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Northern Ireland 14 to 19 curriculum and funding

Welcome to OCR Policy’s dedicated Northern Ireland page. This page looks at where government education policies in Northern Ireland differ to those in England and what this means for schools, colleges and OCR qualifications.

What is the Entitlement Framework?

The Entitlement Framework is at the heart of Northern Ireland's Department of Education (DE) and Department for the Economy (DfE) 14 to 19 education policy. It aims to provide access for all students to a broad and balanced curriculum that enables them to reach their full potential, regardless of which school they attend or where they live.

Can OCR qualifications be used within the Entitlement Framework?

A list of the OCR qualifications - GCSEs, A Levels, Cambridge Nationals and Cambridge Technicals - that can be used in the delivery of the Entitlement Framework is available to download. This list is updated annually.

Only the listed qualifications are approved for use in schools in Northern Ireland and it is the responsibility of schools to check that approvals are in place before any course is offered to students.

If schools wish to offer a qualification that does not appear on the current list, they can seek approval from the Department of Education.

Key stage 4 performance points

Performance points scores at age 14 to 16 in Northern Ireland are reported on a 0–58 scale with the following points assigned to each grade:

Points (NI) GCSE NI (A*–G) GCSE 9–1 OCR Cambridge National Certificate
16 G 1  
19     Level 1 Pass
22 F    
28 E 2 Level 1 Merit
34 D 3 Level 1 Distinction
40 C 4 Level 2 Pass
43 C* 5  
46 B 6 Level 2 Merit
52 A 7, 8 Level 2 Distinction
58 A* 9 Level 2 Distinction*

Key stage 4 curriculum and funding changes

ICT GCSE was withdrawn from the 2019 (14 to 16) English performance tables. We will be withdrawing this qualification due to the lack of demand. September 2019 will be the last two year cohort. Two alternative products are our Cambridge Nationals in Creative iMedia and Information Technologies.

Key stage 5 performance points

Performance points at age 16 to 19 in Northern Ireland are reported on a 0–300 scale for one A Level size qualification (360 guided learning hours) and multiples of this for larger qualifications are set out below:

Points (NI) A Level Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate/Introductory Diploma (360 GLH)
300 A*  
270 A Distinction*
240 B  
225   Distinction
210 C Merit
180 D  
165   Pass
150 E  

Further information on performance points is available from the Department of Education.

UCAS tariff points differ from the accountability performance points above.

How do the changes to post–16 qualifications in England impact on Northern Ireland?

Ahead of a wide-ranging review, the Department for Education in England is withdrawing funding approval for a range of key stage 5 vocational qualifications which do not feature any external exam component.

In all cases, there are alternative versions of these qualifications, which do include external examinations and continue to be funded in England and appear on England’s 16 to 19 performance tables.

However, as Northern Ireland has devolved administration arrangements, decisions to remove funding approval in England do not affect the availability of these qualifications in other parts of the UK.

All of OCR Level 3 Cambridge Technical qualifications continue to be made available in Northern Ireland. Qualification review dates are summarised in the summary brochure.

We will continue to keep you informed of any changes regarding the impact of the DfE post–16 review.

Can OCR help with professional development?

We have a range of events and materials for you to book or download.

We are committed to supporting our centres in Northern Ireland. We have recently held a 14 to 19 curriculum event to meet with centres delivering our qualifications. The event attracted over 40 schools and colleges, providing the opportunity to hear about policy changes in England and the impact on Northern Ireland curriculum delivery.



Where can I find more information on Northern Ireland-related matters?

Call our contact support centre on 02476 851509 or email on vocational.qualifications@ocr.org.uk and we will be happy to answer your queries.

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