T Levels T Levels updates
T Level January 2022 Update
Welcome to your January E-Bulletin. We hope that you had an enjoyable break and that you and your families are safe and well.
The next Digital Q&A Network Event will be held on Wednesday January 26th and you can book on to it via the training from Pearson webpage.
We’d love to hear about your experience of delivering the Digital T Levels at our events. If you’d like to share your experiences of delivering and setting up T Levels, email Atif Khan to arrange.
Thank you to all who attended our last Construction Q&A Network Event on 30th November, with excellent contributions, questions and sharing of good practice. We encourage Providers delivering, or planning to deliver, to book a place at the next event, which will be held on 25th January.
Thank you also to Providers who recently gave feedback to specification updates from September 2022. We are holding an employer validation panel this month to sign off specification changes, assessment scenarios and Occupational Specialist ADSAMS (the latter will be available next month, as soon as validation has happened).
We are pleased to share the approved specifications for the T Levels Technical Qualifications in Accounting and in Finance. They are available on our T Level website on the Technical Qualification page.
Specimen Assessment Materials (SAMs) will follow shortly, plus an additional set of SAMs and Guide Exemplification for the Occupational Specialisms will be available later in the year. Training videos, delivery events, and teaching and learning materials to support you with these new qualifications are currently being created, these will be released over the next few months.
We are pleased to announce that Pearson has been awarded the contract for the T Level Technical Qualification in Legal Services. This is the final Technical Qualification in the Legal, Finance and
Accounting Route – meaning that Pearson will deliver all three Technical Qualifications across the route, which we are really excited about. Teaching of these Technical Qualifications will commence in September 2023. We have already started the development of both qualifications and will keep you updated via these comms.
One of the key parts of our development process is our Provider Validation Panel (PVP) – this is where we ask you to take part in the development and work with us to make sure the Technical Qualification is right for your students and manageable for you to deliver. We are seeking Expressions of Interest from Providers who would like to join our PVP.
To become a member, you must:
- be intending on delivering Legal Services in September 2023.
- be experienced in delivering Legal or Law qualifications/units.
- be able to attend PVP meetings (these will be remote, via teams or zoom) to discuss content, assessment, manageability, resources etc.
Let us know if you want to join the PVP
We are finalising our events for this academic year. More information will be released during this term.
Spring Term Q&A Network Sessions
These half-termly Q&A sessions with the Sector Manager and Subject Advisor will give you the opportunity to ask questions, discuss with other tutors your experience with delivering the T Level, and share good practice. Details and weblinks to register onto our networking events are below.
Construction
Digital
These are a selection of pre-recorded information briefings to help you get to know the Technical Qualification specification.
Generic Introduction: This includes where to locate the specification, a high-level overview of the contents, and key areas to pay attention to.
Core: This gives a high-level overview of the Core Component and its assessments, how to read the specification, the high-level content of the exams, and how the tasks for the ESP are structured.
Occupational Specialist Component: This gives a high-level overview of the Occupational Specialist Component and assessment, how to read the specification, and how the tasks for the OS project are structured.
Pre-recorded sessions can be found below:
- T Level in Accounting and Finance: Getting to Know the Specification (introduction)
- T Level in Accounting: Getting to Know the Specification (Core content)
- T Level in Accounting: Getting to Know the Specification (Occupational Specialism)
- T Level in Finance: Getting to Know the Specification (Core content)
These sessions are aimed at UK based teachers, lecturers or trainers who are new to delivering the T Level qualifications or those who would like to refresh themselves.
There is an expectation that delegates will have watched the on-demand sessions titled ‘Getting to know the specification’ prior to attending this event as an overview of the structure of the specification will not be covered here.
This live session provides you with an opportunity to interact with the presenter and take you through:
- Planning your programme
- Reviewing elements of the core content and practical ways in which this can be delivered
- Signposting the ongoing support available to you
Construction
Getting Ready to Teach the T Level in Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction (Core Content)
Getting Ready to Teach the T Level in Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction (Occupational Specialism)
Digital
Getting Ready to Teach the T Level in Digital Production, Design and Development (Core Content)
Getting Ready to Teach the T Level in Digital Production, Design and Development (Occupational Specialism)
Accounting and Finance
Getting Ready to Teach the T Levels in Accounting and Finance (Core Content)
Getting Ready to Teach the T Level in Accounting (Occupational Specialism)
Getting Ready to Teach the T Level in Finance (Occupational Specialism)
For the T Level Technical Qualifications in Accounting and in Finance, we are following a similar model as Construction and Digital, whereby we provide introductory PowerPoints, topic plans, and links to industry resources for specific elements of the Core content. This is supplemented with case studies that further contextualise the content and will support teaching and learning of the technical qualification using real-life scenarios.
Draft materials are due to be made available to Providers from early 2022.
The Key Dates Schedules for Construction and Digital covering 2021-2023 are available on the Specification page of the Technical Qualification, under useful documents. Please note, some of the dates will be provisional at the time of publication.
Providers are still able to make student registrations onto the Construction and Digital Technical Qualifications for cohorts commencing 2021/22 academic year.
The window for late registrations closed on the 23rd December, we are now in the very late registration period. A support video on how to make registrations and manage student details can be found on our Provider page.
Entries for the Occupational Specialism Assessment for the Summer 2022 Series are still open. We are now in the late entry period, 06 October 2021 – 06 February 2022, therefore late entry fees will apply. Please remember, you must make an entry for every student wishing to enter the assessment.
Providers need to ensure that they make entries for all students with an active 2020/2021 registration and remove any student(s) that have withdrawn from the qualification.
Entries for the Core Component for the summer 2022 series are now open. The standard entry window for the Core Component closes on 21 February 2022. A support video on how to make entries is available via the Engagement Hub.
Please remember, you must make an entry for every student wishing to enter the assessment. Students entering for their initial attempt must attempt both Core Exams and the Employer Set Project.
Providers wishing to make entries for re-sits please ensure you are familiar with the re-sit rules. These can be found in the TQ Specification, or use our support video on ‘assessment, results, and re-sits which can be found on the Provider page.
We’ve updated our fees lists to clarify the dates for entries and entry amendments. The updated fees lists can be found on the provider administration section of the webpages:
For those who commenced delivery September 2021 do not forget to take advantage of the support available to you, tutors, and Exams Officers.
- Introduce T Levels to your team with this short webcast
- Training events and Q&A Networks noted above.
- The Course Materials tab for each TQ has teaching, learning and assessment materials; plus, administration materials.
- The Engagement Hub on the Provider page has our training archive, plus several short support videos on administration processes for T Levels including: Assessment, results and resits, How to make a registration, How to make an entry, and How to manage learner details.
Each term you will receive a monitoring call from a Pearson T Level Quality Reviewer (TQR) to discuss your delivery administration and quality assurance. This call is to make sure you maintain ongoing compliance with our quality assurance measures to keep your approval status for the delivery of the Technical Qualification.
The TQR will check the quality of delivery, confirm implementation of guide/grade exemplification materials, confirm you are on track for assessment and are accessing our Provider Support.
We will monitor the following activity that could affect approval status:
- Registration patterns
- Student outcomes
- Quality issues identified by our TQR
- Reports of maladministration or malpractice
Please note the TQR is not a technical subject expert, as such they will not be able to answer questions on specification content or curriculum delivery. For this, please either take advantage of the ½ termly Q&A Networks (see above) or contact the Subject Advisor direct, their details are on the relevant TQ webpage.
For Providers commencing delivery in September 2022 the approval window will not open until 28th February 2022. You must gain approval for each Technical Qualification you wish to deliver.
To support you, a short Provider Approval video can be found in our Engagement Hub. Please watch this first before starting your application process.
All the supporting documents and approval forms can be found in the Course Materials tab, this includes.
- A Guide to Provider Approval
- Guidance Document Pearson Vocational Provider Approval Application for T Level Technical Qualifications
- Pearson T Level Technical Qualification Delivery Approval Application Form
- Pearson Vocational Provider Approval Application for T Level Technical Qualifications
If you have any questions about Provider Approval, please contact us via the service portal.
Some of you have asked about information to include in your college prospectus and at recruitment fairs.
Our Student webpage has several resources designed to support you when recruiting students, this includes:
- Student Journey: showing your students what their two-year T Level journey could look like. Our Student Journey’s for Accounting and Finance are now available:
- Qualification Descriptions: a high-level look at the qualification, the skills taught and progression opportunities – perfect to include in your college prospectus.
- Student case studies: live examples of T Level students.
You will be aware the DfE announced in November that they are removing the Level 2 English and maths requirement to achieve a T Level. They stated that:
We want to make sure that as many young people as possible have access to T Levels and can successfully complete the programme. T Level providers and others from across the sector have been telling us for some time that the English and maths exit requirement is a real barrier for students in taking up T Levels. We have therefore decided to remove the exit requirement with immediate effect for all T Level students - those who have already begun their courses and those who have yet to begin.
Maths and English study will remain of central importance to T Levels and the exit requirement will be replaced with the condition of funding, bringing T Levels into line with other level 3 post-16 programmes. Attainment in these subjects will also continue to be referenced on T Level certificates and statements of achievement.
For post, students who did not achieve English and/or maths GCSE grade 4 at Key Stage 4 are required to continue studying as per the condition of funding. Plus, many of you have told us English and maths are a fundamental to your student’s success in T Levels. Also, each T Level has English, maths and digital skills from the General Competency Framework embedded within the content.
GCSE (9-1) Mathmatics
Pearson provides specific specification and qualification support for your post 16 re-sits. Our package of support has been designed with you and your post 16 students in mind and includes a substantial number of support resources.
View our specification support resources
A good place to start is our Making a Start Guide which takes you through initial diagnostics, accessing the November re-sit series, the use of Examiner Reports, ResultsPlus and Exam Wizard, and support on specific topics and schemes of work.
GCSE (9-1) English Language
Pearson offer two GCSE (9-1) English Language qualifications.
For this GCSE Pearson provides specific specification and qualification support for your post 16 re-sits. Our package of support includes a substantial number of support resources, including a one-year post 16 delivery planner which you can find in the Getting Started Guide.
This new GCSE (9–1) English Language qualification has been designed to engage and motivate students through a choice of contemporary texts, relatable modern themes, and real-world writing tasks.
We are offering this GCSE as an alternative option to our current GCSE English Language (1EN0), not as a replacement.
English and maths Functional Skills qualifications
Pearson’s English and maths Functional Skills can play a vital role in supporting your students meet the Level 2 GCSE / Functional Skills T Level requirement. They offer an ideal entry route for students who have not yet attained, providing them with a solid foundation of transferable English and maths skills on which to build throughout their T Level programme.
Our English and maths Functional Skills are available from Entry 1 to Level 2. Suitable for students of all ages, they are also an accepted part of all Apprenticeship standards and frameworks in England.
Our offer includes a range of improved assessment, delivery and administration support services that enable you to tailor learning plans to target individual and cohort weaknesses. Plus, our Post 16 English and maths Sector Manager creates a huge amount of content giving you on-going advice, guidance, and support; this includes monthly blogs, podcasts, online webinar events, and resource materials.
Sign up for our post 16 English and maths monthly newsletter
The DfE have created several documents to support universities on their understanding and promotion of T Levels.
As you will know, the first wave of T Levels began in September 2020 in three subjects – Design, surveying and planning for construction; Digital production, design and development; and, Education and childcare – and the roughly 1,300 students who have undertaken the new qualifications will be coming to the end of their two-year courses this summer.
The updated list, shows that 80 HE providers across the UK have now confirmed they will accept the new qualification for entry onto at least one of their courses – representing over a quarter (28%) of the 281 provided included in HESA’s Consolidated Collections data.
The Institute are conducting a Provider, which will close on 4th February 2022.
Contact us
Do not forget, if you need to contact us about T Levels you can do so by the Pearson Support Portal. The portal is an online tool you can use to raise your query and track its progress. We will inform you once a member of the team has a reply for you.
All the best,
The Pearson T Levels Team