09 March 2023 - T Level Newsletter

This week's newsletter includes updates on:

• T Levels deferrals from 2023
• Publication of the 2022-23 T Level Action Plan
• Wave 4 Specialist Equipment Allocation
• NEW - DfE T Level and T Level Transition Programme Podcast series
• A big thank you! TLTP review of Marketing technical outcomes
• Moving on to Higher Technical Qualifications
• Awarding Organisations Updates

T Levels deferrals from 2023

We have decided to delay delivery of four T Levels to ensure that the qualifications can be delivered successfully, and that students have a high-quality experience and can progress successfully.

T Levels deferred from 2023 until 2024 are: Hairdressing, Barbering & Beauty Therapy; Craft & Design; and Media, Broadcast & Production. The T Level in Catering is also deferred beyond 2024 to allow time to consult with employers and sector bodies to ensure that this T Level meets all the needs of the sector.

16 T Levels are currently available. The T Level in Legal Services will be introduced as planned in 2023, alongside the T Level in Agriculture, Land Management and Production which is subject to the usual approval process. This makes a total of 18 T Levels available from September this year in around 300 providers.

T Level starts have doubled from around 5,000 to around 10,000 between 2021 and 2022. Most importantly, students, teachers and employers continue to give us great feedback on the quality of T Level courses.

Further detail is included in the T Level Action Plan.

If you have any questions about this, please contact tlevel.delivery@education.gov.uk.

Publication of the 2022-23 T Level Action Plan

The T Level Action Plan is our annual update on progress of the implementation of T Levels and the T Level Transition Programme. It is aimed at anyone with an interest in the development of T Levels such as further and higher education providers, training providers, and their representative bodies, employers and their representative bodies, school leaders, school staff and governing bodies in all maintained schools, academies, free schools, studio schools and University Technical Colleges.

The main updates in the 2022-23 Action Plan are:

• Breakdown of 2020 and 2021 students by characteristics
• T Levels referral to 2024 and beyond
• Early data from providers on recruitment for 2022
• Student case studies
• The support on offer for providers and employers
• Progress update on the T Levels for Adults pilot
• A summary of issues with first year core assessments for Health and Science T Levels and action we have taken
• Interim results of Ofsted’s thematic review of T Levels
• Industry placement approaches and models
• Update on communications to students, parents, providers, businesses and others.

If you wish to discuss any of the points raised in the Action Plan, please email TLevel.delivery@education.gov.uk

Wave 4 Specialist Equipment Allocation

Providers who are delivering a T Level route for the time in September 2023 should have received a grant letter with the details of their Specialist Equipment Allocation. The payment will be made to eligible providers in March.

If you have not received this letter and believe you are eligible to receive the allocation, please contact routesreadiness.te@education.gov.uk

NEW - DfE T Level and T Level Transition Programme Podcast series

We have produced a new five-part podcast series, ‘DfE T Level and T Level Transition Programme – how to plan for success and be ready to deliver’ in partnership with our Provider Delivery Support provider, the Association of Colleges. The podcasts are aimed at T Level and T Level Transition Programme Providers that are in the preparation stage of their T Level and T Level Transition Programme journey and feature a range of current providers discussing their experience of how they managed to successfully plan brand-new T Level and T Level Transition Programme curriculum with personal advice and guidance to support your planning. Each episode will have a specific focus that will provide information, support and direction. 

Episodes are being released weekly from 1^st March 2023. The first episode 'The importance of strategic intent' explores the importance of having strategic intent behind successful T Level and T Level Transition Programme launch and development, and features Kirstie Kohling, Assistant Principal for Quality and Curriculum, Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College and Ashley Grute, Assistant Principal Vocational Curriculum, HSDC. They discuss how they decided which T Levels and occupational specialisms to deliver, as well as the rationale behind which T Level Transition programmes they offer.

Further information about how to access and listen to this and future episodes can be found on the DfE T Level Support for Schools and Colleges website.

A big thank you! T Level Transition Programme online review of draft Marketing national technical outcomes for Sales, Marketing and Procurement route

We are grateful to all who took time out from their busy schedules, to participate in the online sessions to review the content of the draft national technical outcomes. Having the benefit of your unique understanding of delivery and as subject experts, is vital in ensuring we identify the right introductory content as a steppingstone to T Level.

We look forward to continuing to work with you as we progress the work on the national technical outcomes. Please send any further reflections via the online feedback form or contact Vicky Turnbull vicky.turnbull@education.gov.uk or the team on TLevelTransition.PROGRAMME@education.gov.uk if you have any questions.

Moving on to Higher Technical Qualifications

If you have T Levels students completing qualifications this year in occupations in digital, construction or health & science, don’t forget to let them know about the option go on to study Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) from September this year. These high quality level 4 and 5 qualifications have been independently assessed and approved against employer-designed occupational standards, and are an ideal next step for T Level graduates. They can apply now through the UCAS portal.

Don’t forget that from Academic Year 23/24, HTQ students are eligible for the same financial support as degree students, covering maintenance and tuition fees for full-time and part-time students. More information on HTQs can be found here.

Awarding Organisations Updates

NCFE:

Name change for Education and Childcare occupational route

The ‘Education and Childcare’ route and pathway for T Levels will now be known as the ‘Education and Early Years’ from 1 March onwards. The name change brings the route and pathway name in line with terminology used by the sector to describe itself. This was validated by a route panel of employers and other expert representatives (including the Department for Education early years team). The hope is that this change in terminology now more accurately represents the full range of occupations within this broad and important sector. NCFE will be updating all qualification and assessment materials and website content to reflect the new occupational route name over the coming weeks.

City & Guilds:

Approval window now open

The approval window for providers who wish to deliver the following T Level pathways from September 2023 is now open:

• Onsite Construction
• Building Services Engineering
• Design and Development for Engineering and Manufacturing
• Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control
• Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing
• Agriculture, Land Management and Production

Guidance documents and links to support webinar recordings are available on the T Levels Resource Hub.

Employer-Set Project ESP: materials released for Engineering and Manufacturing pathways

The materials for the ESP for all three Engineering and Manufacturing pathways are now available on the City & Guilds T Level Service

Portal (on Learning Assistant). Guidance on how to access these, as well as support in preparing and delivering the ESP can be found on the T Levels Resource Hub.

Exams hub now live

A new Exams support hub, connected to the new Teaching and Assessment Hub, is now live on the City & Guilds website.​ The Exams support hub includes new guidance, webinar recordings, FAQs and more to help City & Guilds customers and learners through ​the Autumn and Summer series.