School league tables to omit thousands of vocational qualifications

Following Professor Alison Wolf’s review of vocational qualifications last year, the government said only the highest quality qualifications will be included in secondary school performance tables.

Further to guidance published last October, the government has revealed that just 125 qualifications will be approved to feature in the league tables from January 2015 compared with the current 3,175.

Education Secretary Michael Gove said: "For too long the system has been devalued by attempts to pretend that all qualifications are intrinsically the same. Young people have taken courses that have led nowhere."

Schools will be free to offer any other qualification accredited and approved for study by 14- to 16-year-olds, but they will not count towards the league tables.

Under the guidance set out in October, qualifications featuring in the school performance tables must:

• offer proven progression into a broad range of further qualifications or careers;
• be the level of a GCSE or above;
• have a substantial proportion of external assessment;
• have grades such as A* to G (those with simple pass or fail will be excluded);
• have good levels of take-up among 14- to 16-year-olds.

Some of the 125 qualifications listed today (31 January) are subject to future review because they have demonstrated most, but not all of the necessary characteristics. They are being given an extra year to meet the full requirements. 

Wolf said: "Vocational studies can form a stimulating and demanding part of the curriculum, but pretending that all vocational qualifications are equally valuable does not bring them respect. On the contrary, it devalues vocational education in people's eyes."

However, the National Union of Teachers said vocational education must not be restricted at a time of economic difficulty.

Christine Blower, NUT general secretary, said: "It should not be up to the government to decide which exams are of more merit than others. This is something that should be assessed by major stakeholders such as the teaching profession and awarding bodies.

"At times of recession, access to vocational education and apprenticeship opportunities must not be restricted. What is needed is a single system of diplomas which incorporate the current best features of existing GCSE, A Level and vocational programmes and would play to the strengths of all pupils.

"The distorting effect that league tables have on our children and young people’s education will not be changed by these reforms and could make matters worse by limiting the subjects which will now count towards them."