Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of choice available for students of streamlining post-16 qualifications.

The department is streamlining and improving the quality of the post-16 qualifications system at level 3 and below. We are strengthening the progression pathways, creating clearly defined academic and technical routes with high-quality qualifications leading to further study and/or skilled employment.

This clarity of purpose will help students to make good choices and see more easily how their study will help them to progress. At level 3, A levels and T Levels will be at the core of study programmes for most young people. For other students, a combination of A levels with other high-quality qualifications will be the right choice.

As set out in our plans for reform of level 3 qualifications, published in July 2021, students will continue to be able to study qualifications similar to current Applied General Qualifications (AGQs) as part of mixed programmes alongside A levels, where they meet new quality standards and support progression to higher education. For example, students can progress in areas such as engineering, applied science, and information technology. Students will also be able to study qualifications like AGQs as their full programme of study where there is no A level or T Level, in areas such as performing and creative arts, and sports science.

Qualifications that do not meet new standards or the criteria for funding will not be funded in future. In the department’s impact assessment published alongside its policy statement on level 3 qualifications last summer, we were clear that students taking qualifications that are not funded in future will benefit most from these changes, as they are more likely to be taking qualifications that do not deliver the skills employers need.

Students will have access to higher-quality qualifications in the future, including new T Levels. This will put them in a stronger position to progress onto further study or skilled employment. We also noted in our impact assessment that some students may find it more difficult to achieve level 3 in future. We are putting in place support for these students, such as the T Level Transition Programme and the pilot academic progression programme, with the aim of improving progression to level 3.

Alongside reforms to level 3 qualifications, the department wants to improve qualifications and study at level 2, level 1, and entry level. We are currently consulting on proposed reforms to level 2 and below, and the consultation remains open until 27 April 2022.

Alongside the consultation, the department published its initial impact assessment. This states that we would expect the impact of the proposals at level 2 and below to be generally positive for all students, through an improved qualification landscape that is high-quality and better equips students for progression into employment or further study at higher levels.

Our proposed reforms will result in a good choice of high-quality qualifications to meet student and employer needs. This will be easier for students and employers to navigate than the current offer of around 8,000 qualifications.