At Get Further our mission is to support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in Further Education to achieve gateway English and maths qualifications that unlock further opportunities in work, education, and life.
We therefore welcome the recommendations in the Curriculum and Assessment Review Final Report, published today, which are underpinned by the ambition to close attainment gaps between young people from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds and those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and their peers.
We are particularly pleased to see the report’s recommendations pertaining to post-16 English and maths, several of which echo the recommendations Get Further submitted to the Curriculum and Assessment Review panel. We believe these will effectively support ongoing efforts to further close the disadvantage attainment gap in post-16 education.
At present around 40% of learners progress to post-16 education without achieving level 2 in both maths and English. Around a third of those (35%) from non-disadvantaged backgrounds will achieve both qualifications by the age of 19 and only a fifth (20%) of those from disadvantaged backgrounds will do so.
While many learners in post-16 education are successfully supported to secure the qualifications they need, further action is needed to ensure all young people are able to do this, with a particular requirement to ensure the right structures are in place for those with the lowest prior attainment.
In light of this, the report’s recommendations concerning post-16 English and maths include:
- A reconfirmation of the importance of giving all young people the opportunity to continue studying English and maths beyond the age of 16 with an emphasis on GCSE as the qualification best suited to ensuring all young people can progress in employment and education.
- An emphasis on the need to support learners to master the fundamentals of both subjects, addressing residual gaps in learning so they have a firmer foundation from which to progress. This includes the recommended introduction of a one-year level 1 qualification in maths and English Language for those with the lowest prior attainment in post-16 education, designed to support progress towards a full level 2 GCSE.
- Recognition of the need to review the accountability system to ensure it provides a framework that supports colleges to deliver best practice, with a strengthened emphasis on recognising student progress.
We believe these recommendations have the potential to make a significant difference to the English and maths attainment of young people in post-16 education, and particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. So we were pleased to see these recommendations, including level 1 English and maths qualifications, referenced in the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, signaling the government’s commitment to their adoption.
We do not, however, think that delivering a level 1 qualification in modules is the best approach to support progress towards the full GCSE, and we look forward to engaging with the government’s consultation regarding its development of those qualifications.
More widely, it is heartening to see that post-16 English and maths education discussed in the context of the requirement to strengthen literacy and numeracy education throughout earlier key stages. This emphasis on mastery, with all young people supported to embed essential skills and knowledge as they progress through their time in education, should ensure that fewer young people reach post-16 education needing additional intensive support.
Overall, a little over a decade since its introduction, the post-16 maths and English condition of funding policy was due a thorough review and refresh, and it has been positive to see this taking place within a wider review of the school and post-16 curriculum. We are looking forward to engaging with the implementation of the recommendations set out in the report, and to continuing our work with post-16 providers to ensure even more young people from disadvantaged backgrounds achieve the English and maths grades they need to progress.