Sector leaders should expect sage advice on how to excel in all areas from the new FE Commissioner, now that his former college has come out on top in FE Week’s first ever rankings table.

Exeter College, which was led by Richard Atkins CBE until he retired in March, scored a perfect 16 in our new survey, making it officially the most successful college in England based on a number of key criteria published by the Department for Education.

Three other colleges narrowly missed out on the top spot, with Kendal College, Selby College and Eastleigh College scoring 15 points each.

All four of the top-scoring colleges have been rated ‘outstanding’ at their most recent Ofsted inspections.

Exeter’s current principal John Laramy told FE Week that he was “delighted” that the college’s “unremitting focus on outstanding teaching, learning, employer engagement and the student experience has been recognised by this accolade”.

Our success is down to our focus on individuals

“We have great students and a great team of staff,” he said. “I would like to thank everyone – partners, employers, students, staff, leaders, governors and stakeholders – all of whom have contributed to our ongoing success.”

Mr Atkins took up the reins as FE commissioner from Sir David Collins earlier this month, leaving a college he headed between 2002 and 2016 – which means he was in charge for the period that our data covered. 

FE Week’s ratings are based on four measures: 2016/17 adult apprenticeships allocations as a percentage of all adult funding, employer and learner satisfaction scores, and destination data (specifically a college’s success at getting unemployed learners into work).

All 213 colleges in the country were awarded a score of between zero and three points based on their performance in each category, with an additional volume-based bonus point available per measure. 

The points system was devised by Nick Linford, FE Week’s editor and a former director of performance at Lewisham College. 

He said: “The government previously considered scoring colleges via what they called ‘a balanced scorecard approach’ within the Framework for Excellence.

“This has now become FE Choices, but no overall score was ever implemented until now.”

As reported in last week’s edition, Selby College has been the best in the country at helping its unemployed learners into work, according to the latest destination data published by the DfE.

This achievement helped it take joint-second place in the rankings.

Selby’s principal Allan Stewart OBE told FE Week that he was delighted at his college’s performance.

“Our success is down to our focus on individuals, putting the learner at the centre of everything we do,” he said.

“We also recognise what key partners employers are.”

Kendal College’s employer and learner satisfaction rates were among the highest of any college, according to the latest FE Choices data, which is what put them squarely in joint-second place. 

Graham Wilkinson, Kendal College principal, said: “We a delighted that Kendal College has performed so consistently well across all the measures for a number of years.  We highly value the views of our learners and employers.”

An adult apprenticeships allocation of more than £11.5 million, alongside employer and learner satisfaction rates of more than 90 per cent, is meanwhile what propelled Eastleigh College to joint-second. 

Eastleigh’s principal Jan Edrich said: “We are pleased to be ranked so highly in the FE Week survey, and it is a testament to the focus we have here at the college.”

As we have previously reported, colleges’ total share of apprenticeships cash has sunk from 37 per cent to 32.5 per cent, despite former skills minister Nick Boles urging them to up their game at last year’s Association of Colleges’ conference.

Explained: our league table and points-based method

It took legislation to achieve it, but the government has now finally improved the way it reports learner destination data. So now seemed like a good time to revisit the notion of a balanced scorecard for colleges. It was what the Framework for Excellence had been intended to be, but it lost its way as it morphed into a simple satisfaction survey through FE Choices. 

The balance with our table, I hope, comes from combining customer satisfaction with how many unemployed learners find work, and finding
out whether the college is responding to government demands for more apprenticeship delivery.

For those wondering why I have chosen not to include qualification achievement rates, it is well recognised that an overall all-age, level and sector-achievement rate tells you little to nothing about how good a college is. For example, the shorter the course, the higher the typical achievement rate. What’s more, the recent inspection of NCG taught us that achievement rates need to be put into context before we form judgements. 

I’ve also chosen not to include Ofsted grades because they represent a snapshot in time. And, as report on page two, some colleges have not received a full inspection in over 10 years.

Click on the images below to view the tables

 

 

The strongest indication yet has been given that the Department for Education is planning to change its English and maths requirements for post-16 learners, by apprenticeships and skills minister Robert Halfon.

The revelation came during his speech this afternoon at the Association of Colleges annual conference, in Birmingham.
He conceded to delegates that GCSEs are not always the best option for FE students.

“It is clear that we need a credible, high-quality option for students for whom GCSEs are not appropriate or achievable,” Mr Halfon said.

“This is why we are reforming Functional Skills to make sure that they are genuinely relevant to employers, and consequently have credibility and prestige in the jobs market.”

The government made it a condition of funding, in 2014, that all 16 to 19 year olds who did not already have at least a grade C in GCSE English or maths should be enrolled in courses in these subjects.

This was changed a year later to require all of those with a grade D in those subjects to do to a GCSE course, rather than an equivalent ‘stepping stone’ course.

But this year’s GCSE results showed that huge numbers of learners aged 17 and older failed to get the necessary C in English and maths – which Mark Dawe, Association of Employment and Learning Providers described as a “body blow”.

This led to widespread calls for the government to scrap its GCSE resit policy, and replace it with a more employer-focused approach including Functional Skills qualifications, which it is understood the government is considering.

Education secretary Justine Greening also spoke to AoC conference delegates about maths and English provision.

She said: “We all need to think quite carefully about how we strike the right balance between a system that really pushes people, so we’re not giving up on someone being able to reach their potential because it’s hard for them to do that – but also a clear sense of getting them from A to B quickly so they’re not spending time running upwards against a brick wall that they’re not going to get over.”

In January this year the Education and Training Foundation launched a multi-stage consultation on how maths and English Functional Skills qualifications should be reformed.

The foundation was commissioned by the government to carry out the work, which was geared towards collecting views on how the qualifications should be reformed by 2018.

Former skills minister Nick Boles said that he welcomed the consultation was the “first phase of a reform programme which will provide more rigorous and respected Functional Skills qualifications”.

After today’s speech, Mr Dawe said that he appreciated Mr Halfon’s approach.

“Both he and the Secretary of State [Justine Greening] have identified the importance of maths and English and the role of functional skills in improving them,” he said.

The achievements of the FE sector are a cause for huge celebration, apprenticeships and skills minister Robert Halfon has told college leaders.

He was upbeat in a speech this afternoon to the Association of Colleges annual conference, in Birmingham, stressing that every town should be proud of its college.

Mr Halfon, who was given the ministerial brief in July, said he was fed up with people talking down their local FE hubs.

 “We should be celebrating our FE Sector, celebrating our principals, governors, teachers, and students,” he continued.

“We should celebrate the fact that FE colleges can help so many of those on low incomes get the qualifications they need.”

The Tory Harlow MP spoke glowingly about his local college.

He said: “I’m proud to say that my views have been shaped by my own local college in Harlow over the years since I was elected as their MP.

“I have been inspired by the transformative effect the college has had on the community itself.

“I believe that colleges are not only beacons of education, but also civic institutions at the heart of our communities.

“That is why I have visited Harlow College 50 times since 2010, and why I intend to visit many more.”

Looking at the national picture, he added: “We should be proud: Out of 385 colleges; 19 per cent are outstanding, and 61 per cent are good.

“But even more significant are the statistics showing the destinations of adult students who complete FE courses: 64 per cent get jobs, 20 per cent go into further learning, and 4 per cent go on to university. 

“Now what I want is for colleges to be at the front of queue as providers for employers [of apprenticeships].”

Shadow skills ministers Gordon Marsden earlier painted a contrasting picture.

He told delegates: “The decline of the financial health [among colleges] has been quicker than many expected. Many are under pressure.

“There is so much potential in adult skills and lifelong learning, but still it seems this government is not doing enough to help.”

He referred to FE Week’s recent successful campaign for more apprenticeship funding, but said the wider situation was still uncertain.

“With the dire situation for some colleges, as well as area reviews, mergers remain high on the government agenda,” he said. “Now we have insolvency [for colleges] on the agenda.”

He warned that any resulting closures could result in students having to travel much longer distance to access post-16 education.

New FE Commissioner Richard Atkins CBE also delivered a keynote speech.

The former Exeter College principal said: “I want as many colleges as possible to be good or outstanding, and every time my team is involved in area reviews or interventions, the ultimate aim is to help establish as many high-quality institutions as possible.”

He indicated that he will be on the side of the sector through his interventions as FE Commissioner.

He said: “I’m not a civil servant. My role is to provide independent advice and guidance. We want to work with you. We’re kind of ‘how did it happen’ people, ‘what can we do to put it right’?

But he said: “It really is important that you learn the lessons and keep talking with people from other colleges here and learning from them.”

“The pressure to work together for communities is going to continue. If you do think you’ve got through it [area reviews] unscathed and can now continue in splendid isolation, I would caution you against this.”

His overall view of the sector was thought positive, and he said: “Most colleges are doing well. I do not believe the sector is in a complete mess. Sometimes they have financial challenges, some many other challenges, but most are doing well. I think that’s an important, positive message.”

The first Association of Colleges conference address by Justine Greening, as education secretary, saw her appeal for support with delivering reforms from across the “technical education family”.

Ms Greening, who was appointed to the post in July, called for widespread backing for the apprenticeship levy launch next April, and a slimmed down “high quality” post-16 FE system delivered in the wake of the government’s Skills Plan.

“Now is the time to focus on skills and finally put technical education on a par with academic education,” she said. “It is going to take a lot of hard work and I hope in time we can create a consensus on how we can deliver.”

“I want to see the technical education sector work collectively. It will mean FE colleges working alongside new national colleges, helping us to drive up higher level qualifications for level four and five.”

The first two of five planned new government-backed national colleges have opened to students this academic year, after £80 million was allocated by the government for the development of high level specialist training centres.

Apprenticeships and skills minister Robert Halfon last month officially opened the National College for Digital Skills, in Tottenham Hale.

And the National College for the Creative and Cultural Industries, based in Purfleet, Essex, opened to students last month.

“They [national colleges] need to be hubs with connections stretching out to FE colleges.

“They have to help bring on everyone else, similarly with University Technical Colleges, they are in the nascent stage at the moment. We need to see how the system as a whole can work together.”

The story with UTCs, which begin technical-based education post-14, has been less successful so far – with many struggling to attract sufficient student numbers.

In July Ofsted’s former chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw slammed UTCs, telling them that they need to make “radical improvement” if the model is to survive.

It followed FE Week research in February, which found that forty per cent of those that opened between 2010 and 2013 saw student numbers fall for the last academic year.

Host Steph McGovern also quizzed the minister on how to make schools give better careers advice on FE opportunities, as too many are focused at the moment on retaining students for their own sixth forms.

She replied: “I think we can make sure that funding is spare and students get a good idea of what is available outside of schools. Those conversations need to be backed up by the reality of a really strong offer.”

She did however concede that there is “a lot more we can do” around careers advice.

“The most important thing is around having the right strategy,” Ms Greening added. “I will then look at what it will take to ensure that is offered in schools consistently.”

Ms Greening also reflected on her own family’s experience of education.

She said: “I know from my own life what a difference education makes. When I look back at my family, my dad had no education and no skills and ended up filling vending machines.

“Although he was a great dad to me, there was so much more he could have given. Education was a liberation for me, but a trap for him.

“We need to step up now with vocational education. Most people don’t in the end follow an academic route as they leave secondary school. We have to make sure that the route they follow is every bit as strong as the academic route.”

Ministers have decided to extend the five per cent threshold of tolerance on the condition of funding rule into 2017/18 allocations, the director at the Education Funding Agency announced today.

Peter Mucklow told delegates at the Association of Colleges conference this afternoon (November 16) that the decision was made in recognition of the “huge effort” made by colleges and other providers on English and maths.

The condition of funding rule states that any 16 to 18-year-old student that does not have a grade C in English and maths, and fails to enrol in the subjects, would be removed in full from the funding allocations for the next-but-one academic year.

But in September last year the Department for Education announced that it would not fully apply this rule for the 2016/17 allocations, which were based on enrolments for 2014/15.

It said that the penalty would be halved, and only apply to providers where more than five per cent of relevant students (by value) did not comply with the funding condition.

Mr Mucklow said today that this tolerance would also apply to 2017/18 allocations, based on enrolments in 2015/16.

He said: “We said we would keep that under review, and ministers have decided to extend for 17/18 that threshold of tolerance, so that it applies in exactly the same way in that year.”

He continued: “The level of compliance across the whole of the English and maths condition of funding remains at 97 per cent, in terms of that 15/16 performance.

“So it’s recognising that huge effort that colleges and other institutions have gone to ensuring that students have that opportunity and ministers decided to extend that tolerance into the 17/18 allocations year.”

Julian Gravatt, Association of Colleges assistant chief executive, welcomed Mr Mucklow’s announcement.

“We are pleased that the government will be extending the tolerance on the condition of funding for one year for these subjects and this is something we called for in our autumn statement submission,” he said.

“The decision recognises the progress that colleges have made in enrolling young people on English and maths courses.”

The Skills Show is the “future of our country” that will help bridge a growing skills gap with world-class apprenticeships, Robert Halfon has said.

The apprenticeship and skills minister (pictured right) visited the fourth annual Skills Show this morning as the three-day event at Birmingham’s NEC kicked off.

Standing alongside Neil Bentley (pictured left), chief executive of WorldSkills UK – the organisation that runs the Skills Show, he said it was “one of the most important days in the skills calendar” that encompassed the very people that would help address the country’s skills deficit.

“There is a skills deficit – but we are acknowledging that and doing everything we can to improve it,” the minister said.

“It’s incredibly important to support days like this [the Skills Show] ….we are going to become an apprentice and skills nation – that is my dream.

“We must have the best skills in this country to compete with the rest of the World.

“In this hall [the NEC] is the best of Britain in terms of skills and apprenticeships – and this what our country is going to become.”

This year’s Skills Show is expected to be the biggest yet with more than 90,000 people walking through the NEC’s doors over the next three days.

The show has 530 apprentices and learners taking part in 61 different skills competitions, 50 hands-on activities, and careers advice from employers including Jaguar Land Rover, NHS Careers, IBM and the BBC.

Mr Halfon said of the show: “It is incredible. This is one of the most important days in the skills calendar.

“There is the best of Britain in this room.

“We’ve got hundreds of companies here, the public sector, skills competitors and people demonstrating skills. This is the best of the UK – this is the future of our country right here.

“You can hardly get in due the number of young children and students here – seeing what’s on offer.

“I cannot work my Sky Remote and there are young people here building robots. We have got international companies here…we have the public sector…I think it is important that we have the best skills and apprenticeships that we can offer.”

Read our full preview for what else visitors can expect at this year’s Skills Show here.

Colleges are heading to “crisis point” in mental health after more than 85 per cent reported an increase in the need for student psychological and emotional well-being help, the president of the AoC has warned.

To combat the growing problem, Ian Ashman (pictured), president of the AoC, announced a ‘year of mental health’ in colleges at the organisation’s annual conference in Birmingham today.

Addressing delegates Mr Ashman warned colleges are heading to a “crisis point” in mental health.

“It is no longer an issue about which we can play lip service,” he said. “The government has a moral, legal and economic obligation to make sure there is proper mental health support provided to everyone across the country.”

The AoC conducted its latest mental health survey in June last year where 85 per cent of colleges reported an increase in the mental health needs of students.

Latest government figures found by the AoC show 77 per cent of NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups have frozen or cut their child and adolescent mental health services or CAMHS budgets.

The association added that while many colleges across the country “work well” with their local service providers, too many are also are ignored.

“National mental health guidance too often mentions schools but doesn’t consider the needs of colleges.”

During the ‘year of mental health’, the AoC is encouraging colleges to “drive a step change in the level of support that mental health agencies provide to students, both young people and adults” as well as focusing on sharing good practice across colleges.

This support is “vital” according to Mr Ashman, who said some students have told him they are “alive today because of the mental health support they received in college and the therapeutic value of their course”.

During his term as AoC president, Mr Ashman said he will be calling on the government to partner with NHS England and Health Education England to promote good practice in engagement with colleges by local commissioners and service providers.

He will also call on mental health service providers in every area to link with their local college, accept more students referred for support and to place health funded staff in every college.

Mr Ashman also wants every college to review their practice against the best in colleges and to engage with local mental health services.

He added: “Colleges work for their communities. Let us stand together to smash the stigma of mental health. People with mental health issues are not alone and are being supported by colleges.”

The Social Mobility Commission has called for school sixth form provision to be extended and given a role in supporting FE colleges to deliver the new Skills Plan.

It has this morning published a fourth annual report – “The State of the Nation” – which warns Britain has a “deep social mobility problem which is getting worse for an entire generation of young people”.

The commission – chaired by former Labour cabinet minister Alan Milburn (pictured) – said the problem stems from “fundamental barriers including an unfair education system”.

The report found young people from low income homes with similar GCSEs to their “better-off classmates” are one third more likely to drop out of education at 16 and 30 per cent less likely to study A-levels that could get them into a top university.

To tackle the issue, the commission called on the government to extend school sixth form provision and schools given a role in supporting FE colleges to deliver the skills plan.

The recommendation is likely to be controversial in the FE sector after the Association of Colleges recently won a landmark judicial review overturning the Department for Education’s decision to fund a new small sixth form at Abbs Cross Academy and Arts College, in Hornchurch, Essex.

The case came about after the government set out new rules in April restricting the ability of academies to open sixth forms following criticism that previous policies have led to small sixth forms opening in areas without demand, consequently damaging existing post-16 institutions by taking their pupils or becoming financially unviable.

Schools must now be rated good by Ofsted and prove they will have more than 200 pupils in a new sixth form and offer a broad curriculum, with at least 15 A-levels across a range of subjects.

But Tim Coulson, regional schools commissioner for the East of England and North East London, failed to follow the government’s own rules after approving the request of the Abbs Cross Academy and Arts College, rated inadequate by Ofsted, from the Loxford School Trust, which took over the school in February.

The government’s Skills Plan, which was unveiled in July and will involve replacing 20,000 post-16 vocational qualifications with 15 new “high-quality routes”, was hot topic yesterday at the AoC’s annual conference in Birmingham.

Key government skills advisor Lord Sainsbury urged ministers to take a more realistic view of the cost of high quality technical education and increase funding, as it implements recommendations on a slimmed down system.

Sir David Carter, national schools commissioner, also spoke at the conference who said a more general approach to supporting all types of education was needed, with schools and colleges co-operating more.

Today’s “The State of the Nation” report also recommends the government scrap low quality apprenticeships, and said the number of 16-18 year olds not in education, employment or training should be zero by 2022.

The commission also said a single UCAS-style portal should be developed over the next four years so that young people can “make better choices about their post-school futures”.