A vision for a coherent 14 to 19 education system

A coherent 14 to 19 education and training system in which schools have freedom to focus on vocational education and functional skills, students get careers advice that offers them “real choice”, and where it is culturally acceptable for learners to repeat a year.

This is the vision set out after a six-month inquiry into 14 to 19 education co-chaired by former chief inspector of schools Sir Mike Tomlinson.

The Skills Commission inquiry finds that government reforms since 2010 have failed to provide a coherent system of education and training or to give “sufficient learning options” for those not following traditional academic pathways.

Its report, One System, Many Pathways, published this week, claims that the Department for Education (DfE) has no explicit 14 to 19 strategy and calls on ministers to “recognise” a 14 to 19 system – rather than focusing on 14 to 16 and then 16 to 18.