Billy Camden | FE Week

Ofqual seeks views on plans for teachers to estimate GCSE and A-level grades

The sector has just days to respond to an Ofqual consultation on its plans for teacher calculated GCSE and A-level grades. Views on the exams regulator’s “exceptional arrangements”, put forward following the cancellation of this summer’s exam series, need to be submitted by 29 April. The consultation covers several areas including how the regulator should […]

DfE cancels achievement rates publication in 2021 for all providers

The government will not publish provider-level achievement rates for the current academic year due to the coronavirus crisis. However, the Department for Education will “still consider” publishing the national data. The achievement rates in question are for 2019/20 – where learners are due to pass between 1 August 2019 and 31 July 2020 – and […]

College loses £91k after ending the wait for a favourable Nigerian exchange rate

A college tied up in a long-running legal dispute with a Nigerian State has accepted a loss of £91,000 after clearing out their Nigerian bank account. Portsmouth-based Highbury College has been holding onto cash that was paid in the currency of Naira, previously estimated to sit at around £400,000, for a number of years. The […]

Full steam ahead as T-level qualification content launched

Jennifer Coupland reflects on the launch of the first technical qualifications (TQs) for T-levels and how they will be taught from September The impact of Covid-19 on training providers and schools is a major consideration in all our work. But though it’s right to focus on the crisis now, we also have an eye to […]

T-level content finally published as minister says most colleges ‘wanted to continue’

The long-awaited content for the first three T-levels is set to be published as the skills minister pleads with providers to not pull out of delivery in light of the coronavirus crisis. Gillian Keegan has sent a letter to the sector making it “clear” that the government is “fully committed” to delivering the first of […]

College apprenticeship provider cuts staff wages by 25% to ‘buy time’

Staff at a college owned apprenticeship provider have taken a 25 per cent pay cut for the next sixth months to keep the business afloat during the coronavirus crisis. Matt Garvey, the managing director of the West Berkshire Training Consortium part of Basingstoke College of Technology, told FE Week this “drastic” measure was taken by […]

Ofqual’s announcement today is ‘sensible, positive and fair’

The government’s decision to allow providers, rather awarding organisation assessments, to determine which of their learners have passed functional skills and other vocational is an enormous relief, says Mark Dawe. What great news before Easter from Ofqual – our first Easter Bunny spreading cheer. Calculating results based in part on teacher, trainer or tutor judgements […]

Ofqual to announce teachers will ‘calculate’ BTEC and other qual results but delay detail

Teachers will calculate student grades for the majority of cancelled BTEC and other vocational qualification exams, but a full list of those in scope will not be ready until after Easter. In a briefing to the FE sector this morning, Ofqual said that vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs), such as BTEC Nationals, Cambridge Technicals, UAL […]

Teachers to estimate functional skills results this summer

Results for this summer’s cancelled functional skills exams will be based on teacher calculated grades, Ofqual is set to announce. They will follow the same format being adopted for grading GCSE and A-level students who can’t sit their tests due to the coronavirus crisis. Ofqual revealed the move in a briefing to the FE sector […]