Post-16 Pathways Strategic Transition Planning Statement - Guidance
Contents
- Policy Context
- Summary
- Who this publication is for
- Main points
- Guidance
- What is the Strategic Transition Planning Statement
- Guidance for Multi Academy Trusts (MATs) and College Groups
- Guidance - questions
- Annex
Policy Context
The Strategic Transition Planning Statement (STPS) supports the government’s programme of reform to 16-19 technical and vocational education in England. These reforms were set out in the Post 16 Education and Skills White Paper (October 2025), which built on the findings and early recommendations of the Curriculum and Assessment Review, and were developed further through the Post 16 level 3 and below pathways consultation and its government response (March 2026).
The consultation response confirms the government’s intention to introduce a clear and coherent qualifications landscape at levels 2 and 3 for 16-19 year olds. This includes the establishment of a third, vocational pathway at level 3 through V Levels, that will sit alongside A Levels and T Levels, and the introduction of two distinct level 2 pathways focused on progression either to further study or to skilled employment.
The response also confirms a phased, route by route transition to the reformed qualifications beginning from academic year 2027/28 and concluding by 2030/31. The STPS supports the implementation of these reforms by enabling the Department for Education to understand provider intentions and readiness, assess system wide risks and capacity challenges, and target support to ensure an effective transition to the new 16-19 qualifications landscape.
Summary
This document provides guidance from the Department for Education for institutions delivering, or intending to deliver, post-16 technical and vocational qualifications in England.
It sets out the information that institutions should provide, as far as they are able, in their Strategic Transition Planning Statement (STPS). This forms part of preparations for the introduction of reformed technical and vocational qualifications in academic year 2027/28. The STPS is intended to support institutions in their wider curriculum and transition planning which they are undertaking.
The STPS has been developed in consultation with sector-representative organisations, to ensure that the information requested is proportionate, purposeful and aligned with institutions’ strategic planning process.
We're committed to co-design and working collaboratively, so we will be refining these questions with providers before confirming when we publish the Implementation Plan and open the Gov.uk portal for returns. Please share any feedback you may have on the questions with your representative bodies.
You should submit an STPS via the Department’s online portal by 6 July 2026.
You should refer to the Implementation Plan for further detail, published on 20 May 2026.
Who this publication is for
The following institutions are asked to submit a Strategic Transition Planning Statement with their best available information:
- FE Colleges
- Sixth Form Colleges
- 16 to 19 Academies and Free Schools
- Schools
- Multi-Academy Trusts with Sixth Forms and Sixth Form Colleges
- Independent Training Providers
- Any other institution that delivers, or intends to deliver, applied, technical or vocational qualifications
Main points
The STPS collects high-level information about institutions planned delivery from academic year 2027/28 of the following:
- V Levels
- T Levels
- Level 2 Occupational Certificates and Foundation Certificates
It also asks about preparedness for transition from legacy provision.
The information provided will be used by the Department for Education to:
- understand system wide readiness for qualification reform
- identify delivery risks and capacity challenges
- inform national and targeted support as set out in the government’s wider transition planning and implementation activity
The online form is now available, and we are asking for responses to be submitted by 6 July 2026. This will inform further work by the Department to support transition and will help institutions as they undertake wider curriculum and transition planning that will take place ahead of academic year 2027/28.
Guidance
What is the Strategic Transition Planning Statement
The Department is asking for a Strategic Transition Planning Statement from all post‑16 providers that deliver, or intend to deliver, applied, technical or vocational qualifications at Level 2 and/or Level 3.
It is intended to inform the Department’s approach to supporting institutions to transition to reformed qualifications. It should reflect your institution’s overall strategic plan and set out your provisional high‑level intentions for curriculum delivery from academic year 2027/28 onwards, as the system transitions to reformed technical and vocational qualifications.
Strategic Transition Planning Statements should be informed by:
- the government’s published transition plan for technical and vocational qualification reform
- the Implementation Plan
- Ofqual’s consultation on regulatory requirements
- Subject content consultations on V Levels, Foundation Certificates and Occupational Certificates
The statement enables the Department to assess sector readiness and to identify where additional engagement or support may be required to ensure effective national implementation.
We ask that your response is submitted via the online form by 6 July 2026 in order to allow the Department to evaluate the state of readiness of the sector.
There is no requirement to submit a curriculum transition plan as part of the STPS. However, institutions may choose to share any existing curriculum transition plans or supporting documents if they wish. These may set out your approach to introducing T Levels, V Levels and reformed Level 2 qualifications.
Any documents shared are in addition to completing the STPS and cannot be submitted in place of the required information within the form. Shared plans may help the Department for Education to develop a clearer understanding of sector readiness and identify examples of effective practice or areas where further support may be helpful. Institutions should only share documents they are content to provide to the Department.
Guidance for Multi Academy Trusts (MATs) and College Groups
Multi‑Academy Trusts are responsible for ensuring that an STPS is completed for each individual school or college within their trust that delivers, or intends to deliver, post‑16 technical or vocational qualifications.
While trusts may wish to coordinate activity centrally, responses must be submitted at individual school or college level, rather than as a single aggregated return at trust level.
This is necessary to ensure the Department for Education has an accurate understanding of:
- local delivery plans and curriculum intent
- capacity, risks and challenges at individual provider level
- variation in readiness across institutions within the same trust or group
MATs are therefore expected to coordinate and quality‑assure responses across their institutions, ensuring that each return reflects the specific context and delivery plans of the institution concerned and has appropriate senior oversight prior to submission.
College groups should also ensure that an STPS is completed for each individual institution. If required, multiple responses can be submitted using the same UKPRN. If you wish to signify that your college is part of a group, please enter your institution name in the format “X College Group – Y College”.
Guidance - webinar recording
On Thursday 4 June, we hosted a webinar focusing on the STPS and the Post-16 Pathways Implementation Plan. It is available to view here. The slides used within this webinar are available for you to download at the bottom of this page.
Guidance - questions
| Questions | Guidance |
|
Please include a contact name and work email address to allow the Department to contact you if needed. Include your professional email address to allow the Department to follow up with you if needed. Please provide your organisation’s UKPRN or URN. To check your UKPRN click on this link, enter your institution name and click search: https://www.ukrlp.co.uk/ This information helps us understand the size and type of institutions planning to transition to reformed qualifications. Please include your institution name (if you are a MAT, please include the name of the school or college, and the name of the MAT) Providing your local authority will support us to correctly match your data during analysis where there are multiple institutions with the same name. |
| 2. Does your institution currently deliver, or plan to deliver in the next 3 years, applied, technical or vocational qualifications? [If yes – continue, if no, end of statement] |
Indicate whether your institution currently delivers, or intends to deliver within the next three years, applied, technical or vocational qualifications at either level 2, level 3 or both. At level 3 this includes (but is not limited to) qualifications categorised as Technical, Applied General or Occupational within performance tables. Selecting “No” will take you to the end of the statement. |
|
3. T Levels
|
Indicate which T Level subjects you plan to deliver in 2026-2027 and 2027-2028. Indicate which subjects you plan to deliver Legacy Technical Qualifications in 2026-2027 and in 2027-2028. Use the format: T Level name - number. |
|
4. Delivery of other Level 3 Pathways including V Levels
|
Indicate whether you currently deliver qualifications in each of the listed V Level subject areas. This includes qualifications of all sizes at level 3. Then confirm whether you intend to deliver V Levels in these areas from AY 2027/28, when they are first made available. Please also confirm whether you plan to introduce, or expand delivery of, A Levels alongside V Levels, where this aligns with learner needs and your local curriculum strategy. This includes if you intend to increase the number of students studying A levels or intend to offer more A level subjects. |
|
5. Delivery of reformed Level 2 Pathways - Level 2 Further Study Pathway and Occupational Pathway.
|
Indicate whether you currently deliver Level 2 study programmes, vocational or technical qualifications, and in which subject areas.
|
|
6. Challenges with transition and preparedness
|
Please identify the top two challenges your institution faces in preparing for delivery of:
Select from the list provided. This helps us identify where additional support may be needed. You will also be asked whether there are any risks to delivering planned qualifications in 2027/28, and to explain the reasons for your answer in a free‑text box. |
|
7. Communications and marketing of qualification offer
|
Please answer these questions based on your institution or trust’s overall approach to marketing your post‑16 offer for academic year 2027/28, from September 2026 onwards. Your responses should reflect how you intend to present reformed and legacy qualifications to prospective learners and parents/carers. |
|
8.
|
Indicate whether your completed statement has been, or will be, shared with your CEO or Chair of the Governing Body. This helps us understand the level of institutional oversight and senior engagement with the transition plan.
|
Annex - list of qualifications / subject areas
List of 20 current T level subjects (question 3)
| Route | T Level Subject |
| Agriculture, Environmental and Animal care | Agriculture, Land Management, and Production |
| Animal Care | |
| Business and Administration | Management and Administration |
| Construction | Design Surveying, and Planning |
| Building Services Engineering | |
| Creative and Design | Craft and Design |
| Media, Broadcast, and Production | |
| Digital | Digital Data Analytics |
| Digital Software Development | |
| Digital Support and Security | |
| Education and Childcare | Education and Childcare |
| Engineering and Manufacturing | Design and Development for Engineering and Manufacturing |
| Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control | |
| Maintenance, Installation, and Repair for Engineering | |
| Legal, Finance and Accounting | Accounting |
| Finance | |
| Legal Services | |
| Health and Science | Health |
| Science | |
| Sales, Marketing and Procurement | Marketing |
Sector Subject Areas (question 3)
1 - Health, Public Services and Care
2 - Science and Mathematics
3 - Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care
4 - Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies
5 - Construction, Planning and the Built Environment
6 – Digital Technology
7 - Retail and Commercial Enterprise
8 - Leisure, Travel and Tourism
9 - Arts, Media and Publishing
13 - Education and Training
15 - Business, Administration and Law
Sector Subject Areas (question 5a)
6 – Digital Technology
7.4- Hospitality and Catering
13- Education and Training
V Level subject areas available for AY 2027/28
- Accounting and Finance
- Digital Systems and Data
- Education
Foundation certificates available from AY 2027/28
- digital systems and data
- education and early years
Occupational certificates available from AY 2027/28:
- early years practitioner
- culinary skills
- hospitality
Last updated: