Post-16 qualification pathways
Inflexibility in post-16 education pathways, limiting students' ability to combine A Levels, Applied General Qualifications, and T Levels.
Strongest theme matches
Mixed across source types and ranked by classifier confidence plus text match strength.
Committee recommendation
100match
#26 - Ensure post-16 students can combine A Levels, AGQs, and T Levels for tailored pathways.
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...
Matched on
terms: pathway, post, qualification
Committee recommendation
98match
#43 - Introduce a three-route model for post-16 English and maths GCSE achievement.
The Government must introduce a three-route model for those who have not attained grade 4 GCSE in maths and/or English based on their level of attainment at age 16 and their chosen post-16 qualification/employment pathway: • Students who, based on their GCSE results at age 16 and prior attainment, have a realistic prospect of achieving grade 4 in...
Matched on
terms: pathway, post, qualification
Committee recommendation
90match
#23 - Introduce modular T Level qualifications to enable flexible student pathways and employer engagement.
We recommend the introduction of modular or smaller-sized T Level qualifications (e.g. equivalent to one A Level) to enable students to study a blend of academic and technical qualifications and allow more flexible entry and exit points. Employers should be involved more closely at the curriculum-design stage of these modular qualifications to ensure T Level programmes align with...
Matched on
terms: pathway, qualification
Committee recommendation
82match
#19 - Post-16 pathway information fragmented and apprenticeship applications lack national framework.
Information about post-16 pathways can be fragmented, with no single platform covering both academic and vocational options. Apprenticeship applications are particularly complex due to the absence of a national framework and regional inconsistencies. Additionally, vocational application timelines are misaligned with university admissions, making it difficult for 93 young people to consider all options equally. These issues contribute to...
Matched on
terms: pathway, post
Committee recommendation
82match
#3 - Publish clarity for students, colleges, and teachers on T Levels' alignment with other qualifications.
The Department has not provided clarity on how T Levels align with other technical qualifications and career pathways. After pausing the previous government’s decision to defund qualifications overlapping with T Levels, in December 2024 the new government announced funding would continue for certain technical qualifications until 2027. The Department believes too many overlapping qualifications creates confusion for students...
Matched on
terms: pathway, qualification
Committee recommendation
77match
#21 - 1st Report - Think Work First: the transition from education to work for young disabled people
The Government’s review of post-16 qualifications reform must consider and prioritise the impact that reforms will have on young disabled people. The Government must commit to retaining all extant BTEC courses at least until there has been a full evaluation of the impact of the introduction of T Levels both generally and specifically on young disabled people. Even...
Matched on
terms: post, qualification
Committee recommendation
75match
#25 - Commit to long-term retention and sustained funding for essential Level 3 qualifications and AGQs.
Level 3 qualifications—including Applied General Qualifications—which provide students with a popular and respected alternative to both A Levels and T Levels must remain an option for all young people. The Government must publicly commit to the long-term retention of these qualifications and to providing sustained funding for them. We hope this will go some way to address the...
Matched on
terms: qualification
Committee recommendation
73match
#20 - 1st Report - Think Work First: the transition from education to work for young disabled people
The introduction of T Levels offers opportunities for young disabled people to gain valuable workplace experience and skills. There is a risk, however, that it will prevent some from progressing in further education through other routes. For those unable to access T Levels, BTECs are the ideal alternative, and it is concerning that these are being discontinued even...
Matched on
terms: post, qualification
Committee recommendation
72match
#41 - Successful IB Careers Programme faces unwarranted defunding despite strong student progression outcomes
The IB Careers Programme (IBCP) is a broad and flexible post-16 qualification, enabling students to acquire a valuable blend of academic, vocational and employability skills. The IBCP prepares students effectively for a range of progression opportunities. A destinations survey for the 2019 IBCP cohort showed that 56% of students had progressed to higher education, 19% to employment and...
Matched on
terms: post, qualification
Committee recommendation
70match
#42 - Reform post-16 funding condition for mandatory GCSE English and maths resits.
The post-16 condition of funding, whereby students who have not achieved a grade 4 or above in GCSE English and maths are effectively repeatedly required to take GCSE resits in those subjects as part of their programme of study, must be reformed. Despite a modest rise in overall attainment over the past ten years, the progression rate from...
Matched on
terms: post
Committee recommendation
69match
#19 - 1st Report - Think Work First: the transition from education to work for young disabled people
The Government’s review of post-16 qualifications reform must take into account the employment outcomes, qualifications and assessments open to young disabled people.
Matched on
terms: post, qualification
Committee recommendation
69match
#20 - T Level content adaptation remains slow, requiring at least 18 months for substantive changes.
The Department said that as T Levels reflect a major change to the technical qualification landscape, it will take time to develop course content.58 We challenged the Department on how quickly T Level content could be adapted to ensure students were taught the skills needed within the economy both now and in the future.59 For example, in early...
Matched on
terms: qualification
Committee recommendation
66match
#18 - Department extends funding for overlapping qualifications, delaying full T Level qualification rollout.
In December 2024, following its previous decision to pause defunding qualifications overlapping with T Levels, the Department announced funding would continue for certain qualifications until 2027. It also committed to continually reviewing those qualifications with low or no enrolments and confirmed that the Curriculum and Assessment Review, expected in Autumn 2025, would help inform future plans.55 47 Qq...
Matched on
terms: qualification
Committee recommendation
65match
#28 - Current post-16 GCSE English and maths resit policy proves ineffective and burdensome.
The current requirement for all post-16 students who have not achieved a grade 4 or above in GCSE English and maths to continue to study those subjects alongside their other studies is not working for the majority of post- 16 students and the Government must change it. Despite a modest rise in overall attainment over the past ten...
Matched on
terms: post
Committee recommendation
65match
#43 - England's upper secondary education curriculum remains internationally narrow and specialised
Whereas many other countries insist on students covering a broad and balanced curriculum up to age 18, England is an international outlier in the narrowness of its upper secondary education. The average number of A levels taken by a student is just 2.67, and T Levels, the new technical qualification, offer an even more narrow and specialised route.
Matched on
terms: qualification
Committee recommendation
65match
#19 - T Level content faces concerns of overspecialisation and not fully meeting employer skills needs.
The Department for Education’s (The Department’s) aims for T Levels include improving technical education and work outcomes for young people, alongside having qualifications that better meet employers’ skills needs. T Levels are based on occupational standards that are developed and approved by employers. They include a core curriculum, alongside a specialism which students choose covering specific knowledge, skills...
Matched on
terms: qualification
Committee recommendation
65match
#10 - T Level Foundation Year progression remains low; higher education acceptance is limited.
The Department introduced the T Level Foundation Year for those needing support before starting a T Level. However, few of those on these courses progressed to T Levels – in 2021/22 only 8% of those completing the Foundation year then did a T Level.19 The Department acknowledged this was lower than expected and said it was monitoring how...
Matched on
terms: qualification
Committee recommendation
65match
#9 - Student T Level awareness and enrolment hindered by unclear offer and excessive assessment burden.
We heard of various reasons for students not being aware of T Levels or keen to enrol. Written evidence we received described students being unclear about what T Levels offered and uncertainty over their position particularly following government’s announcement to reverse introducing a new qualification, the Advanced British Standard, which would have incorporated T Levels.15 It also described...
Matched on
terms: qualification
Committee recommendation
65match
#4 - Accelerate T Level content development and review with awarding organisations for evolving skills needs.
T Levels are intended to address skills gaps and meet employers’ needs, but they cannot quickly be adapted to meet this objective. T Levels have been developed and approved by employers to, for example, better meet their needs and improve students’ employment prospects. It will take time to develop course content – the Department and the Institute for...
Matched on
terms: qualification
Committee recommendation
61match
#31 - Apprenticeship pathway remains unclear and discouraging for many
We welcome the Government’s reforms of the apprenticeship system and the introduction of the Growth and Skills Levy. The former apprenticeship levy was seen by some organisations—particularly small and medium- sized businesses—as being part of an overly complex and inflexible apprenticeship system. However, for many prospective apprentices and employers, the pathway to an apprenticeship remains unclear, bureaucratic and...
Matched on
terms: pathway
Committee recommendation
61match
#15 - Strengthen accountability for careers advice and subject choice guidance in schools for manufacturing pathways.
The Department for Transport should work with relevant government departments to strengthen accountability for careers advice and subject choices guidance in schools to ensure that pathways to careers in manufacturing are not disadvantaged. (Recommendation, Paragraph 74)
Matched on
terms: pathway
Committee recommendation
61match
#3 - Thirty-Eighth Report - Managing colleges’ financial sustainability
It is clearly iniquitous that sixth-form colleges have to pay VAT while post-16 academies and schools with sixth forms do not. As part of the area reviews of post- 16 education and training provision, sixth-form colleges were given the option of becoming academies and, by 2018/19, 24 sixth-form colleges had converted. There is a financial incentive for colleges...
Matched on
terms: post
Committee recommendation
60match
#5 - T Level students face significant uncertainty and limited progression options
There remains some uncertainty around progression options for T Level students. For example, we heard that T Level students are unlikely to have acquired the occupational competency and experience needed to begin a level 4 apprenticeship. While Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) will offer an important progression route for T Level students, their development has lagged behind T Levels,...
Matched on
terms: qualification
Committee recommendation
57match
#21 - 3rd Report - Youth employment, education and training
We recommend that the government, through the Department for Education (DfE), ensure that schools, colleges and educators are aware of and actively promote apprenticeships and other non-academic ‘earn and learn’ pathways alongside academic routes. The government must show clear cross-departmental commitment to this objective; as a starting point, we suggest DfE and DWP set out in a joint...
Matched on
terms: pathway
Committee recommendation
56match
#29 - Thirty-Eighth Report - Managing colleges’ financial sustainability
The Department has not had a clear long-term strategy covering the college sector’s role, structure and funding in an integrated way.56 The Department said that there had been individual elements of long-term strategy, such as giving employers more of a voice about skills and reviewing the number of qualifications on offer. It also highlighted that the impact of...
Matched on
terms: qualification
Committee recommendation
52match
#13 - Fifth Report - Diversity and Inclusion in STEM
We recommend as an alternative to compulsion the introduction of a requirement for pupils who do not continue with a STEM subject post-16 to take the Advanced Mathematical Support Programme or a Core Science course. Core Science could be developed using the same applied principles as Core Maths and the Advanced Mathematical Support Programme.
Matched on
terms: post
Committee recommendation
52match
#42 - Revisit decision to withdraw funding for IB Careers Programme or prove replacement's superiority
The Department must revisit its decision to withdraw funding for the IB Careers Programme. It should continue to fund this rigorous and accessible qualification, or provide evidence that any replacement will generate improved outcomes.
Matched on
terms: qualification
LGO / SPSO decision
52match
23-012-082 - Lancashire County Council
Summary: Mrs B complains about how the Council dealt with her son’s Education Health and Care (EHC) Plan. There was fault by the Council. It failed to issue a final EHC Plan or plan his transition post-16 placement for Z in 2022. The Council then failed to make a decision following an Annual Review in 2023 and again...
Matched on
terms: post
Committee recommendation
49match
#25 - 1st Report - Think Work First: the transition from education to work for young disabled people
The Government should continue to take steps to widen eligibility for supported internships beyond those with Education, Health and Care Plans while ensuring that supported internships are targeted at those who need a high level of support.
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classifier match
Committee recommendation
49match
#18 - 3rd Report - Youth employment, education and training
In recent years, England’s apprenticeship system has not delivered as well as it could or should have done. 55% of levy funds go unused, with employers choosing to lose these funds rather than take on more apprentices. Constant tinkering with apprenticeship formats and funding rules has undermined confidence in the system for employers, training providers and potential apprentices....
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
48match
#64 - 1st Report - New Towns: Commit and Build
We heard that construction training programmes are often highly fragmented themselves and rely on multiple different routes, which can be challenging to navigate for learners. 102 Ms Egan suggested that streamlining qualification routes could provide greater clarity. 103 We were told that greater alignment between qualifications and employer needs could strengthen recruitment and outcomes in the sector. 104...
Matched on
terms: qualification
Committee recommendation
48match
#5 - Thirty-Eighth Report - Managing colleges’ financial sustainability
The Department’s funding decisions are based on previous years’ student numbers, which risks holding back colleges that are growing. Funding for students aged 16 to 19, which makes up around half of college income, is based on the previous year’s learner numbers; other factors, such as retention rates, are based on data which are two years old. This...
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classifier match
NAO recommendation
48match
Regulating the financial sustainability of higher education providers in England
c) together with the OfS, assess how redistribution of student numbers between providers, as a result of higher A-level grades awarded in 2020 and 2021, has affected students’ experiences and providers’ finances, and draw on this to understand the likely consequences following release of A-level grades awarded in 2022.
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classifier match
IMB recommendation
48match
Moorland (2024)
Can the commissioning of education and training be revised to enable prisoners to acquire a greater range of recognised qualifications to enhance their prospects of successful rehabilitation and resettlement?
Matched on
terms: qualification
Committee recommendation
45match
#27 - 1st Report - Think Work First: the transition from education to work for young disabled people
We welcome the Government’s steps to make flexibilities around maths and English requirements accessible to people without an Education, Health and Care Plan. The Government should launch a campaign to clearly communicate the new criteria, promote apprenticeships to employers and training providers and incentivise employers to take on disabled apprentices, and should monitor the number of young disabled...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
45match
#26 - 1st Report - Think Work First: the transition from education to work for young disabled people
We welcome the steps taken to make apprenticeships more accessible to young disabled people, including those without an EHCP, and the commitment to nurturing peer support and learning through the Disabled Apprentice Network.
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classifier match
Committee recommendation
45match
#24 - 1st Report - Think Work First: the transition from education to work for young disabled people
We welcome the roll-out of supported internships and the Government’s efforts to widen eligibility for them.
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
45match
#20 - 3rd Report - Youth employment, education and training
England’s apprenticeship system is complex and difficult for employers to understand. The government must do more to communicate how it works and help employers understand the opportunities available. In its response, 46 DWP should explain what steps it will take to improve awareness and understanding of apprenticeships, including how the growth and skills levy operates. (Recommendation, Paragraph 120)
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classifier match
Committee recommendation
45match
#19 - 3rd Report - Youth employment, education and training
Having launched the growth and skills levy, the government must now closely monitor the impact of this change. It needs to build a greater understanding of when to intervene and how to mitigate unintended consequences. In its response to this report, the government should set out how it will monitor and evaluate the apprenticeship system, and the impact...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
45match
#17 - 3rd Report - Youth employment, education and training
Many people would be surprised to learn that last year more than 50% of apprenticeship starts were by over 25s. The government is right to look to rebalance apprenticeships towards young people. However, its approach of defunding a handful of apprenticeships pursued by a high proportion of over 25s has been too blunt. Defunding these apprenticeships will have...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
45match
#16 - 3rd Report - Youth employment, education and training
Apprenticeships are a fantastic opportunity. Other countries demonstrate that a well-designed and well-respected apprenticeship system is effective at reducing youth unemployment and creating invaluable opportunities for young people. (Conclusion, Paragraph 91)
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classifier match
Committee recommendation
44match
#5 - 1st Report - Think Work First: the transition from education to work for young disabled people
The Government should work with local authorities to improve the availability of ‘ready to work’ programmes such as that provided by ThinkForward, to support young people from school until they are settled in work. A plan and timeline for the rollout of such programmes nationally should be developed once the plan for embedding vocational profiling in the school...
Matched on
classifier match
LGO / SPSO decision
44match
25-006-137 - Manchester City Council
Summary: There was fault in the way the Council considered Mr X’s application for post-16 transport assistance. The Council confused the law and policy for pre and post 16 pupils and this casts doubt on the accuracy of the decision made. The Council has agreed to review the decision, apologise, make a symbolic payment to acknowledge the faults...
Matched on
terms: post
IMB recommendation
43match
Werrington (2023)
Why is there such limited provision for supporting young people working towards GCSEs and other, higher qualifications within the education contract?
Matched on
terms: qualification
IMB recommendation
43match
Rye Hill (2023)
The Board is concerned over the number of older prisoners who have complained to the IMB about being required to retake English and maths level 1 qualifications to obtain a particular work role because they have no way to prove their qualification/s. We would like to see a balanced approach taken when prisoners are clearly proficient in the...
Matched on
terms: qualification
LGO / SPSO decision
43match
24-018-884 - Nottinghamshire County Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of Mr Y’s transfer to a post-16 educational placement. This is because there is either not enough evidence of fault by the Council or of any fault causing significant injustice, and Mr X, the complainant, has also used his appeal rights to the Tribunal.
Matched on
terms: post
LGO / SPSO decision
43match
24-019-017 - Bury Metropolitan Borough Council
Summary: Mrs X complained about the Council’s handling of her child Y’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan since 2023 including annual review delays and a failure to pay the personal budget. The Council was at fault. It failed to carry out annual reviews between August 2023 and July 2024 and then delayed issuing an amended Plan prior...
Matched on
terms: post
Committee recommendation
40match
#36 - 1st Report - Think Work First: the transition from education to work for young disabled people
As part of the rollout of Universal Support, the Government should take steps to link Universal Support offers to supported internships to ensure that young disabled people with the highest needs do not drop out of work at the end of their internship. We ask the Government to update the Committee on progress of the rollout by March...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
40match
#23 - 1st Report - Think Work First: the transition from education to work for young disabled people
The Government must ensure that young disabled people are given equal access to work experience and must work with DWP, schools, and local government bodies to address the barriers to access to work experience for young disabled people identified in this chapter. This should include introducing further incentives for schools and colleges to develop work experience opportunities, taking...
Matched on
classifier match
Committee recommendation
40match
#4 - 1st Report - Think Work First: the transition from education to work for young disabled people
Continuous, joined up support for young disabled people, starting in school and continuing until they have secured secure employment, bridges the gap between education and work. It empowers young disabled people both to enter the workplace and to thrive once in employment and, through this, provides concrete value for money.
Matched on
classifier match