​The Department has confirmed two further measures to "support the government's ongoing review of qualifications at level 3 and below":

• removing funding for 163 pre-existing qualifications in the 16 to 18 performance tables from August 2020
• introducing a moratorium on approving any new qualifications at level 3 and below for funding, for students aged 16 and above, which will take effect from September 2020. 

The DfE has published a list of pre-existing qualifications in the 16 to 18 performance tables that they will stop funding from 1 August 2020, as part of their review of post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below in England. The Department will continue to fund students who have already started on these qualifications before 1 August 2020.

The list covers 163 Tech Levels and Applied General 'legacy' qualifications at level 3 that last appeared in the 16 to 18 performance tables for 2016 or 2017. The reformed versions of the qualifications will continue to be funded by the Department for Education.

The list sets out which funding streams will be affected, and how the pre-existing qualifications map to redeveloped qualifications. You can access the full list of qualifications affected here. 

The Department has also confirmed their intention to introduce a moratorium on approving any new qualifications at level 3 and below for funding, for students aged 16 and above, which will take effect from September 2020.

Review of post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below in England

The DfE has said the response to its first consultation will be published alongside the launch of the second consultation later this year, which will set out more detailed proposals for change, including the criteria that will be used to determine whether a qualification will be approved for public funding. 

First published 25 July 2019