Billy Camden

  • What Ofsted found during their pilots of autumn visits

    Pilots of Ofsted’s autumn visits suggest that the FE and skills sector is more than rising to the challenges of these highly unusual times, writes Paul Joyce In July we announced that we would be carrying out visits across all the areas we inspect this Autumn – schools, further education and skills, early years and…

    12.52 Sep. 25th, 2020 | Opinion

  • Tripling traineeships: Large colleges refuse to rise to the challenge

    More than two-thirds of colleges in England chose not to run any traineeship programmes in 2018/19, FE Week can reveal. The news comes as some of the largest college groups say they have no intention to deliver the pre-employment scheme despite a significant funding rate increase and an extra £111 million to triple starts this…

    21.20 Sep. 24th, 2020 | News

  • 'Worrying': University groups voice concerns over Ofsted inspections

    Handing Ofsted powers to inspect degree apprenticeships is “worrying and unnecessary”, a university membership organisation has said. MillionPlus, which represents 24 “modern” universities, has expressed concern at the watchdog’s expertise to inspect the provision and called for inspectors to have mandatory HE academic employment experience in order to review university-based provision. It comes after FE…

    6.00 Sep. 25th, 2020 | News

  • A university learning experience is very different to what a typical inspector will be familiar with

    Ofsted doesn’t ‘get’ higher education, says Greg Walker, and is not the right regulator for degree apprenticeship courses. Inspectors don’t understand how they work – or how they are delivered Degree apprenticeships have been a significant success of the government’s aim to improve productivity and skills. They have been embraced by modern universities with long…

    5.00 Sep. 25th, 2020 | Opinion

  • Colleges exempt from new Covid rules on adult indoor sport

    New restrictions on adult indoor sports and five-a-side football will not apply to colleges if the activity is part of “education or training provision”, the government has confirmed. However, colleges have been told that indoor student-led sport during lunchtime, break or free periods “should be limited to groups of six or less”. All adult indoor…

    15.01 Sep. 24th, 2020 | News

  • College lobby boss keen on extension to break from Ofsted inspections

    Full Ofsted inspections shouldn’t restart until April 2021 at the earliest, the chief executive of the Association of Colleges has said. David Hughes tweeted today that the respite period should possibly even extend to next September while the inspectorate and sector decides “what adaptations might be needed to take into account Covid disruptions”. Ofsted’s normal…

    11.41 Sep. 23rd, 2020 | News

  • Apprenticeships will become unprofitable if ineligible costs excluded from funding bands

    The Institute for Apprenticeship and Technical Education’s new funding band proposals are a step forward, but still need to address the thorny issue of ineligible costs, writes Simon Ashworth  Consulting on funding rates for apprenticeships is a perennial but necessary hand grenade that will always prompt a lively debate.  But let’s credit the Institute for…

    14.50 Sep. 22nd, 2020 | Opinion

  • Government suggests schools and colleges relax phone bans to allow use of NHS Covid app

    The government has suggested that schools and colleges with bans on mobile phones relax their policies in order to allow students to use the NHS Covid-19 app. New guidance issued by the government even talks of the benefits of the use of smartphones by students during the school or college day, despite recent support from…

    17.48 Sep. 22nd, 2020 | News

  • Education sector appears exempt from new Covid restrictions in battle against second wave

    No changes have been announced for the FE sector despite a list of new restrictions for England. Prime minister Boris Johnson today unveiled a raft of tougher measures including the axing of “all adult indoor team sports” and five-a-side football, and an enforced 10pm closing time for pubs, restaurants and takeaways from Thursday. All workers…

    14.06 Sep. 22nd, 2020 | News

  • Minister’s office breaks apprenticeship recruitment pledge

    A pledge to fill all junior roles with apprentices until the end of December has already been broken by the Department for Education. Job adverts for three diary managers, who will work directly with ministers and the DfE’s permanent secretary, at executive officer level are currently live and state the roles can be filled by…

    17.25 Sep. 21st, 2020 | News

  • Ofsted wins battle to inspect ALL apprenticeships

    Ofsted will soon be handed powers to inspect all universities that offer apprenticeships – including the likes of Cambridge, FE Week can reveal. In a controversial move, the education watchdog is set to take on responsibility for overseeing all apprenticeships, including those at the degree levels of 6 and 7, for the first time. Only…

    20.39 Sep. 17th, 2020 | News