Students taking Government’s flagship T-level courses felt ‘misled’ – Ofsted

The first T-level courses were launched by the Government in September 2020 as technical alternatives to A-levels.

Amanda Spielman, Ofsted chief inspector, said its review saw a ‘range of shortcomings which providers and the Department for Education will want to address’ (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

(PA Wire)

Many students taking T-level qualifications have felt “misled” and “ill-informed” about the Government’s flagship technical courses, an Ofsted review found.

The number of students who progress to the second year of T-level courses is “low in many providers” – and many leave before the end of the two-year course, according to the report by the education watchdog.

The first T-level courses in England were launched by the Government in September 2020 as technical alternatives to A-levels.

A review by Ofsted found that teachers are struggling to teach some T-level content in “sufficient depth”, or set work that is “challenging”.

It added that staff are concerned that parents still do not understand T-levels, and that the brand’s reputation has been “damaged” by problems with exams last year and with delays in rolling out new T-levels.

We saw a range of shortcomings which providers and the Department for Education will want to address

Amanda Spielman, Ofsted chief inspector

In March, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan announced that the launch of four new T-levels was being delayed amid concerns about the quality of the qualifications on offer.

The two-year T-levels, which are broadly equivalent to three A-levels, were developed to help meet the needs of industry and prepare students for work.

But the review, which was commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE), said students’ experiences on T-level courses “vary considerably”.

The report said: “At their best, T-levels provide an opportunity to combine high-quality study of theory with excellent development of practical skills.

“At worst, courses are not at all what students expected, and many students reported being misled and ill-informed about their content and structure.”

It found that in a few providers, no students progressed into the second year of the T-level course “because of their poor experience” in the first year.

Many students who completed T-level courses moved on to university to study a degree of their choice, but some students were unable to go to their preferred university with the qualification, the report said.

We have already made good progress to address many of the areas highlighted in the report, but we know further action is needed

Department for Education spokesman

In some cases, students who wanted to go to university were left “surprised and disappointed” that T-levels are not always accepted as a valid entry qualification, it found.

The report has called on providers to make sure that students receive “accurate information” about T-level courses before they enrol, and staff teaching theoretical content of T-levels are trained effectively.

It has urged the DfE to “substantially raise public awareness” of T-levels and to encourage all universities to accept T-levels “as a valid entry qualification”.

Amanda Spielman, chief inspector of Ofsted, said: “As with many new qualifications, there are some teething issues with T-levels, but in most cases providers and employers seem to be working well together to address them.

“However, we saw a range of shortcomings which providers and the Department for Education will want to address.

“When done well, they can be a strong option for learners who prefer a vocational route through education as a path to their intended career.”

The Ofsted report is based on findings from inspector visits to providers offering T-level courses in the 2021/22 academic year, as well as in 2022/23.

It has also called on the DfE to carefully consider the implications and impact of the planned withdrawal of funding for other similar courses “to ensure that students are not disadvantaged”.

David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges (AoC), said Ofsted’s review “exposes a programme which is complex and therefore running into understandable implementation issues and glitches”.

He said: “It was always going to be like that because curriculum and qualification reforms and changes are extremely difficult to implement across education.”

Mr Hughes added: “The risk is too great to shut down funding for qualifications which are working well for learners now in the hope that the new T-levels will be better because we want them to be.

“Better to wait until the new qualifications are working well before we pull the plug on any existing qualifications.”

James Kewin, deputy chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association, said: “Today’s report is clear that T-levels are not yet the gold standard, mass market replacement for BTECs the Government believes them to be.”

He added: “We all want T-levels to succeed, but not at any cost, and leaving tens of thousands of BTEC students without a pathway to higher education or employment is not a price worth paying.”

A DfE spokesman said: “We commissioned this report from Ofsted to support the rollout of T-levels and we welcome the recognition of these high-quality qualifications as a strong technical pathway for young people when delivered effectively.

“We have already made good progress to address many of the areas highlighted in the report, but we know further action is needed.

“To support providers and ensure T-level delivery is a success, we are continuing to offer a range of support, including funding to help more businesses to offer industry placement and additional funding for facilities through the T-level capital fund, with £100 million for over 100 projects in the latest wave of funding this month.”