It comes ahead of the full report of the independent curriculum and assessment review, led by Professor Becky Francis, which is expected in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The white paper will introduce V-levels, first revealed<\/a> by Schools Week’s<\/em> sister title FE Week<\/em>,<\/a> as \u201crigorous\u201d qualifications linked to \u201creal-world job standards\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Unlike T-levels, students will be able to enrol on multiple V-levels, or combine them with A-levels, to study different subjects and sectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other level 3 qualifications, like BTECs and other applied general qualifications, are expected to continue to be phased out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Schools Week <\/em>has been told a timetable to transition to V-levels will be proposed \u201cimminently\u201d, but the Department for Education (DfE) expects the first V-levels to be introduced in academic year 2027-28.<\/p>\n\n\n\n V-levels will \u201cstreamline the confusing landscape of approximately 900 equivalent vocational qualifications at level 3 currently available to 16 to 19-year-olds which mean learners and employers are unclear about the purpose and value of some qualifications,\u201d the DfE said this evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There will be a consultation on the proposals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: \u201cTechnical and vocational education is the backbone of this country\u2019s economy and central to breaking the link between background and success, helping hundreds of thousands of young people get the skills they need to get good jobs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u202f\u201cBut for too long it has been an afterthought. Young people have been left to navigate an overcomplicated landscape and repeatedly labelled as \u2018failures\u2019 by a system that has held them back from all-important English and maths grades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur reforms are\u202fbuilding a post-16 education system that truly matches young people\u2019s aspirations and abilities, delivering the opportunity and growth our economy needs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Myles McGinley, managing director of Cambridge OCR, said the introduction of V-levels “could be a tremendous opportunity for young people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “The sector needs the time to collaborate and develop qualifications that meet the needs of students, offer lasting value, and elevate the esteem in which vocational qualifications are held. Schools and colleges must be given the space and resource to prepare to teach V-Levels to the highest standard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n School leavers who do not achieve grade 4 passes in GCSEs English and maths will have access to new \u201cstepping stone\u201d qualifications. They will be \u201ctargeted at students with lower attainment\u201d and designed to \u201cbetter prepare them to resit these GCSEs\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A condition of funding rule, which requires 16 to 19-year-olds to continue to study English and maths until they achieve the grade 4 GCSE exam pass, will remain in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The DfE emphasised a push on English and maths attainment for white working class young people as part of this announcement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMore than six in ten white British pupils eligible for free school meals do not achieve a grade 4 or above in English and maths by the end of key stage 4, meaning they are more than twice as likely to need to resit these exams post-16 than their more affluent peers,” the department said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Francis\u2019s interim report earlier this year called for the government to \u201creconsider the available pathways so that all learners have the best opportunity to reach level 2 in maths and English by the end of their 16 to 19 study\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ministers will also launch two \u201cpathways\u201d for level 2 students. One will be designed for young people who progress straight into the workplace, and another will be for those wishing to progress to level 3 courses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Commenting on the white paper announcements, Francis said she was \u201cdelighted that the government has recognised and accepted our recommendations to promote excellence and improve young people\u2019s life chances by ensuring a choice of strong, well-regarded qualifications: A level, T-level or V-level.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She added: \u201cThe direction supporting improved level 2 progress, including study of maths and English, will also help secure successful futures.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n The white paper, expected to be published tomorrow afternoon, will set out the government\u2019s strategy for further education, higher education and apprenticeships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It follows prime minister Sir Keir Starmer\u2019s party conference speech last month, in which he committed to two-thirds of young people gaining a higher-level qualification by the age of 25, either through university, technical education or apprenticeships.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" New vocational courses will be the size of an A-level and replace existing alternatives to T-levels<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":70,"featured_media":236701,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[73,155],"post-theme":[2345],"class_list":["post-236698","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-a-level","tag-gcses","post-theme-assessment"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tTimetable proposed ‘imminently’<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Bridget](\"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Bridget-Phillipson-CST-1-feat.jpg\")
English and maths stepping stones<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
White paper<\/h3>\n\n\n\n