Board minutes: 10 December 2025
Updated 30 June 2026
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2026
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This document has been subject to redactions.
Date
10 December 2025
Time
9:30 am
Attendees
Board
Susan Barratt
Sir Ian Bauckham CBE, Chief Regulator
Hardip Begol CBE
Mark Farrar
Kurt Hintz
Cindy Leslie
Dr Catherine McClellan (V)
Chris Paterson (V)
Andrea Rigamonti
Conor Ryan
Matt Tee (V)
Dr Susan Tranter, Chair
Ofqual
David Bowden, Executive Director, Finance and Operations
Tom Bramley, Executive Director, Research and Analysis
Daniel Gutteridge, General Counsel
Michael Hanton, Deputy Chief Regulator
Catherine Large OBE, Executive Director, Policy
Dr Ian Stockford, Executive Director, Standards
Matt Trimmer, Executive Director, Strategy
Also present
Tom Barcham, Associate Director, Risk and Markets (Item 36/25)
Board Secretary
Emma Scott, Director, Vocational and Technical Qualifications Delivery (Item 38/25)
Jonathan Titmus, Chief Information Officer (Item 39/25)
Lydia Wain, Director of Qualification Reform
Mary Webb, Head of Private Office
Private Secretary
(V) denotes virtual attendance
30/25 Welcome and apologies for absence
The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting. In particular, the Chair welcomed Conor Ryan, a new member of the board.
Apologies for absence were received from Amanda Swann.
31/25 Declarations of interest
There were no declarations of interest for this meeting.
32/25 Minutes and matters arising
i. Approval of minutes of meeting held on 8 October 2025.
With no amendments, the minutes of the Board meeting held on 8 October 2025 were approved.
ii. Matters arising from previous board meetings
One matter remains open:
a. In relation to matter 23/25, the item would be kept open as an aide-memoire.
All other matters arising have been closed.
iii. Reports and recommendations from board committees
The Chair of the technical committee gave an oral update to the Board on the most recent meeting.
The Chair of the strategic enforcement committee (SEC) gave an oral update to the Board on the most recent meeting.
The Chair of the people, resources and finance committee (PRF) gave an oral update to the Board on the most recent meeting.
The Chair of the audit and risk assurance committee (ARAC) gave an oral update to the Board on the most recent meeting.
iv to viii. Minutes from board committee meetings
The minutes from all board committee meetings that had been approved since the last board meeting were received and noted.
33/25 Decisions taken by electronic business
The Board noted one item of electronic business.
34/25 Chief Regulator’s report
The Board received an update from the Chief Regulator.
The Board was presented with an update on the delivery of Ofqual’s strategy during Q2 2025 to 2026. Progress had been made across all 5 objectives.
The Chief Regulator advised there had been a period of activity relating to new qualification reforms. GCSE and A Level reform would necessitate development and refreshment of particular specifications which may see them all have to be accredited.
V Levels are a key part of the vocational and technical reforms. The current timetable was for qualifications to be introduced in tranches by sector with the first sectors being available for teaching in 2027. This would ideally require specifications to be available in centres for autumn 2026. Even without meeting that optimal timeline, the Board was advised that, with such tight timelines, it would be necessary to hold a short, extraordinary board meeting before the next scheduled meeting in March in order to propose and agree certain delegations to the technical committee. Appropriate dates would be sought in due course. The Board asked if a rolling timetable for reforms could be made available. Ofqual will look at the best way to share information.
A paper on the roles and responsibilities in the reform of apprenticeship assessment had been circulated before the meeting. There was discussion on the concerns raised within various sectors over the simplified assessment plans. The Board was advised that sectors had not yet had sight of the Ofqual regulatory framework which would generate more confidence.
The Board was advised Ofqual had published new access arrangements ‘official statistics in development’ for GCSE, AS and A Level on 27 November. This focused on the candidates in a given exam year and corrected the less accurate picture given by previous reporting of the data which had been withdrawn earlier in the year. Three research reports had also been published at the same time along with a regulatory report on Ofqual’s wider work to review the access arrangements system. The Board was advised a range of specific improvements had been identified which it was expected exam boards would make. This would support the system’s effectiveness and transparency. The Chief Regulator advised the publications had received a positive response.
The publication of Ofqual’s annual report on the Regulation of National Assessments was planned for 16 December. The Chief Regulator advised there were no significant concerns on the administration of national assessments.
Subject Level Conditions, Requirements and Guidance for GCSEs in British Sign Language had been published on 13 November, alongside the outcomes of the public consultation on the draft regulations.
The board was advised that Ofqual’s consultation on on-screen assessment (OSA) was due to be launched on 11 December. A comprehensive communications and engagement plan was in place and engagement with DfE would continue. The Board asked if Ofqual had been clear in signalling the importance of ensuring that OSA would not create additional inequity in the education system. The Chief Regulator advised that it had been made very clear that differential access to devices and fluency of online working was one of the key reasons for the proposed limitations to OSA.
A summary of regulatory action against awarding organisations (AOs) was provided.
The Board was informed of a variety of work undertaken around artificial intelligence (AI). The first in a five-part series of online workshops for AOs had been launched and engagement had been high. This had focused on innovative uses of AI in qualifications and assessments. The second workshop had been held and focused on Ofqual’s research into AI marking. Further workshops had been planned from January to March 2026. The Chief Regulator advised that Ofqual had begun work on considering its approach to malpractice, including use of AI in assessments, and was shaping a coherent plan of activity for the coming year.
Ofqual was not called as a live witness to the Covid-19 Inquiry.
35/25 Finance update
The Board was presented with the financial position at Period 6. This was forecasting a full year Resource Department Expenditure Limit (RDEL) underspend of £104k which was a significant positive movement from the overspend position reported at the last Board meeting. Capital Department Expenditure Limit (CDEL) totalled £281,000 which was on track for an appropriate and managed underspend against the full £450,000 allocation.
With apologies, Chris Paterson left the meeting at 11:14 am.
The Chair of the PRF committee advised that the committee would be undertaking significant assumption testing and scenario planning when the budget was presented at their next meeting.
36/25 Strategic risk and risk tolerance
Following the annual risk tolerance review at ARAC, the Executive Director, Strategy, presented an overview for the Board on how Ofqual set risk tolerance. Although none of the current assessments for risks on the strategic risk register were outside of tolerance, the Board was assured that each individual risk was carefully scrutinised and it was an indication that risks were being well controlled and under active consideration.
The Chair of ARAC mentioned the extensive discussion that had been held on tolerance at their meeting.
RESOLVED
The Board agreed the annual strategic risk tolerances.
37/25 Accreditation of Technical Qualifications (TQs) within T Levels and minor amendments to TQ Qualification Level Conditions.
The Board was reminded that Ofqual had removed the accreditation requirements for TQs in July 2024 following the commencement of the Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022. This Act had set out that Ofqual could no longer exercise its accreditation power in relation to Technical Educational Qualifications which were qualifications that the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) had in its purview to approve. As part of the creation of Skills England and the transfer of responsibilities that were previously the remit of IfATE, the IfATE Abolition Act gave the Secretary of State discretionary power to allow Ofqual to determine whether to accredit qualifications.
The board was advised that in October 2025, the Minister for Skills had written to Ofqual setting out that, as part of a commitment to reform the way the quality and content of a Technical Education Qualification is assured, the Secretary of State has exercised that discretion in respect of TQs, asking Ofqual to consider accrediting the TQs in T Levels with immediate effect.
The next step would be appropriate public consultation and the Board was presented with the proposed approach. The Board was advised that some aspects of Ofqual’s TQ Qualification Level Conditions would need updating where they currently referred to functions which are no longer the responsibility of IfATE.
RESOLVED
The Board agreed that:
i. Ofqual consults on reimposing the accreditation criterion on TQs within T Levels, in line with the ministerial request.
ii. At the same time that Ofqual consults on making the accreditation change, it consults on minor amendments to the TQ Qualification Level Conditions to reflect the transition of responsibility for some T Level functions from IfATE to Skills England and DfE.
iii. The final form of the consultation and proposed regulatory framework changes are delegated for sign-off to the Chief Regulator in consultation with the Chair.
iv. Subject to consultation responses, sign-off of consultation decisions, analysis and final regulatory framework is delegated to the Chief Regulator in consultation with the Chair.
38/25 Update on capability, capacity and governance (CCG) programme
The Board was given a presentation on the work being undertaken by Ofqual on the capability, capacity and governance programme.
39/25 Future technology projects
The Board was given a presentation on Ofqual’s future technology strategy, together with some of the key concepts and principles.
40/25 Publication of papers
The board agreed to publish the open papers.
41/25 Any other business
i. Appointments to board committees
It was proposed that the Board consider a proposal for Conor Ryan to be appointed to the audit and risk assurance committee and the strategic enforcement committee and for Kurt Hintz to be appointed to the technical committee. This was approved. It was noted that Hardip Begol would step down from the audit and risk assurance committee.
RESOLVED
The Board approved the appointment of Conor Ryan to the audit and risk assurance committee and the strategic enforcement committee and the appointment of Kurt Hintz to the technical committee.
ii. End of term of office
The Chair advised the term of office for Matt Tee was due to end on 31 December 2025 and this would therefore be his last meeting. The Chair and Chief Regulator both warmly thanked Matt for his contribution to the Board and Ofqual’s work during his 2 terms of office.
Next board meeting:
The next board meeting will be held in Coventry on Wednesday 18 March 2026.
The meeting ended at 12:57 pm.