Further support

What we’ve published: If you are looking for more detailed information on the reforms, find all our key documents and publications here.

Skills England: Skills England work with employers to develop, approve, review and revise apprenticeships and technical qualifications. To find out more about what Skills England do, please visit the website.

Ofqual: All qualifications must meet the regulatory requirements set by Ofqual, to find out more about their role, please go here. Please see the key publications section for a list of Ofqual’s key documents.

Further Education Commissioner (FEC): The FEC is an independent adviser to ministers. The role of the FEC and their team forms part of the DfE’s college oversight policy. The FEC team works with further education (FE) colleges to improve their quality and financial resilience. They also work with local authorities, which deliver further education. Information about what the team does and who they are can be found here.

Further information on the support FEC provides can be found here. The FEC team have produced for the FE college sector several ‘effective practice guides’ to share examples of the work done by the FEC and how colleges across the sector approach the challenges they have. This includes:

• Curriculum planning
• Estates planning
• Management accounts
• Benchmarking
• Cultural change

The FEC’s most recent annual report can be found here: This  publication describes the different types of support that are delivered on behalf of the FEC.  The document includes links to further information and resources relating to those different types of support.

We have pulled together a one-pager top level curriculum planning timeline from the above guidance.

You can also download a document outlining the support offered by the FEC at the bottom of the page.

Appendix 6d Curriculum planning

Curriculum Design Group: Gatsby has launched a further opportunity for colleges to join a Curriculum Design Group, launching in September 2025. This peer-led initiative brings senior leaders together to collaborate on curriculum reform. Each group, consisting of up to eight colleges from across the country, will tackle a curriculum design challenge over six months.

Facilitated by experienced curriculum professionals, these groups provide structured, yet flexible support tailored to each institution's needs. Participants benefit from a supportive environment, sharing ideas, obstacles, opportunities, and best practices.

Focus areas include shaping curriculum pathways for specific subjects and scaling up work aligned with institutional priorities. Find out more by downloading the document at the bottom of this page.

Contact us

General Queries:  qualifications.APPROVAL@education.gov.uk

Overlap Specific Queries: overlap.APPEALS@education.gov.uk

Further support queries and suggestions for this page: qualifications.REFORM@education.gov.uk

Careers support

National Careers Service: who provide careers information, advice and guidance, website found here.

Skills for careers: Help and advice from DfE, found here.  

Careers and Enterprise Company: They are a national body for careers education in England with a mission to help every young person find their best next step, see their website here.

T Levels resources for teachers and careers advisors found here. You can also download a document outlining the support offered for planning for and delivering T Levels at the bottom of this page.