16 to 19 English and Maths Funding Overhaul: What You Need to Know

The Big Investment

The Department for Education has unveiled major changes to maths and English teaching requirements for 16-19 education in England, with significant implications for educational institutions starting in 2025/26. The reforms focus on ensuring students receive comprehensive support in these essential subjects through structured, in-person teaching.

Major Changes Coming

The cornerstone of these changes is the introduction of mandatory minimum teaching hours. Full-time students must receive 100 hours each of maths and English teaching throughout the academic year. For part-time students studying up to 485 hours, this requirement is prorated to approximately 84 hours per year for each subject.

Delivery must be through stand-alone, whole-class, in-person teaching. While institutions can offer additional support through small group sessions or online learning, these won’t count toward the minimum requirement. The government is also encouraging an extra 35 hours of maths teaching annually, though this won’t be monitored for compliance.

Tolerance and Funding

The ‘tolerance’ level – the percentage of students institutions can exempt from these requirements without funding penalties – will decrease from 5% to 2.5%. This change will impact funding allocations in the 2027-28 academic year, with institutions facing reduced funding if they exceed this threshold.

Special Provisions

Students with Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans receive additional flexibility. Institutions can deliver their teaching hours through alternative formats, including small group or embedded learning, particularly beneficial for those on Supported Internships.

What This Means For You

Educational Institutions will need to:

• Review their timetabling and resource allocation
• Ensure compliance with the new in-person teaching requirements
• Plan for data submission through either ILR or school census
• Prepare for risk-based compliance audits

Students will benefit from:

• More structured support in maths and English
• Consistent in-person teaching
• Flexible delivery for those with EHC plans
• Better progression opportunities

Looking Ahead

Institutions should start planning for these changes now, particularly regarding staffing and timetabling. The success of these reforms will depend on institutions’ ability to integrate these requirements while maintaining educational quality across all areas.

These changes represent a significant shift in post-16 maths and English education delivery. While challenging to implement, they aim to improve student outcomes in these crucial subjects and better prepare young people for further education and employment.