Digital Education Resource Archive

GuidanceReducing fraud in the educationsectorInformation to help schools, colleges and independenttraining providers manage the risk of fraud.From:Department for EducationPublished30 June 2025Applies to EnglandIntroductionThis guide will help schools, colleges and independent training providersto:reduce the risk of fraud or financial irregularitydeal with fraud within their organisation, should it occurreport fraud, theft or irregularityGet emails about this pageMenuHome Education, training and skills School and academy financial management and assuranceAcademy and academy trust finance and reportingContentsTypes of fraud—Cybercrime and cyber security—Create a fraud risk management strategy—Create a fraud response plan—Make a report—be aware of and manage cybercrime risksTypes of fraudFraud is deception carried out to gain an unfair advantage or todisadvantage another. It may involve the:misuse of funds or other resourcessupply of false informationCommon types of fraud in the education sector include:theftfictitious and falsification of invoicescredit card and mandate fraudCybercrime and cyber securityOrganisations should be vigilant and proactive in relation to cybercrimeand have cyber security arrangements in place.Read cyber security standards for schools and colleges to understandthe standards your organisation should meet.Create a fraud risk management strategyAnnex 4.9 of the HM Treasury publication Managing Public Moneyhighlights the responsibilities and expectations of public sectororganisations in relation to fraud.An effective fraud risk management strategy involves:assessing your overall vulnerability to fraudtesting your internal control system to ensure it is robustidentifying the areas most vulnerable to fraud risk – the list of potentialfraud red flags may support this reviewevaluating the scale of fraud riskresponding to the fraud risk through improved control arrangementsmeasuring the effectiveness of the risk strategy to potential fraudreporting fraudThe most effective way to manage the risk of fraud is prevention. Youcan reduce your risk by:having a robust fraud risk management plan in placedeveloping an anti-fraud cultureCreate a fraud response planAn organisation’s response to fraud risk should be proportionate to therisks it faces. Typically, it will involve:developing a fraud policy statement, a fraud risk strategy and a fraudresponse plan – every organisation should have these documentsdeveloping and promoting an anti-fraud culture through:clearly stating a commitment to ethical behaviourpromoting awareness of fraudrecruitment screeningregular trainingmaintaining good staff moraleclarifying roles and responsibilities for the overall and specificmanagement of fraud riskestablishing cost-effective internal systems of control to prevent anddetect fraudconfirming contacts and routes for staff to report suspicions of fraud,including developing a whistleblowing policyresponding quickly and effectively to fraud when it arisesestablishing systems and processes for investigations into allegationsof fraudusing your internal audit function to advise on fraud risk, whereappropriate, and drawing on their experience to strengthen controlscontinually evaluating the effectiveness of anti-fraud measures inreducing fraudIt’s good practice to measure the effectiveness of actions taken toreduce the risk of fraud. You can obtain assurance measures from:internal auditstewardship reportingcontrol risk self-assessmentmonitoring activityMake a reportFollow the Report fraud or financial irregularity process to make a report.Published 30 June 2025Get emails about this pageContentsExplore the topicAcademy and academy trust finance and reportingFinancial management, reporting and assurances for 16 to 19 year olds fundingLocal authority schools financial reporting and assuranceHelp us improve GOV.UKTo help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about yourvisit today. Please fill in this survey (opens in a new tab).Services and informationBenefitsBirths, death, marriages and careBusiness and self-employedChildcare and parentingCitizenship and living in the UKCrime, justice and the lawDisabled peopleDriving and transportGovernment activityDepartmentsNewsGuidance and regulationResearch and statisticsPolicy papers and consultationsTransparencyHow government worksGet involvedEducation and learningEmploying peopleEnvironment and countrysideHousing and local servicesMoney and taxPassports, travel and living abroadVisas and immigrationWorking, jobs and pensionsHelp  Privacy  Cookies  Accessibility statement  Contact  Terms and conditionsRhestr o Wasanaethau Cymraeg  Government Digital Service All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except where otherwise stated© Crown copyright

Guidance : Reducing fraud in the education sector

Albone, Juliette

Rennie, Connie

O'Donovan, Rachael

National Careers Service Customer Perception : Year 14 Annual Report, August 2025

Children’s social care questionnaires 2025

GuidanceApply for funding forschool admission appealcostsHow academies can apply for funding tohelp pay for costs they have incurredhearing school admission appealsbetween September 2024 and October2025.From:Department for EducationPublished10 July 2025Applies to EnglandIf your academy has heard more than 20 schoolGet emails about this pageMenuHome Education, training and skills Running and managing a school School admissionsContentsWho can apply—When to apply—How to apply—admission appeals between 1 September 2024 and31 October 2025, you can claim £180 for eachadditional admission appeal heard.You can no longer claim funding for appeals heardbefore 1 September 2024.The Department for Education is removing this fundingduring the 2025 to 2026 financial year. You will not beable to apply for funding to cover the cost of appealsheard after 31 October 2025.Who can applyA single academy trust, or an academy which is part ofa multi academy trust, can apply for funding.Your application must relate to school admissionappeals heard for an individual academy. Multi-academy trusts cannot claim the funding on behalf of agroup of schools.The school must have held academy status when theappeal hearings were held.When to applyWe must get your application no later than 7 January2026. We will not accept applications after this date.You can apply as soon as you have the necessaryevidence to substantiate the application.We encourage you to apply as early as you can.How to applyTo apply for funding, send an application email andattached invoice toclaims.admissionsappeals@education.gov.uk. Weneed these to process your claim.Application emailYour email must state:the total number of school admission appeals heardbetween 1 September 2024 and 31 October 2025the number of appeals which you are claimingfunding for – you cannot claim for the first 20appeals heardthat the claim is true and fair, and you have kept allevidence for audit purposesThe trust’s Accounting Officer must sign the letter.Application invoiceAttach an invoice with your official letterhead to youremail, in PDF format. Make this payable to the trust.The invoice must confirm:that the amount you are claiming for each appeal is£180the total number of admission appeal hearings forwhich the academy wants to make a claimthe total amount being claimedthat VAT is not includedPublished 10 July 2025Get emails about this pageContentsExplore the topicSchool admissionsSchool and academy fundingHelp us improve GOV.UKTo help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know moreabout your visit today. Please fill in this survey (opensin a new tab).Services and informationBenefitsBirths, death, marriages and careBusiness and self-employedChildcare and parentingCitizenship and living in the UKCrime, justice and the lawDisabled peopleDriving and transportEducation and learningEmploying peopleGovernmentactivityDepartmentsNewsGuidance and regulationResearch and statisticsPolicy papers andconsultationsTransparencyHow government worksGet involvedEnvironment and countrysideHousing and local servicesMoney and taxPassports, travel and living abroadVisas and immigrationWorking, jobs and pensionsHelp  Privacy  Cookies  Accessibility statement  ContactTerms and conditions  Rhestr o Wasanaethau CymraegGovernment Digital ServiceAll content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except whereotherwise stated© Crown copyright

Apply for funding for school admission appeal costs

Burnett, Hannah

Lewis, Joe

Freedom of speech in universities

 FE teacher initial teacher training and development: call for evidence Government consultation Launch date 17 October 2025 Respond by 12 December 2025 2 Contents Introduction 3 Who this is for 5 Issue date 5 Enquiries 5 Additional copies 6 The response 6 About this consultation 7 Respond online 7 Other ways to respond 7 Deadline 8 Section 1- Respondent information 9 About you 9 Your evidence 11 3 Introduction In recent years, the Department for Education (DfE) has placed a renewed focus on the role that high quality training and development plays in enabling teachers to deliver the best possible outcomes for learners across the Further Education (FE) sector, at all stages of their teaching career. Effective initial training and ongoing professional development (PD) enables teachers to deliver high-quality education and to retain the currency of their teaching and their subject knowledge, including technical and vocational competence for dual professionals.   This call for evidence is part of a process to establish a more secure evidence base for professional development for those teaching in the FE sector. It focuses on initial teacher education (ITE) and early professional development phases.  ITE refers to training specifically designed to enable someone to become occupationally competent as an FE teacher, that is qualifications and apprenticeships that meet the level 5 Learning and Skills Teacher occupational standard. Qualifications include the Diploma in Teaching (FE and skills) and similar qualifications validated by universities at levels 5, 6 and 7. "Early career" refers to the transitional period that an individual takes to become a confident and competent teacher. It may include a period of ITE. This is generally considered to be the first three years of a teacher’s career but may be longer in some circumstances. We know that teachers in the FE sector may have different experiences in their early career, and not all will access an ITE programme before they take up employment. That is why it is essential that, to be effective, the initial training of FE teachers – whether delivered as a qualification, as an apprenticeship, or through more informal work-based training – provides robust knowledge content (the “what”), procedural pedagogical content (the “how”), and conditional pedagogical content (the “when”) for new teachers. Evidence from Ofsted inspections of FE ITE provision shows significant variability in the content of ITE programmes, particularly with respect to pedagogical content, where there can be an uncritical acceptance of a range of contested or outdated theories. Through this call for evidence, we want to establish a baseline of appropriate, evidence-based pedagogical content that can underpin ITE programmes and effective early career PD for FE teachers. We expect responses to be wide ranging, reflecting different approaches to preparing teachers effectively in different parts of the sector, and we encourage responses from a range of practitioners in different roles and provider types, not just those responsible for delivering ITE programmes in colleges. 4 We are using an early career focus to capture the processes by which new FE teachers acquire the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to be effective in their subject(s) and context(s). We believe that by getting this element right, we can establish a shared understanding of the foundations required for all new teachers as they start their journey into the profession – this in turn will have a positive impact on establishing new teachers’ expectations for a career-long commitment to ongoing professional development and improvement that is based on clear evidence and quality standards. We recognise that the range of subjects and specialisms delivered across FE is broad, complex and evolving. We want to test the extent to which subject-specific pedagogy has been developed for ITE and early career PD in a manageable way, so we have chosen to focus on two specific subject areas where this exercise will aim to elicit more narrowly focused evidence: • Construction • Health and Social Care Both of the above are aligned with the government’s priorities for skills development and play an important role creating opportunity for individuals and communities. To be clear, the call for evidence is not restricted to these subjects – but we are particularly keen to receive submissions which highlight how teachers of these particular subjects are being trained on the basis of evidence-informed, subject-specific pedagogy. Evidence and examples relating to other subjects, sectors and specialisms are also welcome.  This call for evidence seeks to gather appropriate, recent, relevant, and high-quality research and related knowledge to inform updates to the knowledge content that supports FE ITE programmes. The aim is to ensure that trainee teachers in FE are equipped with the most current and effective practices for teaching diverse learners in a wide range of post-16 settings.  The final question asks respondents to consider the links between early career preparation and continuing professional development. This is intended to provide us with an insight into the relationship between these phases of a teacher’s professional development. We expect that, for most providers, the evidence that is produced will confirm that their current curricula include appropriate evidence-based teaching and assessment content reflecting up to date knowledge and research. For a small number it may highlight a need to refresh their content and provide a foundation on which they can build a more effective FE ITE curriculum. The results of this call for evidence will be considered by an Expert Advisory Group (EAG) convened by the department. The assessment and recommendations of the EAG 5 will form the basis of new statutory guidance for the content and delivery of FE ITE programmes, and a useful resource for those delivering early career PD programmes. Who this is for We want to collect evidence from individuals and organisations with a range of knowledge and expertise. Because teachers enter the FE sector through a variety of routes, we expect that responses will reflect this and may include early career PD as well as ITE. Many respondents will have experience of training or supporting new and early career teachers in the FE sector. We also encourage those whose expertise lies in education, pedagogy and knowledge of research to engage. We anticipate that this will include: • Individuals and organisations delivering ITE qualifications for FE teachers  • Those delivering the Learning and Skills Teacher Apprenticeship  • Providers of PD programmes for new and early career teachers. Specifically, people that focus on the knowledge and pedagogical requirements of teachers joining the FE sector who have not undertaken an ITE programme • Organisations responsible for developing ITE qualifications for themselves and other providers to deliver (e.g. commercial Awarding Organisations) • Individuals who have a quality assurance role or responsibility within an FE provider and who have oversight of ITE and new teacher support programmes • Representative bodies who may wish to aggregate evidence from their members to provide a broader view of current practice • Academic researchers who are active in this area • Pedagogy and education experts • Research organisations such as universities, FE colleges and other sector bodies • Education charities, private organisations, and public bodies that commission and/or review education research • SEND charities, private organisations, and public bodies that commission and/or review education research Issue date The consultation was issued on 17 October 2025 Enquiries If your enquiry is related to the policy content of the consultation you can contact the team by email at FEITE@education.gov.uk If your enquiry is related to the DfE e-consultation website or the consultation process in general, you can contact the DfE Ministerial and Public Communications Division by 6 email: coordinator.consultations@education.gov.uk, telephone: 0370 000 2288 or via the DfE Contact us page. Additional copies Additional copies are available electronically and can be downloaded from GOV.UK DfE consultations. The response The results of the consultation and the department's response will be published on GOV.UK in 2026.  We will publish statutory guidance for ITE providers within a reasonable time following the end of the call for evidence, and no later than July 2026. This will give the EAG sufficient time to consider all of the relevant submissions and reach agreement on the value of the information provided; it will also allow guidance to be published with sufficient lead time for providers to consider any changes that they might need to make to their current or planned programme delivery. The statutory guidance will provide a snapshot of the evidence considered and is intended to assist ITE providers to ensure that they have a well thought through, evidence-informed curriculum. We expect that statutory guidance will be updated from time to time, to ensure that it remains current and sets out the most recent robust evidence of good practice.  7 About this consultation All evidence submitted will be considered by an Expert Advisory Group (EAG) appointed by DfE. The EAG’s remit is to assess whether the current knowledge content of teacher development programmes is relevant, robust and effective enough for it to form a part of new statutory guidance on curriculum and content for providers of FE ITE. Given the close relationship between ITE and early career PD, this process will also provide a key resource for those developing early-career support programmes for new teachers. Decisions about the final content of the published statutory guidance document will be made by Ministers who will take into consideration the advice of the expert panel. We will ask the panel to consider: • Elements of universal foundational knowledge, pedagogy and theory that can be utilised by all teachers regardless of their subject area • Aspects of the call for evidence response that are context-specific (e.g. workshop, laboratory, classroom, simulation) and may be of use to teachers teaching a different subject in a similar environment • Subject-specific theory and knowledge that relates solely to the subject under consideration – we are particularly keen to receive and assess evidence related to the teaching of construction and health and social care. Respond online To help us analyse the responses please use the online system wherever possible. Visit DfE consultations on GOV.UK to submit your response. Other ways to respond If for exceptional reasons, you are unable to use the online system, for example because you use specialist accessibility software that is not compatible with the system, you may request an alternative format of the form. By email FEITE.CALLFOREVIDENCE@education.gov.uk  • By post Further Education Workforce Division Department for Education  2 St Paul’s Place  8 125 Norfolk Street Sheffield, S1 2FJ Deadline The consultation closes on 12 December 2025 9 Section 1- Respondent information About you 1. What is your name? (Open text box) 2. Do you consent to the Department for Education contacting you via email about your response? If yes, please provide your email address. (Open text box) 3. Would you like us to keep your response confidential?  ☐Yes ☐No  Information provided in response to calls for evidence, including personal  information, may be subject to publication or disclosure under the Freedom of  Information Act 2000, the Data Protection Act 2018 or the Environmental  Information Regulations 2004.  If you want all, or any part, of a response to be treated as confidential, please  explain why you consider it confidential.  If a request for disclosure of the information you have provided is received, your  explanation about why you consider it to be confidential will be taken into  account, but no assurance can be given that confidentiality can be maintained.  An automatic confidentiality disclaimer generated by your IT system will not, of  itself, be regarded as binding on the Department.  The Department for Education will process your personal data (name and address and any other identifying material) in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018. Evidence submitted will be shared with the EAG, but personal information will not. 4. If you would like us to keep your response confidential, please explain your  reason for confidentiality:  (Open text box) 5. What is your role?  10 (Open text box) 6. What is the name of the organisation that you work for? (if applicable)  (Open text box) 7. What type of organisation is this? ☐ A university or similar higher education organisation with degree awarding powers ☐ A general further education college ☐ A sixth form college ☐ A specialist college or provider ☐ A 16 to 19 Academy ☐ An independent training provider ☐ A third sector organisation ☐ A local authority provider ☐ A representative or specialist body ☐ Other 8. If you answered ‘other’, please specify your organisation type. (Open text box) 9. Are you answering on behalf of your organisation or in a personal capacity? ☐ on behalf of organisation ☐ personal response  10. What kind of teacher training and development are you involved in? (option to choose more than one) ☐ University delivered qualification(s) ☐ Qualification(s) franchised from a university and delivered by my organisation 11 ☐ Qualification(s) validated by a university and delivered by my organisation ☐ An Ofqual regulated qualification, e.g. The Diploma in Teaching (FE and Skills) ☐ Learning and Skills Teacher (LST) apprenticeship  ☐ Early career PD for new teachers in the FE sector ☐ Continuing Professional Development programmes for FE teachers ☐ Other 11. If other please give details (Open text box) Your evidence We are seeking evidence of high quality and relevant pedagogical knowledge and research that underpins the delivery of ITE and PD for early career teachers in the Further Education sector. We are interested in the various approaches that providers use to enable individuals to be effective teachers, particularly where high-quality pedagogical knowledge helps trainees and early career teachers discern how and when to use different approaches and techniques to enable their students to achieve the best outcomes. We expect this to focus on the elements of pedagogy that enable a teacher to know how and when to use various approaches for their learners.  We are also interested in the links between early career preparation and continuing professional development for FE teachers. Whilst this call for evidence is considering the foundational knowledge that is effective for all teachers, we are also interested in developing a more detailed understanding of the pedagogical underpinnings of the curriculum used to prepare those training for careers in construction and health and social care teaching. We anticipate that there will be three types of evidence provided: a. Elements of universal foundational knowledge, pedagogy and theory that can be utilised by all teachers regardless of their subject area. b. Context-specific pedagogical theory and knowledge (e.g. workshop, laboratory, classroom, simulation) that may be of use to teachers teaching a range of different subjects but in a similar environment. 12 c. Subject-specific pedagogical theory and knowledge that relates solely to the subject area under consideration, in this case construction or health and social care The evidence will be assessed by the department and an Expert Advisory Group and will inform the development of new statutory guidance on FE ITE course content and curriculum to be issued by DfE. The statutory guidance will focus on the first two elements above (i.e. universal and context-specific pedagogy) to provide all those organisations delivering FE ITE with a clear foundation on which to build their qualifications and apprenticeship provision. It will also be a helpful reference point for those developing and delivering early career PD. Depending on the quality and relevance of evidence received, DfE may also publish additional, illustrative information about the curriculum for training construction and health and social care teachers at the same time. This will not form part of any statutory guidance. Responses to this call for evidence must answer questions 12 and 13. 12. Please provide detail of the pedagogical evidence that you use in the universal foundational elements of your ITE or early career PD programme. Please provide full references and, where applicable, links to the relevant publication(s). (open text box) 13. Please provide detail of context-specific pedagogical theories and knowledge that you use in your ITE or early career PD programme. Please state which context(s) they are suitable for. Please provide full references and, where applicable, links to relevant publication(s). You may wish answer with reference to multiple contexts. (open text box) Question 14 is intended to gather insight into the links between early career preparation and on broader professional development delivered in the FE sector.  14. Please provide any insights into the needs of the FE sector in terms of professional development. What are the barriers to, and what are the opportunities for, ensuring that all FE teachers have access to high-quality professional development? Please provide specific examples of effective practice where known, along with references to any relevant publication(s). (open text box) Questions 15 and 16 are optional. They are specifically intended for organisations that prepare teachers of construction and health and social care. We want to know which 13 theories underpin these teacher preparation programmes. This information could form the basis of an information summary shared with the FE ITE sector. 15. Where relevant please provide details of the subject-specific pedagogy that underpins your construction teacher training or PD programme(s). Please provide full references and, where applicable, links to any relevant publication(s). (open text box) 16. Where relevant please provide details of the subject-specific pedagogy that underpins your health and social care teacher training or PD programme(s). Please provide full references and, where applicable, links to any relevant publication(s). (open text box)    © Crown copyright 2025 This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3.   Where we have identified any third-party copyright information, you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.  About this publication:  enquiries  https://www.gov.uk/contact-dfe   download  www.gov.uk/government/publications  Follow us on X: @educationgovuk Connect with us on Facebook: facebook.com/educationgovuk 

FE teacher initial training and development : call for evidence

Main findings : further education and skills inspections and outcomes as at 31 August 2025

Official StatisticsSpecial consideration inGCSE, AS and A level:summer 2025 exam seriesPublished 20 November 2025Applies to England  MenuHome Education, training and skills School curriculumSecondary curriculum, key stage 3 and key stage 4 (GCSEs)Key stage 3 and 4 exam marking, qualifications and resultsSpecial consideration in GCSE, AS and A level: summer 2025 exam seriesPrint this pageThis release provides information on special consideration forGCSE, AS and A levels for the summer 2025 exam series.There are 2 categories of special consideration included in thisreport: mark adjustments and qualification awards. Markadjustments are for students who were present for theassessment but who might not have been able to demonstratetheir ability due to exceptional circumstances occurring at thetime of their assessment. Qualification awards are for studentswho were absent from the assessment for reasons which meetJCQ’s eligibility criteria. To be eligible for special consideration,students must have been fully prepared for the assessment andhave covered the whole course.The total number of applications for individuals and groups is notthe same as the total number of special consideration requests.Special consideration applications are made by schools andcolleges to exam boards, usually after an assessment has takenplace. Each request specifies the students and components itcovers. A single request relates to one student and a specificcomponent. In cases where a group of students has beenaffected by the same issue (for example, a fire alarm during anexam), a group application can cover all students and anycomponents affected by the issue.This release only includes special consideration given in theform of mark adjustments and qualification awards. Specialconsideration given in the form of an adjustment to the way anassessment is taken, is reported separately in our statistics onaccess arrangements.The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic led to the cancellation ofexams in summer 2020 and summer 2021. As a result, therewere no special consideration requests for those series. Examsand assessments resumed in summer 2022. Therefore, thisreport contains information on special consideration for thesummer 2022 to summer 2025 series.Only full-course GCSEs are included in the specialContentsKey headlinesProvide your feedbackSpecial considerationrequestsSpecial considerationrequests for externaland internalassessmentsSpecial considerationrequests by subjectSpecial considerationapplications forindividuals and groupsCategories of specialconsiderationApproved specialconsideration requestsfor mark adjustmentsby tariffContextual Informationconsideration and qualification results figures, in addition to ASand A levels. In previous releases of these statistics, short-course GCSEs were also included but these have now beenremoved. This has meant that some historical figures havechanged to a small degree compared to previous releases.Key headlines1. In summer 2025, 168,245 individual students had at least 1special consideration request approved. This represents12.2% of the overall 1,376,480 GCSE, AS and A levelstudents with results issued in summer 2025. This is similar tosummer 2024 where 13.1% of the overall 1,349,260 GCSE,AS and A level students had at least 1 special considerationrequest approved (176,115).2. In summer 2025, there were 725,115 GCSE, AS and A levelspecial consideration requests, which is similar to 2024(721,830 special consideration requests). For context therewere 17.1 million GCSE, AS and A level scripts and non-exam assessments marked in summer 2025 and 16.7 millionmarked in summer 2024.3. The majority of special consideration requests (96.1%) wereapproved, similar to summer 2024 (95.1%).4. Most approved requests in summer 2025 were for markadjustments (96.1%) rather than qualification awards (3.9%).This is similar to summer 2024 where mark adjustments andqualification awards constituted 95.2% and 4.8% of approvedrequests respectively.Provide your feedbackWe welcome your feedback on our publications. If youhave any comments on this statistical release, or how toimprove it to meet your needs, complete our short surveyor data.analytics@ofqual.gov.uk.Special consideration requestsThere were 725,115 special consideration requests for GCSE,AS and A level in summer 2025, which is similar to summer2024 (721,830 requests). Out of all special considerationrequests in summer 2025, 96.1% were approved (696,655),similar to the proportion of requests approved in summer 2024(95.1%).The number of special consideration requests may be affectedby the total number of scripts and non-exam assessmentsmarked in a summer series. In summer 2025 there were 17.1million GCSE, AS and A level scripts and non-examassessments marked, an increase of 2.1% from summer 2024(16.7 million).In summer 2025, 168,245 individual students had at least 1special consideration request approved. This represents 12.2%of the overall 1,376,480 GCSE, AS and A level students withresults issued in summer 2025. This is similar to summer 2024where 13.1% of the overall 1,349,260 GCSE, AS and A levelstudents had at least 1 special consideration request approved(176,115). Note that in this release ‘results issued’ refers topassing grades, Unclassified (U) as well as outcomesrepresenting the absence of a result (Q, X) as these may stillhave had components with special consideration requestsapproved.Table 1. Special consideration requests and approvalsbetween summer 2022 and summer 2025SpecialConsiderationLevel 2022 2023 2024 2025requestsRequestsmadeASand Alevel122,500 139,170 140,860 139,745RequestsmadeGCSE 464,605 560,410 580,970 585,375RequestsmadeTotal 587,105 699,580 721,830 725,115RequestsapprovedASand Alevel116,475 133,575 134,680 134,290RequestsapprovedGCSE 434,850 531,700 551,915 562,365RequestsapprovedTotal 551,325 665,275 686,595 696,655Special consideration requestsfor external and internalassessmentsRequests relating to internal assessments (non-examassessments) represent a small proportion of the total numberof requests. In summer 2025, 1.3% of requests were for internalassessments (9,125 requests) and 98.7% of requests were forexternal assessments (715,990 requests). The proportions ofrequests were similar to 2024, where 1.5% of requests were forinternal assessments (11,120 requests) and 98.5% were forexternal assessments (710,710 requests).Table 2. Special consideration requests for external andinternal assessments from summer 2022 to summer 2025Assessment type 2022 2023 2024 2025External 581,225 688,190 710,710 715,990Internal 5,880 11,395 11,120 9,125Special consideration requestsby subjectThe charts in this section present 2 sets of data by subject:special consideration requests at component level and thenumber of qualification results issued.Note, in this release ‘results issued’ refers to passing grades,Unclassified (U) as well as outcomes representing the absenceof a result (Q, X) as these may still have had components withspecial consideration requested.The qualification results issued chart is provided to show therelative size of subjects according to result volumes. Typically,we would anticipate a relationship between the number ofspecial consideration requests and the number of qualificationresults. However, because special consideration requests are atcomponent level, subjects that include more components mayalso have more special consideration requests. It is, therefore,not appropriate to calculate proportions between the number ofspecial consideration requests at component level and totalresults issued at qualification level. We are currently exploringways in which we can improve our presentation of these figures,to allow for more direct comparisons. Note: for reasons explained above, it is not appropriate tocalculate proportions between the number of specialconsideration requests at component level and total resultsissued at qualification level.Table 3. AS and A level subjects with the highest numberof special consideration requests made in summer 2025and the number of qualification results issuedSubject Number of requests(component level)Total results issued(qualification level)Mathematics 19,010 112,230Biology 13,530 69,905Psychology 13,005 77,735Chemistry 11,140 63,275Physics 8,635 44,725History 7,250 42,660Sociology 7,145 45,230Economics 7,105 43,975Englishliterature6,725 36,285Businessstudies6,350 44,220For AS and A level, the subjects with the most specialconsideration requests were generally those with the largestnumber of qualification results issued. Figures for all subjectscan be found in the accompanying data tables.Note 1: for reasons explained above, it is not appropriate tocalculate proportions between the number of specialconsideration requests at component level and total resultsissued at qualification level.Note 2: results for GCSE combined science are double-countedin this release, because the qualification is the size of 2 singleGCSEs.Table 4. GCSE subjects with the highest number ofrequests made in summer 2025 with number ofqualification certificationsSubject Number of requests(component level)Total results issued(qualification level)Combinedscience122,930 934,125Mathematics 88,655 851,435English 62,225 823,905languageEnglishliterature54,530 613,250History 41,655 291,940Geography 37,135 290,420Religiousstudies23,045 218,965Spanish 20,885 131,055French 19,700 127,405Biology 14,125 171,170Similar to AS and A level, for GCSE the subjects with the mostspecial consideration requests were those with the largestnumber of qualification results issued. Figures for all subjectscan be found in the accompanying data tables.Special considerationapplications for individuals andgroupsAccording to JCQ guidelines, special consideration applicationscan be made either on an individual or group basis. An individualapplication involves just one student but can relate to one ormore assessment components. In cases where a group ofstudents has been affected by the same issue (for example, afire alarm during an exam), a group application can cover allstudents and any components affected by the issue.The total number of applications for individuals and groups is notthe same as the total number of special consideration requests.For instance, a group application can represent more than ahundred requests, because requests are counted at individualstudent and component level.Table 5 shows the percentage of applications relating toindividuals or groups as a percentage of all specialconsideration applications.Table 5. Percentage of special consideration applicationsrelating to individuals or groups from summer 2022 tosummer 2025Application type 2022 2023 2024 2025Individual 97.0% 96.2% 96.8% 96.6%Group 3.0% 3.8% 3.2% 3.4%Table 6 gives a breakdown of group applications in summer2025 by number of students in the group. For instance, 25.9%of group applications included between 2 and 5 students.Table 6. Percentage of group applications in summer 2025by size of group applicationSize of groupapplicationPercentage of allapplicationsPercentage of groupapplications2 to 5 0.9% 25.9%6 to 10 0.7% 20.2%11 to 20 0.7% 20.9%21 to 50 0.6% 18.5%51 to 100 0.3% 9.3%101 to 200 0.2% 4.5%more than 200 less than 0.1% 0.6%Categories of specialconsiderationThere are 2 categories of special consideration included in thisreport: mark adjustments and qualification awards. Markadjustments are for students who were present for theassessment but who might not have been able to demonstratetheir ability due to exceptional circumstances occurring at thetime of their assessment. Qualification awards are for studentswho were absent from the assessment for reasons which meetJCQ’s eligibility criteria.Most approved requests in summer 2025 were for markadjustments (96.1%) rather than qualification awards (3.9%),similar to summer 2024 (where mark adjustments andqualification awards constituted 95.2% and 4.8% of approvedrequests respectively).Table 7. Approved requests for mark adjustments andqualification awards from summer 2022 to summer 2025Specialconsideration type2022 2023 2024 2025Number of approved 501,245 632,460 653,550 669,470requests for markadjustmentsNumber of approvedrequests forqualification awards50,080 32,810 33,045 27,185Approved special considerationrequests for mark adjustmentsby tariffThe guidelines published by JCQ allow for percentageadjustments to the mark given for a student’s work according toa tariff of up to 5% of the maximum raw mark of a component.Mark adjustments in summer 2025 were most frequently madeat the 3% tariff (30.2% of mark adjustments), compared withsummer 2024 where mark adjustments were most frequentlymade at the 4% tariff (28.4% of mark adjustments).Table 8 shows the percentage of mark adjustments by tariff.Table 8. Percentage of mark adjustments by tariff fromsummer 2022 to summer 2025MarkadjustmenttariffPercentageof markadjustmentsin 2022Percentageof markadjustmentsin 2023Percentageof markadjustmentsin 2024Percentageof markadjustments0% less than 0.1 less than 0.1 less than 0.11% 16.2 13.3 15.12% 24.4 27.0 22.53% 26.8 28.0 28.14% 24.0 26.2 28.45% 8.6 5.5 5.9More information on the 0% tariff can be found in theaccompanying background notes.Contextual InformationThe Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), a membershiporganisation of 8 providers of qualifications, including the 4exam boards offering GCSE, AS and A levels in England,publishes guidelines and procedures on special consideration.There may be small changes year-on-year to this document thatreflect the procedures in place for a particular exam series.Special consideration applications are made by schools andcolleges to exam boards, usually after an assessment has takenplace. Requests specify which students and which componentsthe application is for. In cases where a group of students hasbeen affected by the same issue (for example, a fire alarmduring an exam), a group application can cover all students andany components affected by the issue.To ensure confidentiality, the data in this report has beenrounded in line with Ofqual’s rounding policy. Where data ispresented by qualification level, AS and A level have beencombined.Further information on this release is available in the backgroundinformation and data tables accompanying this report.Head of profession: Ben CuffBack to topIs this page useful?YesNoServices and informationBenefitsBirths, death, marriages and careBusiness and self-employedChildcare and parentingCitizenship and living in the UKCrime, justice and the lawDisabled peopleDriving and transportEducation and learningEmploying peopleEnvironment and countrysideHousing and local servicesMoney and taxPassports, travel and living abroadVisas and immigrationGovernmentactivityDepartmentsNewsGuidance and regulationResearch and statisticsPolicy papers andconsultationsTransparencyHow government worksGet involvedReport a problem with this pageWorking, jobs and pensionsHelp  Privacy  Cookies  Accessibility statement  Contact  Terms and conditionsRhestr o Wasanaethau Cymraeg  Government Digital ServiceAll content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except whereotherwise stated© Crown copyright

Special consideration in GCSE, AS and A level : summer 2025 exam series : Published 20 November 2025

New Era: How Artificial Intelligence (AI) is Supporting Teaching and Learning : The opportunities and challenges of AI in schools and PRUs in Wales and how leaders should respond : October 2025

Guidance16 to 19 funding: largeprogramme upliftPublished 1 October 2025Applies to England  MenuHome Education, training and skills Further and higher education, skills and vocational trainingFurther education funding 16 to 19 funding: large programme upliftDepartment for EducationPrint this page1. IntroductionThis note sets out the conditions under which 16 to 19 fundingallocations will include a large programme uplift. It providesfurther information to institutions to support them inunderstanding and planning for the large programme uplift.2. Latest updatesThere are no changes for academic year 2025 to 2026.3. PurposeThe large programme uplift contributes to the costs of largestudy programmes and T Levels that are of high quality and thatprovide additional stretch and challenge.When study programmes were introduced in the academic year2013 to 2014, funding was based on the average programmesize being 600 hours. However, we recognise that someprogrammes must be larger to prepare students for further studyor work. The same principle applies to T Level programmeswhere some students may study an A/AS level alongside.4. Definition of the largeprogramme upliftThe large programme uplift reflects that some programmes arelarger than the usual size in terms of hours.Contents1. Introduction2. Latest updates3. Purpose4. Definition of thelarge programmeuplift5. Students coveredby the largeprogramme uplift6. Large A levelprogrammes7. Large InternationalBaccalaureate (IB)programmes8. T Levelprogrammes9. Summary ofrequirements10. Uplift calculation11. Data collection12. Contact usThe large programme uplift is only available for high qualityprogrammes that provide students with additional stretch andchallenge. This includes:programmes of 4 or more full A levelsthe full level 3 International Baccalaureate (IB)T Level programmes with at least one A or AS level takenalongsideStudents must achieve a minimum grade to be eligible for theuplift.We will apply an uplift of either 10% or 20% to the full-timenational funding rate per student to large programmes that meetthe criteria set out on this page.We calculate the uplifts based on the national funding rate forfull-time programmes (band 4a, band 5 and higher bands) forthe relevant academic year.For students undertaking study programmes, we pay the upliftfor 2 years.For students undertaking T Level programmes, AS levels willattract a 1-year payment and A levels will attract a 2-yearpayment. More detail is set out in the T Levelprogrammes and summary of requirements sections.Large programmes that take longer than 2 years do not get anyadditional uplift.5. Students covered by thelarge programme upliftThe large programme uplift only applies to 16 and 17 year oldsstudying large programmes that meet the size and achievementcriteria set out on this page.However, students aged 18 and over with high needs can alsoqualify for a large programme uplift. High needs students arethose who receive additional learning support funding from theirlocal authority high needs budget (often called top-up funding orelement 3).Any other students aged 18 and over or any students onapprenticeships or supported internships do not qualify for alarge programme uplift. The large programme uplift did not applyto traineeships.6. Large A level programmesLarge A level programmes (identified by 2-year A levelqualifications) will attract an uplift.AS levels do not count in large A level programmes receivingthe large programme uplift. We also exclude A levels in GeneralStudies and Critical Thinking.6.1 Pre-U qualificationsWe will not count Pre-U qualifications for the large programmeuplift for 2027 to 2028 allocations. This is because thequalifications are being withdrawn; we do not expect any Pre-Uteaching to take place after 2022 to 2023, with re-sits availablein summer 2024.A Pre-U Principal or Research subject certificate graded at M1or higher (not including 1- year short programmes) is equivalentto 1 A level for the purpose of the uplift. The Pre-U certificatemust be part of a programme that is equivalent to 4 A levels ormore to qualify. This can be all Pre-U certificates or a mixture ofPre-U certificates and A levels within a large programme.6.2 Study programmes of 4 A levelsStudents who achieve 4 full A level qualifications at grade B orbetter in each A level will qualify for an uplift of 10%.6.3 Study programmes of 5 A levelsStudents who achieve 5 full A level qualifications at grade B orbetter (or minimum grade C for Further Maths) in each A levelwill qualify for an uplift of 20%.A student enrolled on a study programme of 5 full A levels butwho only achieves grade B or better (or minimum grade C forFurther Maths) in 4 of them will attract the 10% uplift.6.4 Further Maths A levelStudents taking Further Maths as one of their 4 or more A levelswill qualify for large programme funding when they achieve agrade C in this subject and the remainder of their results are atgrade B or better. For example:QualificationtitleQualificationtypeExamgradeGCE A level inMathsGCE A level B Qualifies for largeprogramme upliftGCE A level in GCE A level B Qualifies for largeChemistry programme upliftGCE A level inFurther MathsGCE A level B Qualifies for largeprogramme upliftGCE A level inPhysicsGCE A level B Qualifies for largeprogramme upliftQualificationtitleQualificationtypeExamgradeGCE A level inBiologyGCE A level B Qualifies for largeprogramme upliftGCE A level inMathsGCE A level B Qualifies for largeprogramme upliftGCE A level inFurther MathsGCE A level C Qualifies for largeprogramme upliftGCE A level inPhysicsGCE A level B Qualifies for largeprogramme uplift7. Large InternationalBaccalaureate (IB)programmesThe full level 3 IB Diploma is a large programme as theInternational Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) stipulates that theteaching time for the IB must add up to 1,450 to 1,500 hoursacross the 2 years of the programme.Students who complete the full level 3 diploma and achieve 28or more points will attract a 20% uplift to the full-time nationalfunding rate for the year in which we make the allocation.Twenty-eight points is broadly equivalent to grade B at A level.If a student achieves a pass with 24 points but does not achieve28 points, then no uplift will be paid.8. T Level programmesA/AS levels (excluding General Studies and Critical Thinking)taken alongside T Level programmes may qualify for the largeprogramme uplift.A student must achieve a minimum merit grade on their T Levelprogramme and minimum grade B on their A/AS level (orminimum grade C for Further Maths) to qualify.Additionally, any A/AS levels taken alongside a T Level mustoffer demonstrable additional content that is relevant to thestudent’s programme and which is not already covered by their TLevel qualification (including occupational specialism) content.Qualifying AS levels taken alongside a T Level programme willattract payment for 1 year, reflecting that they are usually takenover 1 year.Qualifying A levels taken alongside a T Level programme willattract payment for 2 years, reflecting that A level qualificationsare usually taken over 2 years.9. Summary of requirements9.1 For study programmesUplift%Requirements10% 4 full A levels (other than General Studies and CriticalThinking) at grade B or above, or 3 at grade B or aboveand Further Maths at grade C20% 5 full A levels (other than General Studies and CriticalThinking) at grade B or above, or 4 at grade B or aboveand Further Maths at grade C20% The full level 3 IB Diploma at 28 points or above9.2 For T Level programmesWe pay the uplifts for T Level programmes for either 1 or 2years depending on whether it is for an AS level or an A level, asindicated below.Uplift%Requirements10%paidfor 1yearA T Level programme with at least a merit grade plusone AS level (other than General Studies and CriticalThinking) at grade B or AS level Further Maths at gradeC10%paidfor 2yearsA T Level programme with at least a merit grade plusone A level (other than General Studies and CriticalThinking) at grade B or A level Further Maths at grade C20%paidfor 1yearA T Level programme with at least a merit grade plusmore than one AS level (other than General Studies andCritical Thinking) at grade B or AS level Further Maths atgrade C20%paidfor 2yearsA T Level programme with at least a merit grade plusmore than one A level (other than General Studies andCritical Thinking) at grade B or A level Further Maths atgrade CIt is very unlikely that a student would take an AS level and an Alevel in different subjects as well as a T Level. Therefore,students taking a combination of AS and A levels will get theuplift appropriate to the qualifying A level(s) only.10. Uplift calculationTo identify students who have earned the large programmeuplift, we will use attainment data from the latest full year. We willuse the learning aims and associated grades at the end of eachstudent’s qualifying programme.We apply the total uplift value after we have applied retention,programme cost weighting and disadvantage to the nationalfunding rate per student. The uplift will attract the area cost upliftwhere it applies.Allocations will show the numbers separately for those who getthe 10% uplift and those who get the 20% uplift.As the criteria for implementing the uplift includes studentattainment, which comes from data matched in from the NationalPupil Database, there will be a 3-year lag. This means, forexample, that for allocations for the academic year 2025 to 2026we will use attainment data from 2022 to 2023.11. Data collectionThere are no additional data collection requirements for thelarge programme uplift. Institutions must accurately record alllarge programmes to meet the criteria for the uplift in futurefunding allocations.Institutions can submit business cases in the business casewindow (announced each year) if they believe this methodologydoes not reflect their delivery. Successful challenge to a largeprogramme uplift must demonstrate that we have not correctlyinterpreted historical attainment data. Incorrect recording of datais not grounds for a successful challenge.12. Contact usIf you have questions after reading our guidance, or if there’sanything else you need help with, you can find more support inour customer help centre.Back to topIs this page useful?YesNoReport a problem with this pageServices and informationBenefitsBirths, death, marriages and careBusiness and self-employedChildcare and parentingCitizenship and living in the UKCrime, justice and the lawDisabled peopleDriving and transportEducation and learningEmploying peopleEnvironment and countrysideHousing and local servicesMoney and taxPassports, travel and living abroadVisas and immigrationWorking, jobs and pensionsGovernmentactivityDepartmentsNewsGuidance and regulationResearch and statisticsPolicy papers andconsultationsTransparencyHow government worksGet involvedHelp  Privacy  Cookies  Accessibility statement  Contact  Terms and conditionsRhestr o Wasanaethau Cymraeg  Government Digital ServiceAll content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except whereotherwise stated© Crown copyright

Not a member yet