Post-16 education in England faces a period of unprecedented change. The Department for Education (DfE) reforms to qualifications and funding will affect the sector in each year from September 2024 onwards into 2027 and beyond.
UAL Awarding Body is preparing an exciting new suite of qualifications to cover all the creative subjects, sizes and levels centres currently enjoy. These will be available to transition to seamlessly in 2026 and 2027.
Below is some further information and guidance below regarding changes to the Level 3 qualifications which will commence teaching from September 2026.
Please note the following information applies to centres in England only.
To find out more information about the Level 3 reforms, please visit the Government website on the post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below in England.
Update June 2024:
Due to the announcement of a General Election in the UK, Department for Education have put on hold the submission deadline for Level 3 qualifications in the creative subjects. There is also a pause in any new defunding or funding announcements during this time. The election will take place on 4th July. No further information about new deadlines or the process restarting is available at this time, but we are well-prepared for a range of scenarios.
UAL Awarding Body continues to prepare a new suite of Alternative Academic Qualifications (AAQs) to meet the new funding and regulatory guidelines. We strongly encourage our stakeholders to continue to support the development of these qualifications, though letters of support and letters of demand. This ensures that should the window reopen we have safeguarded the future of our creative and performing arts qualifications.
We will contact you again once the Department for Education provides more clarity on the future of the reform, at Level 3 and below.
Our existing portfolio of qualifications remain available for delivery for the 2024/5 academic year and we foresee no significant disruption to centres or students at this time.
Alternative Academic Qualifications
Our terminology sheet which provides a glossary of terms around the Alternative Academic Qualifications (AAQs):
Key facts about our AAQs:
- They are Level 3 qualifications
- They are primarily designed to support progression to further or higher education
- This academic route is regulated by Ofqual
- They will be funded for both 16–19-year-olds and adult learners
- There will be two initial cycles of qualifications submissions to DfE – Creative Arts subjects are in cycle 2
- All current qualifications being replaced by cycle 2 qualifications at Level 3 will be de-funded from end of 2025/26 academic year
- First teaching of AAQs will commence in September 2026
- Please note the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is an “Other Academic Qualification” and is exempt from this process
- Grading will be Fail/Pass/High Pass/Merit/High Merit/Distinction*
- Assessment will be a minimum of 40% Assessment by Examination (AbE), set and marked by the Awarding Organisation; Non-exam Assessment (NEA) set by the Awarding Organisation, marked by the centre and monitored by the Awarding Organisation will be a maximum of 60%.
UAL are developing AAQ qualifications in three different sizes: small (360 GLH) and large (720 GLH and 1080 GLH).
We have 17 new AAQ qualifications well advanced in development for submission to DfE in June 2024:
Small AAQ
- Equivalent in size to 1 A Level
- Funded for 150 to 420 GLH
- Our Extended Certificates will be 360 GLH
- Can be taken in a mixed programme of study alongside two A Levels or one other AAQ and one A Level and/or an Extended Project Qualification.
Large AAQ
- Equivalent in size to 2 or 3 A Levels
- Funded for 720 to 1080 GLH
- Our Diplomas will be 720 GLH and our Extended Diplomas will be 1080 GLH
- Typically taken as a learner’s core programme of study (and can be taken alongside an Extended Project Qualification, for example)
- Learners taking large AAQs equivalent in size to three A Levels will not typically take additional qualifications
- Available in areas where there is no T Level but there is a clear need/progression to higher education.
Please find the qualification provision list below. Please note this is subject to DfE approval.
See our funding table and potential combination of units.
Timeline
- June 2024 – Submit qualifications for first teaching Aug 2026 to DfE for approval (following the recent General Election announcement, this deadline has been postponed. We will communicate any further announcements as soon as possible)
- July 2026 – All current qualifications that will be replaced by cycle 2 AAQs at Level 3 will be de-funded
- September 2026 – First teaching of AAQs
Level 2 and below Progression Qualifications
At Level 2 and below there will be three new types of qualifications
- Level 2 Academic Progression Qualifications – APQ.
- Level 1 Progression Qualification.
- Entry Level Progression Qualifications.
These qualification types reflect the requirement that these qualifications must support progression to the next stage of learning.
The inclusion of the word academic in the Level 2 qualifications reflects that these qualifications can only be developed if they support progression to an approved Level 3 Alternative Academic Qualification.
We expect to be submitting Level 2 qualifications in the same subject sector areas that we are submitting Level 3 qualifications in, Art and Design, Creative Media, Performing and Production Arts, Music Performance and Production and Fashion Communication (titles may be subject to change).
Timeline
- Summer 2025 – Submitting for approval to DFE (TBC).
- September 2027 – New qualifications will be available for first teaching.
You will be able to register learners onto existing UAL Awarding Body qualifications in their current format until at least August 2027.
Level 4 qualifications
There are no proposed changes to content/structure at Level 4. The only thing that is changing at Level 4 is the way the qualifications are funded. The ESFA are moving away from the Advanced Learner Loan system and to the new Lifelong Loan Entitlement system.
For any further information or guidance, please contact qualdev.awarding@arts.ac.uk