Ron Dearing UTC has announced the launch of its first T Level course during a fully booked Open Event.
The school announced it will be running a T Level course for the first time in the 2026-2027 academic year to a packed-out audience of prospective students and their parents and carers.
Launched in the UK in September 2020, T Levels are new technical equivalent to three A-levels which have been developed to bring classroom and workplace learning together, providing young people with the knowledge and skills employers are looking for.
Ron Dearing’s new Digital Software Development T Level course aims to give students a solid understanding of the fundamentals of computer science. Throughout the two-year course students will cover a range of topics including core programming fundamentals, data manipulation, website development and cyber security.
A key element of the course which sets T Levels apart from other technical qualifications is the industry placement, which requires students to complete 45 days or 315 hours working with an employer to gain real experience of the workplace.
Ron Dearing UTC will be working with its existing employer partners as well as potential new partners to facilitate the work placement portion.
Assessed by exam board Pearson, the course will include two written exams as well as two externally set projects.
The school’s Senior Assistant Principal for Digital and Computing, Zaeem Basit said: “This course is designed for students who know they want to pursue a career in the digital sector, giving them a firm foundation from which they can step into employment or higher education.
“One of the key benefits of T Levels is that they have a significant amount of hands-on practical work experience built into the qualification through an industry placement tailored to the digital sector. This creates lots of opportunities for students to put their learning into practice in real-world scenarios which enable them to consolidate and extend the knowledge they gain in the classroom.
“T Levels fit well with RDUTC’s educational philosophy in that they support students to build their transferable skills from the very start, providing them with opportunities to meet employers and business leaders, build their network and develop skills such as communication, teamwork and a strong work ethic.”
Following completion of the course students are able to progress into highly skilled employment, apprenticeships or higher-level study, including university, within the specialist area of digital software development. The qualification supports progression into job roles such as web developer, mobile app developer, games developer and many more.
The introduction of the course has been spearheaded by Zaeem who has seen first-hand the benefits T Levels have for young people.
He explained: “Before moving to Ron Dearing I worked at Leigh UTC, which was the first school in Southeast London to introduce T Levels. I was heavily involved with the introduction of the course there and developed it into a really successful scheme.
“We developed a catalogue of resources and built strong relationships with local, regional and national businesses. Many of the students have now gone on to secure highly skilled jobs in the industry, providing businesses with a pipeline of young talent.
“After seeing the success of the course at my previous school I knew it was something which would be a great fit for Ron Dearing too, and I’m excited to welcome our first cohort of T Level students next year.”
Prospective students who are interested in finding out more about the new T Level Digital Software Development course are encouraged to attend an upcoming Open Event. To book a place click here.