There has been a proposal to change A levels and T levels.
Recently, our cochair’s, accompanied by one of our London reps, went to see what it was all about at two Department for Education engagement events.
The Advanced British Standard is a new framework, expected to be introduced in about 10 years’ time, to bring together technical and academic routes into a single framework, replacing current A levels and T Levels.
The new framework intends to:
- increase the number of taught hours for all students (minimum 1,475 hours over two years)
- require students to study Maths and English to the age of 18.
- offer greater breadth, increasing the average number of subjects students take post 16 (usually a minimum of 5), with students able to choose a combination of bigger and smaller subjects, called ‘majors’ and ‘minors.’
£600 million will be invested over the next two years to support schools and colleges in laying the groundwork for delivering the Advanced British Standard.
The engagement sessions were held with a wide range of stakeholder groups; from industry, further education settings, to those who run apprenticeships and more. There were lots of discussions in the rooms, and a keen interest to ensure that any new system is fit for purpose and will meet the needs of young people in 2034. Unfortunately, there was very little focus on SEND in the presentations, which we challenged, along with how inclusive and accessible these changes were going to be for all SEND pupils. We also raised concerns around training for new teachers/staff, delivery, including space for all students to be in college 4 days a week, with some work around infrastructure being promised pre-release of this programme.
You can find out more on the government website:
The Advanced British Standard: Everything you need to know – The Education Hub (blog.gov.uk)
Please share this information with your parent carers and encourage everyone to take part in the following consultation: