T Levels T Levels updates
T Levels September 2024 update
Welcome to September’s T Level Update, our first for this academic year and there’s a lot to talk about. This edition includes news on Wave 1 of the Gen 2 T Levels, actions for the new term and our usual sector updates and provider support.
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The procurement outcome for Generation 2 Wave 1 T Level contracts was announced in August. We’re pleased to say we have won the four T Levels we tendered for, meaning we retain our T Levels in Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction and Digital Production, Design and Development, and add Digital Business Services and Digital Support Services, completing the Digital route.
Gen 2 T Levels are for first teach September 2025. We will keep you updated via these updates, so please take time to read the sector updates below. See the next section for details on how you can get involved.
All T Levels have Provider and Employer panels to assist with the development and delivery.
This term, we undertake the annual content and assessment review to prepare specifications for September 2025. If you would like to contribute to Legal, Finance or Accounting, please get in touch.
The review is more significant for Generation 2 T Levels. For those already delivering the Generation 1 T Levels, it is important we hear your views and collaborate on creating a qualification that meets the needs of you and your students. The sector updates below have specific details as to how you can support.
If you or any employer would like to get involved, please contact Andrew Hambelton at tlevelsemployers@pearson.com.
We will be running our annual exams officer/administrator training on 6 November, 12:00–13:00.
This online event is for anyone involved in the administration of the Technical Qualification, from undertaking Provider approval, to making registrations and entries, through to assessment scheduling.
Explore our full range of events on our live training events page.
Providers can now make student registrations onto the Technical Qualification for cohorts starting this academic year.
The standard registration window will close on 1 November, with late registrations fees starting on 2 November. You can find admin support videos on making registrations and managing learner details on our training and admin support page.
Entries for the Core component assessments for the autumn 2024 series are now open. You must make an entry for every student wishing to enter the assessment.
Providers wishing to make entries for resits, please ensure you are familiar with the resit rules.
You can find admin support videos on making entries and assessment, results and re-sits on our training and admin support page.
Providers with entries for the autumn series can expect to start receiving question papers from Monday 18 November.
The yellow label service will be in place for this series for you to return scripts. You can expect to start receiving attendance registers and labels from Monday 18 November. Information about using the yellow label service
If you require access to electronic copies of question papers, for example if you make a very late entry or need to print onto coloured paper, they will be available to download from the BTEC and T Level assessment download page.
You will need Secure Download Service access on your Edexcel Online account to access secure material. Learn more about the Secure Download Service (SDS)
Entries for the Occupational Specialism for the summer 2025 series are now open. You must make an entry for every student wishing to enter the assessment. The entry deadline is 5 October; entries made after this date will incur a late fee.
There is still a chance to have your say in any potential areas for improvement as we redevelop the qualification for Gen 2. Thank you to those of you who have fed back so far.
Complete this short survey to share your feedback
The Gen 2 T Level in Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction will see the Hazardous Materials OS removed and the potential addition of a new OS in Construction Management for first teach in 2026. We are keen to get feedback on the design and suitability of this new specialism from you and your employers, so please forward this short survey to any interested parties.
The transition guide for centres moving from BTEC Nationals in Construction to the T Level, including mapping of BTEC National units to the core content areas, is now available to download from the course materials page.
Download the transition mapping guide
Remember, CITB offers grants to employers who take on T Level students in industry placements. Please share this with your employers and encourage them to apply.
We are excited to support you in welcoming the first cohort of students to the Craft and Design and Media, Broadcast and Production T Levels. If you haven’t already downloaded the support and guidance released so far, be sure to do so now so you have them to hand. These include:
- Schemes of work for the Core
- Delivery guides for the Core
- Example delivery model
- Specimen assessments for the Core and Occupational Specialisms
You can download all of these from each qualification’s course materials page.
Access course materials for Craft and Design
Access course materials for Media, Broadcast and Production
We are busy working on recorded training, schemes of work and delivery guides for the Occupational Specialisms, so look out for these in the coming weeks.
You can also download the key dates schedules to help you plan and structure your programme from our training and admin support page.
We will be re-running our live Getting Ready to Teach training events this week, so be sure to book your space on our live training page.
As part of the Gen 2 development, we are running Have Your Say sessions in September where our Product Manager, David Pautsch, and Stakeholder Engagement Manager, Andrew Hambelton, will be on hand to listen to your concerns, answer your questions and use your feedback to help refresh the T Levels.
- 17 September, 3-4 p.m. | Book your place for 17 September
- 24 September, 3-4 p.m. | Book your place for 24 September
You can explore and sign up for our full range of T Level events on our live training page. Alternatively, email our Sector Manager, David Pautsch, at the email address below and we can arrange a time to speak to you.
If you are interested in joining our Digital expert panel, please email david.pautsch@pearson.com.
Our curriculum planners to support delivery planning are available on the course materials page, with separate summer and autumn versions to reflect decoupling.
Download the curriculum planners
Gatsby are continuing the rollout the Digital T Level; they have been created by industry experts like Raspberry Pi and our own examiners to support your delivery. For information, keep an eye on Gatsby's website.
We have worked with Cisco and their Networking Academy on teaching resources for Python and other programming languages used in the Occupational Specialism. It's completely free to sign up and become a Cisco Networking Academy centre.
Access the resources and find out more at the Cisco Networking Academy
In August, we emailed Providers who notified the Department for Education of their intention to run or are currently running either of these Digital T Levels.
These T Levels will be delivered by Pearson from September 20254. This will not affect your 2024 intake; those students will complete their T level with NCFE.
However, we appreciate Gen 2 may introduce some changes for 2025 and beyond, and want to involve you in creating a qualification that meets the needs of you and your students.
We are running Have Your Say sessions in September where our Product Manager, David Pautsch, and Stakeholder Engagement Manager, Andrew Hambelton, will be on hand to listen to your concerns, answer your questions and use your feedback to help refresh the T Levels.
- 17 September, 3-4 p.m. | Book your place for 17 September
- 24 September, 3-4 p.m. | Book your place for 24 September
You can explore and sign up for our full range of T Level events on our live training page. Alternatively, if you are unable to attend or want to talk informally, please email either David.Pautsch@pearson.com or Andrew.Hambelton@pearson.com and they can set-up another time that is convenient.
We have resources to support your delivery, including schemes of work for the Core and Occupational Specialism components, exemplar materials for the Employer Set Project, and a Content Overview for Core Paper 2.
Explore the resources on the course materials page
Coming soon, we have a podcast series from our examiners that will guide you through the core papers, our schemes of work and other aspects of our qualification.
The 2024 Finance specification is now available on the website for learners starting in the 2024/25 academic year.
Download the 2024 Finance specification
Curriculum planners for the Core and Occupational Specialism components will be available on the course materials page soon.
Our partner, The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), has a dedicated T Levels page to support you. If you’re interested in communicating with the CII, especially in relation to industry placements, they will be able to help you find local employers to suit work with you, please contact them via the form on their page.
Find out more about the CII support for T Levels
The 2024 Accounting specification is now available on the website, applicable to learners starting in the 2024/25 academic year.
Download the 2024 Accounting specification
Curriculum planners for the Core and Occupational Specialism components are available on the course materials page.
Download Accounting curriculum planners
We recently sent out an update regarding amendments to the guidance for Task 1A and details on the required software for the task.
Our partner, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), has a range of support for the Accounting T Level.
Save the date: ACCA Webinar with Pearson & Sage | 18 September, 2 p.m.
ACCA will be joined by representatives from Pearson and Sage to update you more fully on developments within T Levels in Accounting, including:
- Management Accounting offer - ACCA
- Computerised Accounting and Payroll Certificate – Sage
- Content and technical support of T Levels in Accounting – Pearson
- Placements support via ACCA Employers – ACCA
- Early careers workshops - ACCA
Book your place - T Levels in Accounting Webinar
Plugging the gap in Management Accounting through ACCA X
Did you know that ACCA offers free e-learning to help people on their accountancy journey?
Students can sign up for ACCA X, where they gain access to Level 2 and 3 Financial Accounting and Management Accounting resources.
In addition, ACCA are pleased to be able to offer all T Level students the opportunity to sit the Management Accounting exam (MA2) for £100 (including registration and exam fee). This will enable students to demonstrate competence in this subject and enable them to progress more confidently to a Level 4 Apprenticeship.
Employer placements
ACCA have introduced several employers to T Level Providers in the past six months and, as well as raising awareness of the opportunities that T Levels in Accounting offer, can target employers in your area to promote placements.
If you need help with placements, please reach out to ACCA. E: rob.alder@accaglobal.com
Early careers workshops
ACCA is developing brand-new 1-hour workshops that can be used to help students understand what is involved in a career in accountancy.
They are looking to pilot these with T Level Providers before the end of the year. Please contact them if you are interested in offering these to your students. E: rob.alder@accaglobal.com
We have published the draft qualification description on our website.
Download the draft qualification description
Development work on the T Level Technical Qualification in Marketing will continue over the summer; we will submit the final version to IfATE and Ofqual in September for approval. Gaining approval will take several weeks, and we hope to inform you of the outcome in our October 2024 update.
We are holding an online Q&A session and walkthrough of the Marketing T Level on 17 September at 4 p.m.
For those of you that deliver the T Level Foundation Year, or are planning on doing so soon, we have a wealth of information and support available on our website.
Explore our T Level Foundation Year support
Pearson have several qualification suites funded for 16–19-year-olds that meet the requirements for the T Level Foundation Year, giving you confidence your students can gain the skills, experience, knowledge and behaviours needed for progression whilst gaining a recognised qualification that is regulated by Ofqual.
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English and maths
Including GCSE and Functional Skills
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Work preparation and employability
Including Level 2 WorkSkills, Digital Functional Skills, and Essential Digital Skills
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Level 2 WorkSkills qualification
Specific teaching resource to support the delivery of the T Level Foundation Year
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Technical skills
Includes our high-level mapping showing which BTEC qualification best supports the development of technical skills in the T Level Foundation Year
- Explore our full range of post-16 Level 2 vocational qualifications
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Pastoral support and personal development
Including our Personal Growth and Wellbeing suite
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Level 2 Personal Growth and Wellbeing qualification
Specific teaching resource to support the delivery of the T Level Foundation Year.
Our training and admin support page gathers everything you need to support your T Level delivery, from training and events to videos and documents to assist in administrating the qualifications.
- On-demand training such as Getting to Know the Specification, Employer Set Project training, Keeping it Simple materials, and our termly policy update.
- T Level live training where you can search for events and book Q&A networks, Getting Ready to Teach events, Getting Ready to Assess events.
- Our training archive collects recordings of past events if you are unable to attend any of our live training sessions or want to listen again.
- Administration documents and support, including key dates schedules, Provider approval guidance, administration support guides for assessment, videos to support making registrations and entries, understanding resit rules, and much more.
If you need specific support with your T Level, our subject advisors are here to help. You can book a 15-minute one-to-one call where you can discuss any issue you are having with regards to planning or delivery of your T Level.