Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many students have dropped out of T Levels since 2020; and what percentage of those enrolling have dropped out.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department’s recently published 2023/24 T Level Action Plan outlines the developments and next steps for T Levels. It also includes the latest student data for the programme. It shows that 5,321 students began their T Level in 2021/22. In summer 2023, 3,592 of those students were retained (68%), and 3,510 were retained and assessed (66%). Similar statistics for students that began their T Level in 2020/21 are not published. Further data about T Levels, as well as details of the methodology used in the above data can be found in the T Level Action Plan Analytical Annex, which is attached.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what research they have undertaken into (1) reasons for the dropout rate for T Levels, (2) why only 8 per cent of students taking foundation level T Levels progress to full T levels, and (3) whether T Levels or BTECs provide a more appropriate preparation for employment in different skill areas.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
As relatively new qualifications, retention rates on T Levels may be expected to fluctuate. The department is keen to understand the reasons behind students dropping out of their T Level programme and have undertaken a range of research. This has included discussing the issue in routine conversations with further education (FE) providers and holding workshops with a variety of providers to explore further the reasons for students dropping out of specific T Levels. The department has also reviewed data from the Individualised Learner Record and school census to identify patterns in students dropping out of T Levels, and examined responses to the Technical Education Learner Survey (2021 and 2022) to understand student motivations for dropping out. Links to these surveys can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/technical-education-learner-survey, and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/technical-education-learner-survey-2022. The department has also spoken to Awarding Organisations to discuss student retention on T Levels.
The T Level Foundation Year is the first step on a 3-year path to achieving a T Level, for those who need it. The programme is supporting good progression to level 3 destinations in its first two years, compared with other level 2 courses. Reasons why more students are not progressing onto T Levels may include not meeting providers’ entry criteria and the early cohorts being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The T Level Foundation Year is still early in its rollout and the department will monitor outcomes as the programme continues to roll out and funding is removed from level 3 qualifications that overlap with T Levels. Research by the National Foundation for Education Research and the Technical Education Learner Surveys provide information on the early cohorts. This research can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/research-on-early-delivery-of-the-t-level-transition-programme. The department is undertaking further research with providers to identify good practice and success factors in supporting progression to T Levels.
Lord Sainsbury’s report on technical education defined the skills areas suitable for T Levels, drawing on analysis of relevant apprenticeship standards, existing taught qualifications, and labour market information. All T Levels are based on the same employer-led occupational standards as apprenticeships, and these standards were led by, and updated with, employers. That means that employers and young people can be confident in these new qualifications. This is not consistently the case with the large qualifications they are replacing, which often do not support a young person to enter the sector they thought the qualification was preparing them for. For example, in the latest data for health and social care qualifications only 9% of those who complete worked in ‘Health and social care’ the following year. This data can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/detailed-destinations-of-16-to-18-year-olds-in-further-education. T Levels will not be the only technical qualification available in the future landscape. Where there are occupational standards at level 3, but no T Level, the department is allowing technical qualifications to be developed, which will allow students to continue to study areas currently covered by applied general qualifications such as travel consultant, highways electrician, and personal trainer, to list a few. The key distinction here is that they will be based on employer led occupational standards, unlike the current applied general qualifications. The department will also allow for large alternative academic qualifications in areas not well served by A levels or T levels and where an academic pathway is required, such as performing arts and sport.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that applied general qualifications are still available to students in future.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The aim of the department’s Post-16 Qualifications reform at level 3 and below is to streamline the qualifications landscape, simplify choices for students, and only fund qualifications that are high-quality and lead to good progression outcomes. By ensuring that approved qualifications meet new, more rigorous criteria, young people can be confident that they will be able to progress to university and higher technical education, and directly into apprenticeships and skilled employment. It will place world class A levels and T Levels at the heart of level 3 study programmes for 16 to 19 year olds, and link other technical qualifications directly with occupational standards which have been designed by employers. Students studying these qualifications can be confident that they are gaining the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed for future jobs.
In the new post-16 qualification landscape, students will continue to have a range of options available to them at level 3, in addition to A levels and T Levels, there will be new technical occupational qualifications (TOQs) and Alternative Academic Qualifications (AAQs).
Where occupational standards are not covered by a T Level, the department is allowing TOQs to be developed, where students can continue to study areas currently covered by applied general qualifications (AGQs), such as travel consultant, highways electrician, and personal trainer, to list a few. The key distinction here is that they will be based on employer led occupational standards, unlike current AGQs.
On the academic side, current AGQs will be replaced by AAQs. There will be new small AAQs in a range of strategically important subjects such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and those supporting entry into NHS careers. These qualifications are an important part of how the department will support diverse student needs and deliver skills required by the economy. Small AAQs can be studied alongside A levels as part of mixed academic programme. The department will also fund large AAQs in areas that A levels and T Levels cover less well such as performing arts and sport. AAQs must demonstrate a clear link to related higher education (HE) courses and will be assessed by the department against the new funding approval criteria.
The department knows that students who take A levels have better outcomes overall in terms of progressing into, and staying in, HE than those who study AGQs. This is supported by the evidence, which shows that students progressing to HE with alternatives to A levels, such as AGQs, generally experience worse outcomes than their peers taking A levels, even after controlling for differences in background characteristics. Current AGQs also provide very mixed outcomes for students.
The qualification reforms also include reforming level 2 qualifications to ensure they are high-quality, have clear purposes, and lead to better outcomes, either supporting progression to reformed level 3 study, for example via the T Level Foundation Year, or directly into skilled employment in occupations at level 2 or via apprenticeships. This means that studying a reformed level 2 qualification will lead to better long-term outcomes than studying a poor-quality level 3 qualification.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the proposed new British Sign Language GCSE will count towards the English Baccalaureate to ensure it is seen by schools as holding the same weight as other languages.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department published British Sign Language (BSL) GCSE subject content in December 2023, following a public consultation last summer. Exam boards are now able to develop detailed specifications, which must be reviewed and accredited by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) before schools and colleges are able to teach them. The department does not play a role in developing or approving exam board specifications for GCSEs.
Only ancient or modern foreign language (MFL) GCSEs count towards the languages pillar of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc). The BSL GCSE does not sit in the MFL suite as it is not a foreign language but an indigenous one and does not contain the speaking and listening elements common to all MFL GCSEs. While the BSL GCSE will therefore not count towards the EBacc, it will be a rigorous qualification that is internationally recognised and accepted in school and college performance tables.
The department is considering the steps that can be taken to support the delivery of the BSL GCSE when it is introduced, such as engaging with initial teacher training providers. The department also expects stakeholder organisations and exam boards to play an important role in supporting the teaching workforce to deliver the BSL GCSE.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that members of the British Deaf Community are offered opportunities to become tutors to teach the GCSE in British Sign Language in schools when it is introduced.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department published British Sign Language (BSL) GCSE subject content in December 2023, following a public consultation last summer. Exam boards are now able to develop detailed specifications, which must be reviewed and accredited by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) before schools and colleges are able to teach them. The department does not play a role in developing or approving exam board specifications for GCSEs.
Only ancient or modern foreign language (MFL) GCSEs count towards the languages pillar of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc). The BSL GCSE does not sit in the MFL suite as it is not a foreign language but an indigenous one and does not contain the speaking and listening elements common to all MFL GCSEs. While the BSL GCSE will therefore not count towards the EBacc, it will be a rigorous qualification that is internationally recognised and accepted in school and college performance tables.
The department is considering the steps that can be taken to support the delivery of the BSL GCSE when it is introduced, such as engaging with initial teacher training providers. The department also expects stakeholder organisations and exam boards to play an important role in supporting the teaching workforce to deliver the BSL GCSE.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that there are sufficient tutors available to teach the GCSE in British Sign Language when it is introduced.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department published British Sign Language (BSL) GCSE subject content in December 2023, following a public consultation last summer. Exam boards are now able to develop detailed specifications, which must be reviewed and accredited by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) before schools and colleges are able to teach them. The department does not play a role in developing or approving exam board specifications for GCSEs.
Only ancient or modern foreign language (MFL) GCSEs count towards the languages pillar of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc). The BSL GCSE does not sit in the MFL suite as it is not a foreign language but an indigenous one and does not contain the speaking and listening elements common to all MFL GCSEs. While the BSL GCSE will therefore not count towards the EBacc, it will be a rigorous qualification that is internationally recognised and accepted in school and college performance tables.
The department is considering the steps that can be taken to support the delivery of the BSL GCSE when it is introduced, such as engaging with initial teacher training providers. The department also expects stakeholder organisations and exam boards to play an important role in supporting the teaching workforce to deliver the BSL GCSE.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in developing approved exam board syllabuses for a GCSE in British Sign Language.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department published British Sign Language (BSL) GCSE subject content in December 2023, following a public consultation last summer. Exam boards are now able to develop detailed specifications, which must be reviewed and accredited by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) before schools and colleges are able to teach them. The department does not play a role in developing or approving exam board specifications for GCSEs.
Only ancient or modern foreign language (MFL) GCSEs count towards the languages pillar of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc). The BSL GCSE does not sit in the MFL suite as it is not a foreign language but an indigenous one and does not contain the speaking and listening elements common to all MFL GCSEs. While the BSL GCSE will therefore not count towards the EBacc, it will be a rigorous qualification that is internationally recognised and accepted in school and college performance tables.
The department is considering the steps that can be taken to support the delivery of the BSL GCSE when it is introduced, such as engaging with initial teacher training providers. The department also expects stakeholder organisations and exam boards to play an important role in supporting the teaching workforce to deliver the BSL GCSE.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential distress caused to spousal pension recipients by Teachers’ Pensions requiring recipients whose spouses retired before January 2007 to confirm annually that they are not living with a new partner; and what assessment they have made of how many such recipients are now living with new partners.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The beneficiaries of spouses who were members of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) who retired before January 2007 are required to complete an annual declaration confirming that they continue to be entitled to receive a survivor’s pension from the Scheme. This process was introduced in 2016 following the identification of a number of cases where entitlement under Scheme rules had ended due to the beneficiary remarrying, entering a civil partnership or living with another person as if married or in a civil partnership. These cases resulted in some significant overpayments needing to be repaid.
The possible impact of the letter on the recipient was considered when the process was established and is subject to discussion with the Teachers’ Pension Scheme Advisory Board, however the department considers that this preventative measure is proportionate and preferable to the alternative. The scheme administrator does not collect information on how many recipients are living with new partners as it is not necessary for the administration of the scheme.
The review referred to in The Guardian on 10 February 2024 was in relation to a separate data exercise where some details of a recipient of TPS benefits match those of a recorded death. This is a standard check carried out by pension scheme administrators to reduce instances of fraud and error leading to overpayments which ultimately cost the taxpayer if they cannot be recovered.
Teachers’ Pensions matches the data of beneficiaries and members who have a pension in payment annually with deaths recorded on the death register. Where there is a sufficiently strong match, the recipient is asked to complete a declaration of ongoing entitlement. The scheme administrator does not record incorrect data about the member from this match and the pension is only suspended if a declaration is not received within 28 days. This is to minimise any potential overpayment.
The review was an internal consideration of the processes and it was concluded that they remain appropriate, but that more detailed guidance on the Teachers’ Pensions website would be helpful for those who may be affected. Updated information is currently being prepared.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether Teachers’ Pensions is incorrectly claiming that some pensioners are dead and stopping their pension payments without cross-checking the death register; and of whether it is complying with its data protection requirements.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The beneficiaries of spouses who were members of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) who retired before January 2007 are required to complete an annual declaration confirming that they continue to be entitled to receive a survivor’s pension from the Scheme. This process was introduced in 2016 following the identification of a number of cases where entitlement under Scheme rules had ended due to the beneficiary remarrying, entering a civil partnership or living with another person as if married or in a civil partnership. These cases resulted in some significant overpayments needing to be repaid.
The possible impact of the letter on the recipient was considered when the process was established and is subject to discussion with the Teachers’ Pension Scheme Advisory Board, however the department considers that this preventative measure is proportionate and preferable to the alternative. The scheme administrator does not collect information on how many recipients are living with new partners as it is not necessary for the administration of the scheme.
The review referred to in The Guardian on 10 February 2024 was in relation to a separate data exercise where some details of a recipient of TPS benefits match those of a recorded death. This is a standard check carried out by pension scheme administrators to reduce instances of fraud and error leading to overpayments which ultimately cost the taxpayer if they cannot be recovered.
Teachers’ Pensions matches the data of beneficiaries and members who have a pension in payment annually with deaths recorded on the death register. Where there is a sufficiently strong match, the recipient is asked to complete a declaration of ongoing entitlement. The scheme administrator does not record incorrect data about the member from this match and the pension is only suspended if a declaration is not received within 28 days. This is to minimise any potential overpayment.
The review was an internal consideration of the processes and it was concluded that they remain appropriate, but that more detailed guidance on the Teachers’ Pensions website would be helpful for those who may be affected. Updated information is currently being prepared.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to publish the outcome of their review into the Teachers’ Pensions fraud system for checking whether spouses of recipients who retired before January 2007 are living with a new partner, as outlined in The Guardian on 10 February.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The beneficiaries of spouses who were members of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) who retired before January 2007 are required to complete an annual declaration confirming that they continue to be entitled to receive a survivor’s pension from the Scheme. This process was introduced in 2016 following the identification of a number of cases where entitlement under Scheme rules had ended due to the beneficiary remarrying, entering a civil partnership or living with another person as if married or in a civil partnership. These cases resulted in some significant overpayments needing to be repaid.
The possible impact of the letter on the recipient was considered when the process was established and is subject to discussion with the Teachers’ Pension Scheme Advisory Board, however the department considers that this preventative measure is proportionate and preferable to the alternative. The scheme administrator does not collect information on how many recipients are living with new partners as it is not necessary for the administration of the scheme.
The review referred to in The Guardian on 10 February 2024 was in relation to a separate data exercise where some details of a recipient of TPS benefits match those of a recorded death. This is a standard check carried out by pension scheme administrators to reduce instances of fraud and error leading to overpayments which ultimately cost the taxpayer if they cannot be recovered.
Teachers’ Pensions matches the data of beneficiaries and members who have a pension in payment annually with deaths recorded on the death register. Where there is a sufficiently strong match, the recipient is asked to complete a declaration of ongoing entitlement. The scheme administrator does not record incorrect data about the member from this match and the pension is only suspended if a declaration is not received within 28 days. This is to minimise any potential overpayment.
The review was an internal consideration of the processes and it was concluded that they remain appropriate, but that more detailed guidance on the Teachers’ Pensions website would be helpful for those who may be affected. Updated information is currently being prepared.