior attainment (grade 7+) have disadvantaged status, while 27.8% with prior attainment from grade 0 up to grade 4 have disadvantaged status.

At A level the disadvantage gap for students with the lowest prior attainment was 1.3 pts in 2021/22 or just over 1/10th of a grade. The gap increased to 2.8 pts for A level students with prior attainment from grade 4 up to grade 7 and 3.5 pts (or just over 1/3 of a grade) for students with the highest prior attainment.

The increase in the overall A level disadvantage gap was driven by the increase in the disadvantage gap for students with the highest prior attainment. (Up 0.9 pts from 2.7 pts in 2020/21). There was a small increase for those with prior attainment of grade 4 up to grade 7 (up 0.2 pts from 2.6 pts) and the gap stayed steady for those with prior attainment of grade 0 up to grade 4.

Disadvantage and other student characteristics

Across level 3 exam cohorts, non-disadvantaged students with English as their first language obtained higher average results than students with a first language other than English. However, the reverse is true for disadvantaged students. Here students with a first language other than English achieved higher average results.

Disadvantaged Black or Black British students attained the lowest average results in 2021/22 of any ethnicity across level 3 cohorts. Non-disadvantaged Black or Black British students also attained lower average results than their non-disadvantaged peers. White students had the biggest disadvantage gaps (of students with known ethnicity) across level 3 cohorts.

The disadvantage gap remains greater for female students in all level 3 cohorts, as it has since 2019/20.

Summary

Data in this section covers A level entries and results for all students aged 16-18 at the start of the respective year. Students don't need to be triggered for inclusion in this data, so it is not impacted by the change in the 'trigger' rules, introduced in 2020/21, that determined when a student had reached the end of 16-18 study. It is also not impacted by removing CAG and TAG grades from data for 2021/22.

The chart below shows the distribution of A level grades for students aged 16 to 18 for each academic year. Overall, the proportion of entries achieving top grades (between A* and B) has decreased in comparison to 2020/21 but remains higher than 2018/19.

In 2021/22, 14.8% of awarded grades were at A*. This is an increase of 6.9ppts from 2018/19, but a decrease of 4.3ppts from 2020/21. The percentage of entries achieving A*-A grades is now 36.4%, which similarly corresponds to an increase of 10.6ppts compared to 2018/19 but a decrease of 7.9ppts from 2020/21. As previously noted however, year on year comparisons cannot be interpreted as students achieving at a higher standard. Where achievement gaps alter in 2019/20 and 2020/21 compared to previous years, it might reflect the different process by which grades were awarded across these years.

A level results by gender

Overall, in 2021/22 both male and female students were more likely to be awarded the higher A level grades (A*/A/B) than in 2018/19 but less likely than in 2020/21.

Across the top A* and A*-A grades the gender gap has decreased in comparison to 2020/21. Female students continue to be more likely to achieve these grades, which has been the trend for the last three years (since 2019/20) when a reversal of the gender gap was observed.

At A*-B the gap between female and male student achievement had been continuously increasing since 2017/18, however this year the gender gap has reduced from 6.9ppts in 2020/21 to 4.7ppts.

Data is this section covers A level entries and results for all students aged 16 to 18 at the start of respective year. Students don't need to be triggered for inclusion in this data, so it is not impacted by the change in the 'trigger' rules, introduced in 2020/21, that determined when a student had reached the end of 16 to 18 study. It is also not impacted by removing CAG and TAG grades from data for 2021/22.

STEM subjects here are defined as: biology, chemistry, physics, maths, further maths, and computing.

A level grades in STEM subjects

For 2021/22, the proportion of students achieving top grades (A*, A*-A, A*-B) in STEM subjects compared to 2020/21 has fallen. At A*, the largest decrease was in further maths (8.4ppts) and the smallest decrease was in physics (4.7ppts).

The STEM subjects have generally seen large increases in the proportion of students achieving top grades when compared to 2018/19. The largest increase at A* was further maths rising by 15.7ppts, and the smallest increase was in biology at 6.3ppts. The A*-A grade boundary also observed large increases in the proportion of entries achieving these grades, ranging from computer science (17.1ppts increase) to maths (6.6ppts increase).

This section replaces one that usually describes outcomes in the English and maths progress accountability measures. These are not being created in 2021/22 in Find School and College Performance Data due to the impact of excluding CAG and TAG grades on this measure (set out in more detail in the 16 to 18 accountability measures: technical guide).

These alternative data have been published as part of this statistical release since 2015/16. Coverage is all entries and outcomes in below level 3 English and maths qualifications for students aged 16 to 18 at the start of the respective year. Unlike data based on students at the end of 16-18 study, it means these data are not impacted by the trigger change in 2020/21, and not impacted by removing CAG and TAG grades from data for 2021/22.

It also means a student here can be reported in successive years, for example at age 16 in 2019/20, at age 17 in 2020/21, and at age 18 in 2021/22 if they entered exams in each year.

The tables below focus on GCSEs, and Functional Skills qualifications at level 2, level 1 and Entry level which make up the large majority of English and maths qualifications entered below level 3 (though outcomes for Other level 2, level 1, and Entry Level qualifications are available via the 'Explore data and files' section).

Fewer students are entering below level 3 maths and English qualifications

Most students aged 16 to 18 enter below level 3 English and maths qualifications because they did not achieve a GCSE pass at grade 9-4 or equivalent during key stage 4, and so are required to continue to study those subjects under Condition of Funding rules (CoF).

The overall fall observed in the number of below level 3 entries across both English and maths in GCSEs and Functional Skills is consistent with data published in Key Stage 4 performance showing an increasing proportion of pupils achieving grades 4 or above in English and maths GCSE during key stage 4 ( increasing from 59.8% in 2018/19 to 67.1% in 2020/21 in provisional data) - and so not being required to study below level 3 English or maths during the 16-18 phase.

An additional factor explaining the big fall in entries at GCSE from 2019/20 to 2021/22 (-27% English, -12% maths) is the higher proportion of GCSE entries in 2019/20 and 2020/21 during the 16-18 phase that resulted in a grade 9-4 pass, when grades were awarded through the CAG and TAG processes, because once a student achieves a 9-4 GCSE pass during 16-18 they no longer have to continue studying English and/or maths the following year.

Achievement of Level 2 English and maths through GCSE and Functional Skills qualifications

Many more age 16-18 students enter GCSEs (a level 1/level 2 qualification) than are entered for Functional skills (distinct qualifications at level 2, level 1 and Entry level).

Overall pass rates are broadly comparable at GCSE and L1 and L2 Functional skills. Given that the prior attainment distributions are similar at GCSE and level 2 functional skills (see table below), we might have expected to see a higher level 2 pass rate (grades 9-4) at GCSE. Although it is difficult to make direct comparisons due to range of grades available within the GCSE qualification.

Qualification KS4 Prior Attainment English entries in 2021/22 Proportion of English entries at prior attainment band maths entries in 2021/22 Proportion of maths entries at prior attainment band

All level 1 and level 2 qualifications have had decreases in their pass rates in 2021/22. Mathematics qualifications have seen much larger decreases than English across all qualifications.

Maths L2 functional skills decreased by 20.8 ppts to 63.6% (12.0 ppts fall in English to 81.0%). Maths L1 functional skills decreased by 10.2 ppts to 85.4% (English fall, 3.3ppts to 94.0%). For maths GCSE the overall pass rate (grade 9-1) decreased by 5.8ppts to 84.9% (English decreased by 3.7 ppts to 85.8%) and the level 2 pass rate (grade 9-4) also decreased 16.7ppts to 15.3% for Maths and 13.9ppts to 25.7% for English

In contrast, at KS4 the English language GCSE level 2 pass rate (grade 9-4) fell by more than maths. English language fell by 4.0 ppts and maths by 3.1ppts between 2020/21 and 2021/22 (provisional data).

Pass rates in English and maths at level 2 by institution type

GCSE entries by students at independent schools are most likely to pass at level 2, but it should be noted that Condition of Funding rules are not relevant for these schools, and these students may be resitting GCSEs to improve their KS4 grade, which could have already been at grade 4 or above. Amongst state-funded institutions, students in schools are consistently most likely to pass GCSE at level 2, then sixth form colleges and other FE sector colleges in both English and maths in 2020/21 and 2021/22.

Level 2 Functional Skills entries: within state-funded institutions sixth form colleges and 'Other FE sector' colleges are consistently more likely to pass than schools. Most entries in L2 Functional Skills are in 'Other FE sector' colleges.

Applied general, tech level, and technical certificate qualifications approved for reporting in this statistical release (and institution level performance data) are updated annually and published on gov.uk:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/performance-tables-technical-and-vocational-qualifications
The concept of qualifications approved for reporting has been applied since 2015/16 following Professor Alison Wolf's Review of Vocational Education. From 2017/18 at level 3 and from 2018/19 for technical certificates, the quality threshold for vocational and technical qualifications to be included in performance measures further increased. The later reforms include criteria relating to the size, content, and assessment, including a requirement that a proportion of a qualification's content is subject to external assessment. From 1 August 2020 the ESFA removed funding approval for pre-existing applied general and tech level qualifications (which had been approved in 2015/16 and 2016/17) which were running in parallel with newer redeveloped qualifications.

The measures presented in this section show the students entering these approved qualifications as a proportion of students entering a wider set of vocational qualifications that had been approved by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) for funding during 16 to 18 study.

Proportions entering approved tech level and applied general qualifications continue to increase following a large fall in 2017/18 (when both lists of approved qualifications changed substantially), with a jump in students entering reformed versions of qualifications in 21/22 (in part attributable to the defunding of unreformed pre-existing qualifications).

The coverage of the measure for technical certificates is strongly impacted by the removal of CAG and TAG data from 2021/22 accountability data (as coverage is students at the end of 16-18 study, and level 2 vocational qualifications are more often entered during a student's first year of 16-18 study and so are excluded from the calculation).

The following table shows that there is variation in whether different institution types enter students for qualifications approved for reporting in performance tables versus the wider set of qualifications that were approved for funding.

Overall students in state-funded schools continue to be most likely to enter reformed versions of vocational and technical qualifications at level 3 (reformed in 2017/18), but 2021/22 saw a marked increase in the proportion of students entering approved/reformed applied general and tech levels across all broad institution types.

Introduction to retention measures

The Retention measure shows the percentage of students who are retained to the end of the 'core aim' (or main learning aim) of their study programme at a school or college.

Students are counted as retained if they are recorded as having "completed the learning activities leading to the learning aim" by their institution. This information is collected in the school census or for students that attended sixth form or FE colleges, the Individualised Learner Record (ILR).

Retention measures are not calculated for independent schools or special schools (both independent and maintained) as learning aims data is not available for these schools.

The Retention measure is calculated by dividing the total number of students retained by the total number of students with a core aim, in each of the five programmes approved for reporting in performance tables: academic, A level, applied general, tech level, and at level 2, technical certificate programmes.

Since academic programmes comprise largely of A levels, only data for A level core aims are described here; overall data for academic programmes can be found in the 'create your own tables' section and in the underlying data available to download.

Alongside the headline Retention measure there are two supporting retention measures:

Retained and Assessed: The percentage of students who are retained to the end of their course and are assessed.

Returned and Retained for a second year: The percentage of level 3 students who return to the same provider and complete their programme of study in their second year. (The main difference when compared to Retention is for students who complete their core aim in one year.)

A fuller description of the methodology underlying retention measures can be found in the 16-18 technical guide (from page 41).

Retention measures and the impact of the trigger change in 2020/21

The impact of the trigger rule change, meaning that students were no longer automatically reported after two years in 16-18 study, was to reduce the reported number of students in scope for retention measures across all exam cohorts in 2020/21, with the biggest impact on vocational and technical cohorts (VTQs).

For retention measures, this meant that Retention rates were slightly increased in 2020/21 for level 3 cohorts (A level, applied general, tech level) than would have been seen otherwise. However, the impact on the level 2 technical certificate cohort was a large decrease in Retention rates (and in cohort size).

Fuller analysis on the impact on 2020/21 retention data can be found in the methodology document, in the section 'Changes introduced in the 2020/21 release', under the heading 'Impact of the trigger change on headline retention rates'.

Students whose reporting was delayed for one year due to the 2020/21 trigger change are reported in 2021/22. In other words, the impact of the trigger change was one-off discontinuity in retention data for 2020/21. For this reason, when looking at trends, data for 2021/22 is better compared to data for 2019/20 and earlier years.

All level 3 study programmes show increases in Retention rates in 2021/22 (A level +0.1 pts to 95.1%; applied general +1.8 pts to 91.7%; tech level +0.5 ppts to 91.1%). This continues a trend of increasing Retention rates since 2018/19. A level programmes continue to have the highest Retention rate as has been the case since the measure was introduced in 2015/16, but for the first time applied general programmes have a higher Retention rate than tech levels programmes.

Technical certificates have had lower Retention rates than Level 3 cohorts since being added to performance measures in 2016/17. However, they have seen an increase in Retention rate this year (+4.5 ppts to 86.6%), recovering from the impact of the trigger change that was seen last year and returning to previously-seen levels.

For the A level and applied general cohorts, rates for the Retained and Assessed measure have increasingly followed the same general trend as the Retention rate in recent years. Similarly, the Returned and Retained measure now also follows the same trend. This is most notable for the A level cohort where the phased decoupling of AS and A levels predominantly between 2017 and 2019 has resulted in a much smaller proportion of the A level cohort taking AS levels only and not then returning for a second year of study.

The tech level cohort shows a slightly different pattern this year whereby the Retained and Assessed rate has dropped slightly despite increases in both the Retained rate (retention to the end of the course) and the Returned and Retained rate (retention specifically over two years of a course). This means that within this cohort there was an increase in the proportion of students not being assessed at the end of their course .

The much smaller technical certificate cohort (Level 2) was heavily impacted by the trigger change in 2020/21 and shows less stable trends. In addition, the low cohort numbers mean that breakdowns of the technical certificate data, by student characteristics become increasingly unreliable, and therefore this cohort isn't discussed further.

Due to the similarity in the trends shown by the three retention measures, in particular for the two largest cohorts (A level and applied general), our further narrative will focus on the Retained and Assessed measure. Further breakdowns of the Retention measure and the Returned and Retained measure across all qualification cohorts are available in underlying data and through the table builder.

The Retained and Assessed rate is higher for non-disadvantaged students across all level 3 cohorts. Disadvantaged tech level students are least likely to be Retained and Assessed at 79.1%, which is 7.1 ppts lower than their non-disadvantaged peers. The Retained and Assessed disadvantage gap is smaller for A level and applied general (5.6 ppts and 5.3 ppts respectively).

The disadvantage gap has been narrowing for the A level cohort since 2018/19 (from 8.4 ppts to 5.6 ppts). Similarly, the applied general cohort has, overall, seen a substantial decrease in the gap in that time (from 7.9 ppts to 5.6 ppts). In contrast, the tech level cohort did not consolidate an initial decrease in the gap in 2019/20 and is now only slightly smaller than in 2018/19 (from 7.6 ppts to 7.1 ppts).

Changes to the distribution of prior attainment at A level between 2017/18 and 2021/22

The coverage of the retention measures is different to the attainment measures, and is described above in 'Retention: introduction and changes to the data in 2021/22'. The largest difference is that independent schools are excluded from the data, and this impacts the distribution of the prior attainment groups as students from independent schools have higher prior attainment on average.

The distribution of prior attainment has changed over time for all cohorts. The proportion of A level students with low prior attainment (from grade 0 up to grade 4) has decreased from 8.1% of the cohort in 2017/18 to 1.9% in 2021/22. High prior attaining students (average grade 7 or more) have increased their proportion of the cohort from 16.1% in 2017/18 to 35.3% in 2021/22.

This increase in the proportion of KS4 students achieving grades averaging 7 or more, in part reflects year on year grade increases at KS4, and in part reflects that most A level students at the end of 16-18 study in 2021/22 will have completed KS4 in 2019/20, and so their GCSE prior attainment will include Centre Assessment Grades (CAG).

However, in the vocational and technical cohorts, a larger proportion of students are being reported after three years in 16-18, hence prior attainment for these cohorts is less affected by CAGs. This is following delay in their reporting last year due to the change in the rule in 2020/21 triggering students for reporting.

Overall, students with the highest average prior attainment (grade 7+) are most likely to be Retained and Assessed in their main programme of study and students with the lowest prior attainment (grade 0 up to grade 4) the least likely to be Retained and Assessed. The highest Retained and Assessed rate is for high prior attaining A level students at 98.7%. The lowest Retained and Assessed rate is also for A level students. Low prior attaining A level students have a Retained and Assessed rate of 66.0%.

The Retained and Assessed rate for low prior attaining A level students has fallen and is now close to the 2018/19 rate, whereas the rate remains higher for other level 3 cohorts.

A full breakdown of all three retention measures by a range of other student characteristics is available through the table builder. Here, we draw attention to small number of breakdowns that may be of interest.

English Language

Across all level 3 cohorts, students with English as their first language have lower Retained and Assessed rates than students who do not. The difference is driven by poor rates for disadvantaged students with English as their first language.

The applied general cohort similarly has an increase in the Retained and Assessed rate since last year for all major (known) ethnicity groups and shows many of the same trends between groups. The Chinese ethnic group has the highest Retained and Assessed rates since 2018/19 (now at 95.8%) and the Black or Black British ethnic group and the Mixed Dual background ethnic group have made the biggest improvements in Retained and Assessed rates over recent years (+9.9 ppts to 89.1%, +9.9 ppts to 87.0% respectively). Again, the White ethnic group shows the largest disadvantage gap and White disadvantaged students have the lowest rates for Retained and Assessed.

The tech level cohort and the technical certificate cohort have very low numbers in some ethnic groups, and show less distinct patterns over recent years.

For the A level cohort, state-funded mainstream schools and Sixth form colleges have seen an increase in rates for Retained and Assessed this year (+1.5 ppts to 95.4% and +0.5 ppts to 92.3% respectively). In contrast, 'Other FE sector colleges' have seen a decrease (-2.3 ppts to 88.2%). However, the decrease for 'Other FE sector colleges' follows very large increases last year; the relative rates of the three major institution types have returned to levels seen before the change to the trigger rule.

There have also been decreases in the Retained and Assessed rate for 'Other FE sector colleges' in the applied general and tech level cohorts, following larger increases in the previous two years. All state-funded mainstream schools continue to have the lowest Retained and Assessed rates for applied general and tech level qualifications. This has been the case since 2018/19.

This data is available through the 'Explore data and files' section in the file called 'Time series - APS per entry by institution type'.

In addition it is accessible through the dashboard linked below. The dashboard combines data from this statistical release (covering the last 5 years) with selected older data compiled from previous versions of the 'A level and other 16 to 18 results' statistical release:
16-18 Time-series attainment and single year entries
On the left-hand side, clicking on the link ' Attainment: APS per entry and average result' brings up the dashboard with attainment data in terms of APS per entry.

Data including the applied general and tech level cohorts starts in 2015/16 (when these cohorts were first defined in this statistical release, and school and college data). Data for the A level cohort starts in 2012/13.

This data is available through the 'Explore data and files' section in the file called 'Time series - A level subject entries and grade by gender'.

In addition it is accessible through the dashboard linked below. The dashboard combines data from this statistical release (covering the last 5 years) with selected older data compiled from previous versions of the 'A level and other 16 to 18 results' statistical release:
16-18 Time-series attainment and single year entries
On the left-hand side, clicking on the link ' Attainment: A level entries and grade distribution' brings up the dashboard with A level entries data by subject, and A level grades by subject.

These data cover A level entries by students aged 16 to 18 within each academic year from 1995/96.

We have moved our Transition Matrices tool into a web based app for easier use. It is available at the following link:
16-18 Transition Matrices
Transition matrices (TM) are a useful tool to help visualise the progression from different groups of attainment at key stage 4 (KS4) to outcomes achieved during 16 to 18 for a range of different subjects.

Note that the 16 to 18 outcomes here will also be impacted by the different process to award grades in 2022, which is likely to impact the relationship between outcomes and KS4 prior attainment in 2021/22 for subjects.

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Methodology

Find out how and why we collect, process and publish these statistics.

National statistics

These accredited official statistics have been independently reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics. Accredited official statistics are called National Statistics in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007.

Accreditation signifies their compliance with the authority's Code of Practice for Statistics which broadly means these statistics are:

managed impartially and objectively in the public interest

meet identified user needs

produced according to sound methods

well explained and readily accessible

Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR).

OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to.

You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.

If you have a specific enquiry about A level and other 16 to 18 results statistics and data:

Attainment statistics team

Email: Attainment.STATISTICS@education.gov.uk
Contact name: Michael Greer

Press office

If you have a media enquiry:

Telephone: 020 7783 8300

Public enquiries

If you have a general enquiry about the Department for Education (DfE) or education:

Telephone: 037 0000 2288

Opening times:
Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays)

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A level and other 16 to 18 results, Academic year 2021/22

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This academic year saw the return of the summer exam series, after they had been cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, where alternative processes were set up to award grades.

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Published: 17th November 2022

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T Levels support for schools and colleges

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This week's newsletter includes updates on:

New: T Levels Connect service to help you find employers

Our digital team have been working closely with providers to get your views on delivering T Levels and we've heard that finding employers for industry placements continues to be a challenge. We also know while employers are interested in T Levels and industry placements, they aren't always able to dedicate time to contacting providers.

With this in mind, we've been working on a great new service which allows employers to express interest in T Levels, and providers to see that interest in order to initiate contact. Our hope is that the ' Connect with employers interested in T Levels service' will help you do exactly that: connect and build relationships with employers about all things T Levels - from career talks to hosting industry placements.

The service will launch on Monday 21 November.  Find out more.

T Level Transition Programme: New Marketing subject content development

Your support is needed to shape the proposed Marketing National Technical Outcomes for future programmes in the Sales, Marketing and Procurement route.

Register your interest by midnight Monday 5 December via the online registration form to get involved and please share the link to the registration form with colleagues in your organisation.

This is an exciting and unique opportunity for education professionals, teachers, curriculum leads and T Level and T Level Transition Programme leads to work with government and other education and industry professionals in an online review of the T Level Transition Programme's Marketing National Technical Outcomes subject content in the Sales, Marketing and Procurement route.

The time commitment is for two online sessions, each 2.5 hrs in duration. It is vital that you attend both sessions as these are equally important to the content development work. There will be some work outside meetings to read draft materials and to gather views from your network so that you are ready to give feedback. In total, we estimate this will require up to two days of your time, including preparation and attendance at meetings on the following dates and times:
Session 1 Thursday 19 January 2023 @ 3:00-5:30pm Session 2 Monday 6 February 2023 @ 3:00-5:30pm
Your role in the process is important and contributions are highly valuable to developing a quality product for our young people. Further information on the T Level Transition Programme is available from gov.uk, including the Framework for Delivery and the national technical outcomes for existing T Level Transition Programmes.

If you have a question, please email the team TLevelTransition.PROGRAMME@education.gov.uk.

TLTP on the 'T Levels support for schools and colleges' website and Provider Case Studies

Providers will be aware that up to date information and guidance on all things T Levels can be found at the T Levels support for schools and colleges site on Gov.UK. This now includes a section dedicated to the T Level Transition Programme (TLTP) which gives providers information about how to register for, plan, promote, market and deliver their TLTPs. It also provides regular updates on forthcoming TLTP-related events and any new resources for providers to use. These resources now include a series of Video Case Studies in which some of the early TLTP Providers (those who began to deliver TLTP in 2020 and 2021) outline the approaches they each took in designing, developing and implementing the T Level Transition Programme in their own education institutions and provide key advice based on their own experience to support your planning.

Along with the Case Studies, there are also some bitesize promotional videos that can be used to promote TLTP to your key stakeholders. We hope you find all of these really useful.

Awarding Organisations updates

Pearson's November E-Bulletin was published and included the following:

Q&A Networks and Training events

Registrations and entries

Legal Services update

Read the November E-Bulletin Have your say...
If you would like to know more about the T Level Technical Qualification in Catering and the supporting resources that will be available to assist with your planning and delivery, Highfield are looking to host a forum in December 2022 where you can have your say!

If you would like to be a part of this forum please get in touch at tlevels@highfield.co.uk
T Level Familiarisation webinars
City & Guilds are running familiarisation webinars for Engineering and Manufacturing (17, 18 November) and Agriculture, Land Management and Production (25 November). These webinars are designed for providers that are not yet delivering T Levels and are an opportunity to find out more about the programmes available with City & Guilds. They are aimed at tutors, curriculum managers, trainers, assessors, and quality leads. Register for these events online: Events and webinars - T Levels | City & Guilds (cityandguilds.com)
Digital Credentials for Providers
In recognition of being an approved T Level provider, City & Guilds are awarding centres a digital credential. Digital credentials allow us to recognise and communicate all skills consistently. We do this by using the Open Badge Standard, a universal format that creates data that can be validated quickly and easily. Your digital credential will be issued automatically to the named T Level lead contact we have on record. Find out more about digital credentials: Digital Credentials | City & Guilds (cityandguilds.com)
Approval Window for Eligible Providers
The approval window for eligible providers opens on Monday 27 February 2023, ready for first teaching in September 2023. Application forms for approval to deliver T Levels in 2023 will be released in January on the T Levels Resource Hub: Resource Hub - T Levels | City & Guilds (cityandguilds.com). We will be running webinars to support providers and these dates will be made available shortly.

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This week's newsletter includes updates on: Our digital team have been working closely with providers to get your views on delivering T Levels and we've heard that finding employers for industry placements continues to be a challenge. We also know while employers are interested in T Levels and industry placements, they aren't always able to dedicate time to contacting providers.

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This qualification has been extended to 2026 so it can continue to be taught from September 2022. However, please note that this will not be included in the 2024 KS4 performance tables.

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Engineering | BTEC Tech Award | Pearson qualifications

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Information for students and teachers of our BTEC Tech Awards in Engineering Level 1 and Level 2, including key documents and the latest news.

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JCQ: Key dates in the examination cycle document - June 2023

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JCQ: Key dates in the examination cycle document - June 2023

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Published: 8th November 2022
Contingency days update: Timetabled for the afternoons of the 8 and 15 June and all day of 28 June 2023. To be used in the event of national or significant local disruption to examinations

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Step-by-step

We make it easy to learn how to make anything, one step at a time. From the stovetop to the workshop, you are sure to be inspired by the awesome projects that are shared everyday.

Made By You

Instructables are created by you. No matter who you are, we all have secret skills to share. Come join our community of curious makers, innovators, teachers, and life long learners who love to share what they make.

A Happy Place

Making things makes people happy. We can't prove it, but we know it to be true. Find your happy place, and join one of the friendliest online communities anywhere.

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Instructables is a community for people who like to make things. Come explore, share, and make your next project with us!

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GCSE Food Technology revision guides and question banks covering Ingredients and Nutrition, Packaging, Preserving and Food Poisoning and all core GCSE Food Technology topics.

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The Design Technology Department has been created in order to provide free educational materials for schools and colleges.
The site is continually growing and will eventually offer teachers and pupils materials for all of the Key Stages.

If you wish to advertise on this site, please use the addresses below.

The narrative text on this website is copyright. This means that any school which copies the site for local use onto a school cache is in breach of copyright.

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The Design Technology Department has been created in order to provide free educational materials for schools and colleges. The site is continually growing and will eventually offer teachers and pupils materials for all of the Key Stages. If you wish to advertise on this site, please use the addresses below.

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Welcome to www.mr-dt.com, a Design & Technology Website. This site provides information and questions for pupils and teachers studying Design & Technology. Using this website you can access a range of materials and a variety of useful web links. If you have any ideas on how to improve this design and technology website please email the webmaster.

This site is still very new and so is still in the process of being built. Many sections and content have not been added yet. The site will be continuously updated, so if the content you need is not available yet please be patient. Click here to view the

Year 11 quick links - Product design coursework documents >>

NEW!: View the year group image galleries

Many thanks and have fun learning!

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:: Welcome to www.mr-dt.com - A Design & Technology Website ::

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Welcome to www.mr-dt.com, a Design & Technology Website. This site provides information and questions for pupils and teachers studying Design & Technology. Using this website you can access a range of materials and a variety of useful web links. If you have any ideas on how to improve this design and technology website please email the webmaster.

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ENGINEERING - DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

This website contains numerous information sheets and exercises to enhance the study, understanding and teaching of DESIGN and TECHNOLOGY. ENGINEERING is a major aspect of this website.

( CLICK HERE FOR THE W ORLD A SSOCIATION OFT ECHNOLOGY T EACHERS)

MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY

NEW DandT GCSE GRAPHICS INCLUDING
VISUAL COMMUNICATION

FREE POSTERS MATHEMATICS IN
DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY REVISION
AND
STARTERS

DESIGNERS, DESIGN MOVEMENTS AND COMPANIES
THE NEA
NON-EXAMINATION ASSESSMENT

SHORT REVISION VIDEOS

FREE MOBILE INTERACTIVE PDF APPS, KNOWLEDGE MAPS and PICTORIAL QUESTIONS SHEETS - FOR ENGINEERING and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
The recommended way to navigate this website

THIS WEBSITES PRIVACY POLICY

Welcome to the only Design and Technology AND Engineering website you will need. Hundreds of pages cover most aspects of Design and Technology AND Engineering, whether you are a pupil or a teacher. This includes, the design process, gear systems, electronics, cams, printed circuit boards, PIC microcontrollers / computer control, key words/phrases, structures, vocational work, technology and cultures, basic CNC work. The sections are intended to provide a valuable Engineering , Design and Technology resource for all AND they are free. If you are studying Enginering, Design and Technology or both, this site will be useful. Remember, Design and Technology AND Engineering are the most important subjects of all.

By using this website you are agreeing to abide by the copyright outlined below

V. Ryan © 2002-2022

CONTACT THE AUTHOR ? - techteacher@technologystudent.com

This work is protected by copyright law and international copyright treaties as well as other intellectual property laws and treaties.
Copyright law and other intellectual property laws in many countries protect the rights of the owner/author by granting to the owner/author a number of exclusive rights. Copying, changing, editing or publishing software/printouts without the permission of the owner is "copyright infringement," and the law imposes penalties on infringers. These information sheets can be used by teachers and pupils. They can be printed and used for educational purposes but must not be edited in any form or placed on other Websites.

COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER

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This site provides a wealth of technology information sheets for pupils and teachers

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New analysis reveals Design and Technology student numbers have fallen

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New analysis reveals Design and Technology student numbers have fallen

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Posted: 13th September 2022

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The number of students taking design and technology at GCSE and A-level has fallen off a cliff, with 71% fewer GCSE candidates than when the Conservatives came to power, an education charity has found. The Baker Dearing Educational Trust, which supports around 50 University Technical Colleges delivering technical and academic options, is now concerned fewer young people will progress onto apprenticeships and T-levels if they cannot experience technical subjects at school.

The trust is now calling for the government to stop obsessing about academic subjects and significantly increase the number of degree apprenticeships for young people.

GCSE D&T entries cut by nearly three-quarters; A-level entries cut in half

Exams regulator Ofqual has released new statistics this morning to coincide with GCSE and level 2 results day, showing 77,530 candidates took GCSE design and technology this year.

This is a dramatic fall of 71% from the 270,400 candidates in 2010 and adds to findings by the Education Policy Institute in March that take-up of D&T at GCSE had halved between 2011 and 2022.

Meanwhile, figures released by Ofqual last week showed that in 2010 there were 16,520 students sitting assessments for an A-level in design and technology which can include subjects such as engineering, fashion and textiles, and product design.

In the 2022 exam series, just 9,620 students sat those assessments - a drop of 41%.

Design and technology did see the largest bump in entries this year, with 14.3%, demonstrating students' interest and enthusiasm for studying technical subjects.

According to Ofqual, female participation in IT has also been dwindling since the government scrapped the ICT A-level in 2017. Whereas 3,335 female students took the ICT A-level in 2010, over a thousand fewer young women took A-level computing exams - which replaced the ICT course - this summer.

Decline in technical subjects spells danger for apprenticeships and T-levels

UTCs are seeing the benefits of offering technical options at GCSE-level: 69% of GCSE students at UTC Lincoln achieved top grades in the UTC's specialisms of engineering and the three separate sciences this summer.

Significant numbers of UTC leavers have also progressed from A-levels to degree apprenticeships this year.

However, degree apprenticeships are rarer than places at Oxbridge, meaning that not as many students will be able to take advantage of these opportunities as would want to.

Students, the trust argues, will also be less likely to consider higher-level apprenticeships and T-levels, the government's new technical equivalent to A-levels, if they cannot take technical options at GCSE.

The EPI report from March raised concerns that students are far less inclined to pursue D&T subjects at a higher level of education without the option or encouragement to study it at an early age.

One element which has held down technical subjects in schools, Baker Dearing argues, is the English Baccalaureate (Ebacc), first introduced by Michael Gove, where schools are measured on their performance in traditional subjects such as geography and languages. This has meant schools' focus on design and technology and IT has bled away as they focus on their Ebacc numbers.

With the gradual defunding of BTECs and as new T-level qualifications are yet to reach critical mass, students face a declining range of opportunities to "try before they buy" into technical subjects.

Energy Coast UTC student Chloe Bell, who will be starting a level 6 quantity surveying apprenticeship with engineering company Mott MacDonald after passing BTECs in engineering and entrepreneurship, told the trust: "In a lot of mainstream schools, university is pushed for, rather than degree apprenticeships. But over the years I've been at the UTC, they pushed us to consider degree apprenticeships.

"I would definitely want more young people to do degree apprenticeships. I've now got the chance to get the learning while starting my career."

Former education secretary and Baker Dearing's founder Lord Baker told GB News this week: "The national curriculum in schools is just eight subjects. This was imposed by Michael Gove and as a result we've done nothing for disadvantaged pupils, which are at the same number now as they were in 2010.

"The only way we're going to be a successful country is if we have better training in skills."

Recommendations

Following the release of results for A-level, GCSE, and vocational qualifications, Baker Dearing is calling on the government and employers to implement these recommendations:

Scrap the English Baccalaureate

Significantly increase the number of degree apprenticeships so they become a viable option for more young people

Increase funding to schools to pay for equipment and capital facilities to run design and technology courses at GCSE and A-level

Encourage schools to work with technical education providers like UTCs which can advise them on how to attract students to technical courses and disseminate best practice for delivering them

Commenting on the analysis, Baker Dearing Educational Trust chief executive Simon Connell said: "Students need to have the opportunity to experience technical education before they get to the stage where they will be choosing what discipline they want to pursue for their education and their career.

"After 10 years of the UTC programme, where we offer a blended academic and technical curriculum, we know students are interested in learning subjects such as engineering and product design as well as traditional subjects such as geography and English.

"Teaching young people these technical subjects offers tangible results for both them and the economy. We have seen so many of our Year 13 leavers progress onto degree apprenticeships in industry, helping fill key skill shortages.

"Young people across the country deserve the same chances and opportunities as our UTC pupils. Government must act to revive design and technology and computing and UTC staff are happy to help any school or college looking to bring more technical education into their offering."

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Analysis reveals design and technology student numbers have fallen

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The number of students taking design and technology at GCSE and A-level has fallen off a cliff, with 71% fewer GCSE candidates than when the Conservatives came to power, an education charity has found.

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Claire Vickery: The Design and Technology Book Club for Teachers

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Claire Vickery: The Design and Technology Book Club for Teachers

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Arguably, one of the most valuable forms of continued professional development is the exchange of professional dialogue with others. However, during my recent research into design and technology (D&T) education, many teachers expressed the idea that their busy timetables confined them to their

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The latest edition of Futureminds is available from the tab above.

As usual it is full of interesting articles, including, a description of how to write assessment materials, the use of exercise books in D&T, the 555 timer at 50, Scalextric4Schools, the Design Ventura challenge, the success of Facebook support, and a guide to LEV testing.

There is also the smallprint and a novel way of finding out about history.

This milestone edition sits alongside the previous editions, where you will find hundreds of useful articles from a wide range of contributors

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The latest edition of Futureminds is available from the tab above. As usual it is full of interesting articles, including, a description of how to write assessment materials, the use of exercise books in D&T, the 555 timer at 50, Scalextric4Schools, the Design Ventura challenge, the success of Facebook support, and a guide to LEV testing.

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Y7-13

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"Offering a way to learn Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) related subjects in such an exciting way is achieving great results and we know we are increasing the intake of students into Engineering careers."

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"Offering a way to learn Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) related subjects in such an exciting way is achieving great results and we know we are increasing the intake of students into Engineering careers."

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Y7-11

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Registration for the 2022-23 SUPERPOWERED season is now open!

At a FIRST ® LEGO® League Challenge tournament, you will have a day packed with lots of fun and we promise that you'll come away inspired.

Teams come together to showcase their amazing work they've produced over the course of the programme.

There will be a 30-minute Judging Session where the team will meet with a panel of friendly judges and present to them their Innovation Project, as well as their Robot Design and coding.

At the Robot Game table, you will get three opportunities to score points. Each robot game is 2.5 minutes long, and only the best score will be counted so be sure to come up with a great team strategy.

At the end of the tournament, there will be an awards ceremony. There'll be lots of LEGO trophies and special awards to be given out, and the ultimate winner will be the team who scored the highest across the four elements of FIRST ® LEGO® League Challenge.

Whichever tournament you attend, we're sure you'll have lots of fun. You'll come away having learnt so much from other teams and feel incredibly proud of what you've achieved.

Check out our list of tournaments below to find your nearest one, can't wait to see you there.

Register

Register for a regional event or Class Pack

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Registration for the 2022-23 SUPERPOWERED season is now open! At a FIRST ® LEGO® League Challenge tournament, you will have a day packed with lots of fun and we promise that you'll come away inspired. Teams come together to showcase their amazing work they've produced over the course of the programme.

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Ofqual: A review of the quality of T-level courses: Interim report

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Ofqual: A review of the quality of T-level courses: Interim report

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Published: 24th October 2022

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Executive summary

T levels provide learners aged 16 to 19 with a new opportunity to study a high-quality and ambitious technical qualification.

We visited a sample of providers that were among the first to offer these qualifications. This study evaluates the quality of T-level courses in those providers.

We hope that this interim report will help providers, employers and policy-makers to reflect and build on how T levels are taught in the future.

In 2023, we will visit these providers again, and some new ones, to see how T-level courses have been developed further.

Main findings

Our research shows that providers are committed to making T levels a success.

On T levels, we found that:

some providers gave learners initial advice and guidance that focused on preparing them for the expectations of T levels. Learners were given information about the different components of the course and what their next steps could be. However, not all learners felt prepared for how much work they had to do for a T-level course

although some teachers were well prepared for teaching T-level courses, many did not receive comprehensive training and found teaching the new curriculum challenging. Recruitment and retention of staff with sufficient knowledge and experience were challenging due to the pandemic and sector workforce challenges

some providers did not have access to resources such as textbooks and practice exam papers

providers that were more effective had already used the flexibility in the new T-level courses to sequence different components in a coherent way that develops learners' knowledge and skills

learners were appreciative of the quality of teaching on their T-level course. However, teachers faced challenges in balancing all the requirements of the course

the more effective industry placements gave broad, high-quality and appropriate experiences that helped learners make decisions about their futures

the more effective T-level curriculums were developed by providers in collaboration with employers

at the time of our visits, many learners were experiencing delays in starting industry placements, primarily due to the impact of COVID-19. Providers of digital, construction, and health and science courses in particular were struggling to find employers

On the T Level Transition Programme ( TLTP), we found that:

the TLTP did not always result in learners progressing to a T level as intended

teaching on the TLTP was generally of a high standard.

the quality of work experience for learners on the TLTP was not always high. Providers did not always help learners on the programme to find meaningful work experience relevant to their course

Background

T levels are 2-year technical qualifications that the Department for Education launched in September 2020. Learners can choose to study these after completing GCSEs. They are broadly equivalent in size to 3 A levels and include a substantial industry placement.

They were developed in response to the 2016 Sainsbury Review. This review recommended 'systematically reform[ing] technical education for the long term' and 'ensuring individuals can develop the technical knowledge and skills that industry needs'. Courses are now available in occupational areas where there is a substantial requirement for technical knowledge.

The courses have been developed in collaboration with employers and education providers. They combine practical and knowledge-based learning at a college, other further education provider or school with significant work experience through an industry placement. T levels therefore provide an opportunity for learners to gain the knowledge and skills needed for university courses, higher apprenticeships or skilled employment.

T levels include:

exams, which test theory, concepts and contextual understanding of the sector

a substantial employer-set project based on a real-life work problem that assesses contextual English, mathematics and transferable skills

assignments or projects that assess technical competence in the selected occupation

an industry placement of at least 45 days

employability, enrichment and personal development sessions

At the point of our visits, between December 2021 and April 2022, providers could offer T levels in:

There are plans to introduce more T levels until over 20 courses are available. This will cover sectors ranging from agriculture to catering and engineering to science.

Some providers are also offering learners the TLTP. This is a 1-year level 2 course designed to support progression to a T level.

The TLTP gives learners the opportunity to study technical content and develop English, mathematics and digital skills, alongside work experience and personal development.

Methodology

Our overall research aims to evaluate the quality of T-level courses. For this interim study, we wanted to assess early implementation. Next year, we will carry out a final study evaluating how the quality has improved.

This study investigated the strengths and weaknesses of the new T-level courses. During the visits, inspectors evaluated:

the main strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum

how well industry placements were being implemented

how well providers met the needs of learners

We visited a sample of 24 providers. Ten of these were running the TLTP, which inspectors also evaluated.

A group of inspectors visited each provider to carry out visits. The T-level visits took place over 3 days and the TLTP visits over 2 days. We evaluated the quality of provision of each subject in line with the criteria in the education inspection framework.

Inspectors carried out deep dives into each T level and the TLTP. The deep dives covered:

the curriculum

the integration of personal development and wider curriculum

how learners were assessed

the quality of learners' work

the quality of teaching

the quality of industry placements and work experience

the appropriateness of teacher training

During each visit, we spoke to the following:

Following each visit, inspectors completed evaluation reports on each course. Our research and evaluation team carried out a thematic analysis of these reports using qualitative analysis software.

Report findings

Some providers gave learners initial advice and guidance that focused on preparing them for the specific expectations of T levels. Learners were given information about the different components of the course and what their next steps could be. However, not all learners felt prepared for how much work they had to do for a T-level course.

T levels aim to be ambitious. The specific expectations include a combination of exams, a substantial industry placement and an employer-set project.

Inspectors saw examples of some providers managing learners' expectations well. Some providers informed learners about the expectations of T-level courses before they enrolled. Providers arranged information and guidance events and held summer schools. They also ensured that learners knew about their suitability for the course, the structure of the course and progression opportunities. As a result, most learners felt well informed about the course before it started.

Most providers considered carefully which T-level courses to introduce. Providers used their existing relationships with local employers to offer relevant opportunities for their learners. They also considered the subject-specific expertise of their teachers. Providers also used data on the career or further education destinations of their previous learners to identify which T levels to offer.

Most staff gave learners plenty of information about career choices and the different options available. Learners who received this were clear about their chosen careers and the different ways to get there, for example through an apprenticeship or university course.

Learners are not required to achieve a grade 4 in mathematics and English at GCSE to do a T level. However, teachers in some providers were conscious that there were gaps in learners' knowledge, particularly in mathematics and English. This was because of the disruption they had experienced during the pandemic and because they had received centre-assessed GCSE grades that did not always accurately reflect their knowledge. Therefore, some providers chose to require learners to have a minimum of GCSE grade 5 in English and mathematics. This was to ensure that they could cope with course expectations.

Despite this, at the start of their courses, learners did not always have the requisite knowledge and skills. Some teachers assessed learners before the start of the course to identify knowledge gaps. They then ensured that they covered any gaps in their teaching. For example, on one digital course, teachers identified through initial assessments that learners did not know the programming language 'Python' and, as a result, they ensured that this was taught. Teachers also set projects for learners to complete in the summer holidays before they started.

However, some learners still commented that the course turned out to be more challenging and involved a greater depth of learning than they had anticipated.

In a small number of cases, the initial advice and guidance to learners was not effective or was non-existent. Furthermore, learners were not always aware of T levels because of poor information and guidance from schools. In providers where initial advice was weaker, some learners were placed on T-level courses without a clear idea of what they entailed.

Furthermore, the route from T levels to university has not been made clear. Among leaders, teachers and learners, there were concerns about how well university admissions staff understand T levels and the knowledge and skills that learners develop on these courses.

If T levels are to be successful, providers need to inform learners about the expectations of their chosen T-level course. They should help learners to understand how the course helps them to achieve their chosen career. Universities need to recognise and value T levels as qualifications and include them in their entry requirements.

Although some teachers were well prepared for teaching T-level courses, many teachers did not receive comprehensive training and found teaching the new curriculum challenging. Recruitment and retention of staff with sufficient knowledge and experience were challenging due to the pandemic and sector workforce challenges.

Some teachers were well prepared for teaching T-level courses. Providers supported teachers delivering T-level courses by:

having regular meetings and informal discussions, including feedback from observations on what is working well and what can be improved, and planning the curriculum and industry placements

providing internal training sessions and inset days

allowing time for teachers' continuous professional development ( CPD)

Providers also used their links with local employers to support teachers' CPD. For example, teachers sat in on employer workshops or visited workplaces. Curriculum leaders spoke positively about using external industry specialists to fill gaps in teachers' knowledge.

Staff from different subjects and industry specialist teachers worked together to ensure that teaching was based on an expert understanding of the core concepts needed and how to sequence them. In one example, teachers on a construction course did not have experience of the kind of written assessment required for T levels. These construction teachers worked with the English department to understand what to expect from the learners' written assignments and how to improve learners' English.

Awarding bodies also provided training for staff. For example, teachers and managers had direct contact with a specialist from the Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education to help them teach. Some providers were complimentary about the direct help that their awarding body gave. Teachers said the awarding body provided detailed schemes of work and devised webinars that enabled them to explore how best to plan and teach the programme.

However, many teachers reported that developing and teaching the new T-level curriculum alongside other commitments was challenging. They struggled to keep up to date with the new curriculum area.

Most leaders and teachers had taken part in the T Level Professional Development programme run by the Education and Training Foundation ( ETF). However, many teachers did not feel it prepared them to teach T levels. Training was disrupted due to COVID-19. Staff found placements to update their industry knowledge useful, but some of these were delayed or not available. Some teachers said they were not given sufficient time for training and had not attended all the sessions provided. Many teachers participated in ETF webinars on troubleshooting aspects of T levels. Some found them useful at the beginning, while others described them as 'poor'.

Some providers had found it difficult to recruit industry specialist teachers. They reported that it was more challenging to recruit teachers for the construction course than for the other courses because of a lack of applicants with suitable knowledge and expertise. One provider had concerns about offering other T levels in the future, because they thought they would struggle to recruit specialist teachers.

Some providers did not have access to resources such as textbooks and practice exam papers.

Across all T levels, providers were dissatisfied that some resources from awarding bodies were initially not available. Textbooks, teaching materials and sample exam papers were either delayed or in short supply. Staff reported that the quality of resources varied. They identified inconsistencies in both the curriculum content and assessment content, and spelling errors. Some staff were frustrated about not having clear direction, support and timely answers from their awarding body.

As a result, some teachers were unsure of the breadth and depth of content that they should cover in modules. They were also uncertain about how to ensure learners had the required level of knowledge and skill to pass their exams.

Consequently, not all learners were confident about how prepared they would be for the summative T-level exams. Most 2022 learners had never taken external exams and said that they would value more opportunities to practise exam questions.

Providers will now be in a stronger position, since course textbooks and awarding body materials have been published. However, all awarding bodies must ensure that resources are available in good time for future T-level courses.

Providers that were more effective had already used the flexibility in the new T-level courses to sequence the T-level components in a coherent way that develops learners' knowledge and skills.

Providers have flexibility to structure curriculum content in the best way to develop learners' knowledge and skills. Inspectors saw good practice in some providers where teachers sequenced and linked topics in a way that complemented each other. As a result, learners were better able to make links between concepts and developed foundational knowledge first, which they then built on over time. For example, in one health T level, learners were taught foundational knowledge on infection control, safeguarding and musculoskeletal systems at the beginning of the course to prepare them for industry placements.

Teachers used practical examples and case studies to develop knowledge. Some providers built high-quality, industry-standard simulated work environments, such as hospital wards, often using capital funding awarded from central government. This helped learners to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need for work. For example, learners on a healthcare course commented that learning how to use medical equipment, such as blood pressure cuffs, gave them a realistic idea of what it is like to be a healthcare professional.

However, not all courses or providers could provide realistic working environments to help learners develop their theoretical knowledge when not on placement. For example, on education courses, some providers had only built simulated early years environments. This was despite many learners on the T level working with other age groups.

Some providers set a project for learners to complete at the beginning of their course to develop fundamental vocational knowledge. In one construction course, learners carried out a project based on building a house. The design brief allowed them to demonstrate a range of skills and knowledge, including:

research skills, when finding suitable land

law knowledge, when obtaining the appropriate permissions

mathematics and design skills, when sourcing materials and costing the build

When structuring the curriculum, providers also considered the most beneficial time for placements. Some providers planned for learners to take placements in blocks. For example, employers in digital industries gave learners experience of working intensively on time-bound projects. Other providers chose to begin their placements early in the course. This was so that learners could practise the skills they learned throughout the course.

Teachers made sure that learners could apply theoretical concepts in practice. For example, in one education and childcare T level, learners studied theorists such as Pavlov, Thorndike and Skinner. This helped them to understand children's behaviour and responses. They then applied this knowledge when planning activities for children on their placements.

In the weakest examples, learners reported a disconnect between their industry placement and theory sessions. Some employers didn't know what learners were studying in the classroom, so they did not routinely give them the opportunity to put theory into practice.

In a small number of providers, inspectors found the curriculum to be underdeveloped and not sequenced effectively. Fundamental concepts were not introduced early enough or revisited sufficiently so that learners could apply them in different contexts. In one example, the provider taught project management tools without considering what tools learners would need in the other parts of the course. As a result, learners were unable to apply these in their other learning. Without coherent sequencing, learners will not be able to make links between topics and modules or make good progress through the curriculum.

Concerningly, a number of providers simply used the list of topics in the specification from the awarding organisation as a curriculum. This meant that they did not sufficiently consider learners' needs when planning the curriculum. This led to providers teaching subjects in the order set out in the specification of each T level.

Many leaders talked about adapting and improving their curriculum planning after the first year. They mentioned changes to the sequencing of course content and the time spent on certain aspects of the course. They also mentioned running more refresher sessions on study skills. In future, providers will need to use the flexibility of T levels to ensure that they teach content in the best way for learners.

Learners were appreciative of the quality of teaching on their T-level course. However, teachers faced challenges in balancing all the requirements of the course.

Inspectors found that the curriculum was often at the right level for learners to develop the skills and knowledge required for the T level. Teachers asked pertinent questions to check and develop learners' understanding. Learners appreciated this high-quality teaching.

Teachers used a variety of assessment methods to check learners' understanding, knowledge and recall. Teachers used this information to identify gaps in learning and to adjust their teaching. Learners said that feedback helped them to improve their work and address weaknesses.

However, in a few cases, inspectors found that the curriculum was not challenging enough. For example, in one digital course, the problems that learners were expected to solve were mundane, requiring them to copy and paste code into a solution rather than writing it from scratch.

Providers faced challenges in balancing all the requirements of the course. Course leaders and teachers expressed concerns that there was too much content to cover in class. This led to some modules feeling rushed.

Some providers struggled to offer personal development or wider curriculum sessions on topics such as mental health, money management and team working. They found it difficult to make time to include these in the timetable along with the vocational curriculum and the large industry placement.

Most learners received study skills sessions, such as academic writing and referencing. However, inspectors found that learners did not always remember or use this knowledge correctly or consistently when producing research-based work.

Furthermore, teachers told us there was insufficient time for learners to work towards re-sitting their GCSEs if they needed to. There was some concern that studying for mathematics and English GCSEs alongside a T level would add stress and pressure.

The less effective providers were not monitoring learners' progress enough, checking for understanding in lessons or giving effective feedback. Not all teachers had yet developed a fully effective assessment strategy. Some assessment activities were poorly planned and executed, or pitched at the wrong level to check learners' understanding. As a result, learners did not make good progress and struggled to remember concepts they had been taught.

Most providers had appropriate arrangements in place to identify and support learners who had additional needs. However, in a small number of cases, the help providers gave was not effective. For example, they dealt with requests for support too slowly. Where support was weaker, inspectors reported that some learners seemed disengaged in lessons.

The more effective industry placements gave broad, high-quality and appropriate experiences that helped learners make decisions about their futures.

Every T level includes an industry placement to develop technical occupational skills. Learners develop work-related skills by working with experienced professionals.

The more effective placements involved providers linking these to learners' future career goals. These placements helped learners to make decisions about their future careers. In the best examples, placements inspired and excited learners and helped them to make progress. Learners' experiences developed their thinking in a way that purely classroom-based learning would not have. These placements were highly valued by learners. Learners said that placements were enjoyable, productive, informative and helped to develop their life skills and interaction with colleagues.

Most learners benefited from high-quality industry placements with employers. In the education T level, for example, learners managed the behaviour of a whole class of children with support. In a digital course, learners were taught how to edit code, monitor website analytics, design graphics, post social media content and create email campaigns.

Placements offer learners a broad experience by giving them opportunities in different departments or roles, for example different hospital wards in health and science placements. In one construction placement, the employer planned for learners to experience the whole of a building project. This helped them to understand how different specialisms, such as plumbing and electrical engineering, contribute to a building project.

Placements with a good breadth of experiences helped learners to make career decisions. Learners said that placements helped to identify areas they wanted to specialise in, some of which they would not have considered previously.

In the more effective placements, employers helped learners to secure their practical learning and progress through the curriculum faster. Learners were given specific responsibility for a task or additional responsibility. In one education T-level placement, the employer saw learners as trainee teaching assistants or nursery practitioners. In one digital placement, an employer entrusted a learner with the redesign of the company website. This learner modernised the website, made it more accessible and used analytics to increase the site's social media presence.

However, a small number of learners reported that they had only been allowed to observe or complete basic tasks. For example, they were asked to prepare the children's snacks in education settings or complete data entry on digital placements.

Inspectors also reported that some placements lacked structure. This meant that learners had no clear expectations for what they needed to do and when. Some managers had ensured that an agreement was in place to allow learners to cover the required criteria and learning outcomes. However, in some providers, there was no focus on specific knowledge and skill development over time.

When designing the next T-level courses, employers should focus on giving learners experiences that are relevant to their course. Providers should monitor learners' achievements and progress, ensuring that placements have a positive impact. We found that this was not happening in some cases.

The more effective T-level curriculums were developed by providers in collaboration with employers.

The most effective T-level curriculums were developed through collaboration between providers and employers. Learners benefited from employers' expert and up-to-date knowledge and skills. For example, the head of clinical education from the local hospital helped to develop facilities and taught on a health T-level course. Employers also taught learners about professional behaviours in the workplace and what they could expect on placement. Consequently, learners got an excellent introduction before starting their placement. Industry specialists and staff from employers had given skills classes, for example on interview skills or employer expectations, and workshop-based sessions. Learners enjoyed these sessions.

Collaboration between providers and employers was also essential to organising placements. Inspectors saw examples of good practice where providers worked with employers effectively to plan high-quality experiences. Employers were well briefed in the requirements and expectations of the industry placement and were involved in planning the T level. Employers valued regular updates from the provider's staff. They felt that strong communication helped them to support learners on placement. During many placements, teachers monitored learners' progress closely. They visited learners while they were on placement and assessed their practical work. On the best placements, employers encouraged learners to reflect on their own progress.

In a small number of cases, providers did not tell employers what was being taught and when. As a result, employers were not able to plan a placement that put into practice the knowledge and skills that learners gained in the classroom.

In a small number of cases, neither employers nor learners could explain how learners were assessed in the workplace. These employers reported that they had not been asked to complete any assessments of learners' work or provide feedback on their progress.

The strongest employers and providers worked together to ensure that learners understood and worked in line with health and safety procedures when on placement. Some employers were clear about their safeguarding responsibilities. However, others were less confident about safeguarding arrangements for learners. To help these employers, some providers had developed employer guidebooks and established a point of contact.

At the time of our visits, many learners were experiencing delays in starting industry placements, primarily due to the impact of COVID-19. Providers of digital, construction, and health and science courses in particular were struggling to find employers.

Work-based learning is a fundamental part of the T-level course. Without this, learners will not have sufficient experience of working with experienced professionals or work environments. They will therefore miss out on opportunities to learn skills needed for their career.

Not all learners had been on a placement at the time of our visit. Inspectors reported that learners were experiencing delays in starting placements, often due to the impact of COVID-19. In some cases, learners had a placement planned but it had not yet started. In others, learners did not have any placement planned. Learners who had not been able to go on placement felt that they were at a disadvantage and had had a lesser experience than their peers.

Providers of digital, construction, and health and science courses struggled to attract enough high-quality employers. The pandemic was a significant barrier for employers when offering placements. Many businesses required their staff to work from home, or had experienced staff shortages and could therefore no longer host a learner on placement.

Health and science placements were particularly affected. To work in some health settings, learners had to be over the age of 18 and double vaccinated against COVID-19. Disclosure and Barring Service checks were delayed, which prevented learners from starting placements. Some placements in local hospitals were unable to go ahead. Therefore, many learners were on placement in pharmacies and care homes, which did not always directly link to their future career goals.

Providers of digital T levels also had difficulties organising placements. They reported that IT support is often provided by small businesses with limited capacity to take on placement learners. Providers offering digital T levels also expressed some concern that the industry capacity for placements will not be enough when the number of providers increases.

Providers that have historically offered childcare and education courses told inspectors that their pre-existing relationships with employers were vital in providing placements. As a result, employers understand the requirements of the placement and have experience in supporting learners. In one provider, learners benefited from excellent placements with schools that were committed to providing high-quality, relevant experiences. This contrasts with digital programmes, for example, where providers did not always have these relationships.

There were a handful of cases, mostly on health and science and digital courses, where no learners on the course had been able to start a placement. Providers reported that industry placements were due to start later in the year.

Two providers delayed the start of the industry placement because learners were not ready for work. These providers felt that the effects of isolation and the pandemic had led to weaker social skills and a lack of confidence. However, these learners were on placement at the time of our visit and employers thought it was a positive experience for both learners and themselves.

Delays to placements led to frustration and anxiety for learners.

The TLTP did not always result in learners progressing on to a T level as intended.

At some providers, the TLTP was preparing learners effectively to study a T level. The curriculum design enabled learners to gain the skills, knowledge and positive behaviours they needed. Learners gained a good basic understanding of topics that they would expand on in the T level. However, during our visits it was clear that many learners would not necessarily progress to a T-level course from the TLTP.

In some cases, this was due to providers setting up TLTP courses without the clear purpose of preparing learners for a T level. For example, providers had offered learners the TLTP in subjects that are not yet offered as a T-level course, making immediate progress to a T-level course impossible. For example, there is no T level in sport for learners studying a sport TLTP. Inspectors also saw examples of learners being placed on the TLTP to retake GCSEs before progressing to their preferred A-level courses.

Indeed, many learners were unclear about their next steps after the TLTP. Some learners said that this was because of a lack of careers advice and guidance. Some could talk about their preferred career paths but were unsure of how to achieve their ambitions. Learners were not always able to identify the different T levels that they might take on completing the TLTP.

Some learners on the TLTP did not expect to get the grades required to progress to a T level. Additionally, learners did not always feel well prepared for the quantity of work they would need to complete on their TLTP. Some found the timetable and workload difficult to manage, particularly those who were also studying English and maths GCSEs.

As a result, it was clear that many learners would not necessarily start a T-level course once they had completed the TLTP.

Teaching on the TLTP was generally of a high standard

Even though the TLTP was not always clearly going to lead to a T level, the quality of teaching on the TLTP was generally of a high standard. Teachers were well qualified and learners benefited from their experience. The strongest teachers understood what learners needed to gain from the TLTP.

Most learners completed work to a high standard and engaged well in lessons. Learners benefited from constructive and developmental feedback from their teachers, which improved their knowledge and skills.

As with T-level courses, teachers used a range of assessment tools to check learners' understanding and make sure that they were retaining knowledge over time. These included written tasks, verbal discussions and presentations. When teachers found that learners had not understood topics, they extended sessions or revisited learning to overcome learners' difficulties. Some teachers taught learners exam techniques to make sure that they were ready to sit T-level exams.

Leaders had generally planned a good range of personal development activities as part of the TLTP. Teachers were running regular sessions on professional and personal skills. Some providers were also offering targeted help to improve their employability. This included interview practice and CV writing sessions.

The quality of work experience for learners on the TLTP was not always high.. Providers did not always help learners on the programme to find appropriate work experience relevant to their course.

Learners' work experience, a fundamental part of the TLTP, was not always of a high quality. The best work experience was organised by staff, who ensured it was relevant to the course content. Providers had sometimes integrated level 2 qualifications into the TLTP. This is because the qualifications often required learners to complete industry placements in multiple settings.[footnote 10]

Concerningly, at a few providers, learners themselves were responsible for sourcing work experience. Learners were not always successful at arranging work experience or ensuring that they were relevant to their learning. At one provider, only one learner on the course was on work experience at the time of the visit. This had been arranged by a member of the learner's family and there was little evidence of input from the curriculum team. Additionally, unlike learners on T-level courses, TLTP learners did not always have access to work experience coordinators.

Without strong coordination and planning from the provider, TLTP learners may not be gaining the full opportunities and skills they need from their work experience, if at all. This is a fundamental element of the course, giving learners the workplace skills they need to progress to a T level. Providers need to ensure that they are providing this fundamental component of TLTP.

Recommendations from our visits

Based on our findings, we recommend that providers:

provide initial advice and guidance to learners before they start a T-level course, such as summer schools and projects, to help them decide on which pathway to study

make sure that the curriculum sequences the different components of a T level in a coherent way that develops learners' knowledge and skills

reduce any delays to learners going on placements

collaborate with employers to make sure that learners get a high-quality curriculum

monitor learners' achievements and progress and the impact of placements on learners' knowledge and skills

ensure that learners on the TLTP get relevant work experience

We also recommend that employers:

provide placements that give learners appropriate experiences relevant to their T level

The Department for Education should:

We recommend that awarding bodies:

make sure that teachers and learners have access to the resources they need in good time

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A review of the quality of T-level courses: interim report

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T levels provide learners aged 16 to 19 with a new opportunity to study a high-quality and ambitious technical qualification. We visited a sample of providers that were among the first to offer these qualifications. This study evaluates the quality of T-level courses in those providers.

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Y7-13
Deadline: 30th March 2023

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The Big Bang competition

Know the next space explorer or climate change hero? Got an idea that will transform people's lives?

Inspire inquisitive minds to think big, challenge facts, ask questions and invent solutions with the UK's top annual science and engineering competition. Young people are amazing - help them shine and change the world.
Join the fun! (...and develop skills along the way)

Build confidence and teamwork skills

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The Big Bang Competition is free, and is open to young people in the UK aged 11 to 19 in state funded education, who are home educated or who enter as part of a community group. Competitors can only enter one project, either on their own or as part of a team.

Please check that you're eligible before you start your entry - have a look at our rules and eligibility for more details.

The Competition is now open for entries! The Competition will close on 30 March 2023 at 5pm.

Enter The Big Bang Competition

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Know the next space explorer or climate change hero? Got an idea that will transform people's lives? Inspire inquisitive minds to think big, challenge facts, ask questions and invent solutions with the UK's top science and engineering competition. Young people are amazing - help them shine and change the world.

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Y7/8
21-23 June 2023.
Birmingham

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The Big Bang Fair is back for 2022! We're so excited for you to join us at the UK's biggest celebration of STEM for young people.

The Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair is returning from Wednesday 22 to Friday 24 June 2022 at The NEC in Birmingham. The Fair is open to schools from 9.30am to 3.30pm to get stuck in, get inspired and get excited at the STEM event of the year.

The Big Bang Fair 2022 will be packed full of exciting, interactive activities and has been designed specifically with 11 to 14 year olds in mind, to provide the best careers inspiration, advice and opportunities to meet with real scientists and engineers.

Registrations for schools groups are now fully booked. Tickets remain for families, home educators and school groups to visit us at The Big Bang Fair Unlocked on Thursday 23 June 4pm to 8pm.
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Got your tickets? Let's get stuck in! Discover what's happening at The Fair, what you can do and who you can meet before you arrive. Find out what's on.

Ready to go? Plan your visit.

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The Big Bang Fair 2022 - Register now! - The Big Bang

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The Big Bang Fair is back for 2022! We're so excited for you to join us at the UK's biggest celebration of STEM for young people. The Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair is returning from Wednesday 22 to Friday 24 June 2022 at The NEC in Birmingham.

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Ofqual & DfE: Consultation on Ensuring the resilience of the qualifications system in 2023: GCSE, AS, A level, Project and AEA

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Ofqual & DfE: Consultation on Ensuring the resilience of the qualifications system in 2023: GCSE, AS, A level, Project and AEA

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Published: 29th September 2022
Deadline: 20th October 2022

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Detail of outcome

As outlined in our consultation document, both the DfE and Ofqual have responsibilities in this area, and so we consulted jointly.

The DfE is responsible for its policy for qualifications (including whether the government considers that exams can go ahead safely and fairly as planned) and the subject content that is taught and assessed. Ofqual is responsible for assessment arrangements and is therefore responsible for setting rules to implement alternative arrangements, if required.

As outlined in the consultation, the DfE considers that, if it becomes necessary to cancel exams this should apply to all students and a TAG approach should be implemented nationally. This would only happen due to an event like the pandemic which has such severe and catastrophic consequences for a significant number of students. The DfE has also confirmed that TAGs would not be used to award a grade when exams take place.

In line with our respective responsibilities, Ofqual and the DfE have decided to implement the proposals set out in the consultation about the provision of guidance for teachers on how they should collect evidence of student performance. The DfE has decided that the provision of guidance for schools and colleges is appropriate, given its responsibilities in this area. Ofqual has decided that the proposed guidance would support schools and colleges in gathering evidence of student performance that could be used to determine a TAG should exams not be able to go ahead as planned. Ofqual has revised the guidance consulted on, in response to feedback, with a view to minimise further the burden on students, schools and colleges. Ofqual has taken a decision to publish the final guidance, in line with its responsibilities for qualifications and assessments, including in the unlikely case that exams cannot go ahead.

The government is firmly committed to exams taking place. Schools and colleges are, therefore, not asked to determine TAGs and should not seek to do so. Guidance on how to determine a TAG, and on any quality assurance and appeal processes, will be provided only in the unlikely event that exams are not able to go ahead safely or fairly. These arrangements would depend on the nature and timing of any decision that exams cannot take place.

In this decisions document and the accompanying analysis, we have not sought to discuss every point made by those who responded to our consultation. In taking our respective decisions and finalising the guidance we have, however, considered all the points made in response to the consultation.

Detail of feedback received

The Department for Education (DfE) and Ofqual welcomed the return of exams and other formal assessments in summer 2022, for the first time since 2019. Exams and other formal assessments are the best and fairest way of assessing what students know and can do. That's why it was so important that students were able to take exams in 2022 and can continue to take them in 2023 and in the future.

The national cancellation of exams - and the need for alternative assessment arrangements - is now very unlikely. The government does not expect to ever be in the situation again where exams do not go ahead, but good public policy means having contingency, even for extremely unlikely scenarios.

A consultation, prepared jointly by the DfE and Ofqual, invited views on guidance to schools and colleges about gathering assessment evidence to support resilience in the exams system in the unlikely event it is necessary to use that evidence to inform Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs). The proposed guidance was designed to allow schools and colleges to decide how to gather evidence of student performance in assessments in ways that align with their normal arrangements for preparing students for exams. The consultation asked for the views of relevant people and institutions, such as students, teachers, exam boards, schools and colleges and their representatives on the proposed guidance. In particular, it sought their views on whether it supported the gathering of evidence to build resilience in the system whilst minimising any additional burden on teachers and students.

Responses to the consultation have informed the arrangements for gathering assessment evidence to support resilience in the exams system in 2023 that we have now put in place. The decisions taken on the final form of the guidance are set out in a decisions document, and the final guidance itself can be found here . The consultation was available online for 21 days and received 213 responses.

Original consultation

Summary

Consultation proposals for gathering evidence of student performance in GCSE, AS, A level, Project and AEA qualifications to support qualification system resilience in 2023.

This consultation ran from

Consultation description

We welcomed the return of exams and other formal assessments in summer 2022, for the first time since 2019. Exams and other formal assessments are the best and fairest way of assessing what students know and can do. That's why it was so important that we got back to students taking them in 2022, and that this continues next year.

The national closure of schools or cancellation of exams - necessitating the use of alternative assessment arrangements - is now very unlikely. The government does not expect to ever be in the situation again where exams do not go ahead, but good public policy means having contingency, even for extremely unlikely scenarios.

It is important to learn lessons from the past 3 years. We have taken into account feedback received on the arrangements in place in 2022 and we propose to put in place arrangements which will build resilience in the exam system next year. We know that most schools and colleges have robust and effective assessment activities in place to monitor students' progress and prepare them for exams, such as mock exams, and these are well established.

This document, prepared jointly by the Department for Education (DfE) and Ofqual, invites views on guidance to schools and colleges about gathering assessment evidence to support resilience in the exams system in the unlikely event it is necessary to use that evidence to inform Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs). It is designed to allow schools and colleges to determine arrangements to gather evidence that align with their normal arrangements for preparing students for exams.

The proposals in this consultation apply to GCSEs, AS, A levels, Project Qualifications and the Advanced Extension Award (AEA) in mathematics.

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Ensuring the resilience of the qualifications system in 2023: GCSE, AS, A level, Project and AEA

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Consultation proposals for gathering evidence of student performance in GCSE, AS, A level, Project and AEA qualifications to support qualification system resilience in 2023.

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Pearson: NEW BTEC Tech Awards L1/2 Support Pages 

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Pearson: NEW BTEC Tech Awards L1/2 Support Pages 

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Published: 3rd October 2022

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Copyright © 1996 - 2022 Pearson All rights reserved.

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Deadline: 14th October 2022

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Y9-13
Extra-curricular activity involving Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths and Medicine

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NEA Ideas: There are LOADS more videos on their home page

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NEA Ideas: There are LOADS more videos on their home page

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fixperts fixing maker learning schools education design designing empathy user-centred prototypes making maker-ed

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The world needs more people who can solve problems. Fixperts is a programme that unlocks creative problem-solving skills to get the world fixing problems, small and big. We're helping build the next generation of designers, engineers, inventors, technologists, artists, dreamers and change makers.

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NEA Video: If you are doing WORKING/STUDYING FROM HOME - A boy who needed an iPad stand

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NEA Video: If you are doing WORKING/STUDYING FROM HOME - A boy who needed an iPad stand

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Fix Partner, Ariel, is a student at Beit Issie Shapiro, a centre for children with special needs. Ariel loves using his iPad but sometimes drops it on the floor whilst using it. Fixperts Or and Noy from HIT in Israel work with Ariel and his teacher, Hadas, to create an iPad stand which is stable and resilient.

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NEA Video: If you are doing WORKING/STUDYING FROM HOME - A man who cannot read the newspaper

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NEA Video: If you are doing WORKING/STUDYING FROM HOME - A man who cannot read the newspaper

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We helped Ulli, who is paralyzed since his youth, to improve his everyday life by making him a tool to read his newspaper mostly on his own. Fixperts & Filmmaker: Miriam Loos, Malte Paulik, Viktoria Siegel Fixpartner: Ulli Fertsch

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NEA Video: If you are doing WORKING/STUDYING FROM HOME - A man who needs somewhere to do his paintings:

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NEA Video: If you are doing WORKING/STUDYING FROM HOME - A man who needs somewhere to do his paintings:

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Fixperts from Universität der Künste Berlin, Inhwan, was on quarantine during the Coronavirus pandemic. He began painting but realised he didn't have a professional space to work efficiently. He designed a work station for his materials to help him paint more effectively.

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NEA Video: If you are doing WORKING/STUDYING FROM HOME - A boy who needs help concentrating on his HW.

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NEA Video: If you are doing WORKING/STUDYING FROM HOME - A boy who needs help concentrating on his HW.

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Oscar finds it hard to concentrate so the Fixperts of NCAD in Ireland fixed him a bespoke homework station. Fixperts: Barra Carlin, Davide Scardini, Eduardo Jurek, Eleanor McMahon, Laura Crotti Fix Partner: Oscar McMahon Film maker: Eduardo Jurek Education Institute: NCAD, Dublin, Ireland

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NEA Video: If you are doing CARING FOR ANIMALS - A dog owner who struggles to walk her dog

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NEA Video: If you are doing CARING FOR ANIMALS - A dog owner who struggles to walk her dog

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NEA Video: If you are doing CARING FOR ANIMALS - A dog whose food gets taken by the bird:

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NEA Video: If you are doing CARING FOR ANIMALS - A dog whose food gets taken by the bird:

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Many good ideas start with an existing product. Watch these students from NCAD in Dublin make Archie’s life better with an ingenious cover that keeps the bi...

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TES: Secondary schools face trainee teacher shortfalls in D&T

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TES: Secondary schools face trainee teacher shortfalls in D&T

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Published: 12th September 2022

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Secondary schools face 6,000 trainee teacher shortfall

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Analysis shows the government is thousands off its teacher target this year - with recruitment also getting worse

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Y7-11
Regional Tournament: 28 March 2023

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lego engineering programmes for primary schools

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A global STEM challenge for teams of young people, to encourage an interest in real world themes and develop key skills that are crucial for their future careers. Young people work together to explore a given topic and to design, build and program an autonomous LEGO robot to solve a series of mission.

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Y7-13

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Age: Elementary: 8-12 | Junior: 11-15 | Senior: 14-19
Team size: 2-3 people guided by a coach
Hardware: LEGO ® based
Software: Free choice
Maximum size: Max. 25 x 25 x 25 cm
Characteristics: Build and program a robot that solves challenges on a field.

WRO ® RoboMission is a challenge-based competition. Students must design, construct and program an autonomous robot that can solve specific challenges on a field. Because the field is set up randomly each round, the robot needs to be able to make its own decisions during the run.
All parts of the robot, including controller, motors and sensors must be from LEGO ® (MINDSTORMS ® NXT or EV3, SPIKE PRIME or Robot Inventor).

For all specific rules and regulations refer to the General Rules for this category.

Note: WRO RoboMission was called Regular category until 2021.

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WRO® Categories At WRO® we offer challenging competitions for students in the age range from 8 up to 19. We have four competition categories, each with their own characteristics. RoboMission RoboSports Future Innovators Future Engineers The power to change the

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Y7/8 and Y9/10/11

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We use cookies to create the most secure and effective website possible. By continuing to use our website you are agreeing to our use of cookies in our privacy policy.

View our privacy policy Agree

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Information for Teachers FutureChef has adapted to our changing environment to support teachers and educators in the classroom with industry based, curriculum aligned competitons and modules matched to the food-related curriculum, to support students with skills and knowledge.

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17 th September – 2 nd October 2022

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Terms and Conditions

2. All information detailing how to enter this competition forms part of these terms and conditions. It is a condition of entry that all rules are accepted as final and that the competitor agrees to abide by these rules. Submission of an entry will be taken to mean acceptance of these terms and conditions.

3. To enter this competition, participants must send their entry to info@lovebritishfood.co.uk. Entrants must:

a. Describe their main activity and use pictures where possible. Entries should include up to 3 images and no more than 500 words.

4. All entries must be received by midday on Friday 23rd October 2020.

5. All entries submitted must be original and must not have been published elsewhere or have won a prize in any other competition. It is the responsibility of each entrant to ensure that their entry does not infringe the copyright of any third party or any laws.

6. All entries must be submitted by a responsible adult over the age of 18.

7. The competition is open to all groups, formal or informal.

8. Copyright in all entries submitted for this competition remains with the respective entrants. However, each entrant grants a worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual licence to Love British Food to feature any or all of the submitted entries in any of their publications, their websites and/or in any promotional material connected to this competition. Entrants will not receive remittance for such publication, though their work will be credited.

9. An entry to the competition serves as written confirmation from the responsible adult that consent has been gained from all individuals (or their parent/guardian in the event that they are under the age of 18) for the use of the photographic images submitted, to include the use of individual's name, likeness and biographic and other information for purposes of publicity and promotion.

10. Illegible, incomplete, defaced or corrupt entries will not be accepted. No responsibility can be accepted for lost entries and proof of transmission or posting will not be accepted as proof of receipt. Entries must not be sent through agencies or third parties.

11. The judges will select one overall winning initiative and one runner-up which, in the sole opinion of the judges, best demonstrate this criteria: Competition entries will be judged on the extent to which they:

· Celebrate British food within their community: help people discover British products they have not been aware of before and promote local producers.

· Strengthen the local community through the fun of celebrating food and bring colour to the lives of people from different sectors of society.

· Used British food and drink to inspired and helped others during this difficult year.

· Use new and innovative ways of celebrating British Food. New initiatives or established initiatives with new features will be particularly recognised.

12. The judging panel comprises Raymond Blanc, Liz Earle and Alexia Robinson, The decision of the judges is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

13. The organisers of the winning entry will receive Love British Food 2020 trophy plus a selection of British food and drink goodies.

14. In the event of the Promoter being unable to contact the winning organisers or of their being unable to accept their prize, the Promoter reserves the right to award the prize to another entrant who, in the opinion of the judges and in accordance with these terms and conditions, is the next best entry.

15. The winning organisers will be required to take part in publicity.

16. The prize as described is available on the date of publication. The prize is non-transferable and there are no cash alternatives.

17. Should an act of God occur that renders the competition itself or the awarding of the prizes impossible, the Promoter may at its absolute discretion vary or amend the promotion and the entrant agrees that no liability shall attach to the Promoter as a result thereof.

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Terms and Conditions 2. All information detailing how to enter this competition forms part of these terms and conditions. It is a condition of entry that all rules are accepted as final and that the competitor agrees to abide by these rules. Submission of an entry will be taken to mean acceptance of these terms and conditions.

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Cooking is a valuable life skill and an interest to many, it is important to encourage and develop creativity in young people and this includes creativity in the kitchen.

Eligibility

The competition is open to all students who are in full time education and between the ages of 11 and 17 on 31st August. Those in part-time (day release) education, or in regular part time employment in the catering trade are not eligible to take part.

The Competition

Contestants are challenged to prepare and present a healthy three-course meal for 2 people within a pre-set budget and time limit, which is judged by an expert panel.

The competition is held to encourage young people to:

Develop cookery skills & learn how to cook a healthy meal

Develop food presentation skills

Consider food hygiene issues

Develop organisational and planning skills

Prove their ability to cope in a demanding situation

Benefit from the impartial feedback and assessment of performance by experienced adjudicators

The Four Stages of this Competition:

Local Heats - To be arranged by Rotary clubs

Regional Finals

National Final

Download

Download the 2021/22 competition Information Pack and contact your local Rotary club for an entry form.

Contact

For more information, please email youth@rotarysoutheast.org

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Cooking is a valuable life skill and an interest to many, it is important to encourage and develop creativity in young people and this includes creativity in the kitchen. The competition is open to all students who are in full time education and between the ages of 11 and 17 on 31st August.

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A-level and GCSE Design & Technology: Feedback on the 2022 exams and NEAs

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A-level and GCSE Design & Technology: Feedback on the 2022 exams and NEAs

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Online
16:00-18:00
GCSE: 19th & 20th October + 2nd & 3rd November 2022
A-level: 14th & 22nd November 2022

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Browse our qualifications support, teaching skills, subject expertise and leadership and management courses for primary and secondary teachers.

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Sign-Up & Access available until: 31st December 2022

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This AQA on-demand course will give expert instruction from a senior AQA examiner in how to apply mark schemes to key question types as well as providing the opportunity to take part in marking activities.

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Sign-Up & Access available until: 31st December 2022

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GCSE Design and Technology: Mark scheme guidance and application

Course summary

This AQA on-demand course will give expert instruction from a senior AQA examiner in how to apply mark schemes to key question types as well as providing the opportunity to take part in marking activities.

As part of our AQA support offer to teachers, you can access the module as many times as you wish until 31 March 2022.

Please note that this course does not contain any information about assessment for Summer 2022.
Your centre number is required to access all AQA courses.
Course reference

DATGOE3 - use this in communications with us.

Course description

Improve your confidence in awarding marks accurately.

Gain a better understanding of mark scheme application.

Identify typical features and characteristics of responses.

Practise and receive feedback on student response examples.

Suitable for

All teachers who need additional guidance in marking GCSE Design and Technology.

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This AQA on-demand course will give expert instruction from a senior AQA examiner in how to apply mark schemes to key question types as well as providing the opportunity to take part in marking activities. As part of our AQA support offer to teachers, you can access the module as many times as you wish until 31 March 2022.

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Unlock tailored content for your school

Get customised content from a wide range of organisations to help you promote engineering and technology careers across your school and local community. Find out how to get funding for activities, hear from other schools, discover new classroom resources and more. Sign up or log in to find out more.

or log in to your account

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Neon helps primary and secondary teachers introduce their students to future STEM careers, raise their aspirations and explore excitement of engineering, through brilliant activities, inspiring case studies and supportive resources.

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Deadline: 16th May 2022

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The TDI Challenge | Are you ready to take the TDI Challenge?

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Ofqual: Arrangements for 2022 to 2023 NEAs and Exams

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Ofqual: Arrangements for 2022 to 2023 NEAs and Exams

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- Ofqual confirms the usual arrangements for NEA, fieldwork and practical science are in place for 2023.
- Ofqual will ask exam boards to look carefully at the design of the exam timetable for next year, to see if the increased spacing between subjects in the exam timetable should be retained.

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Applies to England

In 2021 and 2022, Ofqual made a range of adjustments to the arrangements for NEA and fieldwork and practical science requirements in some GCSE, AS and A level subjects to respond to public health measures. Given that they are no longer in force, for the 2023 cohort Ofqual confirms that, as planned, the usual arrangements for NEA, fieldwork and practical science are now in place.

For the 2022 cohort, the Department for Education determined that there should be a choice of topics in GCSE English literature, history and ancient history and a choice of content in GCSE geography as part of a range of adaptations to GCSE, AS and A levels for this year. For 2023, the Department for Education confirms the return to full subject content coverage for those GCSE subjects.

For other qualifications, including vocational and technical qualifications taught alongside or instead of GCSEs, AS and A levels, a range of adaptations were permitted in academic year 2021 to 2022. Awarding organisations decided which adaptations were appropriate for their qualifications in accordance with Ofqual's Vocational and Technical Qualifications Contingency Regulatory Framework (VCRF). Some adaptations were in response to public health restrictions. Given that public health restrictions are no longer in place, these adaptations are no longer necessary for the academic year 2022 to 2023 onwards.

This means that schools and colleges have the information they need to plan their teaching of the required content and to provide non-exam assessments. The Department for Education and Ofqual will continue to monitor the path and impact of the pandemic and evaluate the delivery of arrangements this year, including the provision of exam aids, such as formulae sheets, and advance information to support students' revision, before finalising 2023 arrangements. Our intention is to return to the carefully designed and well-established pre-pandemic assessment arrangements as quickly as possible, given they are the best and fairest way of assessing what students know and can do.

For GCSEs, AS and A levels, Ofqual will, as planned, consider the approach to grading for 2023 in light of outcomes in 2022. Ofqual will also ask exam boards to look carefully at the design of the exam timetable for next year in the light of experience this year, to see if the increased spacing between subjects in the exam timetable should be retained.

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Subject content and assessment arrangements in the academic year 2022 to 2023

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PTI: Design and Technology Enrichment Residential

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PTI: Design and Technology Enrichment Residential

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26th November 2022
Crewe

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Sitemap | Terms & Conditions | Privacy & Cookies

The PTI is a company limited by guarantee not having a share capital registered in England & Wales (05910443) and a registered charity (1116224).

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The PTI is a charity which provides a wide range of CPD courses for teachers focused on developing specialist subject knowledge.

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Provisional entries for GCSE, AS and A level Summer 22_Presentation

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Ofqual: Post 16 qualifications that sit alongside A and T levels - Second Consultation launched

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Ofqual: Post 16 qualifications that sit alongside A and T levels - Second Consultation launched

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Published: 30th June 2022
Consultation Deadline: 10th August 2022

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Ofqual seeks views on its detailed proposals for regulating a range of academic and technical level 3 qualifications.

Ofqual has today confirmed how it will make sure there is quality and fairness for students who take level 3 qualifications that sit alongside A levels and T Levels. These decisions are informed by the views of students, employers, awarding organisations, and others who recognise the importance of these qualifications which enable progression into higher education and employment.

Alongside these decisions, in a second consultation Ofqual is seeking views on:

titles of qualifications

grading of alternative academic qualifications

details of the proposed draft regulations

Ofqual's proposals focus on providing students with good quality, fair assessments, supported by meaningful grading scales and titles which make it clear, to all, what these level 3 qualifications represent.

For alternative academic qualifications, Ofqual is requiring that awarding organisations should set and mark at least 40% of the assessment to be undertaken by all students, at the same time. For these alternative academic qualifications, Ofqual is also proposing putting in place guidance regarding grading scales and is considering a move to a smaller number of common grading scales in the future.

Dr Jo Saxton, Ofqual Chief Regulator, said:

It is important that students have access to high-quality qualifications that will help them to build a meaningful career. Qualifications lead to better opportunities in life.

It is also important that students and employers can easily identify which qualifications are relevant to them and understand what the grades awarded represent.

Ofqual has drawn up its proposals for regulating alternative level 3 qualifications to make sure students best interests are met.

These proposals all contribute to making sure that qualifications approved for use alongside A levels and T Levels are of high quality and relevant, an ambition the Department for Education (DfE) confirmed in July 2021 in i ts plans to reform post-16 qualifications.

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) is currently consulting on proposals for its approval of level 3 alternative technical qualifications.

Ofqual, IfATE and DfE are working together to provide awarding organisations with a streamlined approval process for all level 3 qualifications, with no duplication of, or tension between, requirements. Awarding bodies will only be required to submit one set of documents for approval.

The aim is to have one single source of information once Ofqual's and IfATE's consultations are complete.

Ofqual's consultation opens today Thursday, 30 June 2022 and runs for six weeks, closing on Wednesday 10 August 2022.

Thank you for your feedback

Report a problem with this page

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Post 16 qualifications that sit alongside A and T levels

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EPI: A spotlight on D&T study in England Report

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EPI: A spotlight on D&T study in England Report

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Published: March 2022

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DfE: Register now to deliver any of the 23 T Levels or T-level Transition Programme in 2024 to 2025

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DfE: Register now to deliver any of the 23 T Levels or T-level Transition Programme in 2024 to 2025

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Deadline: Register by midnight on the 29 July 2022 to access the full range of support that is available. Providers can register after this, up to midnight on the 31 July 2023, but will not be able to access the same support and capital funding opportunities.

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DfE Sign-in is the new way to access your DfE online services and has now replaced Secure Access.

Before you start

You'll either need:

An existing DfE Sign-in account. This will be the email address and password you created when you first accessed DfE Sign-in.

To create a DfE Sign-in account. If you haven't used DfE Sign-in before you'll need to create a DfE Sign-in account.

Need help with DfE Sign-in?

If you need help using the DfE Sign-in service, please contact us.
Sign up now

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Registration for providers planning to deliver T Levels from the 2024 to 2025 academic year - DFE Online Forms

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Julian Teaching School Hub: NPQLT 2022/23

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Julian Teaching School Hub: NPQLT 2022/23

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Ofqual: Podcast on Marking and grading in summer 2022

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Ofqual: Podcast on Marking and grading in summer 2022

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Published: 13th May 2022

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Ofqual Podcast: Marking and grading in summer 2022

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Ofsted: Inspection Data Summary Report (IDSR) - Updated guidance on report

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Ofsted: Inspection Data Summary Report (IDSR) - Updated guidance on report

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School inspection data summary report (IDSR) guide

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This guide provides an overview of the inspection data summary report (IDSR) for primary and secondary schools, including schools with a sixth form and gives guidance on interpreting the data.

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ESA: T Level Transition Programme - Guide for Students

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ESA: T Level Transition Programme - Guide for Students

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NUA: Teacher, Technician and Adviser Workshop Series 2022

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NUA: Teacher, Technician and Adviser Workshop Series 2022

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21st June - 8th July 2022
Online

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Tuesday 21 June - Friday 8 July

Creative teachers, technicians, heads of departments and career advisers, you are welcome to our 2022 Teacher, Technician and Adviser Workshop Series.

Across three weeks, we will be hosting a range of creative and inspiring workshops that you can get involved with from the comfort of your own home.

Plus, join us on campus for our Teacher, Technician and Adviser Day for the chance to get stuck-in with practical workshops on campus with our amazing course academics.

Upcoming Online Workshops

Available online workshops to book.

Being a Multi-Specialist in the Creative Industries
Tuesday 21 June | 4.30 - 5.30pm
Join Akin Akinsiku, BAFTA award-winning Creative Director, for this inspirational talk on why we should encourage our students to be ambitious multi-specialists, who can harness their creativity to create change in the world around us.

Akin will offer tips on how you can best prepare your students to widen their horizons beyond the course specific subject they study. Akin will look at how being a multi-specialist enabled his own success, as an NUA BA Graphic Design graduate with over twenty years of experience in television and advertising, working for organisations such as Nickelodeon and Sky.

Making Comics
Thursday 23 June | 4.30 - 5.30pm
In this workshop, we will explore what goes into making a comic book. You will try your hand at a bit of creative writing, create a dummy book, and adapt your writing into a visual narrative. If there is time you will have a chance to produce an idea for a cover design.

Led by BA Illustration Lecturer Christian Peterson.

Do / Make / Think
Saturday 25 June | 10.00 - 11.00am
Participants will undertake a number of quickfire activities to stimulate lateral or unorthodox creative thinking. Fundamentally you will be challenged to make art from low-tech materials and whatever is around you.

Led by BA Fine Art Senior Lecturer Desmond Brett.

Designing User Experiences
Monday 27 June | 4.30 - 5.30pm
Join Graphics courses Lecturer David Watson for an introduction to User Experience Design through an exploration of collaborative design and prototyping tools.

Visual Merchandising for Fashion
Wednesday 29 June | 4.30 - 5.30pm
Join Alexandra Hill, Course Leader for Fashion Communication and Promotion and Fashion Marketing and Business, as well as Lecturer Holly Farrar for an introduction to the fundamentals of visual merchandising and current industry trends.

You will have the opportunity to create a visual merchandising concept and receive tips on how you and your students can make a great digital mood board.

A Tool-kit for Creating a Stand-Out Graphics Portfolio
Saturday 2 July | 10.00 - 11.00am
Join Lecturers Jamie Johnstone and Chelsea Carter to hear all about the four different Graphics courses at Norwich University of the Arts, as well as receiving a toolkit of information on workshops and practical tasks to take back to the classroom.

This tool-kit will enable your students to create the work we're looking for in a stand-out Graphics portfolio and give you the context of why this type of work is important to us and the learning of our applicants.

Mindful slow-stitch Textile Practice
Tuesday 5 July | 4.30 - 5.30pm
This session is relevant for all of us in education where increasingly we are coping with students suffering from stress and anxiety, which can have a negative impact on academic practice. Slow Stitch is about adopting a less-is-more approach, valuing quality over quantity, and bringing a meaningful and thoughtful approach to making.

This workshop looks at a way of using simple techniques and reused and re-invented materials to help students slow down and spend time in conversation and reflection, enabling them to build a stronger sense of resilience.

On Campus Event
Friday 8 July | 10.00am - 4.15pm
Join us on campus for our 2022 Teacher, Technician and Adviser Day for an intro to our creative campus and the chance to get stuck-in with practical workshops.

*You will have the chance to select your 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice for workshop attendance for the TT&A Day below. We will then allocate 2 workshops for your timetable based upon your preferences.

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Teacher, Technician and Adviser Workshop Series 2022

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Tuesday 21 June - Friday 8 July Creative teachers, technicians, heads of departments and career advisers, you are welcome to our 2022 Teacher, Technician and Adviser Workshop Series. Across three weeks, we will be hosting a range of creative and inspiring workshops that you can get involved with from the comfort of your own home.

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DfE: Sustainability and climate change - a strategy for the education and children’s services systems

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DfE: Sustainability and climate change - a strategy for the education and children’s services systems

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Published: 21st April 2022

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Scope and purpose

This strategy applies to:

the Department for Education (DfE), its agencies and public bodies

the education and children's services systems in England - including:

early years

schools (and independent schools where applicable)

further education

higher education

children's social care

DfE has an important role to play in all aspects of sustainability. But the area in which we have the most work to do is reducing our environmental footprint, particularly in the drive to achieve net zero.

While the policies set out here are focussed on the environmental aspect of sustainability, this is done with consideration for how those policies will interact with the social and economic aspects of sustainability.

The UK government and the devolved governments (Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales) are committed to climate action, and we will work together in our international action. The targets and strategic aims set out relate to England.

It brings together short, medium and longer-term actions that will enable us to make progress towards achieving our 4 strategic aims and overarching vision. It is a strategy to 2030.

Action will be reviewed and updated annually to respond to new opportunities, scientific updates, evidence and data.

This strategy has been informed by:

Foreword
Secretary of State for Education, the Rt Hon Nadhim Zahawi MP
Since spring of 2020, the British education system faced its most challenging period for generations: sustaining learning through a pandemic. The whole sector met this challenge with great resilience. Now, the UK must show the rest of the world how our education system can transition out of the pandemic and, in doing so, face the even greater environmental challenge ahead of us, by Building Back Greener.

We have promised to level up the country, to boost economic growth, encourage innovation, create good jobs and enhance educational attainment so all may share equally in our nation's success. To achieve this in a world influenced by the effects of climate change, we must level up within a context of sustainability, giving all children, young people and adults the knowledge and skills to thrive in the green economy and to help restore nature.

The challenge of climate change is formidable. For children and young people to meet it with determination, and not with despair, we must offer them not just truth, but also hope. Learners need to know the truth about climate change - through knowledge-rich education. They must also be given the hope that they can be agents of change, through hands-on activity and, as they progress, through guidance and programmes allowing them to pursue a green career pathway in their chosen field.

I would like to thank the large number of people that have worked with us in developing this strategy. The feedback from young people, educators, academics, leaders, governing bodies and experts has been invaluable in shaping this first step on our journey. By continuing to work together in the delivery of the strategy we will seek further opportunities to build on the action set out and update on shared progress annually.

I am confident that together we will support net zero through skills and decarbonisation; play a significant part in nature's recovery; build an education system resilient to climate change; and, provide the truth and hope that young people need to flourish in our changing world.

Context

The UK requires the education sector to play its role in positively responding to climate change and inspiring action on an international stage. This strategy sets out ambitious activity to respond to recommendations for education from the:

It supports the delivery of the government's 25 Year Environment Plan and Net Zero Strategy. It includes how we will meet legislative requirements and work in the context of:

the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals and UNESCO's 'Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) for 2030' which set out the key role of education in the successful achievement of the goals

the Paris Agreement and Glasgow Climate Pact, which are important steps towards keeping the goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius alive

Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) which includes taking action to empower society to engage in education and training

the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child (UNCRC) ensures the needs and views of children are taken into account in the development of climate change policies

the UK Climate Change Act (2008) and National Adaptation Programme (NAP), which include action for education in adapting to climate change and require progress reporting against priority risks

UK government legislation to meet net zero by 2050 - the UK is the first country to set legally binding carbon budgets, placing a restriction on the total amount of greenhouse gases the UK can emit over a 5-year period. In the latest, Carbon Budget 6, the UK legislated to reduce emissions by 78% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels

the Environment Act (2021) reflects the need to tackle climate change through nature-based solutions - following the close of the targets consultation in May 2022, government will set statutory targets for air quality, biodiversity, water, resource efficiency and waste reduction, and a new target to reverse the decline in species abundance by the end of 2030, while the act also strengthens the biodiversity duty on public authorities, including the Department for Education

the cross-government 25 Year Environment Plan, which commits to encouraging children to be close to nature both in and out of school

The challenge and the opportunity

Children and young people are worried about climate change and want to know more about:

the impact it is having now

how it will impact their future lives

DfE and the education sector have a joint responsibility for preparing children and young people for the challenges and opportunities they will face - with the appropriate knowledge, skills and pastoral care.

Education

Through education we have the privilege to be able to engage directly with children and young people who:

Through their learned and lived experiences from early years to further and higher education, we will provide opportunities to develop a broad knowledge and understanding of the importance of nature, sustainability and the causes and impact of climate change and to translate this knowledge into positive action and solutions.

In the UK, there are more than 16 million children, young people and adults in education. The enthusiasm of youth can inspire the whole of society to work together at the start of this crucial decade for the planet.

Green skills and jobs

Green jobs will not be niche. We anticipate that sustainability and climate change will touch every career.

The UK government's Net Zero Strategy will support the transition to net zero and 190,000 jobs by the middle of the 2020s and up to 440,000 jobs in 2030. The increased investment and legislation for nature's recovery driven by the Environment Act will also create many green jobs in the nature sector. Our programmes will provide the opportunity for people of all ages to train, retrain or upskill to go into green careers.

Learning from and connecting with nature

The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review states that 'connection with nature declines in childhood to an overall low in the mid-teens. Creating an environment from an early age where we are able to connect to nature is essential for self-enforcement in protecting and valuing nature'.

We will increase opportunities for all children and young people to:

spend time in nature and learn more about it

become actively involved in the improvement of their local environment

We know that regular contact with green spaces can have a beneficial impact on children's physical and mental health. However, access to green space is not equal and we must do more to ensure that all children have opportunities to benefit from access to green space and build connections with nature.

Buildings

Climate adaptation and decarbonisation activity in nurseries, schools, colleges, universities and care buildings can provide powerful learning opportunities. Young people can:

Seeing sustainability brought to life in the buildings around them will allow children and young people to gain experiences which will enhance and contextualise their learning.

Leading by example: cutting energy bills and carbon emissions in the public and higher education sectors shows that schools and universities represent 36% of total UK public sector building emissions.

Costs are also significant and rising. Data sources and interpretation - schools financial benchmarking shows that in 2019 schools alone were spending around £630m per annum on energy and we expect today's figure to be far greater. To reduce energy usage and achieve legal targets for carbon emissions we need to:

get a better understanding of the scale of the problem across the sectors through standardised reporting

drive action based on evidence

Adapting existing buildings and designing new ones to respond to climate change and reduce emissions will undoubtedly be a significant challenge.

By developing and delivering evidence-based solutions for decarbonisation and climate resilience we will:

reduce energy demand

adapt to climate risks

drive innovation in construction

act as a catalyst for green jobs

deliver savings

We will also drive a wide range of additional benefits that will contribute to a vibrant and resilient education community, including:

International

Through learning from others and sharing our own expertise internationally, we will be more effective and innovative. Sustainability and climate change are global problems which require collective efforts and evidence-based solutions.

Vision and aims

Vision: the United Kingdom is the world-leading education sector in sustainability and climate change by 2030.

In England, we will achieve this through the following strategic aims:

Excellence in education and skills for a changing world: preparing all young people for a world impacted by climate change through learning and practical experience.

Net zero: reducing direct and indirect emissions from education and care buildings, driving innovation to meet legislative targets and providing opportunities for children and young people to engage practically in the transition to net zero.

Resilience to climate change: adapting our education and care buildings and system to prepare for the effects of climate change.

A better environment for future generations: enhancing biodiversity, improving air quality and increasing access to, and connection with, nature in and around education and care settings.

Guiding principles

Partnership and collaboration

Success depends on DfE and stakeholders from across the sectors working together.

We know there are many organisations working to improve sustainability and mitigate against climate change, so we will seek opportunities to:

work with others who share our objectives

extend and amplify existing good practice and initiatives

We will also facilitate partnership across the sectors to maximise the use of resources, expertise and ideas to achieve more effective outcomes.

Evidence and insight

Evidence will be at the heart of our activity. By 2023 we will develop and publish a framework to evaluate the impacts of the actions set out within the strategy.

We will also work with the sectors to develop reporting frameworks and processes to ensure strategic decisions can be taken at every level. While mandatory reporting is not currently set out within the strategy, this decision will be kept under regular review. The decision to mandate is subject to uptake and legislative reporting requirements in line with government's Net Zero Strategy.

We will work together to set science-based targets from 2025, ensuring we play our part in reducing public-sector emissions against a 2017 baseline by:

50% by the end of Carbon Budget 5 (2032)

75% by the end of Carbon Budget 6 (2037)

There are many opportunities to improve sustainability and impact climate change. Ensuring we learn before we leap, we will work across the sector to research, test and pilot with:

As our evidence base for what works grows, we will prioritise funding where it will have greatest impact.

Leadership and support

Sector representatives have called on DfE to provide greater leadership in sustainability. We will work across government and intervene where we add value (for example through sector-wide data gathering, reporting, funding and guidance). Wherever possible we will facilitate autonomy and foster innovation.

Sector leadership and institution-level accountability for sustainability will be key for success. We will continually seek opportunities to share best practice and provide support for those leading at a local level.

A whole system approach

Together we will make the greatest impact. We will adopt a systems-based approach and ensure our initiatives are delivered via action areas to deliver outcomes for the education system, rather than focussing on specific age or sectors.

By taking a holistic view of education (from formal and extracurricular learning opportunities, the physical buildings and surroundings, to the way in which they operate) we will positively improve the environment. At the same time we will influence and inspire, not only those that use the settings, but the communities around them.

Initiatives to drive the strategy

We have carried out work with sector representatives and experts to develop initiatives that bring together activity to drive the strategic aims:

National Education Nature Park

By considering the whole physical education estate as a virtual National Education Nature Park, we have a unique opportunity to:

The National Education Nature Park will:

This will help connect and amplify the excellent work already happening in this area through many national and local stakeholders and community groups.

As their work starts to have an impact, the young participants will upload their progress on the park's digital mapping services. They will be able to:

see how the park is 'growing', while increasing their knowledge of species

develop important skills, such as biodiversity mapping, data collection and analysis

The nature park's online hub will enable the sharing of best practice across the education estate. With time, it will go beyond biodiversity to show impact and climate resilience, including flood, overheating and air quality status of the estate.

A number of universities will support the launch of the National Education Nature Park by:

Climate Leaders Award

A Climate Leaders Award will complement classroom learning and allow us to celebrate and recognise education providers, children and young people for:

developing their connection with nature

making a real contribution to establishing a sustainable future for us all

The award will provide a structured route through existing awards in this area, such as the John Muir Award, Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Junior Forester Award and others.

Participation will enable children and young people to acquire credits towards the prestigious Climate Leaders Award. This will be recognised and valued as supporting progression to employment and further study.

In the Children's People and Nature Survey for England: Summer holidays 2021, more than 8 in 10 children and young people (85%) agreed that being in nature made them very happy. However, the same study showed that:

children spend less time outdoors as they get older

feelings of connection to nature decline with age

We want all young people to feel connected to their local environment and see improvements in biodiversity. In the design and implementation of the park and award we will take steps to drive participation among more disadvantaged children and young people. We will also ensure all children and young people, whether they live in an urban area or rural one, have opportunities to feel empowered through practical positive action.

The National Education Nature Park and Climate Leaders Award:

are being designed and developed with young people, sector representatives and stakeholder organisations

will build on the learning and experience of the Year of Green Action

They will feed in ideas for making the initiatives as inclusive, impactful, and engaging as possible and will also consider the best names for the programmes. The park and award will be launched in autumn 2022.

Sustainability leadership

Throughout the development of this strategy, we have received feedback from the sector that they have seen the greatest impact and success in developing and delivering a whole-setting approach to sustainability and climate change when there is co-ordination and leadership of activity at a local level - with the support of senior leadership teams and governors.

Through our engagement to date, we have been consistently told that to do this best, they need more support to:

We recognise the impact of the pandemic and the priority need for education catch up. We know that for every setting, the ability, or the way in which they are able to engage with sustainability and climate change may differ. While our end goal is for all settings to have a sustainability lead owning a climate action plan (to include curricular and extra-curricular activity, procurement, adaptation and decarbonisation plans), we are keen to:

develop a facilitative approach to sustainability leadership

test where support makes the most impact

The National Climate Education Action Plan has already brought together 16 organisations and universities with STEM Learning, aiming to encourage their staff to become Climate Ambassadors to support schools and further education institutions. We will work with them to test an approach that includes support in:

climate education

accessing public and private funding

engaging in the National Education Nature Park and Climate Leaders Award

reporting emissions

developing and delivering Climate Action Plans for individual settings

As part of this approach, we will include the provision of carbon literacy training for all sustainability leads in every nursery, school and college by 2025. We will encourage a joined-up approach to leadership which brings together children, young people and governors.

Action area 1: Climate education

We know that young people are eager to:

create a greener, sustainable world

tackle both the causes and impact of climate change

We will empower all young people to be global citizens, through a:

better understanding of climate change

greater connection to nature

Practical opportunities to participate in activities to increase climate resilience, reduce carbon impact and enhance biodiversity will enable children and young people to translate knowledge into positive action to improve their local communities, their country and the planet.

1. Learning about the natural environment

Building on a foundation of fundamental numeracy, literacy and broad academic knowledge, all children learn about:

From birth to 5 years old, the early years foundation stage (EYFS) framework ensures that all children develop an understanding of the world and the natural environment.

As they progress through primary and secondary school, children and young people continue to build on this knowledge through science, geography and citizenship programmes within the national curriculum. Existing GCSEs such as design and technology, food preparation and nutrition, and economics contain opportunities for students to be taught about the environmental and sustainability context of the processes and principles underlying these subjects.

By 2025 we will aim to introduce a natural history GCSE, giving young people a further opportunity to engage with and develop a deeper knowledge and understanding of the natural world. In studying this GCSE, young people will explore organisms and environments in more depth, gain knowledge and practical experience of fieldwork and develop a greater understanding of conservation.

An environmental science A level is already available for those that have a keen interest in the sustainability of our planet and wish to build on their scientific knowledge of the interconnection of human activities with natural systems.

From 2022, to assess the impact of our action, we will introduce an annual climate literacy survey to benchmark progress in improving the climate knowledge of school leavers.

For those that continue their studies in further and higher education, there are many excellent opportunities to gain a more in-depth knowledge into sustainability and climate change. Many further and higher education providers are already taking steps to embed the relevant teaching of sustainability and climate change across the full range of their courses.

We will continue to identify appropriate opportunities to align climate education with the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD for 2030) framework.

2. Support for teaching

World class teaching will ensure all children and young people get the best possible climate education. The schools white paper sets out how we will provide an excellent teacher for every child, by giving every teacher and school leader access to world class training and development opportunities, including the first-ever national professional qualification (NPQ) for early years professionals.

Through our engagement with the teachers and representative bodies, we have heard that more support in teaching about climate change and in navigating the many different resources available is also needed. Therefore, recognising the importance of building confidence as well as capability, we will provide additional support to teachers of all levels.

From 2022 we will:

include climate change and sustainability in science teachers' continuing professional development ( CPD) to ensure all young people receive high-quality teaching on the scientific facts about climate change and environmental degradation

include content on sustainability when DfE is tendering for new CPD, (where it is relevant to the subject area)

deliver pilots through the National Education Nature Park, which will test an approach for sharing university climate expertise and learning opportunities with colleges, schools and nurseries

share best practice, demonstrating how sustainability and climate change has been incorporated into teaching (and how it has enriched the broader curriculum, where it is relevant) in early years settings, schools, colleges and universities, so teachers and leaders can consider how best to integrate within their own settings

consider where further steps could be taken to support the teaching of sustainability in relevant subjects, for example, the circular economy in design and technology, sustainable chemistry in the sciences, and through the learning initiatives being taken forward in the Government Food Strategy

continue to work with higher education to identify opportunities to work together to further enhance best practice in teacher training and the teaching of sustainability within university courses

promote and share relevant teaching resources from other government departments, including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs ( DEFRA), the Waste and Resources Action Programme ( WRAP) and the Environment Agency

By 2023 we will:

develop a Primary Science Model Curriculum, to include an emphasis on nature to ensure all children understand the world around them

develop an occupational standard for further education teaching which explicitly requires all new teachers to integrate sustainability into their teaching, through modelling sustainable practices and promoting sustainable development principles in relation to their subject specialism

support the National Climate Education Action Plan in setting up an independent expert body (including members such as the Royal Meteorological Society, STEM Learning, Association of Science Teaching) for the validation and creation of climate education resources that support the delivery of the national curriculum

provide free access to high-quality curriculum resources through the National Education Nature Park online hub, so that teachers in all settings and subjects can confidently choose those that will support the teaching of sustainability and climate change

this will initially work in tandem while we build on the success of Oak National Academy's work in the pandemic and establish a new arms-length national curriculum body which will work with thousands of teachers to co-design, create and continually improve packages of optional, free, adaptable digital curriculum resources and video lessons that are effectively sequenced to help teachers deliver an evidence-based, high-quality curriculum

provide the opportunity for all staff (teaching, leadership and support) to build their understanding of climate change and sustainability by receiving shared carbon literacy training through their sustainability leads within their setting (more information about sustainability leadership is set out in the Operations and Supply Chains Action Area)

3. Learning in the natural environment

Education settings provide a wealth of learning opportunities, practical activities and clubs which allow children and young people to bring their learning to life. Children and young people may:

take part in eco-clubs or vegetable growing

be exposed to sustainable food choices, recycling, adaptation projects or weather and energy monitoring

On top of the learning benefits, these activities can aid pastoral work in all educational settings. The physical and mental health benefits of time spent in nature can form part of targeted support to:

improve engagement and attainment, including as part of wider packages of support for pupils with SEND

give young people a sense of agency where anxiety stems from climate concerns

The National Education Nature Park and Climate Leaders Award will build on this excellent activity, ensuring all children and young people have opportunities to get practical experience and turn their knowledge into positive action. We will design these initiatives with inclusivity at their heart. We are committed to enabling those from disadvantaged backgrounds to access these opportunities.

Retrofitted educational buildings and new-build net-zero settings will also provide various learning opportunities through their design, how they work and their environmental impact. They will foster environmental knowledge that can be applied outside of the educational setting.

In 2022 we will:

explore opportunities to increase access to the outdoors in DfE's successful Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme

ensure that children attending the HAF programme participate in activities that improve their knowledge and awareness of affordable, healthy eating and sustainable practice - for example, through:

taking part in activities such as food preparation

cooking, discussing food and food sources

growing their own fruit and vegetables

build on our investment into the Children and Nature Programme, by engaging with DEFRA on further research into how outdoor learning can be delivered for the greatest impact, with a view to exploring opportunities to support education settings to deliver quality outdoor education

link up across government to identify new opportunities and strengthen action as part of the levelling up agenda - for example, with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on climate education, and with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on the National Youth Guarantee to increase access to out-of-school activities for all children

provide co-curricular opportunities for young people to experience and learn about nature through the National Education Nature Park, which will drive a greater knowledge and understanding of the importance of native species and develop young people's data and analytical skills

build on learning from the Children and Nature Programme, encouraging schools to join up with local delivery partners to develop effective school-specific options and build links with local communities

provide educational activities so that leaders, teachers, children and young people will learn about energy efficiency, the circular economy, climate resilience and green careers as part of educational building, maintenance and procurement projects, such as:

low-carbon boiler replacements

smart meter installation

energy monitoring pilots

sustainable drainage systems

Political impartiality

Teaching about climate change, and the scientific facts and evidence behind this, does not constitute teaching about a political issue and schools do not need to present misinformation or unsubstantiated claims to provide balance.

However, in climate education there is relevant political and scientific debate about the best ways that climate change can be addressed - there are different views and opinions, and different solutions. Debates on political and policy change need to be grounded in wider citizenship education on democracy and democratic values and topics should be handled in line with schools' legal duties on political impartiality

Action area 2: Green skills and careers

It is critical young people and adults have the green skills that will allow them to build careers and participate as Britain leads the world into the Green Industrial Revolution and strives for nature's recovery.

We will harness young people's passion and interest in climate change and sustainability to enable them to have the knowledge and skills (in STEM and other key subjects) required for green jobs. Through our education and skills system, we will seek to inspire young people to choose career paths that support the:

We will continue to support adults already in work to retrain and reskill in line with the needs of the green economy.

1. Net Zero Strategy

The government's Net Zero Strategy sets out in detail how our skills reforms will support more people into green jobs and help grow future talent pipelines. This includes:

aligning apprenticeships to net-zero objectives through the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education's (IfATE) Green Apprenticeships Advisory Panel

continuing the roll-out of T-Levels to support young people into green careers

driving STEM provision through our growing network of Institutes of Technologies (IoTs)

expanding Skills Bootcamps so that adults are able to upskill and retrain in key green sectors

Through the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill, we are legislating to ensure employer leadership of Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) have regard to skills needed to help deliver on our net-zero target, adaptation to climate change, and other environmental goals.

Building on the work of the Green Jobs Taskforce through a Green Jobs Delivery Group, government will bring together representatives from industry, the skills sector and other key stakeholders to develop data-driven action to support the delivery of plans for green jobs and skills. This will ensure that we are offering young people and workers the opportunity to develop the skills needed to deliver the low-carbon transition.

Since the publication of the Net Zero Strategy we have:

set out investment of £3.8bn in further education and skills, to ensure people can access high-quality training and education that leads to good jobs, addresses skills gaps, boosts productivity and supports levelling up - this includes funding for programmes to support green skills crucial to the net-zero transition

committed to expanding Skills Bootcamps to provide more opportunities for adults to gain new skills, prioritising green skills in areas such as heat pumps, zero emission vehicles, and carbon capture

widened the eligibility criteria of our Free Courses for Jobs offer - from April 2022, any adult in England earning under the National Living Wage annually, or unemployed, will be able to access these qualifications for free, including qualifications linked to green sectors such as agriculture, building and construction, engineering, environmental conservation, horticulture and forestry and science

launched a pilot of our new General Further Education College Accountability Agreements that will ensure colleges strategically plan provision to meet skills needs at both local and national levels, including those in the green sector

established 8 LSIP trailblazers, where employer representative bodies have been working closely with providers and key local stakeholders to develop tailored plans to help shape technical skills provision to better meet local labour market needs, with multiple trailblazers considering the skills needed to support green growth in their local economy

started delivery of our £65 million Strategic Development Fund pilots to identify employers' skills needs, design provision, and build the capacity of local further education providers to deliver them so that, where local areas identify skills needs, providers can use this funding to, among other things:

purchase equipment

train their staff

bring in industry expertise to provide training

deliver new provision

2. Additional support for green jobs and skills

In addition to the extensive skills reforms set out in the Net Zero Strategy we will also increase the opportunities for young people and adults to engage in wider green skills and jobs needed to deliver the government's 25-Year Environment Plan.

We will support the further and higher education sectors as they deliver programmes teaching the skills of the future and nurturing future leaders.

We will continually seek to improve diversity in the take-up of STEM subjects at all levels, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to pursue a rewarding career in a STEM occupation:

by September 2023, a T Level in agriculture, land management and production will be available - this will support the increased focus of the UK agriculture sector on more environmental and sustainable practices and provide a further opportunity and pathway for young people looking for careers in agriculture and horticulture

we will engage employers, professional, statutory and regulatory bodies (PSRBs), further and higher education sector representative groups and students in developing opportunities to forge further links between course content and the skills needed for green careers of all kinds

Green Skills Bootcamps are available in environmental areas such as agriculture technology, and Wave 3 Skills Bootcamps will seek to prioritise further green sectors, including those specific to the environment such as nature restoration, waste management and recycling, woodland management and arboriculture.

the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) has convened a Green Apprenticeships Advisory Panel (GAAP) to:

work with employers to align apprenticeships to net-zero objectives

endorse existing apprenticeships which support green career pathways specific to the environmental sector, such as arborist, forest operative, agriculture or horticulture professional advisor and ecologist

map existing apprenticeship standards against green occupations

identify opportunities to create new standards in areas including agri-tech and renewable energy

investment of up to £75 million in a National Scholarship Scheme will support high achieving disadvantaged students to reach their full potential while studying in higher education, including degree courses or apprenticeships that can lead to green careers

our network of Institutes of Technology (IoTs) across England are utilising their state-of-the-art facilities to:

offer training in green skills, such as in the built environment and agri-tech sectors

support increased participation from under-represented groups, including women, helping to grow the pipeline of individuals with STEM skills needed for green jobs

invest £120 million in the second wave of IoTs, to be set up by 2022

by 2025, as part of the pathway towards the Lifelong Loan Entitlement, we will trial short-course provision at levels 4-6 to support in-work adults to upskill or retrain, enabling learners to build flexibly towards a full qualification in subjects crucial for net zero, including STEM and digital innovation

by 2023, we will co-host an International Green Skills Conference with the higher and further education sectors to exhibit the best of UK green skills and education opportunities at further and higher education levels

we will link the Climate Leaders Award to skills required by employers and explore how participation in the award can act as a progression route to further study

by 2030, significant numbers of young people will have graduated from the Climate Leaders Award with the skills needed to enter the green economy

by 2030, we anticipate that participation in the National Education Nature Park, and increased opportunities to connect with nature, will increase the number of young people that become data scientists, ecologists and biologists, which are needed for nature's recovery

our specifications for new buildings set out low-carbon, climate-resilient standards - such as the installation of heat pumps for energy efficiency - while, as one of the largest construction buyers in the nation, these specifications will drive the market and assist in driving the development of technical fitting skill

3. Support and guidance for green careers

We are actively supporting young people and adults to understand the training and careers opportunities available to them and we will support existing organisations in their endeavours to promote green careers. This includes:

supporting schools and colleges to embed best practice in the delivery of careers information, advice and guidance, so young people are aware of the full range of training and careers available to them and have access to a broad range of employers and workplaces, including those in the green sectors - this will be delivered through the national roll-out of Career Hubs, Career Leader training, and the Enterprise Adviser Network

as part of wider improvements to the National Careers Service we will ensure the provision of relevant and accessible information on green career pathways, which will bring together all the learning and careers routes available to aid the development of a single source of government-assured career information

our educational building maintenance and procurement projects will provide opportunities for students to gain careers guidance, while installation of low-carbon boiler replacements, smart meters and energy monitoring or sustainable drainage systems, will be accompanied with assembly information and interactive class exercises allowing students to see and learn about a wide range of green careers and skills in action

Action area 3: Education estate and digital infrastructure

A green, sustainable education estate that is resilient to the impacts of climate change will normalise and inspire young people to live sustainable lives, with impact felt widely in their families and communities. By improving the physical environment in and around education settings, we can impact positively on both the physical and mental wellbeing of children and young people. We will act on both the challenges and opportunities the vast education estate presents.

There is still a lot of evidence to gather on new technologies and innovative approaches to sustainable building design, retrofit, ICT, building management and the surrounding environment. Our focus until 2025 will be piloting - gathering evidence and sharing research to learn from our experience. This work will build on and align with existing guidance currently available to help public sector organisations achieve net zero, for example, the Modern Energy Partners tools. From 2025 onwards, we will accelerate change once we understand the best value for money approach. Our approach can be summarised as innovate, test and invest.

1. New builds and new blocks

All new school buildings delivered by DfE (not already contracted) will be net zero in operation. They will be designed for a 2oC rise in average global temperatures and future-proofed for a 4oC rise, to adapt to the risks of climate change, including increased flooding and higher indoor temperatures.

Secure children's homes delivered by DfE will also be built to our net-zero standard.

In November 2021 we published our delivery framework for employer's requirements for school projects Part A and Part B and made it freely available so that all new schools and colleges can meet the same low-carbon, climate-resilient standards as centrally delivered projects.

We have uplifted basic need grant-funding rates to help local authorities deliver school capital projects to these standards. When planning the use of basic need funding allocations, local authorities will consider environmental sustainability, carbon reduction and energy efficiency to develop solutions for projects that are in line with government targets and objectives, regardless of their chosen delivery route.

From now on bids into our Further Education Capital Transformation Programme will also be assessed to determine if the new works will be net zero in operation.

We know many higher education institutions are already demonstrating innovation in this space and are going beyond these standards. We will look to the higher education sector to inspire and drive greater ambition through their net-zero buildings and campuses.

So that our education building standards remain world-leading, we will:

continue targeted and specific monitoring of education buildings to better understand their use and energy consumption

continually improve our technical standards and building specifications

This will include the use and assessment of nature-based classroom design to maximise access to the outdoors and opportunities for outdoor learning, so our education buildings positively impact on physical and mental wellbeing.

Sustainable ICT solutions will be integrated into new-build schools as standard, via sustainable procurement, design, implementation and management.

The implementation of ultra-low carbon education buildings will be accelerated. By 2025 at least 4 schools and one college will have been built via the Gen Zero Platform that we demonstrated at COP26.

We will also accelerate our Gen Zero programme and other pilots so, over time, all centrally delivered new-build projects are built using ultra-low carbon solutions.

2. Existing estate

Improved collation and use of data on energy usage, water, heat and biodiversity will allow individual settings, and DfE, to make evidence-based decisions on where to act and invest to make the greatest impact. Smart meters and energy management systems can reduce bills and usage. They also provide learning opportunities for data analysis and understanding the impact of human behaviour. We will:

continue to work with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy ( BEIS) and water companies to trial the delivery of smart meters in schools and encourage the uptake across other settings

in 2022, work with the education and children's services sectors and energy companies to explore sharing smart meter data to avoid additional reporting requirements, and this data would also be used by DfE to help advise settings how they can reduce their energy bills and improve their energy efficiency

during 2022 and 2023, work with BEIS and Energy Sparks to trial the delivery of Energy Management Systems in schools which will provide schools with real-time information about their energy usage, presented within a user-friendly online portal

by 2025, have supported education settings to put in place Climate Action Plans, facilitating the use of setting-level data to inform action - these will increase carbon literacy and inform government on the implementation of decarbonisation solutions and nature-based solutions to alleviate flood risk, protect against increased heat, and improve air quality

A strategic approach to piloting new building technology will also be launched in order to support the future retrofit of the education estate and act as catalyst to the construction sector for implementing new technology. Our building technology pilots will support action to adapt the existing estate to protect against the current and future effects of climate change. They will also provide evidence for the efficient decarbonisation of the estate to mitigate the causes of climate change.

We will continue to seek opportunities for research, including developing innovative approaches for the delivery and use of digital infrastructure. Where opportunities arise, this will be tested in schools by retrofitting ICT to deliver energy savings.

We will also exploit existing research -higher education is already driving world leading building technology - and innovative solutions will be shared across the wider education sector

In 2022:

we will work with BEIS to help education settings access the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to support them in decarbonising their estates and, as part of that work, we are looking at how we can better align our application processes and funding windows

By 2023:

all bids for capital funding for further education and higher education will need to consider environmental impact, carbon reduction and adaptation measures, and align with the government's targets and objectives

we will share best practice and advice to help education settings in deciding where to invest money to reduce carbon emissions, improve sustainability and resilience, and share options and case studies for the retrofit of existing settings by building type

we will also develop the existing Good Estate Management for Schools guidance with updated tips and good practice on the sustainable management of the school estate, covering topics such as energy and water efficiency and addressing issues including ventilation and leaks

3. Resilience, adaptation, access to Nature and environment conditions

The 3 highest priority risk areas identified in the Climate Change Committee Independent Assessment of UK Climate Risk were:

To meet these challenges and those outlined in the Third Climate Change Risk Assessment (the statutory cycle set out in the Climate Change Act 2008, specifies the next key milestone in the statutory cycle as the third National Adaptation Programme ( NAP3) in 2023) we have a duty to demonstrate:

a clear set of objectives for adaptation

policies

programmes

investments with clear timelines

measurable metrics

progress indicators

We know that nearly half of schools (10,710) are at risk of flooding, which is expected to increase to at least 13,662 by the 2050s, or 16,394 in the worst-case scenario. While overheating in education buildings is a significant threat, we need to continue to work with other government departments to get a greater understanding of the risk.

A formal Memorandum of Understanding between DfE and the Environment Agency ( EA) will ensure that our response to risk aligns with the objectives and measures set out in the National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy and is based on the latest environmental data, advice and intelligence.

We know there is hope if efforts are focused in the right way. The latest International Panel on Climate Change report outlines the power of nature against the worst effects of climate change. We will use the National Education Nature Park to champion the case for nature.

Through the National Education Nature Park we will provide opportunities and advice for education settings to initially improve their biodiversity and also, with time, their flood resilience and air quality. For example, we will work with EA and DEFRA to produce guidance for schools that explains how to improve their flood resilience and access free trees to improve shading and biodiversity of their grounds.

We will accelerate pilots to investigate:

We will also empower universities to lead the way in demonstrating models for resilient, biodiverse campuses. We will share best practice via the National Education Nature Park online hub.

By 2023, we will:

work with partners to explore how funding may support nurseries, schools, colleges and universities in driving on the ground innovation to link separate parts of the National Education Nature Park, improving the biodiversity, air quality, shading and flood resistance along the routes between settings

continue evaluating the UK's first 'Biophilic' primary school, which will provide evidence of the impact of a greater connection to nature within the built environment, on the health and wellbeing of children and young people

pilot the use of smart air and environmental quality monitors in schools to understand the practical implications, benefits and drawbacks of using smart monitoring devices with pilots providing a rich dataset on environmental performance, which can be used to help feed into school building design and understand where energy efficiencies can be achieved

support DEFRA's Clean Air Strategy which aims to diminish the highest concentration of exposure to fine particle matter (PM2.5) to help tackle air pollution and reduce emissions affecting education settings

provide guidance to all education settings for practical ways to reduce indoor and outdoor air pollution, encouraging schools and partners to expand anti-idling zones to reduce the impact of the school commute

support the Department for Transport in delivering initiatives to increase active and safe travel to school (such as Bikeability for children, their families and carers, Walk to School Outreach and School Streets), to improve wellbeing, reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality

support an EA pilot investigating offsetting carbon emissions from their flood scheme construction work by contributing to tree planting and greening on available, nearby school land

By 2030:

through the National Education Nature Park and cross-government collaboration, we will have significantly increased the biodiversity on the education estate and implemented 'Green Corridors' for access to education settings, improving climate resilience, physical and mental wellbeing, and protecting and enhancing wildlife and ecosystems along the routes between nurseries, schools, colleges and universities

we will have supported the Department for Transport to increase active travel to school, contributing to the Prime Minister's vision that half of all short journeys in towns and cities will be walked or cycled

we will have minimised barriers to nature in school building design programmes and education building standards, increasing opportunities to connect their users to nature

4. Heating solutions

The building energy efficiency survey indicates that approximately 60% of energy use in education settings is associated with high carbon intensity fuels such as natural gas, coal and oil. There is a need to reduce demand for heating and hot water use and to deliver through sustainable means.

We are launching 10 pilots to test our Energy Pods as a way of providing off-site manufactured, low-carbon, heating solutions on the existing school and college estate. The results of these pilots will inform our strategic approach to condition, safety and sustainability for the education estate and provide important research data for education and public sector net-zero projects.

In 2022 we will:

test the feasibility of replacing school boilers with ground or air source heat solutions, and use the learning to consider how this can be scaled up to accelerate decarbonisation between 2025 and 2035

continue to work with BEIS to help education settings access the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to support them in replacing fossil fuel heating systems with low carbon heating

5. Water strategy

In partnership with EA, water companies and local authorities we will deliver our water strategy to improve:

We will work together to improve learning and awareness of risk and resilience and encourage all education settings to sign up to available weather and flood warnings. For schools at highest risk, we will share a flood risk plan template to set out emergency plans. In addition:

by 2023, the risk of school flood will be displayed alongside emissions and biodiversity on the National Education Nature Park

by 2026, we will have reduced the flood risk in over 800 schools through our Water Strategy initiatives

we will work with Ofwat and Market Operator Services Ltd to ensure their regulatory mechanisms and incentives enable and drive the water market to improve efficiency across the education estate and, should this prove successful, by 2030 we will have worked with water wholesalers and retailers to improve water efficiency at the 10,000 least water-efficient schools, significantly reducing usage and spend

we will align strategic action with the Environment Agency's National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy to ensure education settings are ready for, and resilient to, flooding and coastal change

6. Reporting Frameworks, Reporting Processes and Targets

With increased legislation on net zero, environment and nature, it is inevitable that we are going to have to ensure consistent reporting on the activity of our sectors.

The government's Net Zero Strategy commits to legislate reporting of emissions if insufficient progress is made voluntarily. We will work with BEIS in the development of guidance on monitoring and reporting for the education sector and we will look to support and facilitate reporting.

We will work with energy providers to receive data from the school estate directly (unless individual schools choose to opt out), so that by 2024 all schools are reporting their emission via a standardised framework. The installation of smart meters will improve the accuracy of this data.

We have supported the Queen's Jubilee Challenge for the further and higher education sectors to accelerate a sector-led review. This review will enable all further and higher education settings to report their emissions via a standardised and comparable framework by 2024. From 2025 we will publish targets and institutional progress for the further and higher education sectors. We will also work with nurseries and schools to set standardised reporting frameworks and implement effective data-gathering mechanisms. With the campaign Let's Go Zero, we will set targets for schools between 2025 and 2035.

Action area 4: Operations and supply chains

We have a valuable opportunity to drive change by introducing children and young people to more sustainable practices, such as:

We can inspire and instil habits that they will take into their wider communities and adult lives. Sector representatives have also confirmed that they have had the greatest results in driving sustainability in their operational processes when action has been linked to learning.

Coordination and leadership are required to bring this type of change. We recognise how much is already being done across the sectors by enthusiastic individuals, governance boards and leadership teams. They are driving effective whole-setting approaches to the challenges of sustainability and climate change - not only in teaching and learning or the decarbonisation of the estate - but in the way settings are operated and regulated.

Within DfE we will also publish and monitor progress against a DfE Corporate Sustainability Strategy. This will demonstrate how we will embed sustainability across everything we do - from how we maintain and use our office estate to our decision-making and business processes. We will align action with this strategy, the Greening Government Commitments and our overall organisational strategy.

By 2023 we will:

start rolling-out carbon literacy training for at least one person in every locally maintained nursery, school, college and university to build their knowledge of climate change, access to public funds, engagement with the nature park and Climate Leaders Award, understand emissions reporting and how to develop a climate action plan so that they can share learning and training within their own setting as appropriate, for example with leaders, support staff, care takers, cooks and teachers

support the work of the National Climate Education Action Plan to bring together universities with STEM Learning to identify Climate Ambassadors to support schools and further education institutions in the delivery of their sustainability and climate change action plans

update Good Estate Management for Schools ( GEMS) guidance to include the latest sustainability and climate change advice, covering topics such as efficient waste and water management - we will signpost to other relevant third-party materials

encourage and support education settings to procure from companies that commit to achieving net zero by 2050 and have a plan in place, showing how they will meet this target

ensure sustainability is part of the assessment and validation criteria for including suppliers on procurement frameworks, to support sustainable purchasing of products and services, including energy, in schools

support schools to buy from procurement frameworks that offer sustainable goods and services

work with education settings and partners to share best practice for delivering and improving uptake of nutritionally balanced, affordable and sustainable meal choices

pilot a food curriculum and whole-school approach to food, promoting accountability and transparency of school food arrangements by encouraging schools to complete a statement on their school websites, which sets out their whole-school approach to food, with voluntary reporting initially, and the intention that this will become mandatory when schools can do this effectively

pilot new training for school governors on a whole-school approach to food as set out in the forthcoming Government Food Strategy (school governors have a responsibility to ensure compliance and should appropriately challenge the headteacher and the senior leadership team to ensure the school is meeting its obligations)

support schools to drive up their sustainable practices in line with the school food standards, particularly in relation to school food contracts and their food preparation and practice, with consideration of the ingredients they use and their environmental impact

encourage and support education settings to gather data and take action on food waste, and to share their evidence-based best practice for sustainable waste prevention and management

work with DEFRA and the Waste and Resources Action Programme ( WRAP) to share resources for schools and children that support food waste prevention

support education settings in aligning with DEFRA 's Resources and Waste Strategy to reduce all waste, moving away from single-use items and towards reusable alternatives where possible

continue to encourage all settings to drive initiatives that promote the circular economy - providing guidance to reduce reliance on single-use items in favour of alternatives, such as reusable nappies, as well as recycled materials, second-hand uniforms and other consumables, such as sustainable cutlery and cleaning products

continue to offer a range of free sustainable period products to learners in schools and colleges across England and use the success of this programme as a catalyst for similar initiatives

seek opportunities to rationalise deliveries to education settings, through minimum order values or changes to delivery models, and encourage settings to consider a rounded approach to providing food, including practical guidance on consolidating food deliveries and sourcing food locally where possible

By 2025:

all education settings will have nominated a sustainability lead and put in place a climate action plan

all services and products procured by DfE for schools through the 'get help buying for schools' programme will go through environmental procurement frameworks

we will review existing procurement frameworks and identify those where net-zero targets can be applied, highlighting these frameworks to education providers as sustainable and net zero-compliant buying frameworks

we will ensure there is a clear route to market and associated support for schools to buy goods and services that help them to generate their own energy or reduce their existing energy consumption, for example, solar panels and LED light bulbs

we will eradicate single-use plastics and encourage the use of reusable and recyclable materials in schools and encourage all other education settings to match this target

we will work with DEFRA to provide guidance to education settings for meeting the requirements of the Environment Act 2021 - this will require settings to arrange for the collection of a core set of materials for recycling, including glass, paper and card, plastic, metal and food waste, increasing the amount of material recycled and diverted from landfill

we will develop a sustainable assessment model in partnership with the Standards and Testing Agency, considering the environmental impact of digital testing and the trade-offs with existing testing methods

we will continue to support DEFRA with implementing the Resource and Waste Strategy, to eliminate unnecessary plastics in education settings

By 2030:

education settings will be supporting a circular economy through their participation in the Climate Leaders Award and National Education Nature Park - for example, by using food waste to produce compost that can then be used directly or in the local community

Action area 5: International

We set out our vision for the United Kingdom education sector to be world leading in sustainability and climate change by 2030. In achieving this vision, we want to both inspire and respond to international action and make a difference to children and young people all over the world. There is no time to lose: extreme weather events are increasing in severity and frequency, and Safe Schools: The Hidden Crisis shows that it is disrupting the education of nearly 40 million children a year worldwide. Children in the UK say they are worried about how climate change is affecting children and families in developing countries.

The UK Foreign Policy Integrated Review positions climate change as the UK's number one international priority. Education is one of our nation's greatest strengths. We will take positive international action to enhance climate change and sustainability learning in and outside of the classroom and, in particular, through DfE 's key bilateral relationships.

In doing so we will work across government with the:

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)

Department for Business and Trade (DBT)

Cabinet Office

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

British Council

Together we will provide young people and adults everywhere with the knowledge and skills needed to:

Our action will align with and support the UK Government's International Education Strategy and supplement the great work the UK already does overseas, led by the FCDO, through education partnerships with around 20 poorer countries as leading donor to the Global Partnership for Education ( GPE) and Education Cannot Wait Fund, to support countries to respond to weather related disasters and make education systems more resilient.

The international action set out below represents the whole of the UK. Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England each bring unique offers to an international strategy, and we will work closely with the governments of each nation to champion them effectively.

At COP26 we put education on a global stage, bringing education and environment ministers together to pledge action on climate education. We will continue to encourage other countries to make pledges. We will also track progress on our international commitments to complement and promote the Glasgow Works Programme on Action for Climate Empowerment ( ACE) negotiations agreed by countries at COP26 through our work and partnerships.

This work programme positions education as integral to the achievement of long-term climate goals, and calls for an approach which is grounded in principles of collaboration, flexibility and inclusivity.

Champion education and learning on the global stage

We will promote education as a key tool for tackling climate change through:

We will elevate the voices of youth in these discussions, as well as the rich experiences of other countries and stakeholders.

We will work across government and convene international partners to build a coalition for action for sustainable education. We will:

work closely with youth partners and multilateral institutions, such as UNESCO, UNEP and OECD, and in the G7 and G20 to exchange good practice through global discussions on climate education, learning and sustainable development

showcase our Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy and activities, sharing our strategy as a model for others to learn from

build an international evidence base on the support and solutions needed for a range of contexts

share our latest lessons, challenges, insights and evidence from the delivery of all action areas of our strategy

learn from others, including those working at local, national, regional and international levels

Trade and exports

We will provide expertise, services, trade and exports overseas to support others in achieving their net-zero targets, increasing resilience and adaptation, and improving climate education. We will work with FCDO, DBT and the UK international trade network to:

identify appropriate export opportunities for our climate learning programmes, including the National Education Nature Park and Climate Leaders Award, sharing our expertise on flood resilience and flood risk assessments, and export innovative sustainable products such as the Gen Zero Platform and Biophilic Primary School

continue work with the further and higher education sectors to ensure prestigious green-skills learning, training and research opportunities are developed to attract overseas students

International initiatives

We will identify opportunities to broaden our actions to share innovation and provide opportunities for young people from across the world to connect and learn, ensuring we align with the UK government's Child Safeguarding Due Diligence guidance. We will:

Leadership, engagement and next steps

Leadership

In recognition of the importance of this agenda to the Department for Education, the Secretary of State for Education will also be Climate Change Minister for the Department for Education. The Secretary of State for Education will also oversee the Climate Leaders Award.

The Secretary of State for Education will be supported in his role of Climate Change Minister for the department by:

Baroness Barran - net zero of DfE-delivered buildings, procurement and supply chains (this also includes the biodiversity of the education estate)

Minister Donelan and Minister Burghart - green skills, green jobs and net zero in further education and higher education

Minister Walker - climate education

Minister Quince - physical and mental wellbeing

DfE will nominate a non-executive director for climate change. They will champion climate issues on departmental boards and provide further leadership and expertise to support the department with its unique climate mission.

Engagement

From November 2021 to March 2022, sector representatives and young people reflecting a diverse range of voices, backgrounds and experiences brought together feedback on this strategy from those they represent.

We will continue to engage formally through a quarterly youth panel and user group as we develop and deliver the strategy, to ensure it meets the needs of those it serves.

Next Steps

Each year we will publish progress against the strategy and set out new action.
The following actions will support this:

Vision: the United Kingdom is the world-leading education sector in sustainability and climate change by 2030.

Strategic aims

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Sustainability and climate change: a strategy for the education and children's services systems

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This strategy applies to: the Department for Education (DfE), its agencies and public bodies the education and children's services systems in England - including: early years schools (and independent schools where applicable) further education higher education children's social care DfE has an important role to play in all aspects of sustainability.

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JCQ: An introduction to becoming an examiner or marker

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JCQ: An introduction to becoming an examiner or marker

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Exam boards are offering an opportunity to join examiner teams in several subjects for this summer’s exam season. Examining gives you a chance to network with other subject experts, gain insight into the latest approaches to how your subject is assessed and earn extra income for approximately three weeks of work.

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Join all the other teachers who help students receive recognition for their learning, and also enable them to progress to the next stage of their development, by becoming an examiner. You'll gain a better understanding of the subject specification and how the examination system works.

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JCQ: Guidance for centres managing exams - June 2022 Series

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JCQ: Guidance for centres managing exams - June 2022 Series

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Published: 29th April 2022

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Careers Fair in STEM for students in Years 8-13

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Careers Fair in STEM for students in Years 8-13

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4-6pm, Thursday 12th May 2022
UTCN

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UTCN welcomes students in Years 8-13 to our Careers Fair where you will meet STEM employers and Further/Higher education providers.

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Pearson: BTEC Tech Award in Engineering has not been approved for 2024 Key Stage 4 Performance Tables

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Pearson: BTEC Tech Award in Engineering has not been approved for 2024 Key Stage 4 Performance Tables

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Published: 26th April

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Engineering (2022) | BTEC Tech Award | Pearson qualifications

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Information for students and teachers of our BTEC Tech Awards in Engineering (2022), including key documents and the latest news.

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Ofqual: Special consideration for illness etc..

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Ofqual: Special consideration for illness etc..

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Published: 22nd April 2022

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Ofqual requires exam boards to:

have clear arrangements for giving special consideration

publish details of those arrangements, including what special consideration is available, and how students qualify for it

We do not specify what special consideration exam boards should give, or how they should determine eligibility for it.

However, all the exam boards offer three different types of support for students who are affected by circumstances outside their control, all of which are types of special consideration:

changes to the way assessments are taken for students with temporary injuries or illnesses (sometimes referred to as 'access arrangements').

a small number of extra marks for students whose exam performance is affected by temporary illness, injury, indisposition, or an unforeseen incident.

awarding the qualification even though the student was absent from an exam or formal assessment (a student must have completed at least one component to be eligible for this type of special consideration).

JCQ provide more information about these different types of support.

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Guide for schools and colleges 2022: GCSEs, AS and A levels

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Ofqual requires exam boards to: have clear arrangements for giving special consideration publish details of those arrangements, including what special consideration is available, and how students qualify for it We do not specify what special consideration exam boards should give, or how they should determine eligibility for it.

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DfE: Everything you need to know about Covid measures during exams this summer

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DfE: Everything you need to know about Covid measures during exams this summer

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Published: 12th April

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*This post was updated on Tuesday 17 May 2022. Students studying for their GCSEs, A levels and vocational qualifications will be preparing to sit their exams this summer. We know that there may be instances where students contract the virus during the exam period, as we continue to live with COVID-19.

Here we look at what students should do if they display the symptoms in UKHSA guidance or receive a positive Covid test result while taking their exams.

Exams have been spaced by a minimum of ten days between the first and last exam in any subject, to reduce the chance of students missing all exams in a subject because of illness.

Parents should, wherever possible, encourage their children to attend their exams. However, there may be exceptional cases though where this will not be possible, e.g., a temporary illness on the day of the examination.

Will I have to provide proof of a positive Covid test if I fail to sit an exam due to Covid?

No - there is no requirement for you to complete a COVID-19 test to provide evidence of your absence from an exam. You should speak to your school, college, or exam centre, who can provide you with a self-certification form for you or your parents/carers to complete and tell you if there is anything else you need to do.

I am taking my A levels and have a high temperature on the day of one of my exams, what should I do?

UKHSA guidance advises you to stay at home and avoid contact with others, until you no longer have a high temperature and are well enough to attend your exams.

As your exams have been spaced by at least ten days you will be able to receive A-level grades based on the other components completed, as you are considered to have an acceptable reason for missing the exam.

You need to ask your school, college, or exam centre to make an application for special consideration and complete any forms they ask you to do. This is important because if your centre doesn't make the special consideration application, you would receive a 0 for the missed exam.

I have taken a COVID-19 test under the direction of my GP and have a positive test result, what should I do?

The UKHSA guidance is that you stay at home and avoid contact with others for 3 days (if 18 and under) or 5 days (if 19 or older) after the day you took the test. You should speak to your school, college, or exam centre, who can provide you with a self-certification form to complete and tell you if there is anything else you need to do. As your exams have been spaced by at least ten days you will be able to receive A-level grades based on the other components completed, as you are considered to have an acceptable reason for missing the exam. If your centre doesn't make the special consideration application, you would receive a 0 for the missed exam, so speak to them as soon as possible.

I am taking my A levels and am feeling unwell and experiencing a high temperature, but I still want to attend my exam. Can I still sit it?

UKHSA guidance is to stay at home and avoid contact with others until you no longer have a high temperature.

JCQ guidance confirms that following UKHSA guidance is an acceptable reason to miss an exam, and you will be eligible to receive special consideration. You should speak to your school, college, or exam centre, who can provide you with a self-certification form to complete and tell you if there is anything else you need to do.

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Everything you need to know about Covid measures during exams this summer

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This post was updated on Tuesday 17 May 2022. Students studying for their GCSEs, A levels and vocational qualifications will be preparing to sit their exams this summer. We know that there may be instances where students contract the virus during the exam period, as we continue to live with COVID-19.

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JCQ: A guide to the special consideration process

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JCQ: A guide to the special consideration process

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Updated: 8th April 2022
Now includes an appendix ‘Supplementary guidance on the special consideration process for centres in England June 2022 examination series’ which gives examples of possible scenarios of students with Covid-19 or with symptoms of Covid-19 and what schools and colleges need to do.

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Updated: 7 June 2022
T Level courses will start in these subject areas from September 2022

design and development for engineering and manufacturing

engineering, manufacturing, processing and control

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T Levels: what they are

T Levels are new 2-year courses which are taken after GCSEs and are broadly equivalent in size to 3 A Levels. Launched in September 2020, these courses have been developed in collaboration with employers and education providers so that the content meets the needs of industry and prepares students for entry into skilled employment, an apprenticeship or related technical study through further or higher education.

T Levels offer students practical and knowledge-based learning at a school or college and on-the-job experience through an industry placement of at least 315 hours - approximately 45 days.

The courses are available at selected colleges, schools and other providers across England.

T Levels are being gradually rolled out. The first 16 have now been launched and our aim is to have 24 T Levels available.

We have published a list of the providers offering T Level courses up to September 2024.

How T Levels will work with other qualifications

T Levels will become one of the main choices for students after GCSEs alongside:

apprenticeships for students who wish to learn a specific occupation 'on the job'

A levels for students who wish to continue academic education

other qualifications not served by A levels or T levels, including sport science, performing arts and small qualifications designed to be taken alongside A levels

The Department for Education ( DfE) is streamlining and improving the quality of the post-16 level 3 qualifications system. We are strengthening progression pathways, creating clearly defined academic and technical routes with high quality qualifications leading to further study, and/or skilled employment. This will help students to make good choices and see more easily how their study will help them to progress.

T Levels are based on the same standards as apprenticeships, designed by employers and approved by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (the Institute).

We expect the total time for a T Level to be around 1,800 hours over the 2 years, including the industry placement. This is a significant increase on most current technical education courses.

T Levels differ from an apprenticeship. T Levels prepare students for work, further training or further study. An apprenticeship is typically 80% on-the-job and 20% in the classroom and is more suited to those who want to earn a wage and learn at the same time, and are ready to enter the workforce at age 16.

How T Levels have been developed

Employers and providers work together to develop each T Level, with support from DfE and the Institute. Groups of employers have defined the skills and requirements for each T Level course by participating in T Level panels. This ensures that students taking T Levels will develop the technical knowledge and skills required by employers in that industry.

The T Level panels have developed the content for the technical qualifications which are part of each T Level programme, based on the same standards as apprenticeships. These plans are then tested and reviewed with students, education providers and additional employers.

The technical qualifications for 2020, 2021 and 2022 T Levels have been approved by the Institute.

Structure of a T Level

T Levels require students to undertake both a technical qualification and an industry placement with an employer.

Students are also required to work towards the attainment of maths and English if they have not already achieved grade 4 at GCSE, as students do on other 16 to 19 programmes. However, T Level students are no longer required to achieve either a grade 4 in English and maths GCSE or level 2 in functional skills to pass their programme.

Transition programme

The T Level transition programme is a 1-year post-GCSE study programme designed to support progression to, and success on, a T Level. It's aimed at students who would like to do a T Level but would benefit from additional preparation and support before starting one.

The programme gives students the opportunity to study technical content aligned to T Levels and develop their English, maths and digital skills, alongside work experience and personal development.

You can see a list of providers delivering the transition programme.

The T Level transition programme framework for delivery has guidance on how the programme should be delivered from academic year 2022 onwards.

Industry placements

Every T Level includes an industry placement with an employer focused on developing the practical and technical skills required for the occupation. These will last a minimum of 315 hours (approximately 45 days) but can last longer.

Employers can offer industry placements as a block, day release or a mix of these, and can discuss sharing part of the placement with another employer if necessary.

Providers will support employers offering industry placements. This will include assistance with paperwork, a careful planning process and support with designing the industry placement.

DfE 's employer engagement teams work with employers of all sizes and providers on industry placements.

Employers interested in finding out more about industry placements can contact 08000 150 600, email tlevel.placement@education.gov.uk or visit T Levels and industry placement support for employers.

Grading and certification

Students who complete their T Level get a nationally recognised certificate which shows their overall grade and a breakdown of what they have achieved.

The T Level certificate includes:

an overall grade for the T Level, shown as pass, merit, distinction or distinction*

a separate grade for the core component, using A* to E

a separate grade for each occupational specialism, shown as pass, merit or distinction

It also confirms that the student has:

completed the industry placement

met any additional mandatory requirements

A student's overall T Level grade is worked out from the grades they achieved on the core component and the occupational specialism(s).

Students who do not pass all elements of their T Level get a T Level statement of achievement which shows the elements they have completed.

If students have attained maths or English qualifications at level 2, this is also referenced on T Level certificates and statements of achievement.

Entry to higher education and UCAS tariff points

T Levels provide several progression options for students, including:

skilled employment

an apprenticeship

higher education

To help T Level students progress into higher education, UCAS tariff points are allocated to T Levels.

UCAS points are allocated to the overall T Level grade. Students must achieve at least an overall pass grade to receive UCAS points.

To support students that partially achieve their T Level, UCAS tariff points are also available for both elements of the technical qualification:

an allocation for students that have passed the core component and completed the industry placement

an allocation for students that have passed the occupational specialism component and completed the industry placement

As the relative weighting of the core and occupational specialism for each T Level varies, the UCAS points for partial achievement will also vary across T Levels. Tariff allocations for partial achievement of each T Level are available on the UCAS tariff calculator.

You can find a list of higher education institutions who accept T Levels for entry onto one of their courses.

Register to deliver T Levels

Providers can register to deliver T Levels from September 2024.

The closing date for registration is 24 March 2023. We recommend that providers register as early as possible so they can take advantage of support that will be offered.

Funding for providers

We recognise that significant additional funding is needed for the successful introduction and delivery of T Levels.

T Levels involve more hours than most current technical qualifications at level 3 and providers are funded for the extra hours involved and for organising industry placements.

Guidance on the next steps for providers includes more information on how T Levels are funded.

All T Level providers receive funding for state-of-the-art specialist equipment. All providers, apart from independent training providers, can bid for funding to refurbish existing facilities or build new buildings. Over £400 million has been made available so far for T Levels capital.

Support for professional development

To be sure that T Levels deliver great outcomes for learners, we are giving teachers and leaders the support they need to deliver them. T Level professional development is available from the Education and Training Foundation ( ETF), at no charge to all providers delivering and planning to deliver T Levels.

The offer is shaped around the needs of providers and their workforce alongside relevant regional, employer and curriculum needs. It includes:

training needs analysis to help identify any gaps in skills and knowledge around T Levels

understanding T Levels to help staff in different roles understand T Levels and how they can support their successful introduction

T Level role and route-specific training - pedagogical and subject-specific courses, and other activities structured to meet an individual's professional development needs

professional development for leaders - support for staff in leadership roles to help with T Level planning and implementation.

networks and TRIPs - route-specific networks and T Level resource improvement projects (TRIP) providing opportunities to produce resources for planning and delivering T Levels

industry insights - opportunities for staff to increase and update their knowledge by:

undertaking placements within industry

accessing industry-relevant mentoring

participating in group industry collaboration

engaging in industry-led workshops

Timeline

September 2020

The first T Level courses started in:

design, surveying and planning for construction

digital production, design and development

education and early years

September 2021

T Level courses started in:

building services engineering for construction

digital business services

digital support and services

health

healthcare science

onsite construction

science

September 2022

T Level courses started in:

accounting

design and development for engineering and manufacturing

engineering, manufacturing, processing and control

finance

maintenance, installation and repair for engineering and manufacturing

management and administration

September 2023

T Level courses will start in:

agriculture, land management and production

legal services

September 2024

T Level courses will start in:

animal care and management

craft and design

hair, beauty and aesthetics

media, broadcast and production

September 2025

T Level courses will start in:

Further planned T Levels

A T Level is planned in Catering, for delivery beyond 2024.

Find out more

Students

Visit our T Levels website where you can add your postcode to find colleges, schools or other providers who are offering T Levels. You can also find guidance at the Get the Jump content hub.

Watch our industry placement videos to hear from students and employers who have benefited from industry placements.

Employers

To find out more about industry placements, contact 0800 0150 600, email tlevel.placement@education.gov.uk or visit T Levels and industry placement support for employers.

Providers

The T Level action plan has detailed information about how we have been developing the T Level qualifications for post-16 students since 2017.

It includes sections on:

the rollout of T Levels

case studies

T Level provider information

T Level results and certification

T Levels for adults

T Level capital

progression to and from T Levels

the Ofsted Thematic Review of T Levels

the role of IfATE in T Level delivery

industry placements

communications and marketing

We also have information for providers about the next steps towards delivering T Levels.

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T Levels are new 2-year courses which are taken after GCSEs and are broadly equivalent in size to 3 A Levels. Launched in September 2020, these courses have been developed in collaboration with employers and education providers so that the content meets the needs of industry and prepares students for entry into skilled employment, an apprenticeship or related technical study through further or higher education.

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This suite of courses is suitable for anyone supporting T Level learners with embedded English, maths and digital competencies in T Levels.

The suite of courses is made up of:

Supporting T Level Learners with Embedded English (online)

Supporting T Level Learners with Embedded Maths (online)

Supporting T Level Learners with Embedded Digital (online)

Supporting T Level Learners with Embedded English, Maths and Digital (face-to-face or live online)

Course delivery: a mixture of online and face-to-face courses.

Taking both course options will maximise the impact of your CPD activity, but if you are time-limited, taking either the online course or the face-to-face/live online event will provide you with the knowledge you need.

Supporting T Level Learners with Embedded English

This course will introduce vocational teachers to the General English Competencies and explore how these can be used to develop the embedded English skills of learners on T Levels. It will help you to:

examine the General English Competencies in vocational context

explore and evaluate practical pedagogical approaches to teaching, learning and assessment of the General English Competencies in T Levels.

Course delivery: online course, accessed through the Professional Development Platform once you have inputted your T Level Occupational Specialism.

Recommended six hours of self-guided learning.

Supporting T Level Learners with Embedded Maths

This course will introduce vocational teachers to the General Maths Competencies and explore how these can be used to support learners as they develop and apply the embedded maths skills in T Levels. It will help you to:

consider some teaching, learning and assessment activities that will support the development of learners' procedural fluency and conceptual understanding of maths skills

explore and examine practical pedagogical approaches to teaching maths skills within your specialist area

review some resources that you can use to help your learners develop the required maths skills for employment.

Course delivery: online course, accessed through the Professional Development Platform once you have inputted your T Level Occupational Specialism.

Recommended six hours of self-guided learning.

Supporting T Level Learners with Embedded Digital

This course will introduce vocational teachers to the General Digital Competencies and explore how these can be used to develop the digital skills and confidence of learners on T Levels. It will help you to:

examine the General Digital Competencies in vocational context

explore and evaluate practical pedagogical approaches to teaching, learning and assessment of the General Digital Competencies in T Levels

identify resources and activities to help learners to develop and demonstrate their digital knowledge, skills and understanding in vocational context.

Course delivery: online course, accessed through the Professional Development Platform once you have inputted your T Level Occupational Specialism

Recommended six hours of self-guided learning.

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T Level Role and Route Specific Training - The Education and Training Foundation

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This suite of courses is suitable for anyone supporting T Level learners with embedded English, maths and digital competencies in T Levels. The suite of courses is made up of: Supporting T Level Learners with Embedded English (online) Supporting T Level Learners with Embedded Maths (online) Supporting T Level Learners with Embedded Digital (online) Supporting T Level Learners with Embedded English, Maths and Digital (face-to-face or live online) Course delivery: a mixture of online and face-to-face courses.

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The Food Teachers Centre - Better food teaching

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Donations help us to continue our great work in supporting food teachers and staff across the UK

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Ofqual: Updated with additional information for teachers on collecting evidence for use in contingency arrangements

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Ofqual: Updated with additional information for teachers on collecting evidence for use in contingency arrangements

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Updated: 25th March 2022

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Recent updates regarding regulated qualifications.

Delivery of vocational and technical qualification results for 2024 and beyond

Ofqual has announced arrangements to ensure the timely delivery of results for students taking vocational and technical qualifications in 2024 and beyond.

Dr Jo Saxton, Chief Regulator, has also written to all schools and colleges in England to explain the arrangements in more detail, and how they differ from those implemented in 2023.

GCSE, Level 1, Level 1/2 and Level 2 vocational and technical qualifications results, summer 2023

Ofqual has published 2 guides to today's (24 August 2023) exam results:

These guides summarise the headline figures across England and reflect Ofqual's decision to return to pre-pandemic grading this summer.

You can explore the results in more depth - including breakdowns by centre type, subject and region - using Ofqual's interactive visualisations.

Ofqual has also summarised the key data in infographics for GCSE and Level 1, Level 1/2 and Level 2 VTQ.

AS, A level and Level 3 vocational and technical qualifications results, summer 2023

Ofqual has published 2 guides to today's (17 August 2023) exam results:

These guides summarise the headline figures across England and reflect Ofqual's decision to return to pre-pandemic grading this summer.

You can explore the results in more depth - including breakdowns by centre type, subject and region - using Ofqual's interactive visualisations.

Ofqual has also summarised the key data in infographics for AS and A level and Level 3 VTQ.

Industrial action

The Department for Education has issued guidance that recommends that schools should prioritise the running of examinations and assessments on any strike days, and should review their contingency plans to enable this to happen.

Schools, colleges and other exam centres should speak to the relevant awarding organisations if they are expecting any disruption that might affect the sitting of exams and assessments.

Replacement certificates

Ofqual does not hold copies of your certificates - we can't tell you your grade or provide replacements. Certificates are held by the exam board you sat your qualification with. If you don't know which exam board you took your qualification with, ask your school. If your school don't know you will need to ask each exam board to do a search for you - they will charge you for this.

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UEA: Engineering Unlocked -  Five day, non-residential, hands on engineering experience

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UEA: Engineering Unlocked -  Five day, non-residential, hands on engineering experience

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Y10
Deadline: Tuesday 15th March (Extended)
Monday 11 July – Friday 15 July

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Not only will students get to work with experts in various biological science fields, but they'll gain scientific skills and knowledge, develop an understanding of experimental design, gain a real-world understanding of biological concepts. Students will get to work with some of the best minds at UEA at a time where they're making pivotal decisions about their futures, including post-16 study options.

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Updated: February 2022

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16 to 18 accountability headline measures

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Guide for schools, colleges and local authorities on how the 16 to 18 performance measures are calculated.

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Secondary accountability measures Guidance 2022

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Secondary accountability measures Guidance 2022

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Updated: February 2022

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Information for schools about secondary school accountability measures, including Progress 8 and Attainment 8.

Applies to England

Documents

Details

This document explains how secondary accountability measures are calculated. It also gives more information about announced policies that apply to accountability measures for the 2022 to 2023 academic year.

This information is for:

senior leaders working in secondary schools and trusts, including maintained schools, academies, alternative provision, free schools and special schools

independent schools or colleges with 14 to 16 provision seeking information on secondary accountability measures

governors and trustees

local authorities

It applies to:

local-authority-maintained schools

academies

free schools

further education colleges with 14 to 16 provision

Find school and college performance data.

KS4 qualifications, discount codes and point scores for the school performance measures.

A short video explaining Progress 8 is also available:
Progress 8 video

Thank you for your feedback

Report a problem with this page

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Secondary accountability measures (including Progress 8 and Attainment 8)

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Information for schools about secondary school accountability measures, including Progress 8 and Attainment 8.

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FREE
Hethersett
Wednesday 16th March

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Ofqual: Regulating academic and technical qualifications at level 3 - Consultation

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Ofqual: Regulating academic and technical qualifications at level 3 - Consultation

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Deadline: 20th April 2022

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Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

Applies to England

Summary

Proposed regulatory approach for alternative academic and alternative technical qualifications at level 3 in England

This consultation closes at

Consultation description

This consultation sets out Ofqual's proposed approach to regulating alternative academic qualifications and alternative technical qualifications, operating in conjunction with the Institute and the Department. These qualifications will be part of the future level 3 landscape, as part of the Department's 'Review of post-16 qualifications at level 3 in England', alongside A levels, T Levels and Apprenticeships. These groups of qualifications are explained in more detail later in this document, but in summary:

alternative academic qualifications are those which have the primary purpose of evidencing students' attainment in relation to their course of study, with a view to supporting informed decisions and choices about further study

alternative technical qualifications are those which have the primary purpose of identifying students that have attained the knowledge, skills and behaviours linked to competence in a given occupation.

This consultation is open to anyone who may wish to make representation but may be of most interest to:

awarding organisations and their representative bodies, particularly those that deliver (or want to deliver) alternative academic and alternative technical qualifications that would fit into the groups to be regulated by the proposed arrangements

schools, colleges and training providers, and their representative bodies - particularly those that deliver (or want to deliver) alternative academic and alternative technical qualifications that would fit into the groups to be regulated by the proposed arrangements

students

employers

Documents

Ref: Ofqual/22/6898/1 HTML

Ref: Ofqual/22/6898/1 PDF, 678 KB, 65 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email publications@ofqual.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Thank you for your feedback

Report a problem with this page

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Regulating academic and technical qualifications at level 3

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Skip to main content We use some essential cookies to make this website work. We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

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Welcome to the GCSE Food Technology section at project GSCE

GCSE Food Technology revision notes

The following revision notes are available for GCSE Food Technology

GCSE Food Technology revision guides

We also offer a selection of GCSE Food Technology revision guides provided by amazon.co.uk

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Welcome to the GCSE Food Technology section at project GSCE The following revision notes are available for GCSE Food Technology We also offer a selection of GCSE Food Technology revision guides provided by amazon.co.uk

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AQA: GCSE Design and Technology notes and guidance: NEA 2022

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AQA: GCSE Design and Technology notes and guidance: NEA 2022

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Published: 9th July 2022

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Volunteering and DIY for young people aged 16-24 to learn trade skills by helping to fix local community buildings in need of improvement

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Engineering and Manufacturing - T Levels| City & Guilds

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Want to deliver Engineering and Manufacturing T Levels? From September 2022, City & Guilds will offer these T Levels. Learn more.

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Getting Started: Ways to Teach and Assess BTEC Tech Award in Engineering 2022

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Getting Started: Ways to Teach and Assess BTEC Tech Award in Engineering 2022

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16:00-18:00, 13 January 2022

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Getting Started: Ways to Teach and Assess BTEC Tech Award in Engineering 2022

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University of Cambridge: STEM SMART Programme

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University of Cambridge: STEM SMART Programme

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Year 12
Online & Cambridge Residential
Deadline: 31 October 2022

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STEM SMART (Subject Mastery and Attainment Raising Tuition) is a widening participation initiative from the University of Cambridge in association with Isaac Physics, to provide free, complementary teaching and support to UK (non-fee paying) students who: have either experienced educational disadvantage or belong to a group that is statistically less likely to progress to

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Y12/13
Cambridge
July/August 2023

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Overview

Academic

Tutors & Speakers

Our Alumni Says

Activities

Accommodation

Pastoral Care

Modules

Advanced pre-university course in Engineering in Cambridge colleges

Throughout the Immerse Education Engineering summer school programme for 16-18-year-olds, you will be introduced to the engineering topics that form the foundation of engineering at university, reside at a Cambridge University College, and develop new skills as you work through a carefully constructed syllabus.

You will be equipped with introductory insights to help decide whether you should pursue studying engineering at the university level. You’ll learn first-year engineering topics and develop both theoretical and practical understanding through an exciting syllabus designed by expert tutors from leading universities.

Overview

Academic

Learn directly from expert academics from world-class universities

You will explore novel concepts and share ideas in small groups of like-minded and ambitious peers from around the world. In small class sizes averaging 7 students, you will be guided by expert tutors who have honed their expertise through teaching undergraduate students at world-class universities, including the universities of Cambridge, Oxford, and Harvard.

Our rigorous vetting process guarantees that all participants are taught by engaging and supportive educators who are, most of all, enthusiastic about sharing their expertise to ensure our summer school teaching is of the highest quality. Immerse™ is an unrivalled academic experience.

Average class size of 7

Maximum class size of 10 students

1:1 tutorials

Supportive, challenging and engaging

Academic workshops

Develop a practical understanding of your subject

World-class tutors

Academics from Oxford and Cambridge

Boost your confidence and develop key attributes in academic skills workshops

Our workshops are geared towards unlocking participants’ potential, giving them the tools to prepare for the next steps of their education and future goals. Build upon existing study skills to support future university-level learning.

These workshops explore a diverse and enriching range of topics – past examples have ranged from ‘Productivity tips’ to ’21st Century Technology Skills’. We’re sure that you’ll learn something completely new. Unlike traditional schools, Immerse allows you to learn beyond the traditional curriculum.

Certificate & detailed participant evaluation

All participants receive an individual report from their tutor

Personal project

Develop a personal project to present at the end of the course

Experience Oxbridge life

Live and learn like an Oxbridge undergraduate

Enhance key academic skills

Interview skills, academic writing and presentation

Guest speakers from previous summers

Each week, Academic Insights participants will hear from an influential guest speaker from a variety of inspiring backgrounds. Meet some of our previous guests:

Neuroscientist & entrepreneur

Dr Lynda Shaw

A journey in personal development - how to create your own set of tools to fast track success

Former Olympian

Abi Oyepitan

A two-time Olympian and Commonwealth Gold and Silver winning track and field athlete.

Philosopher, author & journalist

Dr Nigel Warburton

How do great people find answers to deep and meaningful questions?

Tutors & Speakers

Reviews

Our Alumni says

"

Immerse was an enriching experience which helped me further understand the depth of the engineering course, but it isn’t only about work due to the many expeditions and activities.

Attended Immerse in 2017

Residential Summer Programme Student

Work hard, play hard.

Action-packed social programme

Outside of lessons, we are proud to offer a busy and diverse social programme to help you get the most out of your time in Cambridge. This includes activities such as punting on the River Cam, zorb football and a murder mystery night in the college.

There are also two excursions during the programme, one day trip to visit Oxford and its constituent colleges, as well as an optional day out in London, seeing the city’s most famous landmarks as well as some free time for shopping. Those who choose not to travel to London are invited to afternoon tea in Cambridge.

Activities and excursions are run by our team of friendly mentors – whose main job is to maximise your enjoyment.

Work hard, play hard.

A unique social programme.

Experience traditional 'Formal Hall'

Formal Hall is a traditional weekly meal that takes place in every college. This is an opportunity for students to dress up, dine by candlelight in the magical surroundings of a Cambridge college’s dining hall.

As an Immerse student, you will experience formal dinner three times during your stay – once per week in Cambridge, as well as in an Oxford University college on the excursion day.

Formal hall is truly a memorable occasion, so remember to bring some smart clothes!

A unique social programme.

Activities

Live and study in a
Cambridge University College

Experience life as a Cambridge University undergraduate

All participants will be allocated to a college a few weeks before arriving, based on their dates and subject choice.

If you would like to stay in the same location as a friend/sibling – please let us know and we will do our best to arrange this, where possible.

Males and females have separate accommodation in every college, and there is wi-fi available throughout.

For more information, please visit this page.

Accommodation

Meet some of our mentors and
college managers

All mentors on the Academic Insights programme are past/current students at Oxford or Cambridge University, whilst College Managers have experience running academic short courses. All of our support staff are background-checked and receive training in providing an unforgettable experience for every Immerse student. Meet some of our previous team:

Dylan, Cambridge

Dylan has been both an Immerse Mentor and a College Manager twice! He's known for going the extra mile to make the Immerse experience exceptional.

Eliza, Cambridge

Eliza's infectious enthusiasm - from the academic sessions to the talent show -means that she's a firm favourite amongst Immerse students.

Maia, Cambridge

Maia is a Cambridge University Theology student who participated in the Immerse Philosophy programme.

Murray, Cambridge

Murray is an enthusiastic Medicine student at Cambridge University, who is always eager to help Immerse students make the best of their experience.

Olivia, Cambridge

Olivia studies Medicine at Cambridge and has a knack for making friends with each of her mentor 'family' - creating a home away from home.

Ore, Cambridge

Ore participated in Immerse as a student before joining the team whilst studying at Cambridge, relating her Immerse experience to new students.

Immerse™ Engineering Sample Modules

Module 1 - Electrical Engineering

You will apply the principles of electromagnetism to understand a range of electrical components such as digital circuits and sensors. You will then enrich your understanding by exploring digital circuits at the base of modern laptops and smartphones, addressing their limitations. The theory is then put into practice as you construct your own radio receiver.

Module 2 - Mechanical Engineering

Following a review of the key principles of kinematics and the Newtonian laws of motion, you will explore rigid body dynamics for 2D and 3D objects before exploring the engineering design of earthquake-resistant buildings and pitching your own ideas based on an in-class scenario.

Module 3 - Material Engineering

At the forefront of nanoscience and nanotechnology research, you will explore this fascinating and diverse field to evaluate existing materials and consider new substances at the forefront of current research. Participants will also explore how new materials are developed and tested.

Module 4 - Engineering A Solution

Participants will be presented with a known problem and asked to work in pairs to create a solution based on the engineering principles that they have encountered. They will then present their idea and demonstrate a working prototype to their peers before facing questions.

Want to learn more?
Request syllabus overview

Want to learn more?
Request syllabus overview

Modules

10th July – 23rd July 2022

24th July – 6th August 2022

13 nights accommodation in a central college of the University of Cambridge/Oxford

Breakfast and dinner in College Hall

Accommodation in an individual bedroom

40 hours of academic sessions from Oxford University and Cambridge University tutors

Carefully designed study and lecture materials

Mentor programme and access to support material

All excursions- including formal dinner at Cambridge/Oxford colleges, punting, croquet

Comprehensive summer school insurance

2 coach excursions including a trip to London

Graduation ceremony and certificate

Detailed evaluation written by tutor

Free premium membership to UniPrepare's 'Nurture' plan

Engineering

academic insights

Cambridge

Secure your place for Summer 2022

Enrol now

accreditation

Accreditation

Similar Programmes

History

Academic Insights 16-18 years

Cambridge

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Cambridge Engineering Summer Program for Ages 16-18 | Immerse Education

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Explore our award-winning pre-university Engineering programme in Cambridge, for students aged 16-18. Explore Newton’s laws, kinematics, inertia & more.

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Years 7-13
Deadline: 20 March 2022.

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The Big Bang competition

Know the next space explorer or climate change hero? Got an idea that will transform people's lives?

Inspire inquisitive minds to think big, challenge facts, ask questions and invent solutions with the UK's top annual science and engineering competition. Young people are amazing - help them shine and change the world.
Join the fun! (...and develop skills along the way)

Build confidence and teamwork skills

Solve problems

Get expert feedback

Celebrate and share your work

The Big Bang Competition is free, and is open to young people in the UK aged 11 to 19 in state funded education, who are home educated or who enter as part of a community group. Competitors can only enter one project, either on their own or as part of a team.

Please check that you're eligible before you start your entry - have a look at our rules and eligibility for more details.

The Competition is now open for entries! The Competition will close on 30 March 2023 at 5pm.

Enter The Big Bang Competition

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Know the next space explorer or climate change hero? Got an idea that will transform people's lives? Inspire inquisitive minds to think big, challenge facts, ask questions and invent solutions with the UK's top science and engineering competition. Young people are amazing - help them shine and change the world.

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The Global Underwater Hub STEM Challenge

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The Global Underwater Hub STEM Challenge

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Year 9
The Space, Norwich
20th May 2022

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the global underwater hub stem challenge 2022

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the global underwater hub stem challenge 2022 tickets

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The Global Underwater Hub STEM Challenge 2022

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Eventbrite - The Smallpeice Trust presents The Global Underwater Hub STEM Challenge 2022 - - Find event and registration information.

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Norfolk Design and Technology WhatsApp Group

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Norfolk Design and Technology WhatsApp Group

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Contact Caroline Lloyd to join Lloydca.staff@wymondhamcollege.org

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Design and Technology support for GCSE, AS and A level students in 2022

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Norfolk Area Coordinator
Ian Clarke
ian.clarke@amsp.org.uk

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The Advanced Mathematics Support Programme is a government-funded initiative. It is led and delivered by MEI, with Tribal as a key partner.

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24th November 2021
Online

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Want to expand your understanding of OCR’s Engineering qualifications?

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AQA: GCSE Design & Technology - Supporting student exam preparation

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AQA: GCSE Design & Technology - Supporting student exam preparation

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16:15-17:15
7th or 9th or 10th March 2022

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GCSE Design and Technology: Supporting student exam preparation

Course summary

This free of charge training event will aim to strengthen teacher confidence, in supporting students preparing for exams.

These courses will NOT cover detail of advanced notice to Summer 22 papers.

Course reference

DATGXW3 - use this in communications with us.

Course description

*Reinforcing key messages and skills

*Getting the basics right

*Approaches to exam technique

*Signposting and highlighting key resources

Please note: any references to student work will exclude responses to the 2020 examination papers

Places are limited to one place per school/college per series.

Suitable for

All teachers of GCSE Design and Technology.

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This free of charge training event will aim to strengthen teacher confidence, in supporting students preparing for exams. These courses will NOT cover detail of advanced notice to Summer 22 papers. DATGXW3 - use this in communications with us.

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AQA: GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition: Supporting student exam preparation

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AQA: GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition: Supporting student exam preparation

# data[].attributes.body
16:00-17:00
3rd March 2022

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Browse our qualifications support, teaching skills, subject expertise and leadership and management courses for primary and secondary teachers.

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Ofqual: Subject-by-subject support for GCSE, AS and A level students in 2022

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Ofqual: Subject-by-subject support for GCSE, AS and A level students in 2022

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Published: 7th February 2022

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Overview of the support being provided for each qualification for students taking GCSEs, AS and A levels in 2022.

Applies to England

Additional support this year

A package of support has been put in place for students taking GCSE, AS and A level qualifications in summer 2022. It is intended to make sure that we are being as fair as possible to students given the disruption they have experienced, and many continue to face, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Part of the changes includes more generous grading this year to provide a safety net for students who may have been impacted by the pandemic.

Advance information might look different for different subjects because of how they are structured and assessed, but as far as possible the exam boards have made sure the approaches within a subject are the same.

These changes apply in England and to Ofqual regulated qualifications taken elsewhere.

Exam boards have published specific information about the changes for each qualification they offer, you should check their websites for more information:

GCSEs

Where we list changes for subjects in 2022, we only list what has changed, not what is remaining the same.

Ancient history, GCSE

Art and design, GCSE

Changes for 2022

More information is available from the exam boards:

Astronomy, GCSE

Biblical Hebrew, GCSE

Biology, GCSE

Business, GCSE

Chemistry, GCSE

Citizenship studies, GCSE

Classical civilisation, GCSE

Classical Greek, GCSE

Combined science, GCSE

Changes for 2022

Information on some of the exam content has been provided to help students focus their revision.

A revised equation sheet has been provided for teaching and learning.

A clean copy of the equation sheet will be provided for students in the exams.

Teachers can deliver practical work by demonstration.

Examiners will build in generosity for students when setting grade boundaries.

More information is available from the exam boards:

Computer science, GCSE

Dance, GCSE

Design and technology, GCSE

Drama, GCSE

Economics, GCSE

Electronics, GCSE

Engineering, GCSE

English language, GCSE

English literature, GCSE

Film studies, GCSE

Food preparation and nutrition, GCSE

Geography, GCSE

Changes for 2022

Exams will cover less content than usual.

In the exams there will be a choice of content on which students must answer questions.

There will be no questions on the student's fieldwork experience.

Fieldwork requirements have been relaxed.

Examiners will build in generosity for students when setting grade boundaries.

More information is available from the exam boards:

Geology, GCSE

Changes for 2022

More information is available from the exam boards:

History, GCSE

Latin, GCSE

Maths, GCSE

Modern foreign languages, GCSE

Changes for 2022

More information is available from the exam boards:

Music, GCSE

Physical education, GCSE

Physical education (short course), GCSE

Physics, GCSE

Changes for 2022

Information on some of the exam content has been provided to help students focus their revision.

A revised equation sheet has been provided for teaching and learning.

A clean copy of the equation sheet will be provided for students in the exams.

Teachers can deliver practical work by demonstration.

Examiners will build in generosity for students when setting grade boundaries.

More information is available from the exam boards:

Psychology, GCSE

Religious studies, GCSE

Religious studies (short course), GCSE

Sociology, GCSE

Statistics, GCSE

AS and A levels

Accounting, AS and A level

Ancient history, AS and A level

Art and design, AS and A level

Biblical Hebrew, A level

Biology, AS

Biology, A level

Business, AS and A level

Chemistry, AS

Chemistry, A level

Classical civilisation, AS and A level

Classical Greek, AS and A level

Computer science, AS and A level

Dance, A level

Design and technology, AS and A level

Drama and theatre, AS and A level

Economics, AS and A level

Electronics, AS and A level

English language, AS and A level

English language and literature, AS and A level

English literature, AS and A level

Environmental science, A level

Changes for 2022

More information is available from the exam boards:

Film studies, AS and A level

Changes for 2022

More information is available from the exam boards:

Further maths, AS and A level

Geography, AS

Geography, A level

Geology, AS

Changes for 2022

More information is available from the exam boards:

Geology, A level

Changes for 2022

More information is available from the exam boards:

History, AS and A level

History of art, AS and A level

Latin, AS and A level

Law, AS and A level

Maths, AS and A level

Modern foreign languages, AS and A level

Changes for 2022

Information on some of the exam content has been provided to help students focus their revision.

Examiners will build in generosity for students when setting grade boundaries.

More information is available from the exam boards:

AQA - Bengali (Listening, Reading, Writing), A level

AQA - French, A level

AQA - French, AS

AQA - German, A level

AQA - German, AS

AQA - Modern Hebrew (Listening, Reading, Writing), A level

AQA - Panjabi (Listening, Reading, Writing), A level

AQA - Polish (Listening, Reading, Writing), A level

AQA - Spanish, A level

AQA - Spanish, AS

Pearson Edexcel - Arabic (2018), A level

Pearson Edexcel - Chinese (2017), A level

Pearson Edexcel - French (2016), A level

Pearson Edexcel - German (2016), A level

Pearson Edexcel - Greek (2018), A level

Pearson Edexcel - Gujarati (2018), A level

Pearson Edexcel - Italian (2017), A level

Pearson Edexcel - Japanese (2018), A level

Pearson Edexcel - Persian (2018), A level

Pearson Edexcel - Portuguese (2018), A level

Pearson Edexcel - Russian (2017), A level

Pearson Edexcel - Spanish (2016), A level

Pearson Edexcel - Turkish (2018), A level

Pearson Edexcel - Urdu (2018), A level

WJEC Eduqas - French, AS and A level

WJEC Eduqas - German, AS and A level

WJEC Eduqas - Spanish, AS and A level

Music, AS and A level

Music technology, AS and A level

Philosophy, AS and A level

Physical education, AS and A level

Physics, AS

Physics, A level

Politics, AS and A level

Psychology, AS and A level

Religious studies, AS and A level

Sociology, AS and A level

Statistics, AS and A level

Background to these changes

Full details of the changes we have made to our rules can be found in the decisions for the consultations ' Proposed changes to the assessment of GCSEs, AS and A levels in 2022' and ' Arrangements for non-exam assessment for qualifications in 2022 '.

Vocational and technical qualifications

Where needed, [awarding organisations are allowed to make adaptations to assessments and qualifications due to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Schools and colleges have already been told what these changes will be, and you should speak to your school or college for further details about your specific qualification.

Accessible version of diagram

Generous grading

Exams will be graded more generously this year providing a safety net for students.

Changes to coursework

Non-exam assessment and fieldwork requirements adjusted, with flexibility in some subjects.

Optional content

There will be less content or fewer topics for students to learn in some GCSEs.

Support materials

Students will get formulae and equation sheets in some exams and won't have to memorise as much.

Advance information

Exam boards will give information on the focus of exams for most subjects to help students revise.

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Subject-by-subject support for GCSE, AS and A level students in 2022

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Overview of the support being provided for each qualification for students taking GCSEs, AS and A levels in 2022.

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JCQ:  Summer 2022 Exams and Advance Information 

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JCQ:  Summer 2022 Exams and Advance Information 

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Updated: 7th February 2022

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Ofqual Dr Jo Saxton: Speech at Sixth Form Colleges Association Conference

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Ofqual Dr Jo Saxton: Speech at Sixth Form Colleges Association Conference

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19th January 2022
Sets out the support for students taking exams and assessments this year, including advance information and a fair approach to grading

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Good morning, everyone. Bill: thank you so much for inviting me. I'm thrilled to be with you, in spirit if not in person.

I first met Bill in something like 2008. I went to see him in his office somewhere high up in Millbank tower. It had the most stunning view across south Westminster. Bill deployed me as a literacy consultant, and not long after, I found myself in a particularly tough new academy in the East Midlands. At that time, challenging educational circumstances on the ground did not include providing and complying with public health measures, and it did not include devising and determining high stakes assessments on top of everything else. Your response to the scale and pace of the change required by the pandemic in the last 2 years is simply breath-taking-more so than any view.

Let me give a sense of scale. Thanks to your commitment and efforts, and those of many thousands of other sector colleagues, despite exams being cancelled, last year 1.2 million students received grades for GCSE, AS and A levels. You, and staff at schools and exam centres, submitted 5.7 million Teacher Assessed Grades for students in England last summer. That includes over 750,000 A level TAGs.

And, in the spring and summer of 2021 alone, thanks again to your efforts, awarding organisations were able to issue over 1 million qualification results to students taking Functional Skills qualifications, Core Maths, International Baccalaureate diplomas, Cambridge Pre-Us, Applied Generals, Tech Levels and others.

2022 is still very young, yet as at today, over 500 regulated assessments and exams have taken place, that's 480,000 entries, or 89% of the January series will have been undertaken, which is extraordinary, given the pressures of the Omicron variant. Once again, in very large part because you have adapted staffing, prioritisation and invigilation, and many of you will have even reorganised your facilities to enable COVID-safe exam sittings to go ahead.

None of us would have chosen this turn of events, and whilst media commentators are right that it has shown the extraordinary purpose, commitment, drive and dedication of those who work in colleges, sixth forms and schools - for which I, and Ofqual of course applaud you - I think there is a bigger point here, and it is about adaptation.

As Darwin and Wallace posited in the 1890s, it is the ability of a species to adapt to its environment that determines its success. The versatility you have all shown over the past 2 years - and the scale of change to qualification and assessment policy and practice that you have realised - must surely exceed that of any generation of educators, certainly in recent history.

And as you know, there are more novel and important adaptations to come, in the form of advance information next month, together with a measured approach to ensure fair grading in the summer. I want to talk to you now about both of these; how they were conceived; why I believe they will help your students, and why they will mark an important staging post in our move back towards normality.

Advance Information

The first point I want to make about advance information is that it's not something we would have contemplated in 'normal times'. In fact, we have gone to great lengths - the whole qualification system has gone to great lengths traditionally - through Ofqual's regulations to reduce the risk of any student or teacher knowing in advance the focus of any exam paper. But we wanted a way to make the exam experience less daunting for students, while also preserving the integrity of the content coverage, as well as preserving the integrity of the assessments themselves.

The whole point is to provide as universal as possible a revision aid for students. And this, combined with the anticipation of a difficult winter, is how policymakers arrived at the 7 February publication date. Any earlier, and content coverage would have been affected; any later and it comes too late in the day for revision to be effective, too late to allow you to recap and review where necessary.

Obviously this is the first time this innovative approach has been taken, and 2022 exam papers were not designed with the publication of advance information in mind. I've no doubt that some people will feel we haven't gone far enough, and others will feel we have gone too far. But the people who matter to me the most are the students - and my sincere hope is that - with guidance from you - they will be able to benefit from the information being shared.

Advance Information is novel for everyone in the exam system. Exam boards have developed it for almost every subject. They've worked at pace to do so in the interests of students. They have done their absolute level best to deliver focused aids, without revealing the questions, and you can imagine that's definitely an art rather than a science. If they'd gone too close to revealing the questions it would have undermined exams and turned them into short-term memory tests rather than true measures of what students have learned, know, understand and can do.

There has been some commentary already about whether advance information will mainly benefit more able students because it might support them to revise for the higher tariff questions.

Of course, much of the advance information gives a steer on how to revise for higher tariff questions, although not all of it.

Bluntly, to focus advance information on low tariff questions would be nonsensical. It would be silly to publish a document that says something like; you will be asked to identify the year in which the Versailles Treaty was signed, or the year in which Magna Carta was signed. Clearly, at that point, the exam would stop being an exam.

But supporting students to revise for higher tariff questions does not mean that advance information will only support the most able students. Higher tariff doesn't necessarily mean harder content. We know that candidates from across all abilities and demographics gain marks across an exam paper and not only in the low tariff questions. And we hope that the benefit of advance information will mean that students who suffered the most disruption, or those who are less able, may gain confidence to tackle elements of a paper that they might previously not have felt confident to try.

And just as much as advance information is a new phenomenon for the boards and for colleges and schools, so is it new for us at Ofqual. It presents us, as the regulator, with a novel and interesting challenge. We have created a regulatory framework for exceptional measures that would, quite simply, have been unthinkable in a normal exam context. The pandemic has required a range of regulatory reprioritisation and adaptation in the same way that you have had to reprioritise and adapt your normal practice. I am clear that our regulations must align to the interests of students - given the impact on their education experience these past 2 years. So, what does this novel situation look like from the regulator's point of view?

First, the tenet must hold true that Ofqual does not see exams before they are sat. That doesn't change this year. Each year the number of people that know the content of live papers before they are sat is very tightly controlled by exam boards, and that's right. That's key to fairness for students, and important to minimise the risk of any leaks. The exam boards are accountable to Ofqual for the quality and security of their papers. And this year they are also accountable to us for the accurate and careful introduction of advance information.

So, our approach has been about putting in place principles to ensure that advance information secures the interests of students and we've set the right regulations to enable that.

In practical terms, that means that we have worked with subject specialists and our assessment design team, and the boards to agree over 300 specifications how the advance information will work. You get a sense of what a dramatic innovation that is for us to have adapted our rules to allow this is, if you recall the outrage some years ago when a broadsheet newspaper sent a journalist to attend an exam board event, at which hints about the focus of certain questions were allegedly provided in this meeting. The scale of that shock really puts this year's innovation into perspective.

I see it as a really exciting adaptation. We will, of course, be monitoring its effect closely. Shortly after publication, we will be reaching out to hear your - and your students' - views on how it delivers the intentions. We will do so again once exams have been sat. There is much to learn from what will happen in the coming months and so we will expand a wide-ranging research programme to evaluate the impact of advance information to inform thinking for future years. But I ask that when you receive the advance information, please do remember the positive intentions behind it - it represents a unique coming together of everybody across the qualification system to act in the interests of students, to provide them with support whilst also enabling the re-instatement of the tried, tested - and trusted - approaches to the awarding of qualifications.

Grading

Our approach to advance information was informed and driven by the views of you and of your students - we heard from teachers who were anxious about their students' ability to cover the full range of subject content. We heard from students about their varied experiences of the pandemic.

This same listening approach was applied to how we've tackled grading too.

It was clear talking to students and their parents, that they wanted to get back to normal, but not to do so in one single leap.

At the end of September, we announced our resulting approach to grading next summer, one intended to be as fair as possible to 2022 students. Fair, because it will provide a safety net to students who have been so affected by the pandemic. Fair, because it will iron out some of the anomalies that have come into play through the non-examined years. Fair because it will secure consistency between subjects and between exam boards. Let's remember too that this year marks the return to exams - the way the qualifications have been designed - with all students assessed in the same way, marked, and graded consistently and externally to the same standard. That, along with advance information which itself provides unprecedented support, represents an unprecedented package of aid.

So, 2022 is a transition year to reflect the realities of the pandemic and that students' education does continue to be disrupted. Remember the package as a whole - it works together as a complete aid and support. You need to not try to pick apart individual elements of it.

The results in 2020 and 2021, when exams were cancelled, were clearly out of line with the results of previous exam years. As we ourselves learn to adapt to living with COVID-19, it is right that we take steps to resume arrangements that are coherent with those from pre-pandemic years. We must do it gradually; and this underpins our so-called midpoint approach.

Let me be clear, there is no single statistical midpoint. There will be no standardisation model to determine students' grades. Grade boundaries for each specification will be set by senior examiners, critically, only after they have reviewed the work produced by students. As a check and balance, of course exam boards will use other evidence, including statistical evidence of how students were graded when exams were last taken, so that grade boundaries do, indeed, deliver this generous midpoint approach. That means you can assure your students and their families that, as regulator, we are doing everything we can to secure approaches to standards which are fair, whichever exam board a student is working with, whichever subject. As regulator, one of the key things that we do is review the results. I started to experience this process for the autumn series. Results across every subject in every board are reviewed in great detail and Ofqual checks the appropriate processes have been followed; considers anomalies with exam boards, before results are issued.

Because the process of determining grade boundaries must follow the act of script marking, which of course follows candidates sitting papers, what we can't tell you is precisely what these arrangements mean for results. But I can assure you that our grading requirements will provide a safety-net for this cohort and it is likely to mean that results overall are higher than in normal years.

Talking to UCAS, and to employers, they wanted to see grades that were closer to the currency they were used to. They also recognised it was not right to implement this in one go. We've heard concerns that repeating 2021 outcomes would likely lead to universities devising alternative entry arrangements and raising the grades on which offers are based. Contributing to a system where that might happen would not actually increase opportunity for students in practice.

Vocational and Technical Qualifications grading

Coherence, parity if you will, between vocational and technical qualifications and general qualifications is really important - and something that the regulatory framework devised during the pandemic better supports than pre-pandemic arrangements.

Ofqual's specific regulatory framework for awarding vocational qualifications in the pandemic requires awarding organisations to secure, as far as possible, that VTQ students are neither disadvantaged nor advantaged compared with their GCSE and A level peers. That principle has not existed in legal regulatory terms before.

Boards will take account, therefore, of the approach for GCSEs and A levels when setting standards in their own vocational and technical qualifications. We, as regulator, will closely monitor the arrangements and look at what awarding organisations are putting in place for their qualifications to ensure they are delivered fairly and are appropriately adapted in the interests of students.

Contingencies

I am really aware that some of you, and your students, would dearly like us to switch off contingencies given the government's confidence and commitment to exams going ahead. But I'm afraid that the need to collect evidence of student performance in case exams don't take place is important. It won't surprise you that I can't agree to turn off those arrangements. Not, of course, that it's entirely in my gift.

As well as showing us your incredible resilience and ability to adapt, the pandemic has also been unpredictable. That's the one predictable thing about the pandemic; it's continually surprised us and caught us off guard. It wouldn't be doing justice to you and your students to stand down contingencies at this time.

I am, nonetheless, hugely sympathetic to how challenging operationally and emotionally for you and your students it is to ride both these horses, but there are no plans to turn off Plan B.

Ofqual: expert and human, regulating in the interests of students

I promised Bill to leave time to take your questions, but before doing that, please allow me to share a little bit about myself, given this is my first chance to speak to you.

I am here today as Chief Regulator, but I am above everything else, like you, an educator.

I thrive in challenging environments - and actually anyone who knows me will tell you that I actively seek them out. Whether that is leading schools in disadvantaged communities, working in central government in the eye of a pandemic, or coming to Ofqual as we move further through the demands and opportunities the pandemic has forced.

For me, there is nothing more important in education than young people getting the qualifications they need to unlock their future. This is something I live and breathe.

I live and breathe it because that was precisely my own experience.

My qualifications opened all sorts of doors for me - including studying and working in six different countries around the world, and I want everyone to have those same opportunities - but especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

That's why I am here. Every day I think about those students - those with caring responsibilities at home; those who have a fractured or chaotic home life; those whose families are working second, or even third jobs, to keep their homes warm and food on the table - I want qualifications to work for them in the best way possible, to open doors for them.

These are the students who I've started to talk about as being my compass. Their interests are my true north. And this true north breathes life into Ofqual's statutory objectives.

What flows from that, is an Ofqual which is expert, absolutely, but an Ofqual that must also be human. That means listening - to students of all ages, but also to you, those who teach and lead them. You who make the longlist of qualification choices for them, you who support them as they work towards securing qualifications that have the potential to change their lives.

Over the coming weeks and months, I will be spending time with colleges, sixth forms, schools, different education and training providers in every region of England, so that I can listen to you, to students, to governors and to parents. I want to hear directly about the challenges faced in the qualification system. It's only by hearing and responding to these challenges that I and we at Ofqual can improve how assessment and qualifications work. Some of these things that we'll hear about, Ofqual can do something about. There are others that won't be in our gift, but we can do our best to play our active part in the system which we regulate on behalf of students.

I've so far been lucky enough to visit some colleges in the West Midlands and some schools in the south west. Some of this listening work will happen virtually so that the pandemic doesn't slow us down, nor interrupt your day too much.

What's important is that the insights we gain from you, your students and their families, inform our decisions. To those who think accessible qualifications are dumbing down, I say there is no better illustration of the importance of the power of the functional skills curriculum and those qualifications that enable entry into employment, than what I saw at Hereward College. There I met Sophie and Akram who were developing and practising functional skills in the college's hospitality training centre. Graduates of the college dramatically exceed national averages of employability for those with SEND, and those 2 were well on their way to being able to be employed by a national hotel chain. I am proud that one of the first decisions taken during my tenure as Chief Regulator was to publish a consultation on improving the accessibility of assessments, and another decision on the regulation of reformed digital functional skills. These are live examples of acting in the interest of students.

From visiting Walsall College, I gained real insight into how working with a range of awarding organisations can really meet a college's needs. The Walsall team shared how, while the larger AOs (awarding organisations) have the breadth and can deliver at scale, it is often the smaller ones - many of whom offer the end-point assessments for apprentices - who offer a personal and flexible approach to assessment bookings, which is really useful to help provide confidence and support, and take an element of stress out of the system as apprentices get closer to being ready to take their end point assessment. Accordingly, we will continue to be nuanced in our consideration of applications by organisations seeking entry to this sector and to our recognition. Assessment and organisational capacity must be balanced with a student-centric culture.

Conclusion

Listening to and acting in the interests of students is the true north for everything I will do as Chief Regulator. The context we must navigate together is one of adaptation and innovation, crystalised by the pandemic. But it also a time of reform, already in train pre-pandemic - T Levels, apprenticeship expansion, among others.

I have not even touched on the possibilities afforded by technology and other innovations. I am convinced of the opportunities they present to improve assessments for students and apprentices - to make them more accessible, more valid, more reliable. We will work together on these in the coming years. We need to ensure that both what we assess and how we assess it stays relevant to needs of employers and society at large.

We share, I have no doubt, a commitment to ensuring that qualification evolution is squarely in the interests of students and apprentices. I am hugely grateful to teachers in colleges, schools and training providers across the country, for the vital part they will play as we navigate the way forward together.

Thank you.

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Dr Jo Saxton at Sixth Form Colleges Association conference

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The Chief Regulator sets out the support for students taking exams and assessments this year, including advance information and a fair approach to grading.

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This was requested by a teacher, so may be useful to more colleagues

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Guidance for schools/college: Awarding VTQs in 2021 and 2022

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Guidance for schools/college: Awarding VTQs in 2021 and 2022

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Published: 2nd December 2021

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About this document

This document is for those working in colleges, schools, training providers and other settings (or 'centres') where assessments for vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) and general qualifications other than GCSEs, AS and A levels, AEAs and project qualifications (or 'other general qualifications') are scheduled to take place in the academic year 2021 to 2022.

In this guidance we, as regulator, explain how VTQs and other general qualifications will be awarded this academic year. We outline what we expect from awarding organisations and what you and your students should expect to happen over the coming year.

Arrangements for awarding VTQs in the academic year 2021 to 2022

The government's intention is that exams and other formal assessments, including for VTQs and other general qualifications, will go ahead in the academic year 2021 to 2022. We have looked at how our regulations can help make this happen.

We know students taking exams and assessments this year may have already experienced significant disruption to their learning or work over the last year as a result of the pandemic. Your students may also need further support from you this year should the public health situation worsen and cause further disruption. Our regulations can help awarding organisations support you so your students can demonstrate their knowledge, skills and understanding in assessments, and in this way achieve their outcomes and progress to the next stage of their lives.

Qualifications can be adapted

To help mitigate the impact of the pandemic on students and their learning, we are continuing to allow awarding organisations to adapt their exams and other formal assessments for VTQs.

We require awarding organisations to continue to carefully balance mitigating the effects of the pandemic on teaching and learning with the need to ensure that results are fair, consistent and allow students to progress. For example, assessments may need to be adapted to free up time to focus on catch-up and teaching the remaining qualification content.

Ofqual has put in place a number of requirements that awarding organisations must follow when determining if their adaptations remain appropriate in the context of the 2021 to 2022 academic year. For example, we still expect that all content should be taught, as far as is feasible, so that students are as well-prepared as possible for progression to the next stage of their education, training, or employment.

To align with government policy, this year, we are no longer allowing awarding organisations to award results using alternative evidence such as teacher-assessed grades (TAGs). These were a necessary mitigation when exams and formal assessments could not take place.

We also expect awarding organisations to consider how making some adaptations now could make their VTQs more resilient if there is further disruption so that exams and other formal assessments could continue, as far as possible. We require awarding organisations to ensure, as far as possible, that the adaptations applied do not disadvantage, or advantage, students against their peers taking similar VTQs or, where relevant, GCSEs, AS and A levels.

Ofqual continues to work closely with awarding organisations, as we have done throughout the pandemic, so that awarding organisations provide colleges, training providers and schools with clear information in a timely manner to enable them to implement the adaptations fairly and consistently. In turn, we expect awarding organisations to continue to work collaboratively together and with centres, professional organisations and sector bodies in ensuring their approaches to awarding make sure that students completing these qualifications this year have the knowledge and skills employers expect.

There is a range of different qualification structures and assessment methods used in VTQs. As last year, we expect awarding organisations offering similar qualifications to continue to work with each other to ensure consistency is maintained where possible and appropriate. Awarding organisations will have different approaches, because of the variety of assessment methods, structures, and purposes of VTQs. Awarding organisations are best placed to understand the kinds of adaptation that work best for their qualifications and meet the needs of the students that take them so where there are differences, this is for a good reason.

The Conditions, requirements and guidance setting out our regulatory requirements for awarding organisations offering VTQs and other general qualifications affected by the coronavirus pandemic this year are set out in the Vocational and Technical Qualifications Contingency Regulatory Framework (the VCRF).

As in any other year it is important to us that:

results secure public confidence so teachers and employers can be confident this year's results will reflect what students know, understand, and can do, and students can progress to the next stage of their lives

students receiving VTQ and other general qualification results this year are neither advantaged nor disadvantaged compared to students studying for GCSEs, AS and A levels

What this means for you

Your awarding organisation should have provided you with the information you need to support you in implementing their adaptations. They should also provide you with details of the arrangements that will need to be made for any students who need reasonable adjustments.

This year, awarding organisations are likely to ask you for more information about which learners are planning to take assessments, when they plan to take them and when they are likely to award certificates. You might find it helpful to start capturing this information as early as possible.

If you ordinarily choose to deliver modular qualifications with assessments at the end of the course, you should consider whether that is appropriate this year. You might decide to run assessments throughout the year instead.

If you want to change the timing or delivery of assessments, then contact your awarding organisation to make sure this is done in the right way.

Arrangements for continuing students

Students who completed some of their exams or formal assessments in either the 2019 to 2020 or the 2020 to 2021 academic years, and who will complete the remainder of their qualification this academic year or in the future, are able to carry forward any results they have achieved so far. This applies whether the result was awarded using an adapted assessment or through use of alternative sources of evidence, such as TAGs.

In the same way, students starting new programmes of study this year will be able to carry the results of their adapted assessments forward. Arrangements for 2022 to 2023 have not been confirmed yet.

What this means for you

To make sure these arrangements are as manageable as possible for centres, many awarding organisations may use their normal quality assurance policies and procedures, however arrangements may be adapted to reflect current public health advice. On-site visits, for example, may be adapted to remote or virtual visits. Your awarding organisation will tell you what to expect.

Performance table qualifications

Awarding organisations must take account of the Department for Education's technical guidance when developing their approach to adaptation for VTQs approved for inclusion in performance tables. Where it is possible to do so, we expect awarding organisations to use similar approaches to adaptation for other qualifications at the same level leading to similar progression opportunities.

Assessments can be reduced, as is possible for VTQs that are not included in performance tables, but we expect that all of the qualification content should be taught where this is possible and the number of guided learning hours for each qualification should remain the same.

What this means for you

If you ordinarily choose to deliver performance table qualifications with assessments at the end of the course, you should consider whether that is appropriate this year. You might decide to run assessments throughout the year instead.

You should consider the Department for Education's decision not to limit the number of resits that are permitted for qualifications listed in performance tables. This means you can choose to assess earlier, without putting your students at a disadvantage.

If you want to change the timing or delivery of assessments, then contact your awarding organisation to make sure this is done in the right way.

T Levels

The arrangements for the Technical Qualifications of T Levels are in line with other VTQs. This means that the core and occupational specialism components exams and assessments should go ahead in 2021 to 2022. In the case of further significant disruption, the Department for Education may permit adaptations to content and or delivery of assessments where appropriate.

Functional Skills qualifications

As with other VTQs, we expect all Functional Skills qualifications (FSQs) assessments to go ahead in 2021 to 2022 and the full subject content to be taught across all levels.

Our expectation is that awarding organisations will continue to put in place adaptations relating to the delivery of FSQ assessments where necessary. Awarding organisations have put in place a range of approaches to give students as much opportunity as possible to take assessments. Some examples include:

changes to invigilation arrangements, including remote invigilation and remote assessment of the speaking, listening and communicating component

additional flexibility for exam dates and windows for assessments

additional guidance about the distribution and collection of papers, for example collation of scripts after students have left exam rooms, quarantining papers before and after use, and extended timescales to return scripts after exams

adaptations to guidance for individuals involved in examination delivery, for example invigilators, readers and or scribes

What this means for you

You should contact your awarding organisation to find out more about the arrangements they have put in place. The table below shows the range of assessment options for FSQs offered by each awarding organisation.

Awarding organisation

Remote invigilation

On-screen or computer based

Paper based

Awarding organisation provided test centre

Apprenticeship end-point assessments

The flexibilities for the assessment of apprenticeships are being overseen by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education and are not covered by the VCRF.

Monitoring the public health situation and contingency planning

It is possible that further disruption may occur over the course of 2021 to 2022. Even if some public health restrictions were to be needed over the next academic year, it should still be possible for students to take exams and formal assessments safely. If there is further disruption, we would ask awarding organisations to consider whether further adaptations to their qualifications are necessary and possible.

We need to have contingency plans in place for the event that students cannot sit exams and formal assessments.

If the government decides that exams and formal assessments cannot take place in the summer then as in 2021, it is possible that VTQs and other general qualifications may be awarded through TAGs. GCSEs and A levels may also be awarded through TAGs. The evidence for TAGs is likely to come from the assessments your students have already taken during the year or other work. Many VTQs are modular and designed so that assessments can take place throughout the year. This means it is unlikely that there will be any additional assessments to inform the TAG.

You can find more information about contingency arrangements in the Department for Education's contingency guidance for vocational and technical qualifications.

What this means for you

If you ordinarily choose to deliver modular qualifications with assessment at the end of a course, you may wish to consider whether that is appropriate this year. You might decide to run assessments throughout the year instead.

If you want to change the timing or delivery of assessments, then contact your awarding organisation to make sure this is done in the right way.

Results

Approaches to awarding may differ between awarding organisations. This will depend on how the qualification is assessed and was assessed in summer 2021 and or summer 2020. Some qualification will have standards aligned to those of similar subjects in GCSEs and A Levels. Some VTQs saw an increase in outcomes and higher grades during the pandemic, but that was not the case for others. Awarding organisations will take all these factors into account, to ensure learners get fair results.

Most results will continue to be issued to normal timescales. Roll-on roll-off qualifications, and those not tied to an academic year, will continue to be awarded throughout the year.

Where VTQ results are used to support progression to further or higher education, results should be awarded on or before the following dates:

18 August 2022 for level 3 qualifications

25 August 2022 for level 2 qualifications

This is in line with A level and GCSE results days and ensures that students wishing to progress onto further or higher education are not disadvantaged compared to students taking A levels or GCSEs.

What this means for you

Your awarding organisations will confirm their results days.

The results of roll-on roll-off qualifications will continue be awarded in line with current timescales.

You should receive results data in good time to allow you to prepare for the distribution of results on the correct days.

Please ensure that you have the right people and resources available at your centre who can respond to queries from students, queries from the awarding organisation, and help prepare for the distribution of results.

Appeals

Awarding organisation appeals processes will be the same as any other year. Awarding organisations are still required to consider appeals for students whose results were based on alternative evidence such as TAGs. For more information, please contact your awarding organisation.

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Guidance for centres: awarding VTQs in 2021 and 2022

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This document is for those working in colleges, schools, training providers and other settings (or 'centres') where assessments for vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) and general qualifications other than GCSEs, AS and A levels, AEAs and project qualifications (or 'other general qualifications') are scheduled to take place in the academic year 2021 to 2022.