After years of painstaking work, missed opportunities and false dawns, the country’s skills landscape is finally starting to look like one of more equal opportunity. It utterly baffles me that Labour will be the government to set all that back for another generation.
A while ago, I wrote a piece for this paper on the importance of resourcing great careers conversations with people of all ages. I am a careers coach, and I specialise in life transitions when folk are wondering how to get the best out of themselves and their careers.
Thirty-five years after entering the skills world, I am proud that I can introduce career paths to people who would have never thought such a route was for them. And a key element of my being able to do that is the professional Level 7 offer that has grown in recent times.
You may or may not be surprised to learn that I only have a minority of clients who went to Eton, then did PPE at Oxford and from there into the city or other higher-level professions.But I can now say to people who did not tread that traditional path that higher level professions are within their reach.
My work concentrates on encouraging the individual to have confidence, ambition and agency in choosing their career path. I’m not daft enough to imagine that everyone can achieve anything they want to achieve, but I am daft enough to believe that society has a duty to take away pitfalls and barriers from people who want to achieve something great for themselves.
That’s particularly true for those who have come to career choices via a less-than-smooth or obvious route.
Those who were excluded from school. Those who didn’t discover a passion until college. Those whose education was disrupted by family circumstance, or illness, or mental health issues. Those who for purely economic reasons find themselves needing to upskill or reskill.
Never did I imagine that this government would be the one to take away opportunities for those very people. And I say this with my colours nailed firmly to the mast: I have been aching for a Labour skills strategy for what feels like a very long time indeed.
It makes me want to weep that this will be taken away
The arguments about growth are important but they are not what light my fire. What makes me passionate about my work is the importance of the whole person. Wellbeing springs from believing that we matter, that our contribution to society matters and that we are all enabled to play a part in all aspects of society, community and the economy.
And yes, the employer must play their part, of course. But this is a partnership, right? It’s not just about the money. It’s about us – all of us – saying ‘yes, go on, take that less-travelled road into those professions you thought were only for the privileged’.
We all know of instances where public funds are not optimally invested. I’ve been to many a strategy away day funded by the public purse that the world would not have missed, had it been cancelled. And I was around when Individual Learning Accounts led to a flurry of dubious courses.
But surely good policy is about optimising results for the many and only bad policy is about cracking nuts with sledgehammers.
I’ve been to many a meeting and spent many hours in my career talking about parity of esteem between vocational and academic learning.
Finally, I feel like all the talk is yielding results. We are creating vocational routes that are respected. We are investing (not enough, perhaps, but we are) in skills that we are proud of. We are providing routes to careers that folk I see would never have dreamed was within their grasp.
Finally, I can advise young people that they can think wide and high when they are looking at their future. And the reality matches more of their ambitions than it ever has.
It makes me want to weep that this opportunity will be taken away. Shame on us if we allow this to happen, and shame on Labour if they are the government that oversees this travesty.
Two recent reports have helped us understand the types of skills we could be lacking in the future, and how we might obtain them.
Tuesday saw the launch of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) second Adult Skills Survey which is part of the Programme of International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIACC).
It was accompanied by a more detailed report, compiled by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), analysing the skills levels of adults in England. On first reading, the findings appear wholly positive.
Overall, adults in England scored above the international average across numeracy, literacy and problem solving, with a significant increase in numeracy scores since the first survey in 2012.
In literacy and problem-solving, England is second only to Japan among the G7 countries, and was outperformed only by Japan and Germany in numeracy. There has also been a significant improvement in literacy and numeracy skills of young adults since 2012.
But the devil is in the detail and the situation slightly more nuanced. While the improvement in average adult numeracy skills is very welcome, it has been driven by an increase in average skills levels among higher achievers, meaning the gap between highest- and lowest-scoring adults is widening.
The report estimates widening skills inequalities meant 8.5 million working-age adults in England had a low proficiency (achieving a score of below 225 out of 500) in literacy, numeracy or both, when the survey was conducted last year.
Eighteen per cent of adults in England were defined as having low proficiency in literacy and 21 per cent in numeracy – a substantial proportion of the population.
These adults are almost certainly more likely to work in ‘high-risk’ jobs such administrative, secretarial, sales, cleaning, hospitality and warehouse roles, which are projected to decline in the coming decade.
So what can be done to support these people and ensure they do not struggle to adapt to a changing labour market, or drop out of it entirely? That’s where our second report comes in.
We could soon see unprecedented levels of skills shortages
Based on perspectives and ideas shared by a panel of experts, the report makes a set of recommendations designed to help workers in high-risk roles successfully transition into occupations expected to grow by 2035.
Among other things, the report calls on the government to increase real-terms public investment in adult education and skills, close to early 2010s levels, as well as strengthening the right to request time off so that people can remain employed while retraining during an unpaid career break.
NFER also recommends that education and qualification providers should create training courses and qualifications that are tailored to meet the needs of working adults and enable them, where necessary, to learn while working.
Previous reports in the Skills Imperative 2035 have quantified the gravity of the situation, focusing on the essential employment skills (EES) the country will need in the coming decade: communication, collaboration, problem-solving, organising, planning and prioritising work, creative thinking and information literacy.
Our projections show we could soon see unprecedented levels of skills shortages, with seven million workers lacking the EES they need to do their jobs in the next decade.
We suggest around 12 million people in England work in occupations that are expected to decline by 2035. By the end of the next decade, there could be over a million fewer jobs in these occupations.
Allowing skills gaps to widen could stifle the country’s productivity and act as a drag on economic growth, while limiting individuals’ employment and earnings opportunities.
It’s vital that we do all we can to help workers upskill or reskill so they are able to switch to more promising growing careers, such as teaching or healthcare, or simply earn more money in their current line of work.
A shortage of EES, coupled with 8.5 million people who are ‘low proficient’ in literacy, numeracy or both means we have a long way to go. Securing the essential skills required for tomorrow’s workforce is a big task, which needs tackling at once.
The government’s preferred candidate to become the next Ofqual chief regulator has told MPs that T Levels need the “right kind of reform” to “grow, flourish and succeed”.
Sir Ian Bauckham also suggested that ministers should offer alternative vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) alongside T Levels, ahead of the outcome of the much-anticipated level 3 review that is expected to be published this week.
Bauckham, the former chair and current interim head of Ofqual, faced scrutiny from the House of Commons education committee today at a pre-appointment hearing for the permanent role as the exam regulator’s top boss.
He was quizzed on the “success” of T Levels, new courses designed to be the technical equivalent to A-levels, since their launch in 2020.
‘A case to improve, streamline and simplify’
Bauckham said the feedback he has had from students and teachers taking the qualifications has been “overwhelmingly positive” for learners who are “able to make a decision about the particular occupational route that they want to follow at the age of 16”.
But he described T Levels as an “all or nothing option” due to their large size, “significant” amount of content and assessment “burden” which means they are not suitable for all young people who want to follow a vocational route.
He suggested this was a key reason for low take-up and high drop out rates on the qualification.
“If you’re a 16-year-old, you do have to be in a position to make a decision about a particular occupational route. I think that’s one of the reasons why the inception of T Levels has been relatively incremental, slow, I could say, at the beginning. There were only around 7,000 T Level completers this summer.”
Bauckham said T Levels were “deliberately pitched to be at a demanding level in order to have some level of parity with A-levels.
“I think it would be possible to make a convincing case to improve, streamline, simplify, in some ways, T Levels to establish their role more solidly in the market for young people.”
‘Worrying’ drop out rate
Buackham said it was “worrying” that more than one in four students didn’t complete their studies last year and suggested colleges, schools and teachers have not been offered appropriate support in the early years of the rollout.
“There are probably multiple reasons why that [high drop outs] has happened.”
The first is “probably associated with just the newness of the qualification, and its pitching in difficulty terms at such a high level for a vocational and technical qualification in this space.
“I think some students were surprised at the burden and the level that was being asked of them in T Levels.”
He added it was “probably also the case that some colleges, but schools as well and teachers didn’t have sufficiently good quality and coherent support for teaching them.
“If you want to get success in a particular programme of study, you need to have in place features like a well worked out, clearly sequenced curriculum.
“We know what it is we’re teaching, we know in what order.
“You need very well trained teachers that deeply understand the content that they’re teaching and how they’re going to go about teaching it, and you need really well tailored teaching materials to enable the teachers to put into practice their knowledge of the curriculum with their in depth understanding of the requirements.”
Bauckham said without “those key features, there will be faltering in the early delivery”.
He added: “And I wonder, and this is outside my brief as chief regulator, whether all of that was sufficiently strongly in place at the beginning.
“However, I think that with the right kind of reform within the T Level envelope, I remain an optimist about this, T Levels can be enabled to grow and flourish and succeed.”
Arguments for small alternatives
The interim chief regulator went on to explain how T Levels are “almost unique” in the VTQ landscape because they are “explicitly and specifically allied to the occupational standards in the particular occupational area”.
He said having a VTQ which is underpinned by an occupational standard is “anchored in some objective content that we know commands the confidence of the industry concerned, which is a good thing”.
But, he added, “quite simply, there are young people at age 16 who are not yet sufficiently certain about the area they want to go into to commit to an all or nothing option, which is what T Levels represent”.
The government is expected to announce the outcome of its review of level 3 qualifications, launched in July, this week. This will decide whether alternative VTQs, like BTECs and other applied general qualifications, continue to be funded alongside T Levels.
Bauckham, who is on the panel of Becky Francis’ wider and separate curriculum and assessment review, said today: “I think arguments will certainly be made for the inclusion of smaller, nonetheless rigorous, nonetheless good quality, but smaller qualifications in that landscape as well, to allow some flexibility of combination for students.”
Outlining the remit of the review on Tuesday, Ofsted said it “will investigate how schools and further education (FE) colleges are using AI to support teaching and learning and to manage administrative systems and processes.
“We will look at the role leaders are playing in embedding AI and managing risks associated with AI use.
“We will collect data from schools and FE colleges as well as from academic literature and expert interviews. This will allow us to see how AI is already used and help us consider its potential uses and benefits.”
‘Intended and unintended impacts’
It will also look at how schools and colleges are monitoring the “intended and unintended impacts” of AI and governing its use, and “managing risks associated with AI use”
An Ofcom survey last year found Snapchat’s chatbot My AI was being used by 72 per cent of 13 to 17-year-olds.
The rise in young people using AI has sparked concerns over it being used by pupils to cheat when doing homework or coursework.
The Ofsted review aims to educate policymakers and education providers about the benefits and challenges of AI in education, and identify training Ofsted inspectors may need to help increase their understanding of AI and how it is being used.
The report will collect evidence from up to 20 schools and colleges, deemed “early adopters” of AI. Ofsted will interview leaders responsible for rolling out the use of AI at these schools and colleges.
The report will also look at existing research, and consult international inspectorates and academics with knowledge of AI use in education.
Evidence will be collected in Spring, and Ofsted says it hopes to publish its findings next summer.
‘Imperative’ exams are marked by humans
It comes as Sir Ian Bauckham, the government’s pick for Ofqual chief regulator, warned MPs that although there were some potential “exciting uses” for AI in generating exam questions, it was “imperative that a human oversees the marking of student work”.
“AI still makes mistakes. It hallucinates,” said Bauckham, who has served as interim chief regulator since January.
Sir Ian Bauckham
“Decisions made by AI evaluating a piece of work that a student has produced for a high stakes assessment are less transparent and therefore less open to challenge than they might be if marked by a human.”
Ofqual has “carefully sampled public confidence and attitudes in this space and…the public overwhelmingly wants a human being to oversee the marking of students work”.
But AI can be used for other purposes – for example “for the quality assurance of the examining process”.
“It can sample, it can check… There are lots and lots of useful, helpful, quality-improving things AI can do, but marking work itself must be overseen by a human being.”
But ‘exciting uses’ in question generation
Generating question papers which are roughly the same level of difficulty each year is “labour intensive” and “difficult”, Bauckham said.
“It may well be that AI can support with that, and my judgment would be that there are fewer risks to public confidence there, providing a human is in the loop for final sign-off, than in the actual marking of student work.”
The former school leader, who appeared at the education committee for his pre-appointment hearing, said the “vast majority” of GCSE and A-level assessments involved “some degree of extended writing”, which would need to be marked by humans.
However, he acknowledged “there may be some very simple, selective response items, so multiple choice questions, which can be safely marked by a machine, but we would still expect a human to be in the loop, checking that that is happening, sampling quality and so on”.
He added it was “very difficult to challenge a machine’s decision”.
Young adults in England are outperforming their international peers in numeracy and literacy, a major report has found, highlighting “significant improvements” over the past decade.
Adults in England scored above the international average for numeracy, literacy and problem-solving, with a notable increase in numeracy scores since 2012, according to a decennial survey of adult skills led by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
The OECD assessed 160,000 adults aged 16 to 65 in 31 countries in literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving in 2022 and 2023. Nearly 5,000 adults in England responded, representing a 38 per cent response rate.
It found England was second to Japan in the participating G7 countries in literacy and problem-solving and ranked third behind Japan and Germany in numeracy.
The report, published today, is part of the OECD’s programme for the international assessment of adult competencies (PIAAC).
The first cycle of the decade-long adult skills survey was sent out in 2011 and conducted three times between 2011 and 2018. Overall, the first cycle interviewed 245,000 adults in 39 countries. Today’s report marks the start of the second decade cycle.
The online survey comprised a one-hour long assessment in literacy, numeracy and, for the first time, problem-solving. In England, the survey was led by Verian in partnership with the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER).
Here are some of the key takeaways from the report.
English literacy rates amongst youngest improve
Overall, England ranked ninth out of the 31 countries based on average proficiency in literacy.
The average literacy rates of English adults in 2022-23 remained similar compared to 2011-12.
Out of a possible score of 500, English adults scored an average of 272.1 points in 2022-23, above the 260 global average. A decade earlier, adults scored 272.6.
However, younger people improved significantly in the last 10 years. Those aged 16 to 24 scored an average of 265.4 in 2012 and 279 in 2023 – the biggest change out of all age groups.
The literacy proficiency of this age group only increased in England, Norway and Finland over the past decade.
In England, 18 per cent of adults were defined as having low proficiency in literacy, compared with 26 per cent across the OECD on average.
These adults, who were placed at level 1 or below (scoring under 225 points), can only understand short and simple texts.
Chile had the lowest literacy rates, with 53 per cent of adults achieving level 1 or below, and Japan was at the top with just 10 per cent of adults with low proficiency.
“England does not do badly on that by comparison, but you still have one in five adults really struggling with the basics,” said Andreas Schleicher, director for education and skills at the OECD.
It is estimated that 8.5 million working-age adults in England have low basic skills in 2023.
“It’s particularly disappointing to see that this number has not gone down much since the last time this assessment took place 12 years ago,” said skills minister Jacqui Smith. “We simply can’t accept this lack of progress.”
Stephen Evans, chief executive of Learning and Work Institute said: “This is perhaps not surprising given the 63 per cent fall in adult English and maths classes since 2010. We need a renewed focus on English, maths and digital skills for adults – these are essential skills for life and work.”
Nearly seven in 10 (69 per cent) of English adults achieved levels 2 and 3, higher than the 62 per cent OECD average. For higher achievers, 14 per cent scored level 4 and above, slightly more than the 12 per cent global average.
Rebecca Wheater, NFER research director, said: “It is encouraging to see such improved scores in both literacy and numeracy for the youngest adults, who are no longer outperformed by their international peers.
“However, there is still a significant disparity between the highest and lowest scoring adults and strengthening these vital skills should be seen as a priority to ensure adults have these and other essential employment skills that will be needed for the jobs of the future.”
Young people driving improvement in numeracy rates
In numeracy, England scored 268 points, ranking 13th in the global table, but scored above the 263 OECD average.
English adults with low proficiency levels lagged the global average. Twenty-one per cent scored at or below level 1 proficiency, compared with the global average of 25 per cent.
Looking at the higher-achieving adults, 15 per cent achieved Level 4 and above for numeracy, compared with 14 per cent across the OECD, on average.
Average numeracy rates increased seven points, from 261.8 in 2012 to 268.8 in 2023, compared with the first cycle.
“That improvement has been largely driven by young people doing significantly better,” the report noted.
English 16-24-year-olds scored an average of 256.3 in 2012, which shot up to 275.6 in 2023—the biggest difference among all age groups.
Overall, English young adults performed better than the global average. The 16-24-year-old age group performed better than the 263 global average in numeracy and scored 269 points in adaptive problem solving, above the 250.6 OECD average.
“The distribution of skills in England by age was no longer an international outlier, as the pattern of performance by age broadly matched the pattern across the OECD, on average,” the report added.
Smith said she could not “resist” making the case that the rising rate benefitted from the last Labour government’s “renewed focus on literacy and numeracy in primary schools”.
She added: “We’ve got to build on this and ensure that everybody, no matter what their background may be, gets the best possible start in life, and that does mean high and improving standards in our schools, which is why we need 6,500 extra teachers that we’ve pledged to deliver over this parliament and it’s why the curriculum and assessment review that we have set up is looking at how to secure an excellent foundation in reading, writing and maths.”
Older adults (aged 55 to 65) scored 26 points lower than 25–34-year-olds in combined numeracy, literacy and problem-solving (and 30 points lower than the global OECD average).
“In England and across the OECD, there was a pattern of increasing literacy and numeracy skills with age, and then a decline, with youngest adults scoring more highly than the oldest adults, on average. The age-related decline in skills was also visible for adaptive problem solving,” the report said.
English workers most ‘over-qualified’ in the world
The OECD survey asked participants whether their highest educational qualification is above or below the level that is typically required for their current job.
England scored the highest proportion out of all countries surveyed. About 37 per cent of workers said they were “over-qualified”, compared with the OECD average of 23 per cent.
An additional 41 per cent are mismatched in terms of field of study, as their highest qualification is not in the field that is most relevant to their job.
Schleicher said that this mismatch and over-qualification is due to the lack of alternative academic and vocational pathways in England.
“I do think there is reason to help young people, give them a more varied choice of further education than currently exists.”
He added: “When you look at unit costs, the spending per student in the university sector is far higher than it is for vocational education and training, which would be the reverse in many other countries, where actually the investment is greater there. The funding is just a mirror of that in England.”
A further 7 per cent in England said some of their skills are lower than what is required for their job. The majority (43 per cent) said they need to improve computer or software skills, followed by 28 per cent saying they need project management or organisational skills.
Transportation and motor workers have lowest literacy levels
Adults working in transportation and storage, wholesale and retail trades, and motor vehicle and motorcycle repair had the lowest average scores in literacy, numeracy, and adaptive problem-solving in England.
Transportation workers scored 256 in literacy, 258 in numeracy and 245 in adaptive problem-solving, while adults working in professional, scientific and technical activities had the highest average scores for literacy (302), numeracy (302) and adaptive problem-solving (285) in England.
Meanwhile, for the highest earners in England, there was a clear relationship between salary and skills for adults, but this relationship did not extend to adults in the lowest deciles of salary.
A similar pattern was found across the OECD and it is likely that findings are impacted by the uneven distribution of full-time and part-time workers across the deciles.
A “high performing” sixth form college in Hampshire has been rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted for the third time in a row.
In an inspection report published today, the education watchdog said Peter Symonds College has continued to drive “exceptional outcomes” for its 4,800 students.
The college delivers “expertly designed training” and has high expectations for students who make “excellent academic progress” alongside significant growth in their “confidence, resilience and character”, inspectors found.
Its delivery was judged ‘outstanding’ in all areas, a slight improvement on the previous inspection in 2020 which found only one area, apprenticeships – which it no longer delivers – was ‘good’.
“Since the previous inspection, leaders have continued to establish a high-performing culture that drives exceptional outcomes for all students and adult learners,” inspectors said.
Principal Sara Russell said she felt “thrilled” that Ofsted inspectors captured a “spectrum of things that make Symonds exceptional”.
She added: “I am incredibly proud of this college and the unparalleled experience it offers students, and I am so pleased to see this work recognised by Ofsted.”
Peter Symonds College is the only publicly funded sixth form based in Winchester, an affluent cathedral city of about 130,000 residents.
Most of the college’s students are 16- to 18-year-olds on full time A-level courses.
It also teaches vocational courses including level 2 qualifications, BTECs, beauty therapy and an education and childcare T Level with 27 enrolled learners.
The college has “strong historical links” with the Falkland Islands, whose post-16 students can board at one of its two residential houses, costing £18,225 to £19,635 per room next academic year.
Ofsted inspectors said a “very high proportion” of students achieve the highest grades, partly thanks to a “rigorous quality assurance process” and “well-sequenced” curriculums.
Students with high needs have “exceptionally well-coordinated support” – including through “discreetly” adapted activities that ensure they make “excellent progress”.
Overall, inspectors reported the college has a “positive, high-achieving culture” with a diverse range of “high-quality enrichment” including career, musical and sports events.
Leaders ensure the college makes a “strong contribution” to meeting local skills needs, with two fifths of students aiming to pursue sectors such as creative industries and construction that are priorities in the local skills improvement plan.
Transferable skills such as “teamwork, communication and resilience” are also cultivated, inspectors added.
Russell said the report “reflects the collective effort and dedication” of the college’s community of the entire Symonds community and its “warm, diverse and supportive environment”.
She added: “Our unwavering dedication to continuous improvement reflects our ongoing mission to provide the highest quality education experience.
“We work incredibly hard to develop and maintain a remarkable offer for our students, and to provide a balanced, well-rounded education where they can be happy and successful. It is great to see this recognised by the inspectors.”
A long-running national hair salon that trains hundreds of apprentices every year has been upgraded to Ofsted ‘outstanding’.
Francesco Group, which was founded over 50 years ago and began delivering training 35 years ago, scored top marks across the board in a report published today following an inspection last month.
Inspectors said the training delivered to 237 current level 2 and 3 apprentices across three academies in Birmingham, Poole and Stafford “exceeds the apprenticeship requirements” and enables trainees to become “highly skilled hairdressers”.
Francesco Group runs 37 hair salons across England and previously obtained a grade two rating at its last inspection in 2018. The firm delivers apprenticeships under the name FG Apprenticeships.
Managing director Ben Dellicompagni and director of operations Andrea Owen told FE Week they were “truly delighted” at the grade one outcome after “no stone was left unturned” during inspection week.
“It is a real credit to everyone involved that we achieved outstanding grades across the board, we are beyond proud,” they said.
The report praised teachers for using “highly effective” effective teaching strategies such as recapping previous learning, quizzes, group discussions to assess what apprentices know and remember.
“Educators demonstrate new techniques effectively before supporting apprentices in practising new haircuts on mannequins. They consistently correct and challenge apprentices to work with increasing focus and precision,” Ofsted said.
Inspectors also noted that many apprentices who complete their apprenticeship achieve merit and distinction grades.
The watchdog also heaped praise onto Francesco Group leaders for creating an “ambitious curriculum that exceeds the apprenticeship requirements”.
For example, apprentices studying level 2 hairdressing learn a portfolio of precise haircuts that, when combined, create complex creative styles. “This is in addition to those mandated in the apprenticeship,” inspectors found.
Apprentices were found to quickly become helpful in the salon due to an “effectively structured curriculum”. Those on the level 2 hairdressing professional standard learn basic colouring techniques and simple cuts so they can deliver basic services under supervision.
“At the end of their apprenticeship, apprentices attend a finishing school that helps them further develop fluency in their knowledge and skills, preparing them successfully for their next steps,” the report added.
Inspectors said apprentices had high attendance, “exemplary” behaviour and dedication to their studies, demonstrating an “excellent standard” of hairdressing.
Almost all apprentices move on to successful careers in hairdressing, Ofsted found.
During the inspection, Ofsted applauded learners entering internal competitions such as the foil Olympics and apprentices being taught how to deal with negative feedback or client compliments.
Inspectors also noted Francesco Group’s “appropriate” quality assurance processes such as analysing attendance and achievement data and listening to feedback from apprentices and employers.
The watchdog’s report also highlighted an effective governance board to support improvement in the hairdressing apprenticeships. One example of which was when governors challenged leaders about the benefits and disadvantages of using an external onboarding team to recruit apprentices.
“As a result, leaders are supported in making the right choices for their provision,” the report added.
Dellicompagni and Owen said: “At FG Apprenticeships our teams across our three academies in Birmingham, Poole and Stafford work so hard to achieve the very best outcomes for our apprentices and their employers and the inspection team experienced first-hand the incredible passion we have in creating future talent for the amazing hairdressing industry.”
Tranter is currently CEO of multi-academy trust EdAct.
She has also served as a panel member on the National Child Safeguarding Practice Panel since 2018 and is an expert member of Ofsted’s reference group for behaviour and attendance.
The government has not said whether she will continue in her existing roles alongside her work with Ofqual. She will be paid £55,000 a year for a time commitment of two days a week.
Bridget Phillipson
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson, who appointed Tranter following an “open recruitment competition and assessment process”, said she “brings over three decades of invaluable experience in education, from the classroom to senior leadership, combined with a deep understanding of wider system improvement”.
“Her proven track record of fostering excellence and fairness in education makes her the ideal leader to guide Ofqual in maintaining the integrity of our qualifications and ensure every child has the opportunity to succeed.
“I would also like to extend my thanks to Frances for her dedication and leadership as interim chair over the past year. Her steady guidance has been instrumental in maintaining Ofqual’s vital work.”
‘An exciting time’
Tranter said she was “delighted to join Ofqual and eager to work with the chief regulator, the team and the board to drive reforms that create opportunities for young people through our qualifications system.
“It’s an exciting time to lead the board through a period of change and progress.”
The week Debra Gray became principal of Hull College was one of the toughest of her life. Hull was one of the most challenged colleges in the country and she was its eighth principal in three years. Then Gray discovered her mum was dying.
The way she led the college out of crisis came to define the ethos of her team – affectionately known as the Hullraisers because they made it their mission to raise the college’s prospects.
But on that first day, in April 2022, morale was at rock bottom.
Hull was put under government intervention in 2016, the same year it generated a pre-tax deficit of £9.3 million. Two years later it required a £54 million government bailout, believed at the time to be the highest ever paid to an English college.
Hundreds of jobs were slashed, and two campuses (in Harrogate and Goole) were axed.
Gray had watched the mess unfold from across the River Humber while leading Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education.
She arrived just after Hull received a second consecutive Ofsted judgement of ‘requires improvement’ and says she was “surprised there were any staff left”.
Hull College, – home of the Hullraisers
Friends in need
Gray’s mum was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer that same week and within two months, the “fighting fit, fierce” 68 year old went from being “perfectly normal” to “bedridden”. She died that September.
But from the outset, Gray’s leadership team “wrapped around me to enable me still to do my job”. She says: “This college saved my life – I needed the distraction”.
She was upfront with staff about her challenges at home and at work and believes this “made it easier for them to offer condolences and see if I needed anything, which I thought was super”.
She adds: “People mopped me up, then I’d walk the floors. The best medicine for anything is knowing you’re doing something really well.”
At the time, Hull’s policy was to provide five days of bereavement leave – but that leave is now being extended to 15 to 20 days.
Other leave policies, such as end-of-life care and supporting staff who have had a miscarriage or need fertility treatment, are also being upgraded to “best in class”.
Gray tells me: “We should be there for our staff when the shit hits the fan. I don’t want to compete with other colleges. I want to compete with the best [companies] in the world.”
Hull’s marketing director, Kirstie Cawley, appreciated this flexible approach when her daughter, Amelie, 18, was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome last year, and she was allowed to start work later each day.
Cawley says: “Debs and the college have been there to support me, so I can support my daughter. It’s a very real thing, that sense of teamwork and camaraderie. The term ‘Hullraisers’ evolved from the way we work together.”
That’s why (on Gray’s insistence) this article is not just about the principal but about the entire Hullraiser team, who Gray says “try really hard not to operate on the basis of rank and hierarchy”.
The Hullraisers explaining how the college culture has changed
Pay rises at last
Meanwhile, high leadership churn prior to Gray’s appointment meant there was “very little organisational memory” for the leader to draw from.
The first year was spent “trying not to trip up over the things we found that we had no idea about because there was nobody left from previous teams to tell us”.
Staff had not had a pay award for 10 years, and staff costs had been slashed from 78 per cent of income in 2015-16 to 70 per cent in 2021-22.
Gray knew they needed consistent pay awards and she has “followed through on that every year since”.
The rises weren’t huge but financial prudence reaped dividends.
In 2022-23 the Education and Skills Funding Agency judged Hull’s financial health was ‘outstanding’, and it went from generating a deficit of £2.3 million in 2021-22 to a £975,000 surplus.
This year, Hull emerged from intervention and Gray believes the college is “nothing like” it was three years ago.
Hull College principal Debra Gray
Office makeover
Because she is one of the most colourful personalities in FE, Gray felt Hull’s overwhelming grey and purple décor made it feel “massively unloved”.
And she wanted to make her “terrible corporate office” more welcoming because “it’s scary enough being invited to the principal’s office. You may as well be comfy when you come in”.
The thrifty Gray bought sofas from Ikea because “it’s not like they’ll get a lot of wear and tear, and this is public money”.
And her Star Trek and Star Wars memorabilia and intergalactic feature wall reflect how she has “no doubt” that if aliens landed, she’d be “straight on their ship – they’d need to take me, I’d be useful”.
Hullraisers and Hull College cleaners Betty and Bernie
Nobody comes in hungry
When I arrive, I’m introduced to cleaners Betty and Bernie, who have both worked at the college for 21 years.
Betty, 57, admits sometimes the pair “get into trouble for laughing because we’re a bit loud – everybody knows us”.
And they sometimes get students offering to help them empty the bins.
“It’s home from home here; nobody ignores you,” she says.
But it was different three years ago, when “you didn’t know if you were going to have a job, morale was so low”.
They both rave about the free breakfasts Gray introduced for staff and students in 2022. Free lunch options (soup and a roll or salad) are now being planned, and Gray is also considering introducing “reasonably healthy” free snacks, such as popcorn, because she’s “not having anybody coming in hungry”.
This conviction is rooted in her own memories of being a college student who “couldn’t afford to eat”. Sheffield College’s cleaners and caterers “looked after” her.
She was “utterly clueless” upon starting there, having grown up with “dad and brothers in and out of prison”, and tells me: “The best predictions anybody had of me was pregnant and on the council house list at 16.
“But my lecturers gave me a fighting chance. They looked past the way I presented myself and saw something else in me.”
Although she “ballsed up” her A Levels in physics, biology and chemistry, she returned to take criminology. Aged 24, Gray taught in a men’s prison for which she “took some hassle” but “really enjoyed”.
“If you can deal with prison, you can deal with anything an FE college throws at you,” she says.
Hull College
Crumbling buildings
One of the biggest challenges the Hullraisers face is the state of their buildings. Most date from the 1950s and fall under government condition categories C (major defects or not operating as intended) or D (life expired or serious risk of failure).
When Gray started, the college didn’t have a bid team to apply for government capital investment, and intervention prevented it from borrowing money. Gino Tommasi, vice principal of finance and corporate services, said that since then they have tried to access the “very niche and limited” government capital funding pots but to no avail.
“We’ve been very upfront with the DfE that we need some cash – the answer is no!” Gray says.
“So we are trying our best to cosmetically upgrade at least”.
The revamp is being done “on an absolute shoestring, being from Yorkshire, I’m so tight I only breathe in”.
So, “tired” purples were replaced with greens, vibrant Hull-themed murals, and funky wallpaper patterns, which Gray bought from B&Q for £9.99 a roll. After being quoted £30,000 each for breakout booths for her reception area, she bought some via Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace for “under a grand a pop.”
A feature wall is adorned with an inspiring quote from one of the “state of the nation” speeches Gray delivers to staff five times a year.
“Our students are fighters, they are resilient, they are incredibly bright, and they care deeply about their people, their city and their future,” it reads.
“Together, we are the Hullraisers. Fearless and driven. Ready to succeed. Ready to rise!”
It was important for Gray that when learners walk into college, they “know they’re in Hull”. So a cityscape wraps around the reception, complementing the plethora of Hull puns that catch your eye across the campus, such as “we’re incredihull!”
The fact the new lecture theatre gives its speakers angel wings is “whimsy”, Gray admits, “but you can’t take yourself too seriously in this business”.
“There are lots of Instagrammable moments that students can throw out on their socials,” she adds.
Debra Gray with “whimsy” angel wings on the podium of Hull College lecture theatre
Captain’s log
Gray wants students to embrace technology. So the college’s digi-den has been bolstered from 20 machines to 78 because “digital poverty is a real thing”, and there is a Minecraft zone with Minecraft wallpaper. The college’s e-sports provision is thriving, with Gray being a “big gamer” herself who enjoys watching her students play.
Having done two master’s degrees (in criminal justice and leadership), she is now finishing off her doctorate in education exploring “Skills for the Fourth Industrial Revolution” – a topic she can “bore people to death on”.
Gray embraces AI for all sorts of day-to-day tasks. The college runs free AI academies for local businesses, staff and students. Moreover, popping government reports into ChatGPT for executive summaries has saved her “hours and hours”.
The AI-assisted ESOl learners’ journey mural
Hull also boasts a mural in which AI tools enabled its ESOL learners to communicate their “heartbreaking” journeys to this country.
“People think AI is just about cheating and safety risks, it isn’t. It’s about creativity and storytelling.”
But one thing Gray never uses AI for is writing the weekly “captain’s log” message she sends to staff. She says: “This has to be my voice because “authentic leadership is crucial.”
That leadership has helped steer the college from being in the bottom 5 per cent in the country for attainment in 2022 to “bang average”. Now, Gray has her sights set on being “among the best in the world”.
Attendance is at least 15 per cent up since 2022 to the “high eighties”, and Ofsted last year rated the college ‘good’ with outstanding features.
Gray admits challenges remain, and “sometimes it feels for all of us, we’re more social workers than we are educators”.
View over the city from Hull College rooftop
But she says the fact Hull’s students come from the fourth most deprived area in England is “not a reason to excuse under-performance”, and “the very reason you need to be better than the next college down the road or in fact, any college anywhere”.
She adds: “Because our kids are fighters, that’s what they learn. You put that person in Whitehall, in Downing Street, or in the FTSE 100, then the world starts to change. And that’s what we’re here for, isn’t it? To change the world.”
