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Guidance
16 to 19 funding: large
programme uplift
Published 1 October 2025
Applies to England
  
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Further education funding 16 to 19 funding: large programme uplift
Department 
for Education
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1. Introduction
This note sets out the conditions under which 16 to 19 funding
allocations will include a large programme uplift. It provides
further information to institutions to support them in
understanding and planning for the large programme uplift.
2. Latest updates
There are no changes for academic year 2025 to 2026.
3. Purpose
The large programme uplift contributes to the costs of large
study programmes and T Levels that are of high quality and that
provide additional stretch and challenge.
When study programmes were introduced in the academic year
2013 to 2014, funding was based on the average programme
size being 600 hours. However, we recognise that some
programmes must be larger to prepare students for further study
or work. The same principle applies to T Level programmes
where some students may study an A/AS level alongside.
4. Definition of the large
programme uplift
The large programme uplift reflects that some programmes are
larger than the usual size in terms of hours.
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Latest updates
3. Purpose
4. Definition of the
large programme
uplift
5. Students covered
by the large
programme uplift
6. Large A level
programmes
7. Large International
Baccalaureate (IB)
programmes
8. T Level
programmes
9. Summary of
requirements
10. Uplift calculation
11. Data collection
12. Contact us
The large programme uplift is only available for high quality
programmes that provide students with additional stretch and
challenge. This includes:
programmes of 4 or more full A levels
the full level 3 International Baccalaureate (IB)
T Level programmes with at least one A or AS level taken
alongside
Students must achieve a minimum grade to be eligible for the
uplift.
We will apply an uplift of either 10% or 20% to the full-time
national funding rate per student to large programmes that meet
the criteria set out on this page.
We calculate the uplifts based on the national funding rate for
full-time programmes (band 4a, band 5 and higher bands) for
the relevant academic year.
For students undertaking study programmes, we pay the uplift
for 2 years.
For students undertaking T Level programmes, AS levels will
attract a 1-year payment and A levels will attract a 2-year
payment. More detail is set out in the T Level
programmes and summary of requirements sections.
Large programmes that take longer than 2 years do not get any
additional uplift.
5. Students covered by the
large programme uplift
The large programme uplift only applies to 16 and 17 year olds
studying large programmes that meet the size and achievement
criteria set out on this page.
However, students aged 18 and over with high needs can also
qualify for a large programme uplift. High needs students are
those who receive additional learning support funding from their
local authority high needs budget (often called top-up funding or
element 3).
Any other students aged 18 and over or any students on
apprenticeships or supported internships do not qualify for a
large programme uplift. The large programme uplift did not apply
to traineeships.
6. Large A level programmes
Large A level programmes (identified by 2-year A level
qualifications) will attract an uplift.
AS levels do not count in large A level programmes receiving
the large programme uplift. We also exclude A levels in General
Studies and Critical Thinking.
6.1 Pre-U qualifications
We will not count Pre-U qualifications for the large programme
uplift for 2027 to 2028 allocations. This is because the
qualifications are being withdrawn; we do not expect any Pre-U
teaching to take place after 2022 to 2023, with re-sits available
in summer 2024.
A Pre-U Principal or Research subject certificate graded at M1
or higher (not including 1- year short programmes) is equivalent
to 1 A level for the purpose of the uplift. The Pre-U certificate
must be part of a programme that is equivalent to 4 A levels or
more to qualify. This can be all Pre-U certificates or a mixture of
Pre-U certificates and A levels within a large programme.
6.2 Study programmes of 4 A levels
Students who achieve 4 full A level qualifications at grade B or
better in each A level will qualify for an uplift of 10%.
6.3 Study programmes of 5 A levels
Students who achieve 5 full A level qualifications at grade B or
better (or minimum grade C for Further Maths) in each A level
will qualify for an uplift of 20%.
A student enrolled on a study programme of 5 full A levels but
who only achieves grade B or better (or minimum grade C for
Further Maths) in 4 of them will attract the 10% uplift.
6.4 Further Maths A level
Students taking Further Maths as one of their 4 or more A levels
will qualify for large programme funding when they achieve a
grade C in this subject and the remainder of their results are at
grade B or better. For example:
Qualification
title
Qualification
type
Exam
grade
GCE A level in
Maths
GCE A level B Qualifies for large
programme uplift
GCE A level in GCE A level B Qualifies for large
Chemistry programme uplift
GCE A level in
Further Maths
GCE A level B Qualifies for large
programme uplift
GCE A level in
Physics
GCE A level B Qualifies for large
programme uplift
Qualification
title
Qualification
type
Exam
grade
GCE A level in
Biology
GCE A level B Qualifies for large
programme uplift
GCE A level in
Maths
GCE A level B Qualifies for large
programme uplift
GCE A level in
Further Maths
GCE A level C Qualifies for large
programme uplift
GCE A level in
Physics
GCE A level B Qualifies for large
programme uplift
7. Large International
Baccalaureate (IB)
programmes
The full level 3 IB Diploma is a large programme as the
International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) stipulates that the
teaching time for the IB must add up to 1,450 to 1,500 hours
across the 2 years of the programme.
Students who complete the full level 3 diploma and achieve 28
or more points will attract a 20% uplift to the full-time national
funding rate for the year in which we make the allocation.
Twenty-eight points is broadly equivalent to grade B at A level.
If a student achieves a pass with 24 points but does not achieve
28 points, then no uplift will be paid.
8. T Level programmes
A/AS levels (excluding General Studies and Critical Thinking)
taken alongside T Level programmes may qualify for the large
programme uplift.
A student must achieve a minimum merit grade on their T Level
programme and minimum grade B on their A/AS level (or
minimum grade C for Further Maths) to qualify.
Additionally, any A/AS levels taken alongside a T Level must
offer demonstrable additional content that is relevant to the
student’s programme and which is not already covered by their T
Level qualification (including occupational specialism) content.
Qualifying AS levels taken alongside a T Level programme will
attract payment for 1 year, reflecting that they are usually taken
over 1 year.
Qualifying A levels taken alongside a T Level programme will
attract payment for 2 years, reflecting that A level qualifications
are usually taken over 2 years.
9. Summary of requirements
9.1 For study programmes
Uplift
%
Requirements
10% 4 full A levels (other than General Studies and Critical
Thinking) at grade B or above, or 3 at grade B or above
and Further Maths at grade C
20% 5 full A levels (other than General Studies and Critical
Thinking) at grade B or above, or 4 at grade B or above
and Further Maths at grade C
20% The full level 3 IB Diploma at 28 points or above
9.2 For T Level programmes
We pay the uplifts for T Level programmes for either 1 or 2
years depending on whether it is for an AS level or an A level, as
indicated below.
Uplift
%
Requirements
10%
paid
for 1
year
A T Level programme with at least a merit grade plus
one AS level (other than General Studies and Critical
Thinking) at grade B or AS level Further Maths at grade
C
10%
paid
for 2
years
A T Level programme with at least a merit grade plus
one A level (other than General Studies and Critical
Thinking) at grade B or A level Further Maths at grade C
20%
paid
for 1
year
A T Level programme with at least a merit grade plus
more than one AS level (other than General Studies and
Critical Thinking) at grade B or AS level Further Maths at
grade C
20%
paid
for 2
years
A T Level programme with at least a merit grade plus
more than one A level (other than General Studies and
Critical Thinking) at grade B or A level Further Maths at
grade C
It is very unlikely that a student would take an AS level and an A
level in different subjects as well as a T Level. Therefore,
students taking a combination of AS and A levels will get the
uplift appropriate to the qualifying A level(s) only.
10. Uplift calculation
To identify students who have earned the large programme
uplift, we will use attainment data from the latest full year. We will
use the learning aims and associated grades at the end of each
student’s qualifying programme.
We apply the total uplift value after we have applied retention,
programme cost weighting and disadvantage to the national
funding rate per student. The uplift will attract the area cost uplift
where it applies.
Allocations will show the numbers separately for those who get
the 10% uplift and those who get the 20% uplift.
As the criteria for implementing the uplift includes student
attainment, which comes from data matched in from the National
Pupil Database, there will be a 3-year lag. This means, for
example, that for allocations for the academic year 2025 to 2026
we will use attainment data from 2022 to 2023.
11. Data collection
There are no additional data collection requirements for the
large programme uplift. Institutions must accurately record all
large programmes to meet the criteria for the uplift in future
funding allocations.
Institutions can submit business cases in the business case
window (announced each year) if they believe this methodology
does not reflect their delivery. Successful challenge to a large
programme uplift must demonstrate that we have not correctly
interpreted historical attainment data. Incorrect recording of data
is not grounds for a successful challenge.
12. Contact us
If you have questions after reading our guidance, or if there’s
anything else you need help with, you can find more support in
our customer help centre.
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16 to 19 funding: large programme uplift : Published 1 October 2025

 
FE teacher initial 
teacher training and 
development: call for 
evidence 
Government consultation 
Launch date 17 October 2025 
Respond by 12 December 2025 
2 
Contents 
Introduction 3 
Who this is for 5 
Issue date 5 
Enquiries 5 
Additional copies 6 
The response 6 
About this consultation 7 
Respond online 7 
Other ways to respond 7 
Deadline 8 
Section 1- Respondent information 9 
About you 9 
Your evidence 11 
3 
Introduction 
In recent years, the Department for Education (DfE) has placed a renewed focus on the 
role that high quality training and development plays in enabling teachers to deliver the 
best possible outcomes for learners across the Further Education (FE) sector, at all 
stages of their teaching career. 
Effective initial training and ongoing professional development (PD) enables teachers to 
deliver high-quality education and to retain the currency of their teaching and their 
subject knowledge, including technical and vocational competence for dual 
professionals.   
This call for evidence is part of a process to establish a more secure evidence base for 
professional development for those teaching in the FE sector. It focuses on initial 
teacher education (ITE) and early professional development phases.  
ITE refers to training specifically designed to enable someone to become occupationally 
competent as an FE teacher, that is qualifications and apprenticeships that meet the 
level 5 Learning and Skills Teacher occupational standard. Qualifications include the 
Diploma in Teaching (FE and skills) and similar qualifications validated by universities at 
levels 5, 6 and 7. 
"Early career" refers to the transitional period that an individual takes to become a 
confident and competent teacher. It may include a period of ITE. This is generally 
considered to be the first three years of a teacher’s career but may be longer in some 
circumstances. 
We know that teachers in the FE sector may have different experiences in their early 
career, and not all will access an ITE programme before they take up employment. That 
is why it is essential that, to be effective, the initial training of FE teachers – whether 
delivered as a qualification, as an apprenticeship, or through more informal work-based 
training – provides robust knowledge content (the “what”), procedural pedagogical 
content (the “how”), and conditional pedagogical content (the “when”) for new teachers. 
Evidence from Ofsted inspections of FE ITE provision shows significant variability in the 
content of ITE programmes, particularly with respect to pedagogical content, where 
there can be an uncritical acceptance of a range of contested or outdated theories. 
Through this call for evidence, we want to establish a baseline of appropriate, evidence-
based pedagogical content that can underpin ITE programmes and effective early 
career PD for FE teachers. We expect responses to be wide ranging, reflecting different 
approaches to preparing teachers effectively in different parts of the sector, and we 
encourage responses from a range of practitioners in different roles and provider types, 
not just those responsible for delivering ITE programmes in colleges. 
4 
We are using an early career focus to capture the processes by which new FE teachers 
acquire the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to be effective in their subject(s) 
and context(s). We believe that by getting this element right, we can establish a shared 
understanding of the foundations required for all new teachers as they start their journey 
into the profession – this in turn will have a positive impact on establishing new 
teachers’ expectations for a career-long commitment to ongoing professional 
development and improvement that is based on clear evidence and quality standards. 
We recognise that the range of subjects and specialisms delivered across FE is broad, 
complex and evolving. We want to test the extent to which subject-specific pedagogy 
has been developed for ITE and early career PD in a manageable way, so we have 
chosen to focus on two specific subject areas where this exercise will aim to elicit more 
narrowly focused evidence: 
• Construction 
• Health and Social Care 
Both of the above are aligned with the government’s priorities for skills development and 
play an important role creating opportunity for individuals and communities. 
To be clear, the call for evidence is not restricted to these subjects – but we are 
particularly keen to receive submissions which highlight how teachers of these particular 
subjects are being trained on the basis of evidence-informed, subject-specific 
pedagogy. Evidence and examples relating to other subjects, sectors and specialisms 
are also welcome.  
This call for evidence seeks to gather appropriate, recent, relevant, and high-quality 
research and related knowledge to inform updates to the knowledge content that 
supports FE ITE programmes. The aim is to ensure that trainee teachers in FE are 
equipped with the most current and effective practices for teaching diverse learners in a 
wide range of post-16 settings.  
The final question asks respondents to consider the links between early career 
preparation and continuing professional development. This is intended to provide us 
with an insight into the relationship between these phases of a teacher’s professional 
development. 
We expect that, for most providers, the evidence that is produced will confirm that their 
current curricula include appropriate evidence-based teaching and assessment content 
reflecting up to date knowledge and research. For a small number it may highlight a 
need to refresh their content and provide a foundation on which they can build a more 
effective FE ITE curriculum. 
The results of this call for evidence will be considered by an Expert Advisory Group 
(EAG) convened by the department. The assessment and recommendations of the EAG 
5 
will form the basis of new statutory guidance for the content and delivery of FE ITE 
programmes, and a useful resource for those delivering early career PD programmes. 
Who this is for 
We want to collect evidence from individuals and organisations with a range of 
knowledge and expertise. Because teachers enter the FE sector through a variety of 
routes, we expect that responses will reflect this and may include early career PD as 
well as ITE. 
Many respondents will have experience of training or supporting new and early career 
teachers in the FE sector. We also encourage those whose expertise lies in education, 
pedagogy and knowledge of research to engage. We anticipate that this will include: 
• Individuals and organisations delivering ITE qualifications for FE teachers  
• Those delivering the Learning and Skills Teacher Apprenticeship  
• Providers of PD programmes for new and early career teachers. Specifically, 
people that focus on the knowledge and pedagogical requirements of teachers 
joining the FE sector who have not undertaken an ITE programme 
• Organisations responsible for developing ITE qualifications for themselves and 
other providers to deliver (e.g. commercial Awarding Organisations) 
• Individuals who have a quality assurance role or responsibility within an FE 
provider and who have oversight of ITE and new teacher support programmes 
• Representative bodies who may wish to aggregate evidence from their members 
to provide a broader view of current practice 
• Academic researchers who are active in this area 
• Pedagogy and education experts 
• Research organisations such as universities, FE colleges and other sector 
bodies 
• Education charities, private organisations, and public bodies that commission 
and/or review education research 
• SEND charities, private organisations, and public bodies that commission and/or 
review education research 
Issue date 
The consultation was issued on 17 October 2025 
Enquiries 
If your enquiry is related to the policy content of the consultation you can contact the 
team by email at FEITE@education.gov.uk 
If your enquiry is related to the DfE e-consultation website or the consultation process in 
general, you can contact the DfE Ministerial and Public Communications Division by 
6 
email: coordinator.consultations@education.gov.uk, telephone: 0370 000 2288 or via 
the DfE Contact us page. 
Additional copies 
Additional copies are available electronically and can be downloaded from GOV.UK DfE 
consultations. 
The response 
The results of the consultation and the department's response will be published on 
GOV.UK in 2026.  
We will publish statutory guidance for ITE providers within a reasonable time following 
the end of the call for evidence, and no later than July 2026. This will give the EAG 
sufficient time to consider all of the relevant submissions and reach agreement on the 
value of the information provided; it will also allow guidance to be published with 
sufficient lead time for providers to consider any changes that they might need to make 
to their current or planned programme delivery. 
The statutory guidance will provide a snapshot of the evidence considered and is 
intended to assist ITE providers to ensure that they have a well thought through, 
evidence-informed curriculum. We expect that statutory guidance will be updated from 
time to time, to ensure that it remains current and sets out the most recent robust 
evidence of good practice. 
 
7 
About this consultation 
All evidence submitted will be considered by an Expert Advisory Group (EAG) 
appointed by DfE. The EAG’s remit is to assess whether the current knowledge content 
of teacher development programmes is relevant, robust and effective enough for it to 
form a part of new statutory guidance on curriculum and content for providers of FE ITE. 
Given the close relationship between ITE and early career PD, this process will also 
provide a key resource for those developing early-career support programmes for new 
teachers. 
Decisions about the final content of the published statutory guidance document will be 
made by Ministers who will take into consideration the advice of the expert panel. We 
will ask the panel to consider: 
• Elements of universal foundational knowledge, pedagogy and theory that can be 
utilised by all teachers regardless of their subject area 
• Aspects of the call for evidence response that are context-specific (e.g. 
workshop, laboratory, classroom, simulation) and may be of use to teachers 
teaching a different subject in a similar environment 
• Subject-specific theory and knowledge that relates solely to the subject under 
consideration – we are particularly keen to receive and assess evidence related 
to the teaching of construction and health and social care. 
Respond online 
To help us analyse the responses please use the online system wherever possible. Visit 
DfE consultations on GOV.UK to submit your response. 
Other ways to respond 
If for exceptional reasons, you are unable to use the online system, for example 
because you use specialist accessibility software that is not compatible with the system, 
you may request an alternative format of the form. 
By email 
FEITE.CALLFOREVIDENCE@education.gov.uk 
 
• By post 
Further Education Workforce Division 
Department for Education  
2 St Paul’s Place  
8 
125 Norfolk Street 
Sheffield, S1 2FJ 
Deadline 
The consultation closes on 12 December 2025 
9 
Section 1- Respondent information 
About you 
1. What is your name? 
(Open text box) 
2. Do you consent to the Department for Education contacting you via email about your 
response? If yes, please provide your email address. 
(Open text box) 
3. Would you like us to keep your response confidential?  
☐Yes ☐No  
Information provided in response to calls for evidence, including personal  
information, may be subject to publication or disclosure under the Freedom of  
Information Act 2000, the Data Protection Act 2018 or the Environmental  
Information Regulations 2004.  
If you want all, or any part, of a response to be treated as confidential, please  
explain why you consider it confidential.  
If a request for disclosure of the information you have provided is received, your  
explanation about why you consider it to be confidential will be taken into  
account, but no assurance can be given that confidentiality can be maintained.  
An automatic confidentiality disclaimer generated by your IT system will not, of  
itself, be regarded as binding on the Department.  
The Department for Education will process your personal data (name and address and 
any other identifying material) in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018. 
Evidence submitted will be shared with the EAG, but personal information will not. 
4. If you would like us to keep your response confidential, please explain your  
reason for confidentiality:  
(Open text box) 
5. What is your role?  
10 
(Open text box) 
6. What is the name of the organisation that you work for? (if applicable)  
(Open text box) 
7. What type of organisation is this? 
☐ A university or similar higher education organisation with degree awarding powers 
☐ A general further education college 
☐ A sixth form college 
☐ A specialist college or provider 
☐ A 16 to 19 Academy 
☐ An independent training provider 
☐ A third sector organisation 
☐ A local authority provider 
☐ A representative or specialist body 
☐ Other 
8. If you answered ‘other’, please specify your organisation type. 
(Open text box) 
9. Are you answering on behalf of your organisation or in a personal capacity? 
☐ on behalf of organisation 
☐ personal response 
 
10. What kind of teacher training and development are you involved in? 
(option to choose more than one) 
☐ University delivered qualification(s) 
☐ Qualification(s) franchised from a university and delivered by my organisation 
11 
☐ Qualification(s) validated by a university and delivered by my organisation 
☐ An Ofqual regulated qualification, e.g. The Diploma in Teaching (FE and Skills) 
☐ Learning and Skills Teacher (LST) apprenticeship  
☐ Early career PD for new teachers in the FE sector 
☐ Continuing Professional Development programmes for FE teachers 
☐ Other 
11. If other please give details 
(Open text box) 
Your evidence 
We are seeking evidence of high quality and relevant pedagogical knowledge and 
research that underpins the delivery of ITE and PD for early career teachers in the 
Further Education sector. 
We are interested in the various approaches that providers use to enable individuals to 
be effective teachers, particularly where high-quality pedagogical knowledge helps 
trainees and early career teachers discern how and when to use different approaches 
and techniques to enable their students to achieve the best outcomes. We expect this to 
focus on the elements of pedagogy that enable a teacher to know how and when to use 
various approaches for their learners.  
We are also interested in the links between early career preparation and continuing 
professional development for FE teachers. 
Whilst this call for evidence is considering the foundational knowledge that is effective 
for all teachers, we are also interested in developing a more detailed understanding of 
the pedagogical underpinnings of the curriculum used to prepare those training for 
careers in construction and health and social care teaching. We anticipate that there will 
be three types of evidence provided: 
a. Elements of universal foundational knowledge, pedagogy and theory that can 
be utilised by all teachers regardless of their subject area. 
b. Context-specific pedagogical theory and knowledge (e.g. workshop, laboratory, 
classroom, simulation) that may be of use to teachers teaching a range 
of different subjects but in a similar environment. 
12 
c. Subject-specific pedagogical theory and knowledge that relates solely to the 
subject area under consideration, in this case construction or health and social 
care 
The evidence will be assessed by the department and an Expert Advisory Group and 
will inform the development of new statutory guidance on FE ITE course content and 
curriculum to be issued by DfE. The statutory guidance will focus on the first two 
elements above (i.e. universal and context-specific pedagogy) to provide all those 
organisations delivering FE ITE with a clear foundation on which to build their 
qualifications and apprenticeship provision. It will also be a helpful reference point for 
those developing and delivering early career PD. 
Depending on the quality and relevance of evidence received, DfE may also publish 
additional, illustrative information about the curriculum for training construction and 
health and social care teachers at the same time. This will not form part of any statutory 
guidance. 
Responses to this call for evidence must answer questions 12 and 13. 
12. Please provide detail of the pedagogical evidence that you use in the universal 
foundational elements of your ITE or early career PD programme. Please provide full 
references and, where applicable, links to the relevant publication(s). 
(open text box) 
13. Please provide detail of context-specific pedagogical theories and knowledge that 
you use in your ITE or early career PD programme. Please state which context(s) they 
are suitable for. Please provide full references and, where applicable, links to relevant 
publication(s). You may wish answer with reference to multiple contexts. 
(open text box) 
Question 14 is intended to gather insight into the links between early career preparation 
and on broader professional development delivered in the FE sector.  
14. Please provide any insights into the needs of the FE sector in terms of professional 
development. What are the barriers to, and what are the opportunities for, ensuring that 
all FE teachers have access to high-quality professional development? Please provide 
specific examples of effective practice where known, along with references to any 
relevant publication(s). 
(open text box) 
Questions 15 and 16 are optional. They are specifically intended for organisations that 
prepare teachers of construction and health and social care. We want to know which 
13 
theories underpin these teacher preparation programmes. This information could form 
the basis of an information summary shared with the FE ITE sector. 
15. Where relevant please provide details of the subject-specific pedagogy that 
underpins your construction teacher training or PD programme(s). Please provide full 
references and, where applicable, links to any relevant publication(s). 
(open text box) 
16. Where relevant please provide details of the subject-specific pedagogy that 
underpins your health and social care teacher training or PD programme(s). Please 
provide full references and, where applicable, links to any relevant publication(s). 
(open text box)  
 
 
© Crown copyright 2025 
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Official Statistics
Entries and late entries for
GCSE, AS and A level: 2024
to 2025 academic year
Statistics on the number of entries that were
on time and late for GCSE, AS and A level.
From:
Ofqual
Published
6 November 2025
Applies to England
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Statistics: entries for GCSE,
AS and A level
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Key stage 3 and 4 exam marking, qualifications and results
Entries and late entries for
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Ref: Ofqual/25/7261/1
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Background information for
entries and late entries for
GCSE, AS and A level:
2024 to 2025 academic
year
Ref: Ofqual/25/7261/2
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Pre-release access list for
entries and late entries in
GCSE, AS and A level:
2024 to 2025 academic
year
HTML
Entries and late entries for GCSE, AS and A level:
2024 to 2025 academic year
15.3 million GCSE
component-level
entries
2021 2022 2023
2024 2025
0
5
10
15
decreased by 0.1% from the previous
academic year
Percentage of GCSE
late entries
1.5%
same as the previous academic year
(1.5%)
5.7 million GCSE
results issued
2021 2022 2023
2024 2025
0
2
4
6
similar to the previous academic year
2.6 million AS and A
level component-level
entries
2021 2022
2023 2024 2025
0
1
2
3
decreased by 0.8% from the previous
academic year
Percentage of AS and A
level late entries
1.2%
decreased from the previous
academic year (1.3%)
863,000 AS and A level
results issued
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
0
300
600
900
decreased by 1.0% from the previous
academic year
This report presents statistics on the number of entries,
late entries, and results issued for GCSE, AS and A
level qualifications for the November 2024 and June
2025 series, along with historical data going back to
2021.
1. There were 5.7 million GCSE results issued in the
2024 to 2025 academic year, this is similar to the
number of GCSE results issued in the 2023 to 2024
academic year.  
2. The number of AS and A level results issued has
decreased by 1.0%, with around 863,000 issued in
the 2024 to 2025 academic year compared to around
871,000 in the 2023 to 2024 academic year.
3. The total number of GCSE component-level entries
has decreased by 0.1% with just over 15.3 million
GCSE entries in the 2024 to 2025 academic year
compared to around 15.3 million in the 2023 to 2024
academic year.
4. The total number of AS and A level component-level
entries has decreased by 0.8% with just over 2.6
million AS and A level entries in the 2024 to 2025
academic year compared to around 2.6 million in the
2023 to 2024 academic year.
Provide your feedback
We welcome your feedback on our publications.
If you have any comments on this statistical
release, or how to improve it to meet your needs,
please complete our short survey or email our
statistics team.
Published 6 November 2025
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Entries and late entries for GCSE, AS and A level : 2024 to 2025 academic year

Guidance
Initial teacher education (ITE)
inspection framework: for
use from January 2026
Updated 10 September 2025
Applies to England
  
Menu
Home Education, training and skills Teaching and leadership
Teacher training and professional development Initial Teacher Training (ITT)
Initial teacher education (ITE) inspection: toolkit, operating guide and framework
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Introduction
The initial teacher education (ITE) inspection framework sets out
how Ofsted inspects ITE providers in England. It includes the
principles of inspection, which are set out in this document, and
the standards we use to inspect providers, which are in our ITE
inspection toolkit.  
We have also published the following core inspection materials: 
an operating guide that sets out the methodology inspectors
use to gather evidence  
an inspection information page that provides useful
information about the process for a wide audience 
Legal basis for ITE inspections
ITE inspections are carried out under the Education Act 1994
and the Education and Inspections Act 2006.
Section 18B of the Education Act 1994 gives His Majesty’s
Chief Inspector (HMCI) the power to inspect initial training of
teachers for schools and, when requested by the Secretary of
State, a duty to do so.
The Education and Inspections Act 2006 and the Education and
Inspections Act 2006 (Prescribed Education and Training etc)
Regulations 2007 set out HMCI’s duty to inspect publicly funded
training of further education and skills teachers, lecturers and
trainers when requested by the Secretary of State.
For use on inspections from January 2026.!ContentsIntroduction
Principles of
inspection
The evaluation scale
used for inspection
The evaluation areas
graded on inspection
Early years initial teacher training (ITT) inspections are covered
under paragraph 9(1) of Schedule 13 (Interaction with other
authorities) to the Education and Inspections Act 2006. This
states that ‘The Chief Inspector may make arrangements with a
public authority for the carrying out by him (a) in England or
Wales, or (b) in Northern Ireland, of inspections of any institution
or matter which he is not required or authorised to carry out by
virtue of any other enactment.’
Why we inspect ITE providers
In ITE inspections, we focus on providers and how all the
individuals within them work together to make sure trainees
receive the highest possible quality of ITE. We do not inspect
the specific individuals that work in the providers.
The purpose of ITE inspections
Inspections provide an independent external evaluation of an
ITE provider’s effectiveness and, where appropriate,
recommend what it should do to improve.
Inspectors gather a range of evidence, which they evaluate
against the framework. They take full account of our policies and
relevant legislation in areas such as safeguarding, equality and
diversity.
Our inspections of ITE:
provide trainees and prospective trainees with an expert,
independent assessment of how well an ITE provider is
performing and the quality of its ITE and training
inform the public, the Secretary of State for Education, and
Parliament about the work of ITE providers and whether they
are providing an acceptable standard of teacher training; this
provides assurance that minimum standards are being met,
provides confidence that public money is being used well, and
indicates where improvements are needed
encourage individual ITE providers to improve, and raise
standards across the education system as a whole
Principles of inspection
Inspections of ITE providers offer important information to
potential trainees, current trainees, employers and other
stakeholders about the quality of ITE. These groups should be
able to make informed choices about different providers based
on the information published in our inspection report cards.
The framework sets out the grades that apply to all phases
of ITE and to the training programmes of individual providers.
Inspectors use consistent standards for reaching those grades,
which are based on statutory and non-statutory guidance and
research. They gather evidence in similar ways across different
phases, although there may be some variation, for example
depending on the type of provision. Inspectors comply with
relevant guidance and codes of conduct, such as the Powers of
entry: code of practice.
We use evidence-led insights and inspector training to ensure
that our process for determining grades is as valid and reliable
as possible. Our inspections and grading process focus on 2
things: key strengths, from which other providers can learn
intelligently, and priorities for improvement. They act as a trigger
for others to take action.
Raising standards and improving lives
for all
Ofsted exists to raise standards and improve lives for all. We
put trainees and the pupils and learners they teach at the heart of
what we do, especially those who face barriers to their learning
and/or well-being. This is our mission.
The Equality Act 2010
The ITE inspection framework is intended to encourage
improvement in the education and training provided to all trainee
teachers in England.
The ITE inspection framework and standards make it clear that
the expectation is that all trainee teachers will receive high-
quality, ambitious education and training.
Inspectors assess the extent to which the provider complies with
the relevant legal duties as set out in the Human Rights Act 1998
and the Equality Act 2010, including, where relevant, the Public
Sector Equality Duty.
Conduct during Ofsted inspections
Ofsted’s code of conduct sets out our expectations for the
conduct of both our inspectors and providers during inspection.
Inspectors uphold the highest professional standards in their
work. They act with professionalism, courtesy, empathy and
respect.
Providers should approach their inspection with integrity and be
open, transparent and honest. This includes providing evidence
– or access to evidence – that enables inspectors to report
honestly, fairly and reliably. It means not withholding or
concealing evidence or providing false, misleading, inaccurate
or incomplete information.
The evaluation scale used for
inspection
We use a 5-point scale to grade different areas of a provider’s
work. From November 2025 we no longer provide an overall
effectiveness grade for any provider.
The evaluation scale for each evaluation area is: 
Exceptional (highest quality provision) – an
evaluation area can be graded ‘exceptional’ when all the
strong standards have been met and it meets all the
additional standards in the ‘exceptional’ section of the
toolkit.
Strong standard – an evaluation area can be graded
‘strong standard’ when all the expected standards and all
the strong standards have been met.
Expected standard – an evaluation area can be graded
‘expected standard’ when all of the standards are met –
this includes meeting the legal requirements and the
expectations set out in statutory guidance, as well as the
professional standards required of the particular type of
provision, where these apply.
Needs attention – an evaluation area can be graded
‘needs attention’ when the ‘expected standard’ has not
been met because some aspects of provision are
inconsistent, limited in scope or impact and/or not fully
meeting the legal requirements
Urgent improvement (lowest quality provision) – an
evaluation area can be graded ‘urgent improvement’
when it needs urgent action to provide a suitable
standard of education for trainees.
The evaluation areas graded on
inspection
The evaluation areas represent the components of great
education provision. Evaluating these areas enables:
nuanced reporting for stakeholders on the different aspects of
provision
clarity for providers on particular strengths and recommended
areas for improvement
For information about how inspectors grade evaluation areas,
please refer to the operating guide for ITE inspections.
The evaluation areas for ITE providers we inspect are:
inclusion
curriculum, teaching and training
achievement
professional behaviours, personal development and well-
being
leadership (and compliance, including safeguarding)
The toolkit for ITE inspections provides the grading standards
and/or indicators for each evaluation area.
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Initial teacher education inspection toolkit : Updated 9 September 2025

Government response to the independent review : Delivering the Best for Girls in Custody : November 2025

Main findings : further education and skills inspections and outcomes as at 31 August 2025

Accredited official statistics
Background information for
vocational and other
qualifications quarterly: July
to September 2025
Published 20 November 2025
Applies to England
  
Menu
Home Education, training and skills Further and higher education, skills and vocational training
Further and higher education courses and qualifications
Vocational and other qualifications quarterly: July to September 2025
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Provide your feedback
We welcome your feedback on our publications. If you
have any comments on this statistical release, or how to
improve it to meet your needs, please complete our short
survey or data.analytics@ofqual.gov.uk.
Purpose
This release presents information on the number of certificates
issued for regulated vocational and other qualifications from July
to September (quarter 3 2025) in England.
Geographical coverage
The data covers regulated qualifications in England.
Description
Ofqual regulates qualifications and assessments in England.
This release includes data on vocational and other qualifications
awarded in England.
This release does not include GCSEs, AS and A levels,
Advanced Extension Awards, Extended Project Qualifications
(EPQ), apprenticeship end-point assessments (EPAs), and T
Level Technical Qualifications. The number of certificates
issued for GCSEs, AS and A levels, advanced extension
Contents
Provide your feedback
Purpose
Geographical
coverage
Description
Qualification level
Sector subject area
Qualification type
Awarding
organisations
Context
Data source
Limitations
Quality assurance
Published data
Revisions
Confidentiality and
rounding
Status
Related publications
Useful links
awards, and Extended Project Qualifications (EPQ) can be
found on the website of the Joint Council for Qualifications
(JCQ). Reporting arrangements for EPAs and T Levels are
different. The awarding organisations that conduct EPAs do not
issue certificates. Instead, certificates are requested from the
Department for Education on behalf of apprentices, and are
issued under Section A3 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children
and Learning Act 2009. Statistics on apprenticeships are
published by the Department for Education. Ofqual regulates the
Technical Qualification included in the T Level. There is not a
certificate for the Technical Qualification itself. T Level
certificates are issued by the Department for Education and are
therefore not included in this report. For overall T Level
outcomes, please see the T Level results published by the
Department for Education.
Data tables accompanying this release show the number of
certificates issued broken down by awarding organisation,
sector subject area, qualification type, and level of qualification.
Some tables also show the number of qualifications with
certificates issued to contextualise changes in certificate
numbers.
Comparisons in this release are mainly made with data from the
same quarter of the previous year and the 12-month period up to
the end of the same quarter of the previous year.
Qualification level
Regulated qualifications are assigned a level from entry level
through to level 8 broadly indicating the relative level of demand
of the qualification. Levels are assigned on Ofqual’s Register by
the awarding organisation with reference to Ofqual’s published
level descriptors.
Sector subject area
Sector subject area is a classification of qualifications into
business sectors or subject areas maintained by Ofqual. There
are 15 sector subject areas, which each include several second-
tier sector subject areas. Sector subject areas are assigned on
Ofqual’s Register by the awarding organisation with reference to
Ofqual’s published list of sector subject areas.
Qualification type
Regulated qualifications are classified into different qualification
types.
Qualification types are classified into 3 broad categories:
1) General.
2) Life and personal skills.
3) Vocational, technical and professional.
Some qualification types are ‘regulatory types’ which means they
are subject to the General Conditions of Recognition as well as
specific additional regulatory requirements or other restrictions
(such as subject or qualification level conditions). Other
qualification types are subject only to the General Conditions of
Recognition. Qualification type category is selected by the
awarding organisation for the purposes of transparency on
Ofqual’s Register.
Qualification types provide information which complements that
provided by the sector subject area classification. Qualification
type can give an indication of a number of features, such as the
nature of the qualification, the type of assessment, the
qualification level and guided learning hours.
Table 1 gives a further breakdown of the structure of
qualification types. As noted above, not all qualification types
listed here are reported in this release.
Table 1:
Broad
qualification
type
Specific
qualification
type
Status Reported
in this
release
General Advanced
extension award
Regulatory
type
No
General GCE A level Regulatory
type
No
General GCE AS level Regulatory
type
No
General GCSE (9 to 1) Regulatory
type
No
General Project Regulatory
type
No
General Other general
qualification
Other
qualification
type
Yes
Life and
personal skills
English for
Speakers of Other
Languages
Regulatory
type
Yes
Life and
personal skills
Functional Skills Regulatory
type
Yes
Life and
personal skills
Digital Functional
Skills
qualifications
Regulatory
type
Yes
Life and
personal skills
Essential digital
skills
Regulatory
type
Yes
Life and
personal skills
Other life skills Other
qualification
type
Yes
Life and
personal skills
Key skills Retired
type
Yes
Life and
personal skills
Basic skills Retired
type
Yes
Vocational,
technical and
professional
Technical
Qualification
Regulatory
type
No
Vocational,
technical and
professional
End-point
assessment
Regulatory
type
No
Vocational,
technical and
professional
Occupational
qualification
Other
qualification
type
Yes
Vocational,
technical and
professional
Vocationally-
related
qualification
Other
qualification
type
Yes
Vocational,
technical and
professional
Performing arts
graded
examinations
Other
qualification
type
Yes
Vocational,
technical and
professional
Other vocational
qualification
Other
qualification
type
Yes
Vocational,
technical and
professional
National
Vocational
Qualification
Retired
type
Yes
Vocational,
technical and
Technical
Occupation
Regulatory
type
Yes
professional Qualifications
Vocational,
technical and
professional
Alternative
Academic
Qualifications
Regulatory
type
Yes
Vocational,
technical and
professional
Apprenticeship
Assessment
Qualification
Regulatory
type
No
Ofqual revised the list of qualification types in consultation with
awarding organisations in 2018. Qualification types listed as
‘retired type’ in Table 1 may still be reported on, where awarding
organisations have not yet finished migrating their qualification
types. Further detail on the changes to qualification types can be
found in the background notes for vocational and other
qualifications quarterly: July to September 2022.
New Technical Occupation Qualifications (TOQs) and Alternative
Academic Qualifications (AAQs) were introduced for first
teaching in August 2025. Technical Occupation Qualifications
are sometimes known as reformed Technical Qualifications.
This is an overarching term for two different qualification types:
Technical Occupational Entry and Technical Specialist. The term
“reformed Technical Qualification” does not include Technical
Qualifications (TQs) that sit within the T Level programme.
Awarding organisations
Awarding organisations refer to organisations recognised by
Ofqual to develop, deliver and award qualifications. Awarding
organisations are assigned unique Ofqual recognition numbers.
Awarding organisations may sometimes change the legal entity
which they are recognised under, for example as a result of a
merger with another organisation. This results in a new Ofqual
recognition number. In this report, figures are grouped by the
awarding organisation’s name as stated on Ofqual’s Register,
rather than their recognition number, therefore where an
organisation’s legal entity has changed but their name on the
Register remains the same, they are reported as one awarding
organisation. Figures reported by recognition number are
available from the statistical dataset published each quarter.
Context
From the 2022 to 2023 academic year onwards, exams and
other formal assessments returned to pre-pandemic
arrangements following the disruption due to the coronavirus
(COVID-19) pandemic. In the 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021
academic years, alternative arrangements were put in place.
Further details on these arrangements are available in previous
reports.
Changes in the number of qualifications being offered is not the
only reason for changes in certificate numbers. Certification and
qualification figures can be impacted by a number of external
factors, including changes to the Department for Education’s
performance table qualification lists or the academic cycle. For
example, we expect a peak in the total number of certificates in
quarter 3 each year following level 1/2 and level 3 results days.
One student may receive multiple certificates. Trends in the
number of certificates issued over time may reflect changes in
the number of students taking those qualifications, but this is not
the only potential explanation.
Data source
Information on qualifications (title, type, awarding organisation,
sector subject area and level) is taken from Ofqual’s Register of
Regulated Qualifications, which gives information on regulated
qualifications and recognised awarding organisations in England
(and Northern Ireland). Data on the number of certificates issued
is sent by awarding organisations to Ofqual. Information on
Ofqual’s Register is self-reported by awarding organisations and
may change.
Limitations
There is potential for error in the information provided by
awarding organisations. Ofqual compares the data over time and
checks for systematic issues, giving awarding organisations the
opportunity to double-check the numbers provided. The figures
reported in this release reflect the certificates issued by
awarding organisations at the time of data collection.
Quality assurance
Quality assurance procedures are carried out as explained in the
Quality Framework for Statistical Publications published by
Ofqual to ensure the accuracy of the data and to challenge or
question it, where necessary. Publication may be deferred if the
statistics are not considered fit for purpose.
Published data
The dataset used to produce this release is available separately,
and can be explored visually in our interactive visualisation for
Vocational and other qualifications over time.
Revisions
Once published, the statistical release is not usually revised. If
data was revised after publication, for example to insert late data
or to correct an error, the revision will be included in subsequent
releases. Subsequent releases may also reflect where
qualifications were re-categorised to a different type, level,
sector subject area or awarding organisation.
Confidentiality and rounding
To ensure confidentiality of the published accompanying data,
figures have been rounded to the nearest 5. If the value is less
than 5, it is represented as “fewer than 5” and 0 represents zero
certificates.
Where individual rounded values have been presented in a table
along with their sum total, this total may be slightly different to the
sum of the individual rounded values. This is because the total
has been calculated using the original unrounded values.
We also use unrounded values to derive percentages.
Percentages are then rounded to one decimal place. Due to this
rounding, percentages may not always add to up exactly 100%.
For more information, see our Rounding policy for statistical
publications.
Status
These statistics are classified as accredited official
statistics (referred to as National Statistics in the Statistics and
Registration Service Act 2007).
These accredited official statistics have been independently
reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). They
comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in
the Code of Practice for Statistics.
You are welcome to contact us directly at
data.analytics@ofqual.gov.uk with any comments about how we
meet these standards. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by
emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.
Related publications
Vocational and other qualifications over time: this interactive
visualisation allows you to explore the number of certificates
issued in England for vocational and other qualifications
regulated by Ofqual from 1 January 2012 onwards.
Vocational qualifications dataset: certificates issued for
vocational and other qualifications (excluding GCSEs, AS and A
levels, Advanced Extension Awards, apprenticeship end-point
assessments, Extended Project Qualifications and T Level
Technical Qualifications). The data that is underlying this
release.
Annual qualifications market report: the annual qualifications
market report is published by Ofqual. It presents data on the
number of qualifications available for award by Ofqual-
recognised awarding organisations and certificates awarded for
these qualifications.
Further education and skills: the quarterly Statistical First
Release, published by the Department for Education, reports
statistics about learner participation, outcomes and highest
qualification held in the further education and skills sector.
A level and other 16 to 18 results: statistics published by the
Department for Education covering A level and other results for
16- to 18-year-olds.
The Education and Skills Funding Agency’s Individualised
Learner Record data and the Department for Education’s
National Pupil Database (NPD) provide data on graded
qualifications and data broken down by region. The latter also
provides data on progression between award, certificate and
diploma, and number of registrations.
For any related publications for qualifications offered in Wales,
Northern Ireland and Scotland please contact the respective
regulators – Qualifications Wales, CCEA Regulator and the
Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).
Useful links
You can find additional information related to this release in the:
Report and data tables accompanying this release
Definitions of important terms used in this release
Policies and procedures that Ofqual follows for production of
statistical releases
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