Billy Camden | FE Week

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 He has been replaced by Angela Noon […]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, […]

Independent review to check ESFA ‘remains effective’

An independent review has been launched to ensure the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) “remains effective into the future”, the government has announced. The review will look at the “operating model, governance, accountability and impact” of the organisation. It is part of wider programme of reviews into arm’s length bodies. The ESFA is accountable […]

Remote apprenticeship assessment to be made permanent option

Remote delivery of apprenticeship assessment will become a permanent option that providers can use beyond Covid-19, the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has announced. The institute said today that the apprenticeship flexibilities and temporary discretions introduced to support the sector through the pandemic will run until the end of 2021, but a number will […]

New Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education chair named

A life peer who stood in the London mayoral election for 2020 has been appointed as the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education’s new chair. Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith has been appointed by education secretary Gavin Williamson to serve in the post from 1 August 2021 for a period of five years. She replaces Antony Jenkins […]

Somerset Skills & Learning to make more redundancies after latest AEB tender debacle

Staff are being made redundant at a large community learning provider in Somerset after it was dealt yet another damaging blow from an Education and Skills Funding Agency tender. Somerset Skills & Learning was refused a £1.1 million contract in the recent national adult education budget (AEB) procurement, leaving the education of 300 people hanging […]