College forced to stop recruiting apprentices

A college hit with an ‘inadequate’ Ofsted rating won’t appeal against the resulting ban from running apprenticeships, but says it will continue recruiting learners right up to the last minute.

The Skills Funding Agency started allowing bodies to apply to join the new register of apprenticeship training providers last October, but those with the lowest Ofsted rating for apprenticeships were banned from applying.

This means that Epping Forest College, which was rated ‘inadequate’ across the board, including for its apprenticeships, in a report published on January 6, will be unable to run them from May.

But unlike Bolton College, which appealed last autumn after receiving its own ‘inadequate’ rating for apprenticeships, EFC won’t be appealing.

We are going to do whatever we can to address the inadequacies with apprenticeships identified

The college’s recently appointed principal Saboohi Famili told FE Week: “We are not going to appeal. We are going to do whatever we can to address the inadequacies with apprenticeships identified, and aim to start running them again after we are next inspected – and the grade will hopefully improve.”

Asked if the college planned to keep on recruiting new apprentices until the cut-off date on May 1, she confirmed: “We will not take on any after May, but if there are any before we will take them on, yes.”

A spokesperson said the college, which was allocated £717,000 for apprenticeships for 2016/17 in September, said its existing apprentices would not be “adversely affected by the Ofsted inspection and their programmes continue as normal”.

Mark Dawe, the boss of the Association of Employment and Learning providers, did not like the college’s plan, and said it should be prevented from recruiting apprentices for the time being.

“The normal practice for independent training providers is to stop recruitment of new apprentices immediately after a grade four. Surely this shouldn’t be allowed to happen now for a college?” he said.

The Skills Funding Agency declined to comment, other than to say it “will continue to support existing learners under their college funding agreements”.

FE Week previously reported that Bolton had been in a similar situation to Epping Forest, after it was given a grade three ‘requires improvement’ overall rating by Ofsted in March 2015, but a grade four for apprenticeships.

Its principal Marie Gilluley wrote to the SFA, asking for the rules to be relaxed in its case.

She warned that “the use of the Ofsted grade alone, rather than more recent available data as an indicator of quality”, would have “serious consequences”, preventing Bolton from running apprenticeships.

“In our case the historic grade does not reflect the considerable improvement which has recently taken place,” she claimed.

When asked this week if the college, allocated just under £2 million for apprenticeships for 2016/17, had any update on the appeal, a spokesperson told FE Week: “At this point, there has been no formal feedback from the SFA.”

However, he added: “The college is looking forward to being inspected in the near future. In March 2015, we were graded three by Ofsted and informed that a reinspection would take place within 18 to 24 months.”

The government wants the new register to work alongside the existing register of training organisations.

Its rules state that providers are ineligible if they were rated inadequate for apprenticeships within the last three years.

They can still apply if they were ranked ‘inadequate’ overall, just as long as they received a grade three or above for apprenticeships prevision.

Winners from the National Apprenticeship Awards 2016 announced

Britain celebrated the best of its vocational education on Friday night, when the country’s top three apprentices and its six best employers were crowned the winners of the National Apprenticeship Awards.

London’s Grosvenor House hosted a ceremony with the theme ‘Nation of Champions’, which showcased the success stories of individuals and employers.

The victorious apprentices went through a tough process to make the finals, in which they had to demonstrate how they have benefited from their apprenticeship and detail their contribution to their employers’ business objectives.

Charlotte Blowers, from Exceed training academy and salon, won ‘intermediate apprentice of the year’, while Adam Sharp from nuclear decommissioning company Sellafield Ltd picked up the award for ‘advanced apprentice of the year’.

Holly Broadhurst, who works for manufacturer J C Bamford Excavators Ltd, was named ‘higher or degree apprentice of the year’. 

After these individual triumphs, six employers were then recognised for their commitment to apprenticeships at the 13th annual awards ceremony, which was once again run by the National Apprenticeship Service. 

‘Small employer of the year’ went to Ebsford Environmental Ltd, the ‘medium employer’ award was taken home by Troup Bywaters + Anders, and Mercedes-Benz UK won ‘best large employer’. 

‘Macro employer of the year’ was won by Mitie Group Plc, Craggs Energy Ltd was named as ‘best newcomer SME’, and the award for ‘newcomer large employer’ was snaffled by Bond Dickinson LLP. 

Sam Lee, head of recruitment at  Bond Dickinson, said his law firm took on apprentices because it was “the right thing to do; for social mobility, improved staff retention and for the future of our business”. 

The ‘apprentice champion’ award was then handed to John Clarke, a technical manager with BT. 

He was recognised for his commitment to apprenticeships, which included working evenings and weekends to organise career seminars and educational visits to inspire BT apprentices to “make the most of their programme”. 

Skills and apprenticeships minister Robert Halfon told everyone assembled he was “absolutely delighted” to be with them to “celebrate the magnificent achievements of employers and apprentices from up and down the country”.

Priestley Sixth Form College leading race to academise

The first sixth form college set to convert to academy status has announced it aims to make the change this spring – and will save itself more than £250,000 a year in VAT.

Priestley Sixth Form College says it has had strong local support for the decision, and has set the provisional conversion date for April 1.

In its initial consolation, which ran in October and November last year, over 80 per cent of 79 respondents supported the dissolution of Priestley SFC before it transforms into an academy.

Now the college has issued a new letter to parents and other stakeholders, calling for feedback on the next stage – converting and joining a new multi-academy trust called Challenge Academy.

If its potential member schools all agree, the new MAT will also be something of an anomaly amongst other established trusts, as it plans to include a faith school, following the results of a fresh local consultation.

Becoming a MAT will enable us to be more effective and cost effective, allowing us to invest more in teaching and learning for young people

Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High seems set to accompany Priestley College in joining the trust, alongside Penketh High, Beamont Collegiate Academy, Bridgwater High, Penketh South Primary and Great Sankey Primary.

The latest consultation will run until February 9, with two open evenings to be held to support the process, on January 23 and 30.

Priestley’s website suggests “the sharing of good practice between schools and the college” and the “potential of an even smoother transition for young people from school to college” as other possible advantages of the change.

“What we are finding is the more feedback we receive the more effectively we are able to dispel any myths there are surrounding becoming an academy,” said the SFC’s principal Matthew Grant.

“Becoming a MAT will enable us to be more effective and cost effective, allowing us to invest more in teaching and learning for young people.”

He added: “The ethos of each individual organisation is protected. The local governing bodies will stay so parents will still have a say in how the schools are run.”

James Kewin, deputy chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association, said his organisation was “keen” for its members to have the option to become academies, and that it was important for colleges to “choose the path that is right for them”.

He said: “Priestley College is an outstanding institution in so many respects, and has developed a compelling case for academisation – it is clear that this will help the college to drive up standards in local schools and aid the transition of young people from school to college.”

FE Week first reported Priestley College’s plans in October 2016, when the SFCA revealed that around 65 of the country’s 93 SFCs were exploring converting to an academy as “plan A or B”, following recommendations in their area reviews.

Ofsted reports require improvement

Quality checking of Ofsted reports is not robust – they are far too variable in both form and content, says former Ofsted HMI Phil Hatton.

Last week’s FE Week story about Ofsted backtracking on its report into Yeovil College exemplifies the way it does not pay enough attention, post-inspection, to ensuring that reports read well and accurately explain what lies behind their judgements.

Reports go through moderation, sometimes by part-time inspectors, for judgements, grades and clarity. However Ofsted does not always ensure publication readiness before the report publication button is pressed.

The now defunct Adult Learning Inspectorate, which merged with Ofsted in 2007, had professional editors in place, who as part of their professional development, went out on inspections to familiarise themselves with inspection procedure and the terminology of further education. They challenged inspectors if anything written was unclear or likely to be viewed as contentious.

The clarity of the resultant reports helped providers understand what they needed to address post-inspection in order to improve. Other interested readers could also quickly grasp what constituted a weakness and eliminate it from their own provision.

Inspection should be done with providers, not to them

Inspectors were also taught to identify but not attribute blame for financial or quality problems. Anything wrong in an organisation is ultimately, fairly obviously, down to the leadership and management.

The quality checking of Ofsted reports is currently not robust enough and while the shorter report format is easier for inspectors to write, less time is now allowed for lead inspectors to get their judgements right.

Front-page summary overviews for ‘good’ providers are variable – one published last week listed nothing but strengths, while another had four weaknesses after the strengths. As many readers only look at front-page findings, these two ‘good’ providers looked fairly different to casual observers.

The ends of short reports sometimes reflect the number of inspectors in the team, but other times just names the lead inspector. One report published in the last few weeks had a clear warning in the header that the report was a draft and not for sharing before publication. Others have had the same warning in a watermark across the report.

But of greater concern is the inconsistency in report judgements. In the section ‘what does the provider need to do to improve further?’ just stating ‘improve success rates’ is not by itself sufficient, when better inspectors break down the actions required in order to achieve this.

How can apprenticeships be ‘good’ if a weakness such as ‘the proportion of apprentices who achieve within the planned timescale remains low’ is present?

How can apprenticeships be ‘good’ if a weakness such as ‘the proportion of apprentices who achieve within the planned timescale remains low’ is present? How about something like ‘no staff Prevent training has occurred’, even though the judgement on safeguarding is found to be effective?

Inspection nominees need to be aware of how to effectively fight their corner by keeping thorough notes of feedback during inspection.

The sector should have reports that adhere to minimum quality standards. These reports are how the public sees providers until their next inspection. At the moment, providers are given two days, regardless of their size or the result of the inspection, to read the report and comment on the factual accuracy.

Some have had extras added, not fed back during inspection, presumably to back up a grade or moderation decision, without the chance to challenge that they would have had, were it raised during the inspection. Any provider comments are then shared with the lead inspector (or should be) to see if they agree to any suggested changes.

I suspect that at this stage, Ofsted takes the attitude that providers are trying to change the report findings, rather than bring them into line with what they were told on inspection.

Perversely, the next time the provider is inspected, the Ofsted team will base much of their planning and improvement judgements on a possibly flawed previous report. Inspection should be done with providers, not to them, right up to report publication.

Hopefully with a new chief inspector, the impact of reports on helping drive improvement will be revaluated. I have yet to meet the leader of any college or independent provider I work with who does not think that Ofsted reports require improvement, especially when used for the purpose of identifying sector good practice.

 

Phil Hatton is lead consultant at the Learning Improvement Service

It’s time we talked about lifetime learning

Almost a year ago George Osborne used his budget speech to commit the Government to a review that, at the time, many of us hoped would catalyse a comprehensive national conversation about the role of adult learning in modern Britain.

The signs were good, with the budget report containing this eminently sensible promise: “As working lives lengthen and jobs change, adults will need more opportunities to retrain and up-skill […] To promote retraining and prepare people for the future labour market, the government will review the gaps in support for lifetime learning, including for flexible and part-time study.“

Since then, however, with little debate on the issue in the House of Commons, and no public consultation, it appeared to be taking place behind closed doors.

Light was finally shone on the illusive review of lifetime learning last Friday, in an adjournment debate on ‘Night Schools and Adult Education’ called by Labour’s David Lammy, who proclaimed “the Government’s [post-16 skills] plan promised to outline a plan for lifetime learning by the end of 2016, but it did not appear”.

Halfon could choose to be radical

In his response, the skills and apprenticeships minister, who could easily have skipped over the question without consequence, provided a little insight. Robert Halfon admitted it was very much alive, and said the government would “soon bring forward potential policy options from the current review”. He also listed its priorities as “meeting our skills deficit, helping the socially disadvantaged and the community, being as widespread as possible, given the funding pressures, and being good quality.”

For me, the minister’s response ticks a lot of boxes so I’m looking forward to seeing what gaps and policy options have been identified. Furthermore, I see the publication of further policy options for lifetime learning to be particularly timely, now that the prime minister has announced ‘hard’ Brexit, which should force the government to examine the ‘competitiveness’ and skills need of the domestic population.

For me, the government’s lifetime learning options should recognise four interlinked realities. Firstly, the skills deficits the minister talked about, and people’s lifetime learning needs in modern Britain, can’t be solved by apprenticeships alone. I don’t expect, or want, a sudden abandonment of the three million target at all, but instead hope that the government places value on other types of adult learning.

Far too many people don’t see learning as being for them – even though these are often those who have most to gain

Secondly, far too many people don’t see learning as being for them – even though these are often those who have most to gain. the Learning and Work Institute’s ‘Adult Participation in Learning’ surveys consistently show that participation in learning is determined by, among other things, education levels. In other words, you’re more likely to see adults in learning who already have qualifications than those without. This is a big challenge and will need much more policy integration between employment support programmes and the sector.

Thirdly, ‘lifetime’ must mean something. The minister could choose to be radical here and publish options that move the way we organise and fund education away from a system in which you might have ‘spent’ all of your entitlements by the age of 19. Devolved budget holders could be empowered to do things differently and improved learning accounts could resurface, with links to savings incentives or pensions.

Finally (for now at least), the government has promised a consultation about how to make basic digital skills training free to all adults who need it, which is welcome. But there also needs to be a strategy to tackle the UK’s poor performance on other basic essential skills. It is frankly embarrassing that one in five adults struggles with poor numeracy and one in six struggles with poor literacy in one of the richest countries in the world.

We must recognise that for a lot of people we want in learning, including older people, just walking into a college and enrolling on a course is not as straightforward as you might think, and that community learning is often the vital first step to gain the self-confidence and belief that learning has huge benefits for them.

I hope I am right and that it is finally time for a serious conversation about lifetime learning.

 

Shane Chowen is head of policy and public affairs at the Learning and Work institute

Concerns over Institute for Apprenticeships readiness justified

Widespread concerns over whether the Institute for Apprenticeships will be ready to police the brave new world of apprenticeships post-April seem increasingly justified.

Peter Lauener is a highly experienced and respected leader, who probably understands the intricacies of the new system better than anyone.

It would be hard to argue against his role as shadow chief executive of the IfA being made permanent, if he didn’t have both the nation’s skills funding agencies to run at the same time.

There’s a danger that launching without a long-term boss, or even a deputy, will provide encouragement to people looking for opportunities to take advantage of a system in transition.

It’s creating an impression, fair or not, that things are being left to drift – and the government’s reluctance to even say whether any board members have been appointed doesn’t help.

This needs to be addressed fast. The new apprenticeships system needs to get off to a good start, with a powerful and respected IfA helping to build prestige from there.

Movers and Shakers: Edition 196

Your weekly guide to who’s new, and who’s leaving.

Catherine Dixon has been appointed chief executive at Askham Bryan college, one of the largest agricultural and further education colleges in the UK.

With its main campus based in York, the college also has sites in Newcastle, Wakefield and Cumbria, offering courses in land-based skills such as agriculture, horticulture, animal management, equine and forestry.

A solicitor by profession, Ms Dixon takes up the role from her position as chief executive of the Law Society, a representative body for solicitors in England and Wales.

Prior to this, she has held roles as chief executive of the NHS Litigation Authority, general counsel and company secretary at children’s charity NSPCC, and commercial director at BUPA Care Services. 

Originally from Hull, Ms Dixon spent almost four years in Canada where she was a director of the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, and an outward-bound instructor.

She says she is “very excited to return to the north, particularly Yorkshire” as a result of the new appointment, and hopes to use her past experience “to assist the college during this important phase of its development”.

Ms Dixon claims she is most looking forward to “meeting with the staff and students” and finding out more about the courses and activities the college currently has on offer. 

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Peter Cooper has been named as principal designate of Hereford sixth-form college.

He is currently deputy principal at the college, and will take up the role in August, following the retirement of existing principal, Jonathan Godfrey.

Mr Cooper, a chemistry graduate from Nottingham University, worked in Kenilworth high school and Priestley College in Warrington prior to arriving at Hereford Sixth Form in 1998.

Speaking of his appointment, he said: “It is a real honour to be asked to be the fourth principal of this wonderful college and I would like to pay tribute to Jonathan Godfrey for his role in its development. 

“I am extremely proud to have been part of this journey and I will ensure that the values and commitment that led to our success are continued. We have an impressive story and I’m looking forward to helping to shape the next chapter.”

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After 11 years as a governor and five years as chair at Bracknell and Wokingham College, Robin Cops has stepped down, passing the baton to incoming chair, David Cook.

The succession took place at the end of the college’s full corporation meeting in December.

Speaking of his retirement from the role, Mr Cops said it had been a privilege to “see the raising of standards over the last five years so that the college now enjoys the best FE results in the whole of the Thames Valley region.”

He added that he was proud of the staff at the college and all they did to “help every learner achieve their full potential”.

His role as chair at the Bracknell-based college will be taken by Mr Cook, who says his passion for education for all stems from his own humble beginnings.

“Being the son of a miner, and seeing how important education was for a good start in life, I want to serve the college and continue to deliver its mission – right at the heart of our community.”

 

If you want to let us know of any new faces at the top of your college, training provider or awarding organisation please let us know by emailing news@feweek.co.uk

FEATURE: Young developers create chart-topping PC adventure game

Three young games developers from Oxfordshire have made a splash in the online gaming world after their first ever release received worldwide support and topped an indie gaming hot list. Samantha King reports.

For most people, the Christmas break is a time of eating, drinking and relaxation, but for three Banbury and Bicester college students, it was the chance to develop and launch a PC adventure game. 

Matthew Hill, Lewis Taylor and Oliver Coulling-Green all study an extended diploma in games development at the college’s Banbury campus, and using skills learned on their course created free-to-download PC game called ‘Realm of Rulers’.

The medieval fantasy game tasks players with building a city, and managing its resources and population in order to create a world that controls itself.

The three uploaded their creation onto Game Jolt, an online community for indie games, and within just two days had topped the site’s ‘hot games’ list, receiving 4,000 plays and nearly 7,000 views from gamers around the world – with more following on.

Screenshots from the game

Matthew Hill, 17, one of the developers, said: “We began to create the game in December, as we had already completed our college assignments in the run-up to Christmas. Over the break we worked on making it as presentable and playable as possible, and uploaded it to Game Jolt just to see what kind of reaction it got.

“You can upload games with early access, which means they aren’t yet complete but are open for people to try and give feedback on. We weren’t expecting much but it has just exploded. Seeing the number of plays and views go up so rapidly was amazing.”

Word of the new game has been spreading fast in the online world, with fans of the game recording themselves playing it, and posting it to their YouTube channels, amassing thousands of views. It has also been a particular hit with players in Russia, who make up a substantial amount of the site’s fan-base.

The trio are now working on building new elements for the game in order to improve user experience and maintain interest levels. 

Currently, the game has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5, making it one of the best-ranked games on the Game Jolt site, something that is more than just a personal achievement for the three students.

Oliver Coulling-Green, 18, said: “We all want to go to university to continue to study games design and development, so having this as part of our portfolio is a big bonus. The most valuable thing is being able to show that you have had so much engagement from players, beyond your own friends and family, and been able to take on board feedback to make improvements.”

 

Featured picture: Game boys (L-R): Lewis Taylor, Mathew Hill and Oliver Coulling-Green

Students take on premier league footballers in a game of powerchair football

Elite powerchair football students from Queen Alexandra college have taken on some famous faces from the footballing world to celebrate the launch of the college’s newest sport course.

The Birmingham-based college recently launched its Elite Powerchair Football programme for young people with high needs aged 16-24, who use either a powered or manual wheelchair.

Students played in a friendly match against Albion Foundation, finalists in the powerchair footabll Champions League, and even took on a group of West Bromwich Albion players, including Ben Foster, Claudio Yacob and Salomon Rondon, winning the game 6-0.

The new course involves 12 training hours per week – the recommended time for elite performance – plus a timetabled programme of vocational qualifications, independence, employment and functional skills.

Working in partnership with registered charity, the Albion Foundation, the course is the first collaborative powerchair football study programme of its kind in the UK.

 

Main image: Powerchair students with West Bromwich players