Jess Staufenberg | FE Week

Ofqual’s criticism of the government’s T Level plans gives me hope

The regulator agrees with many principals like me that the T Level reforms have serious flaws, writes Neil Patterson Reading Ofqual’s response to the government’s consultation over post-16 qualifications gives me hope. It echoes opinions that have been shared by many I know since the intended reforms were announced. I was part of the original […]

When I wear traditional Indian dress, people still react differently

In this third lockdown, we mustn’t forget the conversation around racism and diversity, writes Anita Lall “Women don’t do science”. “Asian girls don’t go to university”. These are just a handful of the phrases that I often heard growing up from my school and college teachers. The comments continued whilst at university from members […]

Here are 4 things the FE White Paper missed out

Verdict on the White Paper? Fine start but requires improvement, writes Stephen Evans “We must put employers’ needs for skills centre stage. We must make colleges and training providers more responsive to employers’ and learners’ needs, reaching out to more businesses and more people, and providing training in ways that suit them. “Creating a truly […]

I fear today’s FE White Paper is the worst of both worlds

Neither political capital or actual capital are backing up today’s FE White Paper, writes Jonathan Simons In 2009, while working in No 10, I worked with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on a White Paper called “Skills for Growth”. The White Paper committed to government working with local employers to develop “local […]

Never in 37 years have I seen colleges in the limelight like this White Paper

This White Paper is the first glimpse of where further education could be heading – for the better – writes Sally Dicketts Today’s eagerly awaited “Skills for Jobs” White Paper will be seen positively by the optimists in the sector and with disappointment by others. I sit in the first camp – I am full […]

The challenges facing 2021 exam grades are very different to 2020

Ofqual and the Department for Education didn’t want to make this decision around exam grades, and now face a daunting task, writes Tom Bewick Hard core Star Trek fans will know that it wasn’t Mr Spock that said to Captain Kirk, “It’s life, Jim, but not as we know it.” Instead, these famous lines first appeared in […]

The government made BTEC students like me feel we didn’t matter

BTEC students have been put on an exams rollercoaster since the start of this term, writes Fatma Shami Just days after the national lockdown was announced, I was told my exams were set to go ahead on January 12 and 13. I was very fortunate at my college to have my exams cancelled in the […]

Ofqual must urgently allow teacher assessed grades for apprentices

All the stops on teacher assessed grades are being pulled out for GCSEs and A-levels, but yet again apprentices appear to be forgotten, writes Jane Hickie Lockdown three means that the focus must again be on protecting learners and apprentices from losing their livelihoods or not completing their programmes. But the government’s current measures around apprenticeship […]

Polly Lovell

Jess Staufenberg meets a leader bending the UTC model to build the pipeline of post-16 technical learners In March 2016, Polly Lovell was standing in front of 20 people pleading for the life of UTC Plymouth. It wasn’t even officially hers yet – the leader had departed, she’d only been in the place for three […]