Post-16 Pathways Consultation

On Tuesday 10 March the Government published its response to the consultation on post‑16 Level 3 and below pathways. Building on the Post-16 Education and Skills white paper and the recommendations of the Curriculum and Assessment Review, this response sets out our vision for a reformed 16-19 qualifications system in which every young person has a clear choice of pathways that support them to succeed in work and in life.

This marks the biggest reform to vocational education in a generation. The changes announced today will transform the vocational landscape for millions of young people and ensure genuine parity of esteem between academic, vocational and technical routes – an essential part of delivering on the Prime Minister’s ambition for two‑thirds of young people to be in higher‑level learning by age 25.

In response to the consultation, we are committing to three major changes to post-16 pathways: the introduction of V Levels, the expansion of T Levels, and clearer Level 2 routes through new Occupational and Further Study pathways.

To view the full Post 16 Level 3 and Below Pathways consultation response, equality impact assessment and the Transition Plan, please refer to Post-16 level 3 and below pathways - GOV.UK. Our full press release can be found here: First V Levels subjects revealed as part of landmark reforms - GOV.UK

These reforms are backed by nearly £800 million extra for 16-19 education in 2026-27, with average per student funding increasing to £6,874 in the next academic year, from £6,762 in 2025/26.

V Levels

The new flagship vocational qualification will sit alongside A Levels (academic) and T Levels (technical). V Levels will be the same size as an A Level and can be taken alongside them to create a broad study programme appropriate for a young person who wishes to progress to higher level study without specialising in one particular area. V Levels will be linked to occupational standards, strengthening employer confidence in vocational qualifications and helping to meet the country’s long‑term skills needs.

T Levels

The consultation response confirms the expansion of T Level subjects - including the introduction of new T Levels in areas such as Care Services and Sports, Fitness and Exercise Science from 2028. We will make further changes to existing T Levels to enhance accessibility for students, manageability for providers and support scalability. These include working with Awarding Organisations on further reductions to assessment burden and streamlining content. We will introduce a new delivery framework for industry placements, with more scope for providers to determine the structure of the placement in a way that works best for their students. Updated delivery guidance, reflecting this new framework, will be published by June 2026.

Level 2 pathways

We are introducing two new pathways for young people who need to continue learning at level 2 at age 16. They will have a choice of the Further Study pathway, which will help them to progress into a study programme of A Levels and/ or V Levels, or a T Level - or the Occupational pathway, which is a two-year programme that supports progression to a good skilled job.

Funding and Transition

To maintain stability during this transition, and to give providers more time and scope to engage with the reforms, we will not remove funding approval from qualifications in AY2026/27, as set out previously.

Further detail on the timeline for changes to funding approval for qualifications, and the provisional timeline for introduction of new qualifications in routes from AY2027/28, is set out in our Transition Plan.

To view the qualifications due to have funding approval removed in August 2027 please refer to https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/qualifications-due-to-have-funding-removed-from-august-2027.

New Consultation: Level 1 English and maths

The Government has also launched a consultation on new Level 1 English and maths qualifications for 16–19‑year‑olds with prior GCSE attainment at grade 2 or below. These new qualifications will consolidate foundational skills and support students to achieve a GCSE grade 4/C or higher, ensuring that they only resit GCSEs when ready to make progress.

To respond to the Level 1 English and maths consultation, which closes on 2 June 2026, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/16-to-19-level-1-english-and-maths-qualifications

Next Steps

By June 2026, we will also publish an Implementation Plan setting out further detail including:

• subject lists for phased rollout
• updated T Level development and delivery approach
• assessment and grading arrangements
• expectations for non‑qualification activities
• further details of the transition strategy

Update:

On 18 March, we delivered a webinar covering the response to the consultation on post‑16 Level 3 and below pathways. You can view a short presentation, followed by a Q&A section, below: