The Government will introduce a single qualification “the Advanced British Standard” bringing together A-levels and T-levels, the Prime Minister has said.
Rishi Sunak said students will typically study five subjects rather than three under the planned shake-up of the post-16 education system in England.
The reforms would see all pupils study some form of English and mathematics until the age of 18.
But education unions have warned that the Prime Minister’s plans – which are expected to take around a decade to deliver in full – are “pie in the sky” and “are likely to prove a pipe dream” due to teacher shortages.
Under the plans for the new baccalaureate-style qualification, 16 to 19-year-olds would take a larger number of subjects at both “major” and “minor” level, with most studying a minimum of five subjects at different levels.
The Advanced British Standard would bring together “the best” of academic A-levels and T-levels – the Government’s flagship technical qualification introduced in 2020 – into a new, single qualification.
Pupils starting primary school this term were expected to be the first cohort to take the new qualification – and once fully rolled out, the Advanced British Standard would replace A-levels and T-levels, No 10 said.
Mr Sunak told the Conservative Party conference: “We will introduce the new rigorous, knowledge-rich Advanced British Standard, which will bring together A-levels and T-levels into a new single qualification for our school leavers.”
