Ofsted has today published an interim report evaluating the
quality of the new T-level courses. It finds that providers are
working hard to ensure that T-level courses equip learners with
the knowledge, skills and experiences needed for future study or
employment. However, the first providers to offer these new
qualifications have faced some challenges.
Read the review of the quality of
T-level courses: interim report.
The review also finds that the T Level Transition Programme
(TLTP) is not always resulting in learners progressing to a T
level as intended.
The interim report was commissioned by the Department for
Education and is the first stage in a two-year evaluation of
T-level courses. It draws on evidence from visits to 24
providers, 10 of which also offered the transition programme,
between December 2021 and April 2022.
Overall, Ofsted found that learners were appreciative of the
quality of teaching on their T-level course. However, not all
learners felt prepared for how much work they had to do.
Effective industry placements gave learners broad, high-quality
and appropriate experiences that helped them to make informed
decisions about their future career path. However, many learners
experienced delays in going on placements.
Work experience is a fundamental component of the transition
programme that gives learners the opportunity to gain the skills
needed to progress to a T-level course.
In some cases, providers failed to help learners secure
meaningful work experience relevant to their course, which
resulted in learners sourcing their placements independently.
The review also found that many teachers did not receive
comprehensive training and some found teaching the new curriculum
challenging. Providers did not always have access to the
resources they needed from awarding bodies in good time.
The recruitment and retention of staff with sufficient knowledge
and experience were also a challenge, due to sector shortages and
the effects of the pandemic. The more effective T-level
curriculums involved frequent collaboration between education
providers and employers.
Inspectors found that, although teaching on the transition
programme was generally of a high standard, most learners
appeared unlikely to progress on to a T-level course on
completion.
Ofsted’s interim report recommends that all T-level and T Level
Transition Programme providers:
- provide initial advice to learners before they start a
T-level course to help them decide which pathway to follow
- collaborate with employers to make sure the design and
delivery of the curriculum is of a high quality
- make sure that the curriculum sequences the different
components of a T level in a coherent way that develops learners’
knowledge and skills
- reduce delays to learners work placements
- ensure that learners in the transition programme get relevant
work experience
- monitor learners’ achievements and progress and the impact of
work placements on their knowledge and skills
Ofsted also recommends that employers provide placements that
give learners experiences relevant to their T level.
The Department for Education should evaluate the effectiveness of
the transition programme in helping learners progress to T-level
courses, and work with universities to make sure they accept T
levels for entry to relevant courses.
In addition to this, awarding bodies should make sure that
teachers and learners have the resources they need, in good time.
His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, said:
It’s clear that T-level courses are giving learners
career-building pathways. The right balance of theory and
practical elements helps learners gain the skills, knowledge and
confidence they need to enter the workforce. However, we have
also identified a number of concerns that need to be addressed.
I am looking forward to seeing the progress providers have made
at our next visits in 2023, and to see the additional courses
added into the scheme in the next few years.
A full report will be published in 2023. Providers visited for
this interim report will be visited again next year, along with
others, to see how T-level courses and the T Level Transition
Programme have developed.
