{"id":243018,"date":"2026-03-10T00:01:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T00:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/?p=243018"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:28:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:28:16","slug":"btecs-defunding-delayed-and-first-v-level-subjects-revealed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/btecs-defunding-delayed-and-first-v-level-subjects-revealed\/","title":{"rendered":"BTECs defunding delayed and first V-level subjects revealed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Popular BTECs and other applied general qualifications have been granted another funding extension as part of a \u201csustainable\u201d transition to new V-levels, the government has announced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ministers have agreed to extend funding for all level 3 diplomas and extended diplomas into 2026-27, giving colleges and sixth forms a significant reprieve with just six months to go before the start of the new academic year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defunding will now begin from autumn 2027, instead of this year, in finance, digital, education and early years \u2013 the subject areas chosen for the first V-levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further defunding will follow in 2028 in business and administration, care services, construction and the built environment, engineering and manufacturing, health and science, legal, sales, marketing and procurement, and sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means popular courses like the BTEC extended diploma in health and social care will continue to be funded for another two years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A transition document is due to be published today to clearly set out the arrangements to the new qualifications system, including the new defunding timeline for specific courses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until now, the Department for Education\u2019s position has been that \u201cfunding for all qualifications [with] 720 guided learning hours (GLH) and over in T-level areas will be removed in 2026 and 2027\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This timeline had prompted warnings from the sector that tens of thousands of students would face a qualification gap from September 2026.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘Phased, sustainable approach’<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A DfE spokesperson described today\u2019s decision as a \u201cphased, sustainable approach for providers to transition to the reformed system\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Writing for Schools Week\u2019s<\/em> sister newspaper FE Week<\/em><\/a>, skills minister Jacqui Smith said: \u201cYou told us that the transition arrangements we originally proposed were too aggressive, putting providers\u2019 ability to prepare for the reforms to come at risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Baroness
Baroness Smith<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI appreciate that and so, to give providers space and certainty, we are setting out that large qualifications the size of three A-levels or bigger in T-level areas will have funding approval removed from 2027 instead of 2026, apart from health and social care qualifications which will follow in in 2028.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSmaller legacy qualifications will retain funding approval until the relevant T Level and V Level is available in that subject area from 2027.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

V Levels will launch in three subjects and begin teaching in colleges from September 2027, the DfE also confirmed this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ministers have also decided to design V-levels to the same qualification size as one A-level \u2013 360 guided learning hours \u2013 so that students can choose to take a \u201cmix and match\u201d selection of vocational and academic qualifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ahead of its full response to a public consultation on reforming the post-16 qualification landscape, the DfE has revealed that V-levels will be taught in digital, education and early years, and finance and accounting from September 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further V-levels will follow in 2028 in eight subjects including business, health, care, and construction, with four more subjects coming in 2029 before completing the rollout in 2030.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The government is also due to launch a consultation on a new qualification for students with lower attainment in English and maths as a stepping stone to resitting their GCSEs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Defunding will now begin from autumn 2027, instead of this year, in finance, digital, education and early years \u2013 the subject areas chosen for the first V-levels<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":70,"featured_media":243019,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[73],"post-theme":[2345],"class_list":["post-243018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-a-level","post-theme-assessment"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t