Northern Ireland 14 to 19 curriculum and funding

Welcome to Cambridge 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 Cambridge OCR qualifications.

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.

A list of the Cambridge OCR qualifications - GCSEs, A Levels 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.

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:

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

UCAS tariff points differ from the accountability performance points above.

The Department for Education in England is withdrawing funding for a range of Key Stage 5 vocational qualifications in line with its sector review of qualifications and those that have no or low enrolments. 

Northern Ireland is undertaking its own strategic review of the curriculum at Key Stage 4 and the Department of Education will confirm its direction of travel in due course.

At Key Stage 5 the Department for the Economy will consider the outcomes of the Curriculum and Assessment Review in England before deciding next steps for its post-16 curriculum.

All of OCR Level 3 Cambridge Technical qualifications currently available in Northern Ireland continue to be available. Please see our Cambridge Technicals funding guide for Northern Ireland for further details.

Cambridge Technical qualifications currently have a review date of December 2026 for Level 3 and December 2027 for Level 2. We will communicate any changes to these dates as necessary.

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

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

Call our Customer Support Centre on 01223 553998 or email support@ocr.org.uk and we will be happy to answer your queries.