Ofqual has today announced measures to ensure students
taking vocational qualifications get their
results on time in 2024 and beyond, following the success of this
year.
The measures are part of Ofqual’s ongoing commitment to
ensuring that students taking vocational and technical
qualifications (VTQs), in subjects such as engineering, health
& social care and digital media, have parity of treatment
with those taking A levels or GCSEs.
Following the implementation of the VTQ Results Action
Plan for 2023, students taking Level 3
VTQs successfully received
their results when they expected them in
August, after around 20,000 did not the previous
year. More than 378,000 results were issued on time to
students in summer 2023, across over 575 qualifications. This
meant that students were able to progress, confirming their
university places at the same time as their peers taking A
levels.
Today’s measures will embed and strengthen this year’s
arrangements in response to feedback from schools and colleges,
awarding organisations, exams officers and education
leaders.
Details of the measures are confirmed in a letter
sent by Ofqual today to schools and colleges. They include:
-
A term-time checkpoint for schools and
colleges to confirm which students need a result in August to
progress to higher or further education
-
Awarding organisations will issue results on or before A
level and GCSE results days, as
appropriate. Results will be provided to schools
and colleges in advance, in sufficient time for exams
officers to check and prepare them for final release to
students
-
Level 1/2 and Level 2 qualifications used for progression
will be included in the term-time checkpoint and results
issue arrangements to ensure students taking qualifications
alongside GCSEs also receive their results when they need
them
-
Ofqual’s VTQ Information Hub will bring together key dates
and deadlines from a wider range of awarding organisations,
to support school and college staff working in the
administration or delivery of these qualifications
-
Ofqual will continue to work with awarding organisations to
encourage clear, timely, precise and consistent
communications
-
Ofqual will convene a VTQ Results Group, building on the
successful work of the Taskforce established in 2023, to
bring together key sector representatives and awarding
organisations to ensure timely results for students
Ofqual’s Chief Regulator Dr Jo Saxton said:
Ofqual remains committed to strengthening and improving the VTQ
system, in order to secure parity of treatment for all
students, whichever regulated qualification they take. One
unexpected late result is one too many.
This year’s success was thanks to the hard work of teachers and
exams officers in schools and colleges as well as awarding
organisations. Introducing a new process was challenging but
worthwhile, as students got their results on time. The sector
rose to the challenge. More can now be done to embed and
streamline these improvements, so I’m pleased we’ve strengthened
the process for 2024 and beyond.
