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Welsh Pre-16 Funding Withdrawal and De-designation for UAL Qualifications

Written byUAL Awarding Body
Published date 20 March 2026

**'present tense - territory', Kentaro Okumura, 2025 MA Art And Science, Central Saint Martins, UAL**

We want to inform you of recent changes arising from Qualifications Wales’s (QW) Designation Policy. QW has taken the decision to defund and de-regulate qualifications that are currently designated for pre-16 learners in Wales where there is overlap with new VCSEs or GCSEs across Levels 1 and 2. This is in line with the Curriculum for Wales initiative which completes its roll-out in 2027. UAL Awarding Body are required to comply with this decision made by QW and Welsh government.

This policy change affects 18 of our qualifications.

From 31 August 2026, the following qualifications will no longer be eligible for pre-16 funding or designation.

QW QAN	Ofqual QAN	Qualification Title	Last Date for first registration	Operational end date
C00/1217/1	601/1819/2	UAL Level 2 Award in Performing and Production Arts	31/08/2026	31/08/2027
C00/1217/3	601/1790/4	UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma in Performing and Production Arts	31/08/2026	31/08/2027
C00/1217/4	601/6491/8	UAL Level 1 Diploma in Music, Performing and Production Arts	31/08/2026	31/08/2027
C00/1217/7	601/6464/5	UAL Level 2 Award in Music Performance and Production	31/08/2026	31/08/2027
C00/1217/9	500/9672/2	UAL Level 2 Award in Printmaking	31/08/2026	31/08/2027
C00/1218/0	500/7908/6	UAL Level 2 Award in Drawing	31/08/2026	31/08/2027
C00/1218/6	500/9675/8	UAL Level 2 Award in Photography	31/08/2026	31/08/2027
C00/1218/7	601/6489/X	UAL Level 1 Award in Music, Performing and Production Arts	31/08/2026	31/08/2027
C00/1219/9	601/6482/7	UAL Level 2 Diploma in Fashion Business and Retail	31/08/2026	31/08/2027
C00/1220/2	601/6481/5	UAL Level 2 Award in Fashion Business and Retail	31/08/2026	31/08/2027
C00/1222/9	601/3267/X	UAL Level 1 Diploma In Art, Design and Media	31/08/2026	31/08/2027
C00/4385/0	603/5302/8	UAL Level 3 Diploma in Creative Practice: Art, Design and Communication	31/08/2026	31/08/2027
C00/4385/1	603/5303/X	UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma in Creative Practice: Art, Design and Communication	31/08/2026	31/08/2027
C00/4754/2	610/0915/5	UAL Level 3 Extended Project Qualification	31/08/2026	31/08/2027
C00/4754/3	610/1061/3	UAL Entry Level 3 Certificate in Performing Arts	31/08/2026	31/08/2027
C00/4754/4	610/1060/1	UAL Entry Level 3 Certificate in Art and Design	31/08/2026	31/08/2027

From 31 August 2027, the following qualifications will no longer be eligible for pre-16 funding or designation.

C00/1222/3	601/1824/6	UAL Level 2 Diploma in Performing and Production Arts	31/08/2027	31/08/2029
C00/1222/4	601/3266/8	UAL Level 1 Award in Art, Design and Media	31/08/2027	31/08/2029

Please be advised that there is no change to designation and funding for 16-18 learners or 18+ learners for any of the qualifications listed and no qualifications are being fully withdrawn from the register. The change pertains solely to pre-16 learners only. We do not anticipate any impact on learners or the majority of our approved centres, as the affected qualifications currently have no active learners.

We will continue to support our centres throughout this period while overseeing the removal of designation and funding from these qualifications for pre-16 learners in Wales.

If you have any questions or require further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact us at qualdev.awarding@arts.ac.uk.