Fraser Whieldon | FE Week

Colleges demand urgent review into “biased” A-level grading process

The Association of Colleges has written to education secretary Gavin Williamson and Ofqual chief regulator Sally Collier calling for an “urgent” review into the standardisation process used for A-level results from larger centres. David Hughes, the association’s chief executive, writes in the letter it appears some colleges with larger numbers of A-level students have been […]

Top results for vocational qualifications see “small increase,” reports Ofqual

Ofqual has found the number of top grades awarded for certain vocational qualifications has had a “small” increase on last year, but say there has been no “sudden slip of standards or introduction of bias” due to measures introduced for assessments during the coronavirus pandemic. The exams watchdog, in an analysis of grades awarded for level 3 […]

A-level results 2020: Top grades up by 2.4 percentage points

The proportion of top A-level grades handed to students in England has increased by 2.4 per cent this year. But sector leaders have already warned of “volatility” among results at exam centre and student level, after teenagers began to receive their results today. The exams regulator Ofqual has reported that 27.6 per cent of grades […]

Sixth form colleges cry foul over standardisation as principals report problems with A-level results

The body representing sixth form colleges has demanded action after the vast majority of principals reported lower-than-expected A-level grades following this year’s moderation process. The Sixth Form Colleges Association fears its members have been disproportionately impacted by problems with the system which replaced exams this year, with almost half of principals reporting that overall, their […]

Key workers of tomorrow are taking their first steps today

On the day BTEC learners will be finding out their results, Cindy Rampersaud writes about how their skills will help the country rebuild. This year, 250,000 post-16 young people and adults will be receiving their BTEC qualifications. It is a time of anticipation, nervousness and hope but set against the unprecedented disruption caused by COVID-19 […]

Ofqual to provide guidance on “valid mock grades”

Ofqual has announced it will publish guidance on how colleges can use “valid mock grades” to appeal A-levels and GCSE results next week. The Department for Education confirmed late last night that some students will be offered the option to use grades given in mock exams instead of their standardised A-level and GCSE grades. The […]

DfE sets out plans to allow disappointed exam students to use ‘valid mock grades’`

Students will be given the choice of receiving a “valid mock grade” instead of their standardised centre-assessment grade under new plans for GCSE and A-level results announced by the Department for Education. The government has finally confirmed its plans after the proposal to use mock exam grades was briefed out to some newspapers last night, […]

University picked as preferred bidder to take over HS2 college at risk of insolvency

The national college for High Speed 2 looks set to be taken over by a university as part of a government review initiated after the FE commissioner warned it faced potential insolvency. The University of Birmingham has been announced as the preferred bidder to take on the National College for Advanced Transport and Infrastructure (NCATI), […]

Life support for traineeships – but what exactly are they?

The flagging traineeships programme was given a new lease of life by the government this week with a major funding boost to help combat youth unemployment post-Covid-19. But what exactly are traineeships and how are they run? FE Week has spoken with providers, employers and a former skills minister to find out… Chancellor Rishi Sunak […]