Defunded, Not Derailed: Mixed Study Programmes for 2026 | Episode Three

Science provision sits at the heart of learner progression into healthcare, engineering, laboratory sciences and a wide range of STEM careers. As qualification reform reshapes Level 3 pathways, colleges delivering science programmes face critical questions about how to maintain strong, accessible routes for their students.

Episode Three of the Cambridge OCR x FE News Live Show tackled this challenge head-on. The session brought together Cambridge OCR Science Subject Advisor Amy Brewer and FE News CEO Gavin O’Meara alongside two practitioners from Derby College, Curriculum Manager for Science Catherine Walls and Vice Principal for Academic Education Matt Ridgill.

A shifting landscape

The phasing out of large applied qualifications has particular implications for science departments, where broad programmes have traditionally supported learners pursuing a range of STEM destinations. With the recent announcement of V Levels, designed to be equivalent to a single A Level and allowing students to mix academic and vocational subjects, the direction of travel is becoming clearer, even if the full picture is still emerging.

The first V Levels in digital, education and finance are set to launch from 2027. While science is not among the initial subjects, the model signals how Level 3 provision may be structured going forward, and curriculum leaders need to be planning now for what that could mean for science pathways.

What colleges need to consider

The session explored the practical realities facing science departments as qualifications change. That included the options currently available, how colleges can design programmes that preserve strong progression into STEM degrees and technical careers, and what universities actually expect from students entering science-related courses.

There are also operational questions that matter: how do departments manage the transition when the qualifications they rely on are being defunded? How do you maintain learner confidence and recruitment in a subject area where the pathway is shifting beneath your feet?

Derby College’s Catherine Walls and Matt Ridgill brought direct experience of navigating these challenges, offering perspective from a college actively working through the implications for its science provision.

Building on the series so far

Episode Three built on the foundations laid in earlier instalments. Episodes One and Two explored the broader post-16 qualification reform landscape and how colleges can begin planning their curriculum response. This session applied those principles to a specific subject area, giving science curriculum leaders a focused discussion relevant to their planning.

Watch the episode

You can watch the full episode back now. This is the third instalment in a six-part series produced in partnership with Cambridge OCR, examining how colleges can navigate qualification reform across different subject areas.