Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Applied General Qualifications: Review

Monday 9 December 2024 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial review focuses on level 3 qualifications losing funding in July 2025.
  • Colleges have postponed printing prospectuses due to funding uncertainty.
  • Review aims to provide clarity to the sector and outcomes will be published by year-end.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Gareth Snell Labour (Co-op) Stoke-on-Trent Central
Context

The question arises from the scheduled removal of funding for level 3 qualifications on July 31, 2025. Colleges are facing uncertainty and difficulties in planning due to this.

Question

What progress her Department has made on its review of applied general qualifications?

Answer from Janet Daby

We are making good progress with the review, which focuses on level 3 qualifications scheduled to lose funding in July 2025. We aim to provide certainty to the sector quickly and will publish the outcomes by year-end.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific support for colleges facing difficulties is not addressed beyond acknowledging uncertainty.

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Q2 Gareth Snell Labour (Co-op) Stoke-on-Trent Central
Education
Context

Colleges are experiencing significant uncertainty regarding funding and course offerings due to potential changes in qualifications. They face difficulties in planning and providing clear information to students.

Question

I draw the House's attention to my declared interests: I am the governor of a sixth-form college. I thank the Minister for that answer, but she will know that the certainty that she hopes to give is simply not there. Colleges have had to put off printing prospectuses. They have had open evenings and assemblies for schools at which they have not been able to confirm what they will teach. There are staff allocation issues, and they have even been asked to make projections about T-level funding for T-levels that they are not sure they will have the pupil numbers for, because they do not know which equivalent BTecs will be stood down. They will enter 12025 not knowing what they can teach. Does she think that is acceptable? What support will there be for colleges that will have to turn things around very quickly, whatever the outcome of the review?

Answer from Janet Daby

I thank my hon. Friend for really pushing me on this issue, and for explaining the situation so well. I acknowledge to him and the sector the uncertainty and difficulties in this area. Following the election, we moved quickly to pause the defunding that was scheduled for 31 July 2024. I fully appreciate that colleges need time to plan their provision, and that students need time to plan what courses they will take. We are working as quickly as possible to conclude the review, and we will publish the outcomes before the end of the year.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific support measures or funding for colleges beyond acknowledging uncertainty and pausing defunding.

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