16–19 Level 1 English and Maths Qualifications

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Closes 2 Jun 2026

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Purpose of this consultation

The Post-16 Education and Skills Strategy White Paper set out our plans to introduce new 16-19 English and maths level 1 qualifications, designed to consolidate the foundational skills and knowledge needed to prepare lower prior attaining students (grade 2 or below) before they then enrol directly onto a GCSE. This consultation document gathers views on the design and delivery of the new qualifications, as informed by the Curriculum and Assessment Review (hereby referred to as ‘The Review’), including views on:  

  • Cohort: The aim of the new Level 1 English and maths qualifications is to enable 16-19 students (and 19-25 students with an EHCP on a Study Programme) with prior attainment at grade 2 or below in GCSE English and maths to make progress towards achieving level 2 (GCSE grade 4+) during 16-19 education.  

  • Qualification Structure: This consultation considers whether modular and other structures would improve engagement and motivation. 

  • Content: This consultation sets out that content will be aligned as necessary with GCSE subject content and reflect future GCSE reforms and seeks initial views on how the content could be structured. 

  • Qualification Achievement and Grading: This consultation proposes that the new qualifications will be graded and that the grading structure will include recognition of attainment that is broadly equivalent to the attainment of students who achieve a grade 3 at GCSE, which would be likely to indicate that students are ready to progress to the GCSE. The consultation also seeks views on recognition of attainment below that level and partial achievement.  

Future stages of the qualification design process will include a more detailed subject content consultation led by DfE, and separate consultations from Ofqual on its regulatory requirements on how the qualification must be designed, assessed and develop specifications for the new qualifications based on nationally set subject content and Ofqual’s conditions and guidance.

Related information

Who this consultation is for

The consultation is for anyone with an interest in post-16 education and training for 16–19-year-olds in England. This includes but is not limited to: 

  • students 

  • parents and carers 

  • employers 

  • awarding organisations 

  • schools, academies, further education colleges, sixth form colleges, university technical colleges 

  • universities and other higher education providers 

  • independent training providers 

  • headteachers and college principals 

  • teachers and lecturers 

  • careers advisers 

  • regulatory bodies 

  • equality organisations, including those representing the interests of students with special educational needs 

  • local, regional, city and combined authorities and the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland 

  • representative bodies, including employers’ representative bodies and trade unions 

  • governors of education and skills providers 

Issue date 

The consultation was issued on 10 March 2026. 

Enquiries 

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. 

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 

By post 

16-19 English and Maths Essential Skills Unit 

Department for Education 

Great Smith Street 

SW1P 3BT 

Deadline 

The consultation closes on 2 June 2026 

1. What is your name?
2. What is your email address?
3. Are you responding as an individual or on behalf of an organisation?
4. If you are responding as an individual, how would you describe yourself?
5. If you are responding on behalf of an organisation, how would you describe your organisation?
6. Would you like us to keep your responses confidential?

Would you like us to keep your responses confidential?

Privacy notice

For the purposes of your response, other than where we may request, on a voluntary basis, contact details for the purpose of clarification, or demographic information about yourself for the purposes of equality impact assessment, we do not seek provision of personal data from which you or others can be identified. Your responses, including any personal data, may be shared with a third-party provider, or other government department or organisation acting on behalf of the DfE under contract or an equivalent agreement, for the purpose of analysis and summarising responses for us, for which a data processing agreement will be in place, and may use technology, such as artificial intelligence. If this technology is used, it will be done to exclusively assist with analysis, summarisation, or categorisation of responses, and appropriate safeguards will be set in place to ensure fairness, accuracy, and security. If this technology is used, it will not be used for automated decision-making that might affect individuals. An anonymised version of responses in a list or summary of responses received, and in any subsequent review reports, may be published. We may also share your personal data where required to by law. You can leave out personal information from your response entirely if you would prefer to do so. For further information on how DfE processes personal data, please see: Personal information charter - Department for Education - GOV.UK

Confidentiality

Information provided in response to this consultation, including personal data, may be subject to publication or disclosure e.g. 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 to be confidential. If a request for disclosure of the information you have provided is received, your explanation about why you consider it confidential will be considered, but no assurance can be given that confidentiality can be maintained. An automatic confidentiality disclaimer generated by your IT system will not, in and of itself, be regarded as binding on the DfE.