Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions her Department has had with further education sector professionals during the development of its plans to replace BTECs.

Officials and Ministers from the department regularly meet with stakeholders, including further education sector professionals and their representative bodies.

During the Review of Qualifications Reform in 2024, we held an extensive programme of engagement, to ensure that the views of colleges, schools, teachers and wider stakeholders fed into the review. We spoke to over 250 people through the more than 40 hours of engagement, including over 100 teachers, practitioners, and college leaders.

The department held a Ministerial chaired round table with key leaders in the college sector and undertook a series of focus groups and interviews with colleges, schools and other organisations to ensure that the views of stakeholders were fully considered.

We will continue to work closely with the sector, drawing on their insight to ensure future reforms deliver high quality qualifications for young people.