Billy Camden | FE Week

Ofqual ‘pleased’ with ‘small’ number of penalties issued for cheating in vocational exams last year

More than 1,300 penalties were issued for cheating in vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) in 2019/20 – with the majority handed out for plagiarism as more students took internal assessments due to Covid-19. But the exams regulator Ofqual, which published the figures today, says it is “pleased” with the overall number because it is “small” […]

ESFA accused of ‘hidden agenda’ as AEB providers reveal ‘horrendous’ bid rejections

The government has been accused of using the adult education budget tender process to “manoeuvre its hidden agenda” of shrinking the private provider market – as leaders spoke out about “horrendous” bid rejections. Several long-running providers told FE Week they were left “infuriated” after their applications were denied owing to “missing” documents that were in […]

International college membership body appoints England-based principal as new chair

An England-based college principal has been named as the new chair of a global membership organisation for technical education and training. Dawn Ward, who leads Burton and South Derbyshire College, was appointed to the role at the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics (WFCP) yesterday. She replaces Craig Robertson, the chief executive of Technical and […]

No colleges to get CO2 monitors for at least three weeks

The Department for Education cannot say when colleges will get promised carbon dioxide monitors after the first delivery schedule showed that none would receive them within the next three weeks. Last month education secretary Gavin Williamson announced that his department would provide around 300,000 CO2 monitors to all state-funded education settings from September to help […]

DfE’s skills and productivity board chair replaced after a year

The chair of the Department for Education’s skills and productivity board has stepped down a year after being appointed to the role. Stephen van Rooyen (pictured left), an executive vice president at international broadcaster Sky, has left the position due to “family reasons”, a DfE spokesperson said today. He has been replaced by Angela Noon […]

Pandemic took significant toll on FE students, review reveals

Awareness of apprenticeships has declined, mental health has deteriorated and pass rates for adults from BAME communities took the biggest hit during the pandemic, according to a government-commissioned review of the FE sector. The International Public Policy Observatory (IPPO) published a rapid evidence review yesterday which pulled together studies on the harm done by Covid-19 to […]

Spending review: FE budget fears as departments asked to find ‘at least’ 5% savings

The Department for Education has been asked to find savings of “at least” 5 per cent, leaving it facing cuts that could amount to £4.5 billion and prompting fears of an impact on FE budgets. The Treasury announced this week that the spending review, a plan for public spending over the next three years, will […]

Covid: College attendance data collection to go weekly from October

Schools and colleges will be asked to submit Covid-19 attendance data to the government on a weekly rather than daily basis from October, it has been announced. The educational setting status form, which has provided the government with information about attendance and Covid-related absences throughout the pandemic, will reopen for the autumn term on Thursday. […]

GCSE and A-level 2022 exams grading plan will be confirmed in October, says Ofqual

A decision on how exams will be graded in 2022 will be announced next month, Ofqual has said. Ofqual chair Ian Bauckham told the Parliamentary education committee this morning that the regulator would confirm grading arrangements in October. But the outcome of a consultation on modifications to assessments next year is still potentially weeks away, […]