The recent decision by the Department for Education in England to not approve GCSE and 'A' Level qualifications in ICT (Information and Communication Technology) has caused much dismay for ICT and Computing teachers and Heads of Department in secondary schools.

If you are are affected by this decision, then the first thing you must do is "sign" the digital petition at https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/111693. If 10,000 people put their names to it, my understanding is that the Government will reconsider. At the time of writing, there are around 3,500 signatures fewer than required. That's a great achievement, but this is one of those situations where there is either a pass or fail: 9,999 names = fail! So stop reading this, and go and sign that petition. Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere.

Oh, hello, welcome back! OK, as I was saying, in a spirit of pragmatism rather than defeatism, I've compiled a list of eligible alternative qualifications. I've done my best to make it as accurate as possible, but this is a case of caveat emptor, ie I can't be responsible for any decisions that you make based on it. It's just a starting point. Here's the link:

UPDATE: There is a more recent version of the document on the Free Resources page.

I hope you find that useful.

Please note: the information in the document is given in good faith. Please check for yourself before making decisions based on it.

Updated versions of this document will be publishedon the Free Resources page. However, to receive notification of an updated version in your inbox, sign up to the free newsletter, Digital Education, by clicking on the button below:

The reasons that the ICT qualifications are included even though we have been told that they will not be continued are as follows:

·         The 2017 list is the most up-to-date list available.

·         There will be a 2018 list coming out in December, which may exclude the ICT qualifications, but it is not out yet. It is not for me to try to second guess what will be in it.

·         As Yogi Berra said, "It ain't over till it's over", meaning that for all I know, the petition may be so successful that the ICT qualifications will be given a reprieve. If that happens, my excluding them now will prove to have been premature.

Like I say in the document itself, this document is simply intended to help you get started in the search for alternative qualifications, thereby saving you a bit of time hopefully.

If you subscribe to my newsletter, Digital Education, you can download a 20-point checklist to help you evaluate the suitability of different qualifications. If you haven't already subscribed, you'll find information about the newsletter and a sign-up form on the ICT & Computing in Education website at www.ictineducation.org/newsletters.

A brief survey

• What challenges have you experienced in implementing the Computing curriculum?
• What alternative qualifications to ICT have you considered or will be considering?

Pleas take a couple of minutes to complete a very brief questionnaire, the results of which are on open access. Thank you.