The Prime Minister has announced plans to develop a new
qualification called the Advanced British Standard for 16 to
18-year-olds which will bring together the best of A levels and T
levels into a single qualification framework.
The Advanced British Standard will ensure technical and academic
education are placed on an equal footing, with every student also
studying some form of maths and English to age 18.
We have launched a consultation on the new qualification and are
inviting feedback from education providers and other stakeholders
how best to design and implement the Advanced British Standard.
The consultation closes on 20 March 2024.
For now, A levels and T levels will continue to be
studied and remain high quality qualifications recognised by
employers and universities.
Here, we tell you everything you need to know about the Advanced
British Standard and what it will involve.
How many subjects will the Advanced British Standard
include?
While most A level students only take three subjects, students
who take the Advanced British Standard will typically study a
minimum of five subjects.
Some of these subjects will be studied in more detail as
‘majors’, while others will be ‘minors’. For example, a student
could take 3 majors alongside 2 minors.
Students will also spend more time in the classroom, increasing
taught hours to a minimum of 1,475 hours over two years. This is
almost 200 more taught hours than a typical A level student in
England studying three subjects currently receives, and will
bring teaching time closer to countries like Denmark, the
Netherlands, and Norway.
Does this mean everyone will have to study English and
maths to the age of 18?
Yes, every student will study some form of maths and English to
age 18, making sure that fewer young people leave school without
achieving basics of literacy and numeracy.
This change will bring England further into line with other major
western economics such as France, Germany, Japan and the USA.
Does this mean A levels and T levels are being
replaced?
Once rolled out, we anticipate the Advanced British Standard will
supersede the current varied qualification offer, building on the
best of A levels and T levels and bringing them into a single
qualification.
We will continue the rollout of T levels as a robust and
well-respected technical option.
From this September, 18 T level courses are
available at over 160 schools and colleges across England, in
subjects as diverse as health and science, agriculture, digital,
and legal services, and T levels remain a great option for young
people.
When will the Advanced British Standard be
introduced?
It will take around a decade to fully roll out the Advanced
British Standard.
Until then, A levels and T levels will continue to be offered as
rigorous, high-quality options for 16- to 18-year-olds and we
will work closely with schools and colleges to support them to
offer them.
We will work closely with the sector, taking account of the
results and outcome of the consultation, to develop and deliver
this important reform in the most effective way possible.
How will you make sure that schools and colleges are
prepared for these changes and that there are enough
teachers?
These changes will take time to put in place, and will be
developed in close consultation with parents, pupils and
teachers.
An initial funding boost of £600 million over two years will help
to lay the groundwork for the Advanced British Standard.
This includes an additional £30,000 for teachers teaching key
STEM and technical shortage subjects and working in disadvantaged
schools and all FE colleges in their first 5 years of their
career
You may also be interested in:
