We call on the Government to review the English and mathematics qualification pathways available to 16–19-year-old and adult learners in Further Education (FE), with the aim of creating a more flexible, inclusive and learner-centred system.

The current approach does not always adequately recognise the different academic starting points, abilities and educational needs of learners. Some students who achieve GCSE Grade 1 or Grade 2 are directed through Entry Level or Functional Skills Level 1 programmes before being expected to progress towards GCSE. For some, this can create a substantial academic gap and make progression unnecessarily difficult.

Equally, learners who achieve a Grade 3, particularly those who are only a few marks below Grade 4, may benefit more from targeted GCSE intervention and an additional examination opportunity than from repeatedly following the same programme without addressing their specific learning gaps.

We believe that GCSE and Functional Skills should provide complementary qualification pathways, allowing learners to pursue the route that best reflects their abilities, circumstances and future aspirations.

We therefore ask the Government to:

1. Review GCSE and Functional Skills pathways: Establish clearer national guidance to help FE colleges and training providers determine which qualification route is most appropriate for individual learners.

2. Provide targeted support for learners achieving GCSE Grade 3: Ensure that learners who are close to Grade 4 receive focused teaching and intervention addressing their specific weaknesses, with appropriate opportunities to resit, including the November examination series.

3. Recognise Functional Skills as a genuine alternative: Ensure that learners achieving GCSE Grade 1 or Grade 2 can access a meaningful Functional Skills pathway without automatically being expected to return to GCSE, regardless of their individual strengths and educational needs.

4. Strengthen progression to Functional Skills Level 2: Support learners progressing from Entry Level and Level 1 towards Functional Skills Level 2 in English and mathematics, with appropriate teaching, assessment and individual support.

5. Improve recognition of Functional Skills Level 2: Work with universities, employers, apprenticeship providers and professional bodies to improve the consistency and transparency of Functional Skills Level 2 recognition for further education, employment and higher-level training opportunities.

6. Give learners genuine qualification choices: Ensure that 16–19-year-olds and adult learners across FE colleges, sixth-form colleges, adult education and apprenticeship programmes have access to appropriate GCSE and Functional Skills pathways.

We are not calling for GCSE standards to be lowered. We are calling for a more flexible system that recognises that learners demonstrate their knowledge and abilities in different ways.

A learner who has the potential to achieve GCSE Grade 4–9 should be supported to reach that standard. Equally, a learner who is better suited to Functional Skills should be able to achieve Level 2 and progress confidently without being made to feel that they have followed an inferior educational route.

Educational success should not be measured solely by the number of times a learner is entered for the same GCSE examination. It should also be measured by the development of meaningful English and mathematical skills that learners can apply confidently in further education, employment and everyday life.

As an experienced Further Education English practitioner, I have repeatedly observed the challenges learners face when their qualification pathway does not adequately reflect their starting point or learning needs. I believe that the experiences of FE practitioners, alongside evidence from learners and education providers, should inform the development of future qualification policy.

The Government should review the current system and introduce clearer, more flexible and genuinely inclusive English and mathematics qualification pathways that give every learner a fair opportunity to achieve, progress and succeed.