Author: Billy Camden

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 […]

Plans to remove the controversial MBA component attached to the level 7 senior leader apprenticeship standard have been revealed. The employer group behind the programme has “revised” its content following a review ordered by the education secretary Gavin Williamson, who said in February he was “unconvinced” it was in the “spirit” of the apprenticeships programme […]

Colleges have been urged by their membership organisation to pay exam fees to awarding bodies this summer following the cancellation of GCSE and A-level exams. A joint letter from the Association of Colleges and Federation of Awarding Bodies states that this action should be taken to “protect all parties” during the coronavirus crisis. It adds […]

The Education and Skills Funding Agency’s director of apprenticeships, Keith Smith, is leaving the role later this month. He will move to the Department for Education as its new director of post-16 strategy. Smith will be replaced by Peter Mucklow, who is currently the ESFA’s director of further education. Eileen Milner, chief executive of the […]

The Association of Colleges has called on Ofsted to suspend all inspections until at least January 2021 owing to the disruptions caused by coronavirus. The membership organisation says scheduled inspections should only go ahead where specific concerns have been raised about safeguarding or an inspection is requested by a provider. Last month Ofsted announced it […]

College staff do not require personal protective equipment, new government guidance has stated. The guidance also warns cleaning items such as soap “may be rationed” as the supply chain dries up, and rules out any future coronavirus testing for all educational staff. A document on ‘implementing social distancing in education settings’, updated this morning, states […]

Twenty four apprenticeship providers have been suspended from taking on new starts after receiving poor Ofsted ratings so far in 2020. In accordance with Education and Skills Funding Agency rules, any new provider found to be making ‘insufficient progress’ in at least one area of an early monitoring visit from the inspectorate will be temporarily […]