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Phonics screening check attainment : Academic year 2024/25

Guidance
Ofqual Enforcement Panel
appeal rules
Published 30 October 2025
Applies to England
  
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Supporting compliance and taking regulatory action
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1. An Awarding Organisation (AO) may appeal to the
Enforcement Panel in respect of:
a. a determination of non-compliance,
b. a decision to issue a rebuke.
2. For the purposes of these rules, a determination of non-
compliance (a Determination) is a decision that the AO has
failed to comply with a Condition of its Recognition in
circumstances where:
a. the AO did not declare that non-compliance or make any
relevant admission, and
b. the Determination was made in the context of a decision
either that no further action should be taken if the breach was
made out or that a rebuke would be issued if the breach was
made out.
3. Where a rebuke is issued following a Determination, the AO
may appeal in respect of the Determination, the rebuke, or both
elements.
Procedure
4. The AO must submit the appeal through the Portal using a
document with the title ‘Application for Appeal’ (the application).
The application must include the following sections, in the order
set out below:
a. The decision: a summary of the decision being
appealed, specifying the date of the Determination (or
admission of non-compliance where relevant), the date of
the rebuke (where relevant) and the condition(s) found to
have been breached,
b. The facts: a summary of the factual background on which
the Determination subject to appeal was made, together with
a summary of the representations made by the AO before
the Determination,
Contents
Procedure
Triage
Listing
Directions
Powers
Test
Amendment of these
rules
c. The grounds: why the AO considers the initial decision
was wrong, specifying as relevant: how the AO considers the
relevant condition(s) should be interpreted, any facts which
the AO considers the decision-maker failed adequately to
take into account, why the AO considers the decision to
issue a rebuke to be unreasonable,
d. The remedy: the outcome the AO seeks should the
appeal be successful.
5. The application must be submitted by the AO’s Responsible
Officer and must be accompanied by a declaration that the
contents are true and accurate, in accordance with Condition
B1.4.
6. The application must be received by Ofqual no more than 14
days after the relevant decision was issued.
Triage
7. All applications will first be considered by a director in
Ofqual’s legal team. The application will be rejected if the
director considers the application to be incomplete, or
inaccurate as regards any assertion of fact. A rejected
application may be revised and resubmitted on no more than 2
further occasions.
8. The director may, at their absolute discretion, invite the initial
decision-maker to review or reconsider the Determination if on
consideration of the application, the director considers such
reconsideration may be appropriate.
Listing
9. All applications which proceed after the triage stage will be
listed for consideration by the Enforcement Panel. Applications
will be listed as soon as practicable, having regard to:
a. The availability of appropriate panel members,
b. Whether it may be beneficial for particular cases to be
considered together,
c. Any particular urgency affecting the case.
10. Where necessary, priority will be given to listing appeals
concerning the issue of a rebuke.
11. Unless otherwise determined, all applications for appeal will
be considered at a meeting of the Enforcement Panel on the
basis of written submissions - the AO will not be invited to
address the Enforcement Panel in person.
Directions
12. Directions concerning the management of an application for
appeal, including directions for a hearing of the Enforcement
Panel with the AO in attendance, may be given at any time by a
director in Ofqual’s legal team or by the Enforcement Panel.
Powers
13. At the conclusion of an appeal in relation to a Determination,
the Enforcement Panel will either:
a. allow the appeal and set-aside or vary the Determination,
b. dismiss the appeal, confirm the Determination and confirm
that no further action will be taken, or
c. dismiss the appeal, confirm the breach and determine that
any other action set out in the Supporting Compliance and
Taking Regulatory Action policy should be taken.
14. At the conclusion of an appeal in relation to the issue of a
rebuke, the Enforcement Panel will either:
a. allow the appeal against the rebuke and substitute a
decision that no further action will be taken in relation to the
breach,
b. dismiss the appeal and confirm the rebuke, or
c. dismiss the appeal and determine that any other action set
out in the Supporting Compliance and Taking Regulatory
Action policy should be taken in place of the rebuke.
15. Where the appeal concerns a Determination and the issue
of a rebuke, the Enforcement Panel may make such order from
the preceding paragraphs, as it sees fit.
16. Where the Enforcement Panel considers an alternative
action should be taken in place of the Determination or rebuke, it
will follow the relevant process set out in the Supporting
Compliance and Taking Regulatory Action policy.
Test
17. The Enforcement Panel will allow the appeal where it
considers:
a. the Determination relies on an interpretation of a condition
which cannot be sustained,
b. the Determination relies on an interpretation of the factual
matrix known at the relevant time which cannot be sustained,
c. the Determination overlooked evidence which was
available to the decision-maker at the material time and which
would inevitably have affected the Determination had it been
taken into account,
d. the decision to issue a rebuke was unreasonable in all of
the circumstances of the case.
18. The Enforcement Panel will dismiss the appeal in all other
circumstances. The Enforcement Panel will give summary
reasons for its decision to dismiss the appeal.
19. The Enforcement Panel may substitute an outcome set out
in the Supporting Compliance and Taking Regulatory Action
policy where it considers on the available facts the initial
decision to take no further action or to issue a rebuke was
wrong. The Enforcement Panel will give a statement of its
reasons in all such cases, which will specify the revised
outcome and where necessary will constitute Notice of Intention
in accordance with the Supporting Compliance and Taking
Regulatory Action policy.
Amendment of these rules
20. The Strategic Enforcement Committee will keep these rules
under review and may revise the rules where it considers such
revisions to be appropriate. The Strategic Enforcement
Committee will consider whether any such revisions require
consultation and the extent of any such consultation.
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Supporting compliance and taking regulatory action : Published 30 October 2025

PUBLICATION, DOCUMENT
Personal education plans for
children looked after: draft
guidance for practitioners
We are seeking views on draft new non-statutory guidance for
local authorities and schools on initiating, developing and
reviewing personal education plans (PEPs).
First published: 3 October 2025
Last updated: 3 October 2025
Contents
Overview (https://www.gov.wales/pdf-optimised/node/70972#182894)
Introduction (https://www.gov.wales/pdf-optimised/node/70972#182896)
Development of the guidance on PEPs (https://www.gov.wales/pdf-optimised/node/
70972#182898)
Purpose of the consultation (https://www.gov.wales/pdf-optimised/node/
70972#182900)
Who is this consultation aimed at (https://www.gov.wales/pdf-optimised/node/
70972#182902)
Consultation timing (https://www.gov.wales/pdf-optimised/node/70972#182904)
What are we consulting on (https://www.gov.wales/pdf-optimised/node/
70972#182906)
Consultation questions (https://www.gov.wales/pdf-optimised/node/70972#182908)
UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) (https://www.gov.wales/pdf-
optimised/node/70972#182910)
Your rights (https://www.gov.wales/pdf-optimised/node/70972#182912)
Overview
We are seeking views on draft new non-statutory guidance for local authorities
and schools on initiating, developing and reviewing personal education plans
(PEPs). The guidance is intended to provide advice for local authorities on
discharging their statutory duty under the Social Services and Well-being
(Wales) Act 2014 to ensure each child looked after should have a high-quality
PEP until they have finished statutory education.
Introduction
Through Our national mission: high standards and aspirations for all (/our-
national-mission-high-standards-and-aspirations-all-html), the Welsh Government
wants every child to take part in, enjoy learning and have the best education
possible to progress and expand their knowledge, skills and experience. This will
support them to become:
• ambitious, capable learners ready to learn throughout their lives
• enterprising, creative contributors ready to play a full part in life and work
• ethical, informed citizens ready to be citizens of Wales and the world
• healthy, confident individuals ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members
of society
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 places a duty on local
authorities to promote the educational achievement of children looked after.
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 Part 6 Code of
Practice (Looked After and Accommodated Children) statutory guidance
(https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2019-05/part-6-code-of-practice-
looked-after-and-accommodated-children.pdf) provides advice on the care and
support planning duties of local authorities in relation to care and support plans,
including health and education.
The Part 6 care and support plan is a plan for children looked after. It brings
together key information from the assessment of the child’s developmental
needs and from any other assessments of the child and their family. The Care
Planning, Placement and Case Review (Wales) (CPPCR) Regulations 2015
(https://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2015/1818/contents/made?view=plain) also require
the preparation of a health plan, a Personal Education Plan (PEP), and a
placement plan for the child. These should all be incorporated into the overall
Part 6 care and support plan for the child.
The PEP allows children looked after and those who support them to identify
and put in practice the best strategies to help them progress in their education.
Working with a range of stakeholders the Welsh Government has produced draft
non-statutory guidance intended to support local authorities and schools to make
PEPs more meaningful and impactful for children looked after.
Development of the guidance on PEPs
The Welsh Government have worked collaboratively with a wide range of
professionals to inform the development of the PEP guidance. A PEP Task and
Finish Group was established, made up of individuals from local authorities who
have a strategic role in promoting the education of care experienced learners.
The group met up five times. They shared their expertise around the PEP
process and how this can best contribute to supporting the child to progress in
learning, thrive in their education setting and achieve best outcomes. The task
and finish group were a subgroup of the National Delivery Group (NDG) for the
education of care experienced leaners. The NDG comprises external
stakeholders from Estyn, Consortia, local authorities and Third Sector who work
to promote and support the educational outcomes of care experienced children
in Wales. Drafts of the guidance were shared with the NDG and the all-Wales
Independent Reviewing Officers group.
The Welsh Government also engaged with learners on what is important to them
and what should be included in this guidance. Their views are reflected
throughout the guidance.
Purpose of the consultation
This consultation welcomes your views on draft new non-statutory guidance for
local authorities and schools on initiating, developing and reviewing personal
education plans (PEPs). The aim of the guidance is to support local authorities
and schools/settings to make the PEP process more meaningful and impactful
for children looked after. It sets the context for local authorities to discharge their
statutory duty under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 to
ensure each child looked after should have a high-quality PEP until they have
finished statutory education.
This feedback phase will end on 01 December 2025, after which all responses
will be considered by the Welsh Government. The draft guidance will then be
refined and, subject to the Cabinet Secretary for Education’s agreement will be
published on the Welsh Government’s website.
Who is this consultation aimed at
The consultation is aimed at all those who have a responsibility for the PEP in
their school or local authority or who support or advocate on behalf of children
looked after.
This includes but is not limited to, the designated person for children looked after
within schools, headteachers, governors, local authority officers with
responsibility for children looked after (including Looked-After Children in
Education (LACE) Coordinators and Virtual School Heads), Social Services
staff, Independent Reviewing Officers, pupil referral units, further and higher
education institutions, and staff in organisations whose work helps support
children looked after.
We are also keen to hear the views of care experienced children and young
people and an easy read version of the guidance has been produced for this
purpose.
Consultation timing
We are opening this consultation for a period of eight weeks. We believe this
timeframe is sufficient for respondents to fully consider the draft guidance and
submit their responses.
What are we consulting on
The draft new non-statutory guidance for local authorities and schools provides
advice on:
• the purpose of the PEP
• content of the PEP
• capturing learner voice
• PEP process and time frames
• initiating, developing and reviewing PEPs
• transition to post 16 education
• cross border arrangements
• roles and responsibilities and further sources of support
We would like your thoughts on the draft content within each section.
Consultation questions
Question 1
Do you agree that the advice provided in the PEP guidance will support local
authorities, schools and settings to make the PEP process more meaningful and
impactful for children looked after?
Question 2
Do you agree that the guidance adequately covers everything needed to support
local authorities, schools and settings to make PEPs more meaningful and
impactful for children looked after?
Question 3
If you disagreed with the statement in question 2, what else should be captured
in the guidance?
Question 4
Do you agree that the guidance provides sufficient advice to local authorities,
schools and settings on making the PEP process child-centred?
Question 5
Are there any other sources of support or resources that it might be useful to
highlight in the guidance?
Question 6
What, in your opinion, would be the likely effects of the guidance on the Welsh
language? We are particularly interested in any likely effects on opportunities to
use the Welsh language and on not treating the Welsh language less favourably
than English.
Do you think that there are opportunities to promote any positive effects?
Do you think that there are opportunities to mitigate any adverse effects?
Question 7
In your opinion, could the guidance be formulated or changed so as to:
• have positive effects or more positive effects on using the Welsh language
and on not treating the Welsh language less favourably than English, or
• mitigate any negative effects on using the Welsh language and on not
treating the Welsh language less favourably than English?
Please use the consultation response form to respond to the above questions.
UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK
GDPR)
The Welsh Government will be data controller for Welsh Government
consultations and for any personal data you provide as part of your response to
the consultation.
Welsh Ministers have statutory powers they will rely on to process this personal
data which will enable them to make informed decisions about how they
exercise their public functions. The lawful basis for processing information in this
data collection exercise is our public task, that is, exercising our official authority
to undertake the core role and functions of the Welsh Government. (Art 6(1)(e)).
Any response you send us will be seen in full by Welsh Government staff
dealing with the issues which this consultation is about or planning future
consultations. In the case of joint consultations this may also include other public
authorities. Where the Welsh Government undertakes further analysis of
consultation responses then this work may be commissioned to be carried out
by an accredited third party (for example a research organisation or a
consultancy company). Any such work will only be undertaken under contract.
Welsh Government’s standard terms and conditions for such contracts set out
strict requirements for the processing and safekeeping of personal data.
In order to show that the consultation was carried out properly, the Welsh
Government intends to publish a summary of the responses to this document.
We may also publish responses in full. Normally, the name and address (or part
of the address) of the person or organisation who sent the response are
published with the response. If you do not want your name or address published,
please tell us this in writing when you send your response. We will then redact
them before publishing.
You should also be aware of our responsibilities under Freedom of Information
legislation and that the Welsh Government may be under a legal obligation to
disclose some information.
If your details are published as part of the consultation response, then these
published reports will be retained indefinitely. Any of your data held otherwise by
Welsh Government will be kept for no more than three years.
Your rights
Under the data protection legislation, you have the right:
• to be informed of the personal data held about you and to access it
• to require us to rectify inaccuracies in that data
• to (in certain circumstances) object to or restrict processing
• for (in certain circumstances) your data to be ‘erased’
• to (in certain circumstances) data portability
• to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) who
is our independent regulator for data protection
For further details about the information the Welsh Government holds and its
use, or if you want to exercise your rights under the UK GDPR, please see
contact details below:
Data Protection Officer
Welsh Government
Cathays Park
Cardiff
CF10 3NQ
E-mail: dataprotectionofficer@gov.wales (mailto:dataprotectionofficer@gov.wales)
The contact details for the Information Commissioner’s Office are:
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Website: ICO website (https://ico.org.uk/)
This document may not be fully accessible.
For more information refer to our accessibility statement (/accessibility-statement-govwales).


Personal education plans for children looked after: draft guidance for practitioners

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Ofqual routinely carries out equalities analysis for qualification results. This report
presents an analysis of how attainment gaps for students with different
characteristics (some of which are protected) and socio-economic status have
changed in 2025 compared to previous years. A difference between this year’s
report compared to those published previously is that the analysis pertains only to
A levels (referred to here as general qualifications [GQ]) and Applied Generals
and Tech Level qualifications (referred to collectively here as vocational and
technical qualifications [VTQ]). 
Analysis of level 1, level 1/2, and level 2 qualifications (including GCSEs) is not
included this year because, for students taking these qualifications, crucial
information on their prior attainment at Key Stage 2 is not available following the
cancellation of Key Stage 2 assessments in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19
pandemic. A key feature of Ofqual’s equalities analysis is the use of a multivariate
analytical approach. This allows us to explore the impact on overall results of each
student characteristic (for example, gender, or ethnicity) separately
while controlling for other characteristics, that is, holding other
characteristics constant. Prior attainment is key to this analysis as it is the
strongest predictor of qualification results, and its inclusion allows for
more accurate modelling of the impact of other student characteristics. Without
Research and analysis
Equalities analysis: executive
summary
Published 3 December 2025
Applies to England
  
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Home Education, training and skills School curriculum Secondary curriculum, key stage 3 and key stage 4 (GCSEs)
Key stage 3 and 4 exam marking, qualifications and results Student-level equalities analysis for A level and VTQs – 2025
Contents
General qualifications
A level
Vocational and technical
qualifications
prior attainment data in our analysis, differences would likely be wrongly attributed
to other characteristics leading to a misleading picture. We therefore decided to
carry out this year’s equalities analysis only for level 3 qualifications for which prior
attainment data remains available. 
As in previous analyses, in addition to presenting the descriptive analysis of the
raw differences in results between groups of students, we used regression
modelling to estimate differences in results for groups of students after controlling
for other variables. The variables analysed were: 
ethnicity 
sex 
special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) status 
free school meal (FSM) eligibility (a measure of deprivation) 
Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) score 
prior attainment 
first language (GQ only) 
region (GQ only) 
centre type according to JCQ categories (GQ only) 
For most of the above variables, the largest group is used as a
comparator, against which all other groups are compared. For example, for
ethnicity, we use white British as the comparator as it is the largest group. We
compare students in other ethnic groups with white British students of the same
sex, SEND status, FSM eligibility, IDACI score, prior attainment, first
language, region and centre type. We estimate the results of the “average”
student, that is, a student who falls into the comparator group for every variable,
and can then examine the results of each of the other groups separately. 
Since 2023, we have published our equalities analysis in an interactive format
on Ofqual Analytics. This interactive tool allows users to explore how differences
in results between groups of students with different characteristics and
socioeconomic status have changed over time. 
In this report, results for 2025 are presented alongside those for the period from
2018 to 2024 in the interactive charts and accompanying data tables. We
compare results in 2025 with results in 2024. Grading continued as normal in
summer 2025 and summer 2024 following the return to pre-pandemic standards
in summer 2023. 
General qualifications 
For A levels, we analysed 3 outcome measures: 
grade achieved 
the probability of attaining grade A or above 
the probability of attaining grade C or above 
We used a set of criteria to identify changes we considered to be “notable”, those
changes that we believe go beyond normal year-on-year fluctuations. These
changes are drawn out in the interactive report. 
A level 
For A level in 2025, the modelling showed that the grade for an “average” student
(a student who falls in the reference category for each variable) was between a
grade B and grade C (3.53 on a numeric scale of 0 to 6, where 0 is ungraded and
6 is A*). The probability of an “average” student attaining grade A or above was
18.2%, and the probability of them attaining grade C or above was 83.4%. The
“average” student’s grade and probabilities of attaining grade C or above and
grade A or above in 2025 were broadly in line with 2024. 
Of the many comparisons between groups of students presented in our
modelling, the majority showed no notable change in 2025 with respect to 2024.
No group showed notable changes on all 3 of the above outcome measures. 
Vocational and technical qualifications 
The analysis focused on national qualifications taken alongside general
qualifications in schools and colleges and included in the Department for
Education’s (DfE’s) performance tables – specifically Level 3 Applied Generals
and Tech Level qualifications. Unlike GQs, these VTQs have different structures
and grade scales. The analysis, therefore, looks at the probability of achieving the
top grade, that is the highest grade that can be achieved in each qualification, and
a set of criteria are used to identify “notable” changes, that is, changes that we
believe exceed usual year-to-year fluctuations. 
For Applied Generals and Tech Level qualifications, the modelling showed that
the probability of an “average” student attaining the top grade was 5.2% and
10.6% respectively in 2025, which was broadly in line with 2024. 
For Applied Generals, there was no notable change identified between 2024 and
2025 for any group. 
For Tech Level qualifications, all but one of the many comparisons between
groups of students presented in our modelling showed no notable change in 2025
with respect to 2024.  
The methodology used in this analysis allows us to identify and quantify any
changes that have occurred. It is difficult, however, to identify the causes of any
changes that are identified. There are likely to be multiple causal factors, including
existing societal differences. Results for 2018 and 2019 show that differences in
qualification results have existed across this period of time and can vary from year
to year. Many of the between-year differences on individual variables reported
here are likely to reflect normal fluctuations in outcomes from one year to the next.
Also, given the exceptional circumstances under which grades were awarded in
2020 and 2021, and adaptations for qualifications and the package of support in
place in 2022, any comparison with these years should be treated carefully.
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Student-level equalities analysis for A level and VTQs – 2025 : executive summary

Evaluation of the Degree Apprenticeship Funding Competition (DAFC) : Interim Report 1 : Findings from Wave 1 of the DAFC : Report to the OfS by Ipsos UK and the Education Policy Institute : October 2025

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