BTEC Nationals (2016) Results: New Qualifications & Popularity in 2021, Study notes of Business

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Providing Access to

High Quality Career

Focused Education:

BTEC Nationals (2016 - RQF) Results November 2021

Contents

• BTEC Nationals (2016) Results
• Introduction: BTEC L3 qualifications and Understanding the New BTEC Nationals Slides 3 -
• Learner Completions Slides 12 -
• Learner Achievement (Grade outcomes and technical reporting) Slides 21 -

BTECs are high quality, future-focussed qualifications that provide learners with the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to progress. Level 3 BTECs (equivalent to A Levels) are globally recognised and continue to be the most popular vocational qualification to support progress to university - approximately 50% of Level 3 BTEC graduates will continue into Higher Education with the rest going into employment, an apprenticeship or further study. Many of these students are taking their next steps into UK sectors that are currently suffering from a huge, and growing, skills gap. Included in the class of 2021 are many future healthcare professionals, engineers and construction workers who are so vital to the UK’s economy.

BTEC L3 qualifications

The approach to awarding grades this summer reflected the continued disruption that learners had faced to their teaching and learning due to the ongoing pandemic. The DfE and Ofqual, the regulator for both vocational and general qualifications, set the regulatory framework which all awarding organisations had to work within to award results. In line with the process for A level and GCSE results, schools and colleges were asked to determine a final ‘Q-TAG’ (Qualification-level Teacher Assessed Grade) for each of their BTEC students - a holistic judgement based on the evidence they have of the learner’s performance in the qualification. This evidence was from banked assessments that have already taken place, alongside alternative forms of evidence, like classwork, or mock assessments. Pearson conducted external quality assurance so that the grades awarded across the system can command confidence. It helps that teacher-led internal assessment has always been a large part of how BTECs are graded, so we used a repurposed version of this familiar and established assessment process to underpin the way we awarded qualification results this year. As in every year, there was an appeals process in place. * New reformed BTEC qualification first taught from 2016, containing external assessment

Awarding the BTEC Nationals (2016)* in 2021

BTEC Nationals (2016 - RQF) Overview The development of the new BTEC specifications (launched in 2016) was informed by talking to over 5,000 stakeholders, including teachers, students, universities and employers, and underpinned by research on the best education systems in the world. These qualifications retain their essential BTEC character - learning by doing - and have evolved to meet changing needs by including:

• some externally assessed units (practical tasks and written tests) which better prepare learners for university-level courses and taking professional qualifications in the future.
• a larger foundation of mandatory content studied by all learners, so employers and universities know what to expect from a BTEC- qualified candidate.
• The new BTEC specifications were developed to meet the requirements set by Department for Education (DfE) to be counted as App lied General and Tech Level qualifications, for example by including the required proportion of external assessment.
• Certain BTEC Nationals Specifications have been available for teaching since 2019 which are not Applied General and Tech Leve ls, but which are highly practical and progression focused. They feature large, flexible teaching modules and are 100% internally assessed. These include a small suite of 540 GLH Diplomas which are not included in the figures presented here.
• The information contained here gives some top-line indications of performance in what is the second or third year for some qualifications and the first year for others. Where this is the first year, and possibly also where this is the second, the patterns of registration and performance are likely to be atypical and not representative of future years.

Introduction: Understanding the BTEC

Nationals (2016)

Data definitions The results publication for the BTEC Nationals (2016) only reports outcomes for completed qualifications. This is different from the data rules used for the BTEC Nationals (2010) and the BTEC Firsts, where results are reported based on projected completions. This means these results for the BTEC Nationals (2016) refer to those people claiming this academic year rather than being dependent on a projected length of course. What is a completion? - In these results, a completion refers to qualifications where a learner has been awarded a grade for the qualification, which can include U (unclassified). What is a Pass? – These results also show figures for learners who have passed the qualification (achieved a Pass grade or above). Learners who have completed but not passed are awarded U. To pass, learners must have completed the qualification, passed the externally assessed units and achieved the required number of points on the mandatory units and the qualification as a whole. Rounding Numbers in these slides are generally rounded to the nearest multiple of 100. Smaller numbers may be rounded to the nearest 10.

Introduction: Understanding BTEC Nationals

(2016) Results

Providing students with knowledge and skills

required for career and lifelong learning

BTEC Nationals (2016): Supporting Student

Progression to HE, Career & Lifelong Learning

• Supports social mobility – access and progression
• Designed to be part of 16 / 19 curriculum, builds on Level 2 , aids progression to Level 4
• Different sizes for different learner profiles
• Supports and is largely funded for learners aged 19- 23 years
• Min. 40-60% mandatory content, developed in consultation with over 5,000 stakeholders
• Designed to be ‘Applied Generals’ (primary progression is Higher Education), and ‘Tech Levels’ (primary progression is to employment)
• Two sectors included in new Trailblazer apprenticeships (Construction, Engineering)
• Features employability skills aligned to those identified in ‘Future of Skills and Employment’ report
• Min. 30 - 40 % externally assessed (via a mix of exams and tasks)
• Contains internal assessment to develop and assess learners’ practical skills
• Learners must obtain a minimum points threshold across units to achieve the qualification

Learners prefer the BTEC National Extended Certificate as part of a broader curriculum Cohort Overview This graph shows the number of learners completing each of the qualification sizes in 2020/21. Each size saw a steady increase in 2020/ compared to the previous year, with the Foundation Diplomas seeing the most significant growth. The Extended Certificate is the most popular size qualification for the BTEC Nationals (2016). Most learners take it as a two year course. These qualifications are often taken alongside A levels to provide a broader curriculum, developing learners’ employability and soft skills.

Interest in Reformed BTEC is strong

Completions by region South East England has the highest number of learners completing the BTEC Nationals (2016) in 2021, closely followed by West Midlands and London. As registration volumes continue to increase, the distribution across regions remains similar from year to year.

The BTEC Nationals (2016) appeal to learners

nationwide

Completions by sector The five most popular BTEC Nationals (2016) in 2020/ are shown in the previous slide. This table shows how the number of learners has also grown in the 27 other sectors which had more than 250 learners completing courses in 2020/21.

Learners prepare for a wide range of careers

Completions in STEM sectors The most popular STEM subjects for completion in 2020/21 were Applied Science and IT. Other STEM subjects, including Applied Psychology, have seen significant increases in the number of completions. Completions increased across all STEM subjects as centres continue to transition across from the BTEC (2010) qualifications.

Students continue to complete a BTEC to

pursue careers in STEM

BTEC Nationals (2016): most popular 5 sectors for female learners by completion volume

Health and Social Care continues to be of great

interest to female learners

The number of learners completing qualifications in each sector was much greater in 2020/21 than in the previous year. The sector with the most female learners in 2020/21 was Health and Social Care, the same as in the previous year.

BTEC Nationals (2016): most popular 5 sectors for male learners by completion volume

Business remains of great interest to male

learners

The number of learners completing qualifications in each sector was much greater in 2020/21 than in the previous year. The sector with the most male learners in 2020/ was Business, the same as in the previous year.