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Provider support manual:

Recording T Level and T Level Foundation Year

Recording T Level programmes on the ILR

How to record T Level programmes on the ILR

T Level programmes have mandatory components all of which must be recorded as funding model 25, source of funding (SOF) 107 and programme type 31 for the duration of the programme:

Programme Aim – every T Level programme must have a programme aim (ZPROG001) spanning the entire duration of the programme.

T Level qualification – this is the main technical qualification of the programme covering the core and specialist content. This qualification must be recorded for each T Level student by R04 of the first year of study and must be the core aim.

Source of Funding - If the learner turns 19 whilst undertaking their T Level, then they will continue to be recorded as funding model 25 and source of funding (SOF) 107 until they complete their T Level programme.

T Level qualifications all have the prefix 'T Level technical qualification in' on the find a learning aim service. They also carry the learning aim type code 1468 (T Level technical qualification) in the LARS database.

Occupational Specialism – every T Level student must choose an occupational specialism as part of their T Level programme. Although not a qualification in it’s own right it is important that institutions record the occupational specialism each student undertakes. We have set up learning aim class codes (all beginning ZTLOS) for each occupational specialism to enable clear recording.

The occupational specialism recorded will determine the level of funding the T Level programme attracts. The occupational specialism therefore, must be recorded in your data at the beginning of the first year of study.

However, the occupational specialism can be changed later in the year should the original choice change.

T Level Industry placement – every T Level student must undertake a substantial Industry Placement and this should be recorded using the learning aim ZWRKX003. This learning aim reference is specifically for T level industry placement activity.
This can be recorded in year 1 or year 2 of the T Level programme.

T Level planned hours – these should be recorded against every T Level student at the start of their programme in the planned hours field against the T Level programme aim only. T Level planned hours must be recorded for the whole programme.
This is different to 16-19 study programmes, where the planned hours are recorded only for the academic year.

The Programme aim must be recorded as Aim type code 1 and the T Level qualification aim must be recorded as the core aim using Aim type code 5. All other aims must be recorded as component aims using Aim type code 3. This includes the occupational specialism, industry placement (ZWRKX003) and Maths and English where required.

When a student moves to a different T Level (that is, one with a different technical qualification (TQ) ), you must:

Close the original programme aim and open another learning aim record for a new programme aim.

Close the programme aim and any learning aims that the student is no longer continuing with using Completion status code 3 and Withdrawal reason code 40. You may not need to close the aims on the original programme; if any aims are continuing as part of the new programme, you must not close them. Do not amend the Learning start date or Learning planned end date for these aims; you must not close aims if they are continuing. 

When opening new learning aim records for the TQ and the Occupational Specialism ensure these records match on the Framework code and Pathway in the LARS database as this match is validated.

For more detailed guidance refer to the Record your T Level data correctly in academic year 2024 to 2025  

The Industry placement learning aims must have a corresponding work placement entity record (or records if there are multiple episodes) which provides more detail about the industry placement.

Students can change the T Level technical qualification they are studying up to R14 of the first year of study, providing they have not been assessed on the original technical qualification recorded.

Recording T Level Foundation Years on the ILR

Recording T Level Foundation Year aims

T Level Foundation Years are a variant of 16-19 study programmes that can only be delivered and recorded by providers who have been selected to deliver T Levels and who have confirmed they are delivering the T Level Foundation Year in the same T Level route.

T Level Foundation Years don’t have the same mandatory component structure as T Level programmes. All learning aims within a T Level Foundation Year should be recorded as funding model 25, SOF107 and programme type 30.

All T Level Foundation Years must have a programme aim (ZPROG001) and this must be recorded as aim type 1.

All T Level Foundation Years must also have a core aim, which records the T Level route that the programme is preparing students for. This is recorded as a class code, which must be aim type 5. There are 11 route level class codes which can be found in the Find a Learning Aim service by entering ZTPR* in the learning aim reference search box. Where providers are delivering T Level Foundation Years covering more than one route, the learner's main route should be recorded as the core aim.

As T Level Foundation Years are a 16-19 study programme, you must record annual planned hours values in the Planned Learning Hours and Planned Employability, Enrichment and Pastoral hours fields.

You should not record hours for T Level Foundation Year students in the Planned Hours learning delivery field. This field is only used for T Level programmes.

Providers must also record the subsidiary learning aims being taken as part of the T Level Foundation Year, which should be recorded as a component aim, aim type 3. These learning aims should include, where relevant, any qualifications learners are taking, including English, Maths, or non-qualification activity.

Example 2: Recording a T Level Foundation Year

Learning Aim Reference and Aim Types:

  • ZPROG001 Generic code to identify programme aims aim type: 1

  • ZTPR0004 Education and Childcare aim type: 5 (core aim)

  • XXXXXXX GCSE English aim type: 3

  • XXXXXXX GCSE Maths aim type: 3

  • XXXXXXX Level 2 technical qualification aim type: 3

T level foundation year progression to a T level

Learner progression from a T Level Foundation Year to a T Level

Where a student completes their T Level Foundation Year, and progresses to a T Level programme, a new programme aim should be recorded.

If the Maths and English component learning aims are continuing, these must be recorded as new learning aims, with a date one day after the learning actual end date of the T Level Foundation Year.

See the Funding Streams page in the ILR documentation for information regarding collection requirements.

Further information about T Level and T Level Foundation Years can be found in the ESFA funding rates and formula guide.

The full guidance for How T Levels are funded is on GOV.UK