Billy Camden | FE Week

‘Nothing to fear’ if colleges brought into public ownership, says AoC chief in tense exchange with MPs

Colleges have “nothing to fear” about being brought into public ownership, the head of their membership organisation told MPs today as he refused to give a straight answer on whether he supports the potential move. Association of Colleges chief executive David Hughes was one of a number of witnesses to be quizzed by the education […]

Colleges need cash to employ ‘business innovation account managers’, says AoC

A lack of funding is holding colleges back from hiring “specific business innovation account managers” to help initiate an “innovation revolution”, a new survey has suggested. The Association of Colleges has today published research into the college sector’s role in supporting the development of new and existing businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Of […]

Ofqual calls time on estimated grades for BTECs and other vocational qualifications

Ofqual has ruled out the use of calculated grades to award vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) again. Following this year’s exams fiasco, the regulator ran a consultation on how to grade BTEC and other vocational learners next year should Covid-19 continue to disrupt normal assessments. The outcome has been published today and states that rather […]

College leaders called on to help prevent unnecessary surge in coronavirus testing

Principals have been urged to stop students and staff with a sore throat or headache from getting unnecessary coronavirus tests to prevent a surge in demand that could threaten the government’s testing capacity, health officials have warned. Demand for testing in Scotland saw a “huge increase” from people without coronavirus symptoms as schools went back […]

Full return to college ‘best for students’ as ‘no substitute for being in a classroom’

Skills minister Gillian Keegan asks colleges to continue to show the leadership they have throughout the pandemic and work with the government to ensure all students can make a full return this month There is always a sense of anticipation in the air ahead of the start of a new term. The excitement of a […]

Ofqual moots online tests as plan B for 2021 exams

Ofqual has confirmed exams will go ahead next year come what may, saying that it is looking at online tests as a ‘plan B’ incase of lockdown disruption. The regulator was quizzed on what the 2021 exam series will look like for year 13 students during an education select committee hearing this morning, particularly in […]

Ofqual and the exams fiasco: 8 interesting things we learned

Senior staff from the exams regulator were hauled infront of the education select committee today where they were grilled on this year’s results fiasco. Ofqual has been criticised for keeping quiet while chaos reigned on their now infamous grades-awarded-by-mutant-algorithm system, while ministers pushed blame their way. But the Ofqual team’s accounts seem to have shifted […]

Ofsted’s autumn visits: what FE providers need to know

Ofsted has today published further details about how their “interim visits” of FE providers will work this autumn. The watchdog stressed these will not be routine inspections and will not result in a judgement grade. The guidance follows an announcement in July that Ofsted would use a phased return to routine inspections, following a pause […]

Ofqual: ‘Fundamental mistake’ to believe algorithm grades would ‘ever be acceptable to public’

The “fundamental mistake” made by Ofqual throughout this year’s exams debacle was to believe that its calculated grades “would ever be acceptable to the public”, the regulator’s chair has said. Roger Taylor appeared in front of the education select committee this morning to answer for the errors made in deciding GCSE and A-level grades this […]