Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
Recommendation 26
26
Rejected
Ensure post-16 students can combine A Levels, AGQs, and T Levels for tailored pathways.
Conclusion
The Department for Education should ensure that post-16 students are able to pursue a mixture of A Levels, Applied General Qualifications and T Levels in order to support more tailored and inclusive educational pathways. Providing students with the flexibility to combine different forms of post-16 qualifications would better reflect individual learner needs and open up a wider range of future pathways. (Recommendation, Paragraph 101)
Government Response Summary
The government's Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper proposes a new V Level pathway alongside A Levels and T Levels. It also notes an ongoing consultation on post-16 Level 3 and below pathways, with a government response expected in 2026, indicating a different strategy for post-16 qualification flexibility.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
The Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper recognises A levels and T Levels as high-quality Level 3 qualifications and proposes introducing V Levels–a new vocational pathway alongside A levels and T Levels. V Levels will allow students to explore sectors without specialising, combining applied learning with practical assessment. They will align with occupational standards set by Skills England and can be taken with other qualifications. The White Paper also proposes Level 2 reforms with two pathways: Occupational (for direct employment) and Further Study (for progression to Level 3). DfE will review entry-level and Level 1 qualifications in due course. T Levels, introduced in 2020, now cover 21 subjects with strong outcomes (91.4% pass rate in 2025). The government is committed to expanding uptake, improving retention, and raising awareness through campaigns and ambassadors. 71% of T Level learners feel their course prepared them for the workplace, significantly higher than students on comparable Level 3 courses with a difference of 10–15 percentage points, and 97% of T Level learners who applied for Higher Education through UCAS received at least one offer. Over two thirds of T Level students who take up apprenticeships go straight into higher or degree-level apprenticeships – far higher than for all Level 3 learners (where the vast majority go on to do an apprenticeship at the same or lower level). T Levels are helping to build employers’ talented workforce – around a third of T Level students who progress into employment get jobs with their T Level Industry Placement employer. Young people with a range of prior attainment are accessing T Levels–the GCSE grade split for students receiving T Level results is very similar to those receiving results for Applied General Qualifications (AGQs). The government aims to improve English and maths achievement at Level 2 through reforms, including a new Level 1 stepping stone qualification, accountability changes, and additional support for FE providers. A consultation on post-16 Level 3 and below pathways launched on 20 October 2025 and closes on 12 January 2026, with the Government’s response to be published later in 2026.