Onsite Construction

Core content

All students will develop a general understanding of construction, including: 

  • health and safety
  • the science behind building design, surveying and planning
  • making accurate and appropriate measurements
  • construction methods
  • building regulations and standards
  • data management and information standards in construction
  • relationship management and customer service
  • how the Internet of Things (IoT) impacts construction
  • digital engineering techniques
  • mathematical techniques to solve construction problems
  • construction design principles and processes
  • the construction industry and its role in the economy
  • sustainability and the environmental impact of construction
  • business, commerce and corporate social responsibility

Options to specialise

In addition to the core content, each student must choose one of the following specialisms:

  • bricklaying
  • carpentry and joinery
  • plastering
  • painting and decorating

Awarding Organisation resources

City & Guilds has developed a wide range of resources to help providers to deliver the Onsite Construction T Level.

Approval and quality assurance

  • Support to help providers through the approval process can be found here.

Registration, entries and results

  • Information on how to register learners for their T Level as well as how to make bookings for the correct assessment series can be found here.

Teaching, learning and planning resources (found in the teaching, learning and planning resources tab of this page)

  • Essential guidance and information for the planning, delivery assessment and administration of the T Level TQs, including key dates schedules and Higher Education information.

Assessment guidance 

  • Past papers, mark schemes and chief examiner reports for core and occupational specialisms (also includes specimen papers and mark schemes).
  • Example Employer Set Projects, with briefs, tutor guidance and mark schemes.
  • Guidance on how to deliver and mark assessments which form part of the T Level technical qualifications (found in the assessment guidance tab of this page).

Tutor and learning materials (found in the curriculum delivery planners and tutor resources tabs of this page)

  • For both the core component and occupational specialist component, including curriculum planners, schemes of work and worksheets.

Video Resources

City & Guilds has a selection of on-demand webinars that you can find below. A number of the webinars were recorded before the recent core exams and ESP decoupling confirmation. Please watch this short video before watching any of the on-demand events.

  • Onsite Construction & BSE T Level introduction. Watch the video here and find the slides here.
  • Curriculum planning. Watch the video here, find the slides here and find sample curriculum plans here.
  • Preparation for core exams and assessments. Watch the video here and find the slides here.
  • Preparation for the Employer-Set Project assessment. Watch the video here and find the slides here
  • Preparation for Occupational Specialism assessments. Watch the video here and find the slides here.

Other resources include:

Onsite Construction – CSCS pilot scheme

T Level students are already able to acquire a CSCS ‘trainee card’ to ensure they can work onsite during their Industry Placement. Now, to support progression into work from Onsite Construction T Levels, the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is working with DfE, Gatsby, NOCN and CSCS to fund a pilot a scheme to support progression for T Level graduates who wish to pursue a career in Carpentry & Joinery or Bricklaying. 

The CITB also offer an ‘Into Work’ Grant to help employers recruit and retain talent within the construction industry. This grant supports employers who offer an initial work experience placement (including T level industry placements) which starts on or after 1 September 2023.

ETF resources

Skills in Context – Contextualised diagnostic assessments

This T Level Resource Improvement Project (TRIP) showcases material for the T Level in Construction.

Produced by Lakes College, Bolton College, Preston College, Tameside College, South Essex College, Kendal College and Southport College, this TRIP consists of resources aimed at improving teaching practice for the delivery of T Levels through the creation of high quality contextualised diagnostic assessment resources supporting further development and application of transferable skills in the construction industry.

Resources include:

  • two assignments (on sustainable materials and the importance of refurbishing disused spaces)
  • marking rubric A & B
  • tutor guidance A & B
  • learners' initial self-assessment.

Formative assessment material

This TRIP also provides a comprehensive set of formative assessment questions to support learners in initial self-assessment and exams, relating to the following core components.

  • E1 Convey technical information to different audiences: 
    • Use technical vocabulary with accuracy. 
    • Explain complicated information to others. 
    • Change my tone of voice for different people or groups.   
  • E2 Present information and ideas: 
    • Use a clear layout to structure a text, eg using headings, subheadings, bullet points and diagrams. 
    • Use paragraphs accurately.   
  • E3 Create texts for different purposes and audiences: 
    • Select the correct layout for different text types, eg letter, report, article, leaflet, blog and PowerPoint. 
    • Select an appropriate tone of voice for different people or groups. 
  • E4 Summarise information and ideas: 
    • Skim and scan texts for key words and phrases. 
    • Select key ideas to include in a summary.
    • Eliminate irrelevant and minor information.    
  • E5 Synthesise information: 
    • Find information on a topic from a variety of sources. 
    • Compare, contrast and summarise my research findings.
  • E6 Take part in and lead discussions: 
    • Speak confidently in a group. 
    • Listen to others and ask questions about what I have heard.   

Core skills

The core skills covered include:

  • CS1 – Communication. 
  • CS2 – Work with others.
  • CS3 – Applying a logical approach to solving problems, identifying issues and finding solutions. 
  • CS4 – Primary research.  

Downloadable resources

Assignments 3
Initial assessments 1
Marking rubic 3
Tutor guidance sheets 3

This TRIP can be found here.

Placement videos for the T Level in Construction

This T Level Resource Improvement Project (TRIP) showcases materials to be used by T Level teachers and practitioners to gain an insight of how immersive technologies can be used in education, in particular in T Levels and some of the considerations that need to be made.

Produced by Gloucestershire College, Truro and Penrith College, Weymouth College and Halesowen College, this TRIP consists of a short online course providing practitioners with a simple introduction to using immersive technologies within an education setting. As well as videos, which can be used in the curriculum delivery of construction T Levels, either with VR headsets or in 2D.

Resources include:

  • outputs and report summary
  • an introduction to using immersive technologies
  • seven videos with the following titles:
    • Heritage Episode 1 – Plumbing
    • Heritage Episode 2 – Carpentry & Joinery
    • Commercial Episode 1 – Health & Safety
    • Construction Episode 1 – Industrial Site Overview
    • Construction Episode 02 – Health & Safety
    • Virtual Reality within T Levels
    • Honest Talks with Industry Professionals – TRIP Project 2021.

The TRIP 360 videos are intended for use by T Level teachers and practitioners for the delivery of the T Level construction curriculum.

Occupational specialisms

The occupational specialisms covered include:

  • Carpentry and joinery.
  • Plumbing and heating engineering.

Downloadable resources

Guide to using immersive tech in an education setting 1
Videos for use in curriculum delivery 7

This TRIP can be found here.

Gatsby Resources 

The Technical Education Networks programme supports teachers bringing industry and the classroom closer together by delivering an engaging and enriched curriculum for their students in an evolving education landscape, drawing on expertise of specialist teachers, employers and professional bodies. Please find the resources page here

AoC resources

Please find AoC's resource depository here.  

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