Best Schools - New T-level study to be worth three A-levels

Students who achieve the very top grade in their T-level qualification will have the equivalent of three A*s at A-level, it has been announced.

University admissions service Ucas says a starred distinction will be worth 168 Ucas points - the same as three A*s, each worth 56 points.

Those who are awarded a merit will have the equivalent of three Bs at A-level.

The government says the "size and rigour" of the new T-level course is comparable to studying three A-levels.

The two-year qualifications are being brought in England next September.

T-levels will give 16 to 19-year-olds a mixture of classroom learning and "on-the-job" experience, including a placement in the workplace of at least 315 hours.

The qualifications - in subjects such as accountancy, catering, finance, hair and beauty and manufacturing - have been developed in collaboration with employers and businesses to meet the needs of industry and prepare students for work.

Candidates will be awarded one of four overall grades after their two years of study, ranging from distinction* to a pass.

They will also get a nationally recognised certificate which will show their overall grade and a breakdown of what they have achieved across the T-level programme.

Art GCSE back in the picture as employers seek creativity

Art and design GCSE has bounced back in popularity as schools respond to calls from employers to make sure that science and technology students have a creative streak.

Provisional figures indicate that there has been a 9 per cent jump in pupils taking the subject at GCSE this year with 184,060 entries, the largest number since comparable records began in 2012. The final figures are out on Thursday, when half a million children pick up their GCSE results.

The revival of art in schools has not been matched elsewhere on the creative side, with drama, music and design and technology (DT) all suffering a fall in entries. The decline in DT is particularly striking, with a fall of 23 per cent in the past year alone.

Employers have been pleased with the results of a campaign to encourage more children to study so-called Stem subjects — science, technology, engineering and maths — but have said that UK industries need creativity as well.

The Girls’ Day School Trust has given millions of pounds to Wimbledon High School to build a “steam tower”, which will bring physics and chemistry labs, engineering facilities and the art studios together.

Jane Lunnon, the head teacher, said that art was holding its own because it had an important role to play when combined with science.