After the QCF: a new qualifications framework

This consultation explains how we propose to manage the withdrawal of the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) rules, and sets out the small number of new rules we propose to put in place instead. Lifting the rules means that high quality vocational qualifications can be designed around the needs of employers, rather than fitting to the prescriptive QCF rules. Our decision to withdraw the QCF rules was announced in December 2014 after we carried out a review of the QCF and a consultation last year.

We also consulted last year on requiring a more accurate and consistent approach to describing a qualification’s size. The findings from this consultation on Guided Learning Hours have now been published. The consultation we are publishing today sets out the regulations we propose to introduce to put accurate and consistent size measures in place.

Last year’s QCF consultation also proposed that we should introduce a simple descriptive framework to cover all the qualifications that we regulate. We propose that this will be known as the Framework of Regulated Qualifications (FRQ) and will describe general and vocational qualifications taken in England and vocational qualifications in Northern Ireland. This consultation sets out the regulations that we propose to introduce to support the effective operation of the new framework.