Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to increase the transparency of the process to assess whether an applied general qualification overlaps with a T level, including the rationale for the decisions reached.

Qualifications reform is being undertaken in three phases. Phase 1 removed around 5,500 qualifications because they had low or no publicly funded enrolments.

Phase 2 relates to the assessment of qualifications that overlap with T Levels. Qualifications are carefully assessed and considered against three tests:

• Is it a technical qualification, in that it primarily aims to support entry to employment in a specific occupational area(s)?
• Are the outcomes that must be attained by a person taking the qualification similar to those set out in a standard covered by a T Level?
• Does the qualification aim to support entry to the same occupation(s) as a T Level?

The process we have used to identify overlapping qualifications is rigorous and has been led by evidence such as individual qualification specifications. Independent assessors were commissioned to conduct in-depth evaluations of the qualifications in scope and the outcomes of the process were moderated for consistency.

For the Wave 1 and 2 T Level overlap process, the department published a provisional list, and put in place an appeals process to give awarding organisations who did not feel we have applied the criteria correctly an opportunity to provide evidence. We published our final Wave 1 and 2 T Level overlap list (excluding health and science in October 2022, and it is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/qualifications-that-overlap-with-t-levels.

106 qualifications will cease to be publicly funded in August 2024. The department removed 26 qualifications from the provisional list due to a successful appeal. We will run a similar process for Wave 3 and 4 overlap, a provisional list will be published in spring 2023.

The department postponed the publication of the list of qualifications that overlap with health and science T Levels, as these T Levels are under review by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. We will publish information related to the health and science qualifications that overlap with T Levels shortly.

Phase 3 of qualifications reform will assess the qualifications remaining after phases 1 and 2. The department’s approach to the future landscape was published on 10 January 2023, and we consulted on these proposals in 2019 and 2020. The publication is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1128144/Guide_to_the_post-16_qualifications_landscape_at_level_3_and_below_for_2025_and_beyond.pdf.

The department has been open and transparent about our intention that A Levels and T Levels should be at the heart of study programmes for 16 to 19-year-olds. The publication makes clear that large alternative academic qualifications may continue to be publicly funded in areas such as performing arts and sports, and that small alternative academic qualifications may continue to be funded in strategically important areas such as health and STEM. This process will remove further qualifications, including large Applied General qualifications. This strikes the right balance between ensuring sufficient choice for learners whilst ensuring that most students undertake world class A Levels and T Levels.