Decision

Decision under section 140(7) of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009

Published 8 June 2016

Applies to England

Background

On 3 November 2014, in accordance with sections 140(3)-(5) of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 (the ‘2009 Act’), we varied the criteria for accreditation for all GCE qualifications accredited prior to 19 June 2014.

At the same time, in accordance with section 140(6) of the 2009 Act, we specified that:

  • GCE qualifications accredited prior to 19 June 2014 in Art and Design, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, English Language, English Literature, English Language and Literature, History, Physics, Psychology, and Sociology would cease to be accredited on 31 August 2016
  • all other GCE qualifications accredited prior to 19 June 2014 would cease to be accredited on 31st August 2017

On 15 December 2015, we used our powers under section 140(7) of the 2009 Act to vary the end date for all GCE qualifications in Business Studies, and for all GCE qualifications in Computing. We determined that accreditation should cease to have effect for those qualifications on 31 August 2016.

We are now using our powers under section 140(7) of the 2009 Act to vary the accreditation end date for the legacy AS and A levels which will continue to be available for first teaching in September 2016 and September 2017.

Decisions

Legacy GCE qualifications available for first teaching until September 2016

We have, in accordance with section 140(7) of the 2009 Act, decided to vary the date on which accreditation ceases to have effect for GCE qualifications accredited prior to 19 June 2014 in:

  • Accounting
  • Anthropology
  • Applied Information and Communication Technology
  • Applied Science
  • Archaeology
  • Chinese
  • Citizenship Studies
  • Classical Civilisation
  • Classics
  • Classics: Ancient History
  • Communication and Culture
  • Creative Writing
  • Critical Thinking
  • Cymraeg Ail Iaith (Welsh 2nd language)
  • Cymraeg Iaith Gyntam (Welsh 1st language)
  • Design and Technology
  • Dutch
  • Electronics
  • Engineering
  • Environmental Studies
  • Film Studies
  • Further Mathematics
  • General Studies
  • Geology
  • Global Development
  • Government and Politics
  • Health and Social Care
  • History of Art
  • Home Economics (Food, Nutrition and Health)
  • Humanities
  • Information and Communication Technology
  • Irish
  • Italian
  • Law
  • Leisure Studies
  • Mathematics
  • Media: Communication and Production
  • Media Studies
  • Moving Image Arts
  • Music Technology
  • Philosophy
  • Pure Mathematics
  • Quantitative Methods
  • Russian
  • Science
  • Science in Society
  • Statistics
  • Travel and Tourism
  • Use of Mathematics
  • World Development

Accreditation for these qualifications will now cease to have effect on 31 August 2018.

Legacy GCE qualifications available for first teaching until September 2017

We have, in accordance with section 140(7) of the 2009 Act, decided to vary the date on which accreditation ceases to have effect for all GCE qualifications accredited prior to 19 June 2014 in:

  • Arabic
  • Bengali
  • Biblical Hebrew
  • Gujarati
  • Japanese
  • Greek
  • Modern Hebrew
  • Panjabi
  • Persian
  • Polish
  • Portuguese
  • Turkish
  • Urdu

Accreditation for these qualifications will now cease to have effect on 31 August 2019.

Reasons for our decision

At the time we made our 3 November 2014 decision, we noted that we would need to vary the accreditation end dates for the subjects where legacy AS and A levels would continue to be available beyond August 2017.

This decision implements that policy.