The new ‘Advanced British Standard’ for 16 to 19 year-olds, a new Baccalaureate-style qualification, will take the best of A Levels and T Levels and bring them together into a single qualification.

Announced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in his speech to the Conservative Party conference, the proposals aim to create simpler choices at 16, remove the separation between technical and academic qualifications, and increase the number of subjects that students take to provide greater breadth in the 16 to 19 curriculum.

Majors and minors

Students will choose a combination of bigger and smaller subjects - called majors and minors - from both technical and academic options, and will typically study a minimum of five subjects. Those choosing to focus on a specific occupation could take a minimum of four subjects (potentially including the possibility of a double-major) to allow additional time to spend on specialist knowledge and work placements linked to their chosen career. There will also be potential for, what the Department for Education calls, ‘further stretch’ for those who want to take four majors (replicating routes for those who currently take four A Levels).

The best of A Levels and T Levels

The academic subjects within the Advanced British Standard will be based on the content and rigour of A Levels, taking the same knowledge-based approach. The intention is that majors will have at least 90% of the content of the A Level so that they support progression, including to university.

The technical subjects within the qualification will be based on the content of T Levels and occupational standards designed by employers and IfATE, supporting progression into higher technical education, apprenticeships and employment.

Increased teaching time

Proposals for the Advanced British Standard will increase the number of hours taught as well as ensuring young people study some form of English and maths to the age of 18. Plans to improve the recruitment and retention of teachers are included within the proposals.

Existing post-16 reforms

The DfE has confirmed that current post-16 reforms to reduce the number of technical qualifications will continue. Apprenticeships will continue to be available for those who wish to move straight into on-the-job training.

GCSEs

Other elements of the qualifications system impacted by the development of the Advanced British Standard will be considered, which could mean potential changes for GCSEs.

The DfE says that it will look at where GCSEs can be streamlined for students and teachers. This could mean reducing the number and/or length of papers that students sit, or adopting digital solutions, such as on-screen assessment to assess performance in innovative ways.

Next steps

The DfE admits the proposals could take a decade to deliver in full. A consultation on the Advanced British Standard will be published over the coming months to inform a white paper next year setting out plans for delivery.