Policy proposals for the design and delivery of a new baccalaureate-style qualification for 16 to 19 year olds have now been published in the form of a consultation seeking views on bringing A Levels and T Levels together into a single qualification. 

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement in October 2023 and aiming to be developed over the next decade, the Department for Education (DfE) says the Advanced British Standard (ABS) will bring together technical and academic routes into a single framework, require the study of maths and English to age 18, increase teaching time, and ensure students study a greater breadth of subjects.

The ABS will be taken by school and college students who would currently take Level 3 qualifications, for example A Levels, T Levels or Alternative Academic Qualifications (AAQs).  Students will study more subjects than currently - most will study three larger subjects (called majors) and two smaller subjects (called minors). All students will be required to study English and maths as a major and/or minor, and take part in employability, enrichment and pastoral activities.  Some students will undertake an industry placement.

Students who already know, at age 16, that they want to pursue a specific job or training at age 18, can choose the Advanced British Standard (Occupational) and will study a core major in their chosen sector alongside a double major in their chosen specialism.

The consultation considers what the ABS might look like for students, how students might progress to and from the ABS, the size of subjects, assessment and grading, and possible implications for school/college providers including staffing. Options for Level 2 and below students are also being explored in the consultation.  

A Levels, T Levels and AAQs will continue to be available whilst the ABS is being developed but the DfE anticipates that once rolled out, the ABS qualification framework will supersede the current landscape.

The consultation is the first step of a DfE consultative process which will inform a White Paper due to be published later in 2024.  

These proposals are published by the current government and a change of government following a General Election could mean a shelving of these proposals or a significant review of the approach. There has been considerable criticism of the proposals - notably from teacher unions and professional associations who do not see this as a priority. This does not mean that a conversation about approaches to post-16 examinations or other stages of the curriculum won’t still feature in any future government’s considerations.