Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what evidence her Department has considered on whether proposed technical education pathways for pupils from the age of 14 will improve pupil outcomes compared with existing Key Stage 4 technical provision.

The department is at an early stage of developing the new technical education pathways. Our ambition is to give every young person access to high-quality technical education pathways from age 14 and support progression into further study, training and skilled employment. As part of these pathways, we will work with Ofqual and other key partners to develop high-quality vocational and technical qualifications which give clear routes into T Levels, the new V levels, apprenticeships, universities and beyond.

The department will work with Mayoral Strategic Authorities and local leaders to design locally tailored, vocationally focussed pathways for each region and begin rolling them out in some areas from September 2028. To inform development of this policy, we will consider existing national and international approaches to technical education pathways.