Over the past year, [the National Foundation for Educational Research] NFER has been undertaking research on T Levels focusing on providers' preparations for the delivery of the first T Levels in Digital, Construction, and Education and Childcare, which are being delivered from September 2020. Our survey of over 700 senior leaders and classroom teachers found that, whilst most senior leaders were aware of T Levels, there was much lower awareness amongst classroom teachers. Around two-fifths of classroom teachers had heard of these new qualifications. In addition, the vast majority of respondents who were aware of T Levels were not well informed about them. As teachers can play an important role in raising the awareness of students and their parents/carers of post-16 options, more progress in informing schools about T Levels is needed.

T Levels are a major part of the Government's reforms to strengthen England's skills system by improving vocational and technical education. These two-year technical programmes for young people aged 16 to 19 years will combine classroom theory, practical learning and an industry placement. This qualitative research provides an independent evidence-informed picture of how provider organisations are preparing to deliver the first three T Levels in Digital, Construction, and Education and Childcare, from September 2020. The research involved in-depth, semi-structured interviews with senior/middle leaders with organisation-wide responsibility for T Levels in half (25) of the first 50 providers of the three T Levels. We additionally interviewed ten senior sector representatives with extensive knowledge of vocational and technical education.

Amid the challenges of teacher recruitment, the retention of early career teachers has become even more crucial for schools. Matt Walker and Suzanne Straw consider how the teaching profession can effectively support and retain early career teachers

Process evaluation of four strands of the maths and physics supply package, with recommendations for evaluation of the full programme.