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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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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.

Help and support

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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AQA: EPQ- How to use the production log 

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AQA: EPQ- How to use the production log 

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Available: 19 Dec 2022 to 31 Mar 2023
E-learning Module

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EPQ: How to use the production log

Course summary

This AQA on-demand e-learning course will give instruction from a current AQA Moderator, Advisor and Centre Coordinator on how to get the most out of the production log to support the project process for the Level 3 Extended Project Qualification.

Course reference

EPQOE2 - use this in communications with us.

Course description

By the end of this module, you will:

be confident you have the knowledge and understanding of the purpose and use of the production log

see recent examples of production logs to illustrate the features of each section

know where to find support and guidance throughout the Extended project process.

Suitable for

New and experienced supervisors.

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This AQA on-demand e-learning course will give instruction from a current AQA Moderator, Advisor and Centre Coordinator on how to get the most out of the production log to support the project process for the Level 3 Extended Project Qualification. EPQOE2 - use this in communications with us.

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AQA: EPQ: Teacher standardisation June 2023 series (Session 1 of 2)

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AQA: EPQ: Teacher standardisation June 2023 series (Session 1 of 2)

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19th, 23rd, 25th & 30th January 2023
Online

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The online EPQ teacher standardisation events will be split into two sessions. This event is session 1, please ensure you are booked onto session 2 separately. Alternatively there are some face-to-face events available.

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Sign-Up & Access available until: 31st December 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: 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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UoM: Resources for Extended Project tutors and assessors

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UoM: Resources for Extended Project tutors and assessors

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Experienced researchers at Manchester have designed a series of bespoke workshops specifically to support students studying for the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), or undertaking an Extended Project as part of a diploma. These sessions can be used by teachers delivering the taught element of the EPQ to provide students with an excellent grounding in the academic and intellectual skills required. Our EPQ support and resources are also of relevance to students undertaking other research projects or qualifications, such as: HPQs; Welsh Baccalaureates; international EPQs; and extended A-level essays.

Powerpoint presentations for the seven workshops are available to download below, along with accompanying teaching notes, activities and worksheets. They are accessible, adaptable and designed to encourage students to develop as reflective learners, preparing them for the evaluative element of the Extended Project.

Most workshops are suitable for all project types and are appropriate to all exam board specifications. They can also be used to support the teaching of research modules in other A-Level and BTEC qualifications.

All resources are free of charge.

We welcome your feedback on our workshops and resources. Whether you are a teacher or a student, we would like to know how useful you found our presentations and handouts, and any suggestions for future developments. The form will only take you a couple of minute to complete.

1. Making a Start

This session provides some basic pointers that will help students identify a suitable topic and question for their Extended Project. For those students who already have a topic in mind, the session will offer tools to refine and focus their thoughts. It may also lead students to develop ideas they had not previously considered.

2. Smart Reading

Most Extended Projects - whether they involve production of a dissertation, investigation, artefact or performance - will require students to digest and respond to a considerable amount of written information.

This session introduces students to 'active' research. It provides strategies for reading sources and taking notes effectively, and also helps students with the reflective aspects of the Extended Project.

3. Engaging with Visual Culture

This workshop aims to develop students' understanding of how visual culture, including imagery, objects and architecture, can be used within the Extended Project, emphasising the interdisciplinary nature of visual culture. By the end of this workshop, students will understand the differences between different types of media; be able to apply questions to images within any given context; understand the role of codes and signifiers; and respond with confidence to visual material.

Download our Engaging with Visual Culture presentation (PowerPoint file, 1.31MB)

Download our Engaging with Visual Culture handout 1 (PDF document, 152KB)

Download our Engaging with Visual Culture activity 2 worksheet (PDF document, 229KB)

Download our Engaging with Visual Culture activity 3 worksheet (PDF document, 252KB)

Download our Engaging with Visual Culture activity 4 worksheet (PDF document, 143KB)

Download our Engaging with Visual Culture activity 5 worksheet (PDF document, 144KB)

Download our Engaging with Visual Culture extension activity (PDF document, 149KB)

Download our Engaging with Visual Culture further reading (PDF document, 150KB)

Download our Engaging with Visual Culture notes for teachers (PDF document, 127KB)

Download our Engaging with Visual Culture key themes (Word document, 27KB)

4. Referencing, Not Plagiarising

Referencing properly is an important aspect of all research, and this workshop provides students with guidance on how to reference correctly in order to avoid plagiarism. It looks at when and how to cite sources and introduces students to the Harvard style of referencing.

Download our Referencing, Not Plagiarising presentation (PowerPoint file, 1MB)

Download our Referencing, Not Plagiarising activity 2 answers (PDF document, 31KB)

Download our Referencing, Not Plagiarising activity 3 worksheet (PDF document, 160KB)

Download our Referencing, Not Plagiarising activity 3 answers (PDF document, 47KB)

Download our Referencing, Not Plagiarising Frequently Asked Questions handout (PDF document, 34KB)

Download our Referencing, Not Plagiarising notes for teachers (PDF document, 42KB)

5. Report-Writing

The Extended Project covers many different formats of projects, for example, a dissertation, performance or field study. Although this session is aimed at students undertaking the dissertation project (5,000 words), it will be useful for all types of project, as the same principles apply to writing shorter reports. The session encourages students to think about the structure and writing of their report early on in their project planning, and provides tips on critical writing.

6. Effective Presentations

This workshop aims to prepare students for their end-of-project presentation. It focuses on structuring a presentation, using visual aids effectively and delivering a successful presentation.

7. Visualisation and Presentation of Data

This workshop provides advice and guidance on using and presenting data as part of an assignment. The session looks at different types of data and when and how to use such data in assignments and presentations.

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Resources for the Extended Project Qualification at The University of Manchester

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Experienced researchers at Manchester have designed a series of bespoke workshops specifically to support students studying for the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), or undertaking an Extended Project as part of a diploma. These sessions can be used by teachers delivering the taught element of the EPQ to provide students with an excellent grounding in the academic and intellectual skills required.

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AQA: FPQ Level 1 and HPQ Level 2 Information

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AQA: FPQ Level 1 and HPQ Level 2 Information

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Select your qualification

Our Project qualifications give students the freedom to study the topics that they're interested in. The skills they develop will support successful progression to university and future careers.

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Our Project qualifications give students the freedom to study the topics that they're interested in. The skills they develop will support successful progression to university and future careers.

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Pearson: FPQ Level 1 and HPQ Level 2 Information

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Pearson: FPQ Level 1 and HPQ Level 2 Information

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Our Pearson Edexcel Level 1 Foundation and Level 2 Higher Project Qualifications are suitable for students who want to investigate a subject in depth.

Through a flexible, study-based approach, the Project helps students to develop as inquisitive, independent learners. Students work independently and with a tutor-mentor to plan, manage, complete and evaluate a single piece of work, which can take the form of a report, an artefact, a design or a performance.

To learn more about the Project Qualification in general, see About the Project.

For more information on how to start teaching the Project Qualification at your school, visit our Teaching support page.

Grading and GCSE equivalence

The Project is graded A* to B at Level 1 and A* to C at Level 2. Both levels require 60 guided learning hours and there is a single unit entry for the Foundation and Higher Projects, which covers all potential outcomes.

Anything smaller than a full course GCSE cannot be included in the five A*-C headline measure. This means that the Pearson Edexcel Project still carries SCAAT points, but cannot be used towards this headline measure.

Pearson Edexcel Higher Projects (Level 2)

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Level 1 and Level 2 Project | Pearson qualifications

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Our Pearson Edexcel Level 1 Foundation and Level 2 Higher Project Qualifications are suitable for students who want to investigate a subject in depth. Through a flexible, study-based approach, the Project helps students to develop as inquisitive, independent learners.

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22nd June 2022
16:00-18:30
Online

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Projects: Level 1 and 2 Coordinator training

Course summary

A complete overview of the co-ordinator's role for either Level 1 and 2 Projects (or both). This session considers schedule delivery and the areas in which supervisors many need support and guidance.

Places are limited to one place perschool/college per series.

Course reference

PROPBW4 - use this in communications with us.

Course description

advice related to the management of a team of supervisors

key stages in the project process from project approval to presentation

suggestions related to the delivery of the taught element

advice related to management of presentations, planning and time management and AQA documentation

guidance on managing feedback.

We strongly recommend that you bring a copy of the following to the meeting:

the specification

project quick guides

dual accreditation advice.

John Powell is Principal Moderator for Levels 1 and 2 Project Qualification and is a sought-after and experienced trainer for AQA CPD.

Suitable for

Co-ordinators of Projects at Levels 1 and 2, who have not previously attended training.

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A complete overview of the co-ordinator's role for either Level 1 and 2 Projects (or both). This session considers schedule delivery and the areas in which supervisors many need support and guidance. Places are limited to one place perschool/college per series. PROPBW4 - use this in communications with us.

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AQA are producing a recruitment pack which will be ready for the Autumn.

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Online
24th May 2022

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Projects: EPQ Coordinator training

Course summary

A complete overview of the co-ordinator's role for coordinators of EPQ only, this session considers schedule delivery and the areas in which supervisors may need support and guidance.
Places are limited to one place perschool/college per series.
Course reference

PROPBW5 - use this in communications with us.

Course description

key stages in the project process from project approval to presentation

how to plan the delivery of the taught element

how to manage presentations

advice on planning and time management

how to complete reviews and documentation

guidance on managing feedback.

Christine Andrews is Principal Moderator for the Extended Project Qualification and a sought-after and experienced trainer for AQA CPD.

Suitable for

Coordinators of EPQ level only who have not previously attended training (this training is not suitable for coordinators of Level 1 and 2 projects)

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A complete overview of the co-ordinator's role for coordinators of EPQ only, this session considers schedule delivery and the areas in which supervisors may need support and guidance. Places are limited to one place perschool/college per series. PROPBW5 - use this in communications with us.

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UEA: Extended Project Qualification: Getting Started & Making the Most of The Summer

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UEA: Extended Project Qualification: Getting Started & Making the Most of The Summer

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Y12/13
Online
10:00-11:00
23rd May 2022

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Channel Talent - Interactive school webinars

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Extended Project Qualification: Skills & Insight - Getting Started & Making the Most of The Summer With Dr Rebecca Westrup From University of East Anglia - Channel Talent - Interactive school webinars

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Join UEA for this Extended Project Qualification university masterclass/workshop tackling the theme of ’Getting Started & Making the Most of The Summer, developing key skills and approaches.

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So, this is it. You've decided to do an EPQ and now you're sitting at a blank computer screen with the entire spectrum of human knowledge at your disposal. You could write about any topic on any subject in the dizzying realms of the known universe. But there's just one problem... how do you begin?

An EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) allows A-Level students to write either a 5,000 word essay on any question or subject of their choice. Alternatively, students can create an artefact or product, and write a shorter essay explaining it. The EPQ is equivalent to half an A-Level.

EPQs are a fantastic way of proving to universities that you are the best prospective student for them, and that you deserve a place on one of their courses. An EPQ requires a huge amount of independent research (which proves that you can handle university-style work) and allows you to showcase your original thoughts and academic rigour, which is exactly what universities are looking for.

Even more importantly, an EPQ counts for extra UCAS points. This means that if you don't get the grades you expect at A-Level, a strong EPQ grade could help you meet the conditions of a university place offer. Feeling inspired now? We've got 600 EPQ ideas for multiple different subjects, to get those ideas rolling.

What are some top EPQ ideas for a guaranteed A*?

Some strong EPQ ideas for a guaranteed A* are specific and original topics like "Should parents be allowed to genetically change their child's gender" for an EPQ in medicine, and "Is the media making suicide aspirational?", for a psychology EPQ.

You could also consider EPQ questions like, "Was the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki justified?" for History, and "Should we legalise human organ trade?" for Economics.

We've got a list of 600 EPQ ideas for a guaranteed A*, so scroll down and get inspired. We've searched all over the internet and interviewed students to get the most pressing topics for each subject. You should just use these EPQ ideas to give you an idea of what you could research, and it's up to you to come up with your own title.

EPQ Ideas For Medicine

EPQ Ideas for Psychology

EPQ ideas for Law

EPQ ideas for primary school teaching

EPQ ideas for Secondary School Teaching

EPQ ideas for Biology

EPQ Ideas for History

EPQ Ideas For Economics

EPQ Ideas for Business Studies

EPQ Ideas for English Literature

1. The evil stepmothers in fairy tales were actually mothers in the original texts. What does this tell us about society's anxieties and perspectives on motherhood?

2. To what extent is the state of Gilead in The Handmaid's Tale based on real life?

3. Is writing an act of magic?

4. Can works of literature oppress their fictional, female characters?

5. Can the mistranslation of literature create a liminal world - a place that is not quite one thing and not quite another?

6. What does the rise of the digital book teach us about literature?

7. Can we ever 'eat' literature?

8. Do you need to be able to read and write to be an author?

9. Are stories living things?

10. Discuss the gender politics in George Eliot's Middlemarch.

11. How is the sensory experience of dyslexia presented in literature?

12. Is English Literature considered a 'feminine' subject?

13. As an English student, is it your job to always work out what an author means?

14. Is the author dead?

15. Could journalists be replaced by AI-reporters?

16. Do we need to overhaul the literary canon?

17. Do we really need spelling and punctuation in literature?

18. Should mass media be allowed to be biased?

19. How helpful is the idea of literary genres to understanding a text?

20. How George Orwell hid his dissenting view of communism in Animal Farm.

21. Why learning to read is a human right.

22. Can a novel ever be timeless?

23. Does literary form exist just so that writers can subvert it?

24. Is rhythm in a poem a separate language?

25. Explore Plath's portrayal of depression in The Bell Jar.

EPQ ideas for Art

EPQ Ideas for Foreign Languages

EPQ Ideas for Sport

EPQ Ideas for Architecture

EPQ ideas for Maths

EPQ ideas for Physics

EPQ ideas for Chemistry

EPQ ideas for Engineering

EPQ ideas for Computer Science

EPQ ideas for Ethics

EPQ ideas for Politics

Sociology EPQ ideas

EPQ ideas for Geography

EPQ ideas for Religious Studies

So, there you have it. 600 EPQ ideas to enhance your passion and imagination for this exciting qualification. Now get ready to kickstart your academic future with an amazing EPQ idea of your own. Don't forget to fill out that activity log as you go along!

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600 EPQ Ideas - The Ultimate List For an A* - Oxford Royale Academy

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So, this is it. You've decided to do an EPQ and now you're sitting at a blank computer screen with the entire spectrum of human knowledge at your disposal. You could write about any topic on any subject in the dizzying realms of the known universe. But there's just one problem...

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Six Topics - Materials with recorded presentations, activities, and lesson plans to support the taught element of the EPQ.

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Introduction

Kristina and Becca will take you through the thoughts behind setting a question and how to go about choosing your project title/question. They will consider why you choose your topic, whether or not you will undertake the artefact or essay, aims and objectives and how to make the project manageable.

Activity

1. Either alone or in groups, consider the titles below. In the context of the time and resources available, are they too Big, too Small or achievable? Be prepared to give reasons for your answers.

A study of mental wellbeing in older people

Does the WAP dance craze endanger children?

Criminology

Create a series of online lessons for a local Cub Scout group

Is the use of Stop and Search by the Police discriminatory?

What are the long-term health impacts of COVID-19?

Build a robot

Assess the impact of the 2020 Green Recovery

2. For any you have identified as either too big or too small, how could they be adapted?

Useful links

INTRODUCTION

Kristina and Rebecca take you through starting your research, finding reliable sources, considering primary and secondary research, and thinking about bias.

Harvard referencing

Kristina and Becca will take you through Harvard Referencing. This is one form of referencing you can use for your project.

ACTIVITY

1. Read the article Care home deaths: the untold and largely unrecorded tragedy of COVID-19

2. Use the CARS (Credibility, Accuracy, Reasonableness, Support) method to review the source.

Useful links

INTRODUCTION

Rebecca and Kristina discuss how and when to build you Production Log, and the different levels of content required.

Activity

Think about a learning experience and identify the different factors that were present within the experience. It can be a formal experience or an informal one. You may find the following questions helpful:

What

Why?

What was your reaction?

Were there any issues?

Did you find anything challenging?

What have you learned?

Useful links

INTRODUCTION

Rebecca and Kristina will take you through reviewing your reading, considering reliable sources, questioning the sources you have, and linking them to build the themes and topics of your project.

Rebecca and Kristina lead you through building your extended essay, considering the components, and how to include all the necessary information.

Rebecca and Kristina will take you through an example of structuring your academic writing for your practical project or artefact, drawing on the information you have learnt about your Literature Review and Production Log.

Activity

1. Write a 300 word summary of the key arguments of your EPQ project.
This summary must contain at least two in-text citations. You should use the Harvard Referencing style to reference the sources and evidence used.

2. Write out a plan of what information you are going to put in each section.
Make a note of the key literature that will support the points you're making in each paragraph.

Useful links

Introduction

Heather will take you through what makes a great presentation, structure and content, design and tackling nerves.

Activity

Think about something you love. This could be your favourite film, favourite band, or a hobby you enjoy. Spend 5-10 minutes jotting down some notes about it. You could think about:

Why do you enjoy it?

When did you first get into them?

You will then have 2 minutes to talk non-stop about something you love to another individual. Ask someone to time you during this exercise.

Reflection: How did you find this exercise? Did it go quickly or slowly? Did you need more time to prep?
Ask for feedback from your audience: How engaged were they? What did you do well? What could you improve on?

Useful links

Study Skills booklet - A handy guide to support you in completing the EPQ, covering topics such as academic language, referencing and time management.

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Extended Project Qualification Resources - UEA

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Kristina and Becca will take you through the thoughts behind setting a question and how to go about choosing your project title/question. They will consider why you choose your topic, whether or not you will undertake the artefact or essay, aims and objectives and how to make the project manageable.

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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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Coordinator Training - £110 per person
Supervisor Training - £110 per person
Previous materials are on eAQA and Centre Services.
Materials on "Unlocking the Potential of Artefacts"
EPQ Virtual Communities after the November Series.

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SMBP Scheme Applications Open - Year 12&13

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SMBP Scheme Applications Open - Year 12&13

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Applications Deadlines:
National Online week is end of March

Work Insight & Skills week is end of May

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kmaidment@aqa.org.uk - please email Kirsty if you would be happy to have a chat/interview to help us with our support offer for next year.

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November entries should proceed as normal with marks entered and a sample requested.

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FutureLearn: How to succeed with your EPQ (Online Course)

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FutureLearn: How to succeed with your EPQ (Online Course)

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Succeed in your Extended Project Qualification

Thinking about doing an EPQ? Or already undertaking an EPQ and feeling overwhelmed? Or just want to get some tips?

Discover all things Extended Project Qualification with this course. You'll look at reasons to do an EPQ, explore the research process and assessment criteria, and get practical advice on time management and doing your EPQ presentation.

You'll also develop skills useful for transitioning to university level study and get chance to swap discussion and ideas with other people also doing an EPQ.

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What topics will you cover?

Reasons to do an EPQ

The research process

What the assessors are looking for in an EPQ

Writing the project report

Finding and evaluating sources

Time management

Doing your EPQ presentation

Bringing your project together

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

Select, develop and refine an appropriate topic area for your project

Find and evaluate appropriate resources and use these to inform and support your project

Manage your time in order to complete the project effectively

Plan and structure a piece of academic writing

Communicate your learning through a presentation

Who is the course for?

This course has been specially designed for students over 16 who are undertaking, or wish to undertake, an EPQ.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning

Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities

Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners

Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course

Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning

Whenever you're ready, mark each step as complete, you're in control

Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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Learn the basics of doing an Extended Project Qualification including research methods, assessment criteria, and writing the project report.

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AQA Updates: Supervisor and Coordinator E-learning Modules

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AQA Updates: Supervisor and Coordinator E-learning Modules

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1) What is required to offer the Extended Project Qualification?
2) How to use the production log
3) What makes a good supervisor?
AQA | Professional development | Course finder

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Join one of our free live on-line training sessions where you’ll have the chance to standardise marking using examples of student work over range of performance. Available from January.

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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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FutureLearn: Introduction to Research Ethics (Online Course)

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FutureLearn: Introduction to Research Ethics (Online Course)

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My name's Natasha McKeever. And I'm a Lecturer and Digital Learning Specialist at the Inter-Disciplinary Ethics Applied Centre at the University of Leeds.

This course will be useful for anybody doing research with people, with a particular slant on social research methods, for example, questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups. Research Ethics is really important for the development of society. And we're doing more and more research. So it's really important that we get it right. We're also being able to do research with more and more diverse methods. For example, the use of the Internet is expanding the way that we can do research.

By the end of the course, learners should be able to get consents from participants when recruiting them. They should be able to think about how to do risk assessments in an appropriate way, how to store the participant's data safely, which is particularly relevant after the recent changes in European legislation, how to anonymise data, and, finally, how to conduct research using social media and the Internet ethically.

We try to make the course come alive through the use of case studies to show how the ethical research principles apply in the real world. Also, participants will use and produce resources, which they can use in their own research and later as a professional.

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Introduction to Research Ethics - Online Course

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My name's Natasha McKeever. And I'm a Lecturer and Digital Learning Specialist at the Inter-Disciplinary Ethics Applied Centre at the University of Leeds. This course will be useful for anybody doing research with people, with a particular slant on social research methods, for example, questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups.

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TED Talks: 5 tips to improve your critical thinking (Video)

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TED Talks: 5 tips to improve your critical thinking (Video)

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Samantha Agoos: 5 tips to improve your critical thinking

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Every day, a sea of decisions stretches before us, and it's impossible to make a perfect choice every time. But there are many ways to improve our chances - and one particularly effective technique is critical thinking. Samantha Agoos describes a 5-step process that may help you with any number of problems. [Directed by Nick Hilditch, narrated by Addison Anderson].

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UEA: EPQ Workshop for Year12&13 – Developing Critical Analysis

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UEA: EPQ Workshop for Year12&13 – Developing Critical Analysis

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Online
10.10-10.55am
28th January 2022

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Channel Talent - Interactive school webinars

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Our events are designed so that a group of students can take part from a classroom or students and teachers can take part as individuals, either from school or from home. This means that sessions will continue irrespective of possible school closures.

As a live, participative event, this session will not be recorded but slides and other resources will be shared after the event, where available.

Suitable for: Year 12 & 13 students (and equivalent) carrying out, or planning to carry out, an EPQ.

Preparation/Pre-Reading: Students may wish to consider questions they have about academic writing and, more specifically, the challenges they are facing relating to the EPQ.

The IT Setup: The event will be run on and participants will be able to join using laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. If you are joining as a school group, we recommend connecting with one device and projecting on to a whiteboard. You will be able to interact with the university via a microphone and/or typed comments and questions. Full details will be sent to those who have registered (see below) prior to the event.

Booking a Place: This is free for schools and colleges. If you would like to take part in this event, please register your interest using the link to the registration form below:

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Extended Project Qualification: A Skills & Insight University Workshop - Developing Critical Analysis With Dr Rebecca Westrup From University of East Anglia - Channel Talent - Interactive school webinars

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Our events are designed so that a group of students can take part from a classroom or students and teachers can take part as individuals, either from school or from home. This means that sessions will continue irrespective of possible school closures.

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DfE: Guidance for schools/colleges on contingency arrangements for GCSEs, AS and A levels in summer 2022

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DfE: Guidance for schools/colleges on contingency arrangements for GCSEs, AS and A levels in summer 2022

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Published: 11th November 2021

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Arrangements for exams and non-exam assessments for students taking qualifications in summer 2022.

Details

The government is clear that students entering GCSEs, AS or A levels in 2022 should expect to take exams in the summer and complete any non-exam assessments in the usual way throughout the year.

In recognition of the fact that students' education has been disrupted by the pandemic, they will be given extra help to prepare for their exams, as detailed in this publication.

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Guidance on contingency arrangements for GCSEs, AS and A levels in summer 2022

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Arrangements for exams and non-exam assessments for students taking qualifications in summer 2022.

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DfE: Contingency arrangement for awarding qualifications in summer 2022

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DfE: Contingency arrangement for awarding qualifications in summer 2022

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Updated: 11th November 2021

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Contingency arrangements: GCSE, AS, A level, Project and AEA

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Consultation proposals for contingency arrangements for the award of GCSE, AS, A level, Project and AEA qualifications in 2022.

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One Page Summary of changes to the assessment of GCSEs, AS and A levels in 2022

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One Page Summary of changes to the assessment of GCSEs, AS and A levels in 2022

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30th September 2021

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Ofqual: Consultation Outcome for Changes to the assessment of GCSEs, AS and A levels in 2022

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Ofqual: Consultation Outcome for Changes to the assessment of GCSEs, AS and A levels in 2022

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Published: 30th September 2021

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This consultation has concluded

Download the full outcome

Detail of outcome

In summary, these decisions mean that for summer 2022:

1. There will be optional topics and content in GCSE English literature, history, ancient history and geography. Ofqual will require exam boards to change how they assess these subjects to reflect the expected changes to the way the subject content is assessed, as proposed in the consultation.

2. Centres will be allowed to deliver practical work in GCSE biology, chemistry, physics, combined science, geology and astronomy, AS level biology, chemistry, physics and geology, and AS and A level environmental science by demonstration. We would encourage centres to continue to make available hands-on practical activities for their students wherever possible. This does not require changes to the assessment arrangements that the exam boards have in place for each of these specifications.

3. Centres will be allowed to assess the Common Practical Assessment Criteria (CPAC) across the minimum number of practical activities required to enable students to demonstrate their competence in A level biology, chemistry, physics and geology.

4. Exam boards can carry out remote monitoring of centres' application of the CPAC.

5. Students taking GCSE, AS and A level art and design will be assessed on their portfolio only.

6. Exam boards will provide advance information about the focus of the content of the exams for all GCSE, AS and A level subjects (except GCSE English literature, history, ancient history and geography) for the summer 2022 exams. The advance information will meet the principles set out in the consultation document.

7. The policy intention of providing advance information is that it will support students' revision. Therefore, the DfE has confirmed that advance information will be provided by 7 February 2022 at the latest. This will enable teachers to plan to adapt their teaching in the second half of the spring term if necessary. DfE has also decided to retain the flexibility for advance information to be deployed at other points ahead of 7 February 2022 if circumstances require. At least a week's notice will be given if it is decided that advance information will be released earlier than 7 February 2022.

8. Students will be given a formulae sheet for GCSE mathematics in summer 2022. Exam boards will provide copies of the formulae sheet for use in teaching and to ensure that students are familiar with it prior to the exams. Clean copies of the formulae sheet will be provided in the exams.

9. Students will be given a revised equation sheet for GCSE physics and combined science in summer 2022, covering all the equations required in the subject content. Exam boards will provide copies of the equation sheet for use in teaching and to ensure that students are familiar with it prior to the exams. Clean copies of the equation sheet will be provided in the exams.

Feedback received

Detail of feedback received

The consultation was available online for 21 days and received 6,725 responses. It gathered views on the following proposals:

choice of topics in GCSE English literature, history, ancient history and choice of content in GCSE geography

changes to the requirements for the delivery of practical activities in science subjects, and assessment in art and design

the provision of advance information on the focus of the content of exams, in the majority of subjects at GCSE, AS and A level

the provision of support materials in GCSE mathematics, physics and combined science exams

Several themes were suggested by respondents across multiple questions. To avoid duplicating analysis, these themes are summarised below.

First, many respondents emphasised that proposed changes to summer 2022 exams and assessments needed to be announced as soon as possible to provide staff sufficient time to plan (adjusting curriculums and mock exam materials and so on). Reasons provided by respondents included the fact that last-minute announcements would increase workloads and place additional pressure on students and teachers. In addition, respondents mentioned that earlier announcements would allow students more time to familiarise themselves with additional materials (such as revised equation sheets).

Second, some respondents noted the variation in students' experiences regarding remote learning over the past two years, with some schools and colleges facing more frequent lockdowns and self-isolation events than others, and that this should be taken into account in any proposed change. Similarly, respondents brought up the concept of a "level playing field" for students and expressed concerns over proposals where, in their opinion, some students or schools and colleges may be disadvantaged relative to others.

Third, respondents suggested several modifications for exams, including lengthening the time students had to complete the exam, dividing exams into shorter papers, allowing students to choose topics to respond to on the day of the exam or reducing the number of exam papers students had to complete. In particular, some respondents stated they had faced difficulties in covering the specification during remote learning, and reducing the number of exam papers or allowing students to choose topics would reduce pressure on students caused by missed learning time. Respondents also mentioned that the subject content across many GCSE, AS and A level subjects should be reduced.

Fourth, some respondents expressed concern that the DfE and Ofqual's proposed changes were limited to a specific set of qualifications, in particular the absence of modifications to A Level subjects compared to equivalent GCSE subjects.

Fifth, many respondents generally agreed with proposals to carry over changes proposed in previous consultations in 2020 and 2021, as consistency would reduce the amount of time teachers and other staff would need to prepare for the upcoming year.

Sixth, a number of respondents who disagreed with proposals on choice of topic/content or advance information believed that these proposals would lead to grade inflation for certain students. Because these proposals would narrow the focus of exams (compared to the full specification), in their view the proposals would advantage students with resources for external tutors. As a result, proposals to provide choice of topic/content or advance information would make it difficult to differentiate between "good" and "excellent" students.

Finally, a small proportion of respondents across all respondent types called for exams to be cancelled and students to be assigned teacher assessed grades (as in summer 2021). Alternatively, respondents proposed that no modifications be made to exams and assessments in summer 2022 (compared to before the pandemic) and instead grade boundaries should be adjusted to account for varying difficulties of exams due to lost learning time.

Original consultation

Summary

A joint consultation published by Ofqual and the Department for Education on proposed changes to the assessment of GCSEs, AS and A levels in 2022.

This consultation ran from

Consultation description

This joint consultation by the Department for Education and Ofqual invites your views on proposed adaptations to the assessment of GCSEs and GCE AS and A levels for students in England taking exams in summer 2022. A separate but related consultation on proposed changes to assessments for vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) in the 2021 to 2022 academic year is taking place.

These proposals are made in the context of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which has disrupted education during the current (2020 to 2021) and previous (2019 to 2020) academic years. This consultation covers the arrangements for exams and assessments to be taken in summer 2022 in light of this disruption and uncertainty about the continuing impact of the pandemic over the coming academic year.

The proposals take account of the responses Ofqual received to its consultations on qualifications in July and December 2020, as well as more recent discussions with stakeholders. The proposals are in addition to the changes to non-exam assessment (NEA) and fieldwork requirements for summer 2022 which were confirmed by Ofqual on 16 June following consultation.

This consultation proposes a package of measures to help mitigate the impact of disruption to students' education, and seeks views on proposals on the following areas:

choice of topics in GCSE English literature, history, ancient history and choice of content in GCSE geography

changes to the requirements for the delivery of practical activities in science subjects, and assessment in art and design

the provision of advance information on the focus of the content of exams, in the majority of subjects at GCSE, AS and A level

the provision of support materials in GCSE mathematics, physics and combined science exams

Documents

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Proposed changes to the assessment of GCSEs, AS and A levels in 2022

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A joint consultation published by Ofqual and the Department for Education on proposed changes to the assessment of GCSEs, AS and A levels in 2022.

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UEA: EPQ Workshop for Year12&13 -The Artefact Report: Documenting Your Journey 

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UEA: EPQ Workshop for Year12&13 -The Artefact Report: Documenting Your Journey 

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Online
10:10-10.55am
21s January 2022

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Channel Talent - Interactive school webinars

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Our events are designed so that a group of students can take part from a classroom or students and teachers can take part as individuals, either from school or from home. This means that sessions will continue irrespective of possible school closures.

As a live, participative event, this session will not be recorded but slides and other resources will be shared after the event, where available.

Suitable for: Year 12 & 13 students (and equivalent) carrying out, or planning to carry out, an EPQ. Teachers and members of school staff, as always, are welcome too and participants can join as individuals from school/college or home, or as a group from school/college.
Preparation/Pre-Reading: I'm looking forward to working with you as you continue your EPQ journey on 21st January. In preparation for the session please spend 10 minutes (or longer if you wish to) reflecting on the progress you have made with your project so far. Some questions you may wish to guide your reflections are: Reflecting on your EPQ journey so far - Please see this message from Rebecca:

What stage are you working on at the moment? E.g. Planning and developing a rationale, undertaking primary and/ or secondary research, evaluating your artefact, writing up?

What skills have you learnt about and can demonstrate through the planning, designing and evaluation of your artefact? (If you're at the planning/ designing stage, what skills do you envisage you'll be able to demonstrate?)

Do you have any questions? If you have any questions related to the theme of the session and your project, please share them by submitting them HERE.

The IT Setup: The event will be run on and participants will be able to join using laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. If you are joining as a school group, we recommend connecting with one device and projecting on to a whiteboard. You will be able to interact with the university via a microphone and/or typed comments and questions. Full details will be sent to those who have registered (see below) prior to the event.

Booking a Place: This is free for schools and colleges. If you would like to take part in this event, please register your interest using the link to the registration form below:

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Extended Project Qualification: A Skills & Insight University Workshop - The Artefact Report: Documenting Your Journey With Dr Rebecca Westrup From University of East Anglia - Channel Talent - Interactive school webinars

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Our events are designed so that a group of students can take part from a classroom or students and teachers can take part as individuals, either from school or from home. This means that sessions will continue irrespective of possible school closures.

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Ofsted: New Inspection Handbook for Sep 21

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Ofsted: New Inspection Handbook for Sep 21

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Updated 27th August 2021

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Ofsted guidance on inspecting maintained schools and academies in England under the education inspection framework.

Applies to England

Documents

Details

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Ofsted guidance on inspecting maintained schools and academies in England under the education inspection framework.

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Students at UEA who have done an EPQ before studying at UEA.
Sixth Formers are able to ask questions of these students about the EPQ journey.

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UEA Support Package - EBSCO Research Database Servce for an EPQ Portal. A free store of journal articles, ebooks, and research materials to support EPQ research. Curated by EBSCO and EPQ Library. Completely free.

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On demand E-learning Module
Available: 15 February 2022 to
30 April 2022

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ESFA: Information on the planning and delivery of 16-19 study programmes 2021-22

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ESFA: Information on the planning and delivery of 16-19 study programmes 2021-22

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Published: 20th July 2021

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Information for education and training providers on the planning and delivery of study programmes.

Details

This guide sets out the government's policy on 16 to 19 study programmes. It covers academic, technical and vocational study programmes, including traineeships and supported internships.

It applies to all providers of 16 to 19 education in England, including:

schools

further education (FE) colleges

sixth-form colleges

work-based learning providers

training providers

Previous versions of the guidance are available on the UK Government Web Archive.

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16 to 19 study programmes: guide for providers

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Information for education and training providers on the planning and delivery of study programmes.

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Online
Dates available February-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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AQA Updates: Teacher PD - EPQ Coordinator Community East

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AQA Updates: Teacher PD - EPQ Coordinator Community East

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EPQ: Coordinator Virtual Communities - Autumn 21 - East
9 November 2021 | 16:00-17:15

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EPQ: Coordinator Virtual Communities - Autumn 21 - East (East Midlands, East of England)

Course summary

We're bringing new, free 'local' virtual twilight sessions to the AQA EPQ community, facilitated by Extended Project Qualification specialists. These are designed to help you every step of the way by looping you in with an AQA expert and other peers around important aspects of your role.

Participants can use text chat facilities in an online environment to discuss relevant topics.

We will share any relevant updates and resource developments from AQA, Teachit and Exampro.
There will be the opportunity to meet and talk with your regional AQA Relationship Manager who will run a short network slot after the main meeting - we suggest you book on your 'local' community session where possible.
Course reference

PROPVW4 - use this in communications with us.

Course description

Network with fellow EPQ Centre Coordinators and build an understanding through discussion on what makes a good quality EPQ project proposal.

Access a framework to help aid discussions with students about the formulation of their project proposal and EPQ title.

Unpic k the artefact project proposal and the aims of the accompanying written report.

You will also have access to a facilitation pack to help embed your learning with your teams.

Suitable for

Suitable for all current and potential coordinators of EPQ.

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We're bringing new, free 'local' virtual twilight sessions to the AQA EPQ community, facilitated by Extended Project Qualification specialists. These are designed to help you every step of the way by looping you in with an AQA expert and other peers around important aspects of your role.

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AQA:  Getting Started and Planning for delivery of EPQ

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AQA:  Getting Started and Planning for delivery of EPQ

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