Service messages

Updated on [18/02/2025]

Welcome to our service messages area. This area is regularly updated with the latest information about our products, qualifications, processes and more.

We’ll also send you a monthly newsletter where we’ll highlight any key updates, and you can click through to this webpage to read the full details. We recommend bookmarking this page so that you can check back regularly for any updates!

February 2025

VTQ timely delivery of results 

• Thank you to all of you who completed your first term-time checkpoint. The window for the second term-time checkpoint will open on Monday 10 March 2025 and the deadline will be Friday 2 May 2025. Visit our timely delivery of VTQ results webpage next month for more information on the actions you need to take and where to find support.     

• From summer 2025 onwards, we’re bringing forward the completion date for EQA reviews to 30 June. Please contact your External Quality Assurer if you have any queries on this. Learners who do not require their result on results days in August don’t require a review by this date. If you haven’t yet booked your review, please contact your EQA as soon as possible to ensure availability. 

Key dates and reminders 

• Remember that you must register your learners within 90 days of their start date to avoid late registration fees. Please ensure you add your learners’ correct planned end dates at the point of registration. 

• It’s important we have the correct contact information for key colleagues within your centre. Let us know about any changes to contact details at your centre by filling out our change of centre contact details form.  

Qualification updates and withdrawals 

• View our latest Horizons document, featuring qualification updates and maintenance information including qualification withdrawals, new qualifications, and qualification amendments. 

Exams officers’ update 

• View this month’s update. 

Functional Skills 

• To support your planning, we want to update you on some changes we’re making to new paper introductions for Functional Skills qualifications. Read more. 

• Apprenticeship assessment changes: what you need to know.  Last week, the Government announced new flexibilities to apprenticeships. Read more.

T Levels 

• Download our standardisation pack from the Portal and remember to complete the mandatory standardisation and administration training by 28 February 2025. This training is applicable to providers that have Occupational Specialism (OS) bookings in summer 2025, and not those who’ve just started delivery in September 2024. Find out more. 

• View our latest T Level communications.  

V Certs 

• View our V Cert service messages. 

Supporting your delivery 

• Before you click that link, always think! Read our latest blog on protecting your centre against phishing scams. 

• Sign up now for our upcoming Assessor and Internal Quality Assurance training events to meet virtually with other professionals and expand your knowledge and understanding. If you have any questions on this training, please contact the team at [email protected]. 

Horizons archive

Explore our Horizons portfolio update from 2025 and beyond below to learn more about our current offer.