Catholic sixth form college awarded third ‘outstanding’ in a row

A sixth form college in Leeds has received its third consecutive ‘outstanding’ grade from Ofsted.

Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College was awarded a grade one in all six areas for students’ “exceptional behaviour” and “ambitious” leaders, according to a report published today.

At the time of inspection, the college had 2,744 enrolled students, mostly on level 3 qualifications, predominantly A-levels and a smaller group on T Levels.

The college first received a grade one rating from Ofsted in 2008, and then again in 2022.

In its third ‘outstanding’ report, Ofsted inspectors highlighted how Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College made a “strong” contribution to meeting skills needs.

Inspectors found the college works with local employers, universities and community organisations to “plan their provision precisely”.

To develop the local health workforce for example, the college linked up with the local NHS trust, universities, local college leaders and community groups to ensure that the work placement for its T Level health course gives students exposure to clinical settings.

“Early in their placements, students have a range of experiences, including sterilising equipment and observing surgery,” Ofsted observed.

In college, leaders place a very “strong focus” on the quality of education, the report said. They gave students work-related experience in simulated environments, such as mock courtrooms for criminology students.

As a result, inspectors found “students develop the skills, habits and virtues that they need to thrive in life and work, becoming well-rounded individuals with a strong sense of citizenship”.

The report also highlighted the sixth form college’s “experienced and well-qualified” teachers who “blend the development of relevant skills seamlessly through their planning and approach”.

The watchdog said teachers frequently revisit past content and use a range of innovative methods to engage students and ensure they achieve “very well”.

For the college’s 300 SEND students, inspectors said leaders designed an inclusive curriculum that “very effectively” meets their needs.

“Students progressively develop their knowledge and skills while increasing their independence and autonomy. As a result, they make excellent progress, achieve their qualifications and, where applicable, the targets in their education, health and care plans,” the report said.

The report also commended Notre Dame for fostering a culture of “high expectation and ambition” that students thrive in.

“Staff create an ethos in which every student is supported to reach their academic and personal potential, regardless of their starting points. This ethos is firmly rooted in the college’s Catholic values and a commitment that every student becomes the ‘best they can be’,” the report said.

Principal Justine Barlow said: “We are immensely proud to share this outcome. This success reflects the dedication of our staff, the hard work of our students, and the distinctive ethos of Notre Dame. Our commitment remains to help every student reach their full potential, guiding them to become ‘the best that they can be’ and preparing them for bright and successful futures.”

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: EDITION 477

Asma Ahmad

Senior Recruitment, Consultant FE Associates

Start date: November 2024

Previous Job: Director of Young People’s Essential Skills, South Bank Colleges

Interesting fact: Asma was in the territorial army and worked as a security guard while doing her degree

Helen Wooldridge

Vice Principal Growth, Planning & Performance, Bishop Burton College

Start date: October 2024

Previous Job: Campus Principal, East Riding College

Interesting fact: Helen is a big fan of heavy rock/metal music and has seen over 250 bands live in concert

Scott Forbes

Managing Director, EducationScape

Start date: January 2025

Previous Job: Acting CEO, Skills and Education Group

Interesting fact: In his younger days with the British Council’s global changemaker programme, Scott recalls attending international summits with world leaders and celebrities like the Crown Princess of Norway, President Clinton, Gordon Brown and Annie Lennox

AoC asks members: Is an FE pay review body worth it?

The Association of Colleges held a closed session at this week’s conference to debate the pros and cons of a pay review body for colleges. Afterwards, FE Week spoke with chief executive David Hughes to find out how discussions for this “complex” but “seductive” proposal had progressed.

While the creation of a pay review body for further education is “seductive”, leaders are “quite nervous” about the proposal, says David Hughes. 

The chief executive of the Association of Colleges said his organisation had informally consulted members about the prospect of a pay review body in recent months as a vehicle to close the £9,000 pay gap between school and college teachers.

He told FE Week the AoC began canvassing opinions when it anticipated a change in government, since it considered Labour was “more likely” to support the setting up of independent pay review bodies that make pay recommendations for public sector workforces.

The first evidence of this came last month when the government unveiled plans to revive the School Support Staff Negotiating Body and set up an adult social care negotiating body.

Seductive but complex

The arguments for a FE pay review body were strengthened after the Department for Education excluded FE colleges from a £1.2 billion pay rise pot in July and used the excuse that colleges did not have their own pay review body like schools do through the School Teacher Review Body (STRB).

Hughes said: “It’s a seductive idea, because you go, ‘wouldn’t it be lovely if we just had one’, and it said colleges need a 35 per cent pay award and then DfE went, OK, we’ll do it,’ and Treasury gave the money.”

But even if the money was there for universally funded pay rises, an FE pay body would have an “enormous” job to standardise wages across the sector because pay scales vary between colleges.

“We know that a lot of colleges will pay a premium for a construction lecturer, for instance, because they need to recognise the labour market as it is,” Hughes explained.

In September, education secretary Bridget Phillipson instructed the STRB to consider the impact on FE when making recommendations on teacher pay. Sources at the time speculated that official advice from the STRB on the gap between school and college pay would be harder for the Treasury to ignore.

Ultimately, Hughes thinks a new FE pay review body is unlikely given the “number of years it would take to implement something that made any sense”.

London university receives top Ofsted marks for degree apprenticeships

A London university has been awarded an ‘outstanding’ rating by Ofsted in its first full inspection.

In the watchdog’s report published today, Queen Mary University of London received top marks across all areas after inspectors found the leaders worked “effectively” with big-name employers to tailor its apprenticeships to meet skills needs and recruited students from under-represented groups.

At the time of inspection, Queen Mary University of London had 436 apprentices studying standards from level 4 to level 7 in sectors such as digital, healthcare and financial services.

Queen Mary University of London has been delivering degree apprenticeships since 2015, when it was one of the first higher education institutions to do so.

Ofsted inspectors praised the Russell Group university for working “very effectively” with prestigious organisations to tailor the content of its curriculum to meet skills gaps.

Dr Philippa Lloyd, Queen Mary’s VP policy and strategic partnerships, said: “We are very proud of the employers we partner with on our degree apprenticeship programmes, including Goldman Sachs, Amazon, KPMG and PwC and the NHS.” 

The watchdog also found the university designed its recruitment processes to ensure apprentices from under-represented groups and disadvantaged backgrounds have access to higher education.

“As a result, some apprentices embark on careers that they did not think were open to them such as being senior economic advisers,” the report said.

Professor Colin Bailey, president and principal of Queen Mary University said he was pleased that Ofsted recognised the university’s efforts to promote social mobility, diversity and inclusion.

“Our vision at Queen Mary is to open the doors of opportunity to any student with the potential to succeed,” he said.

Bailey added:  “This independent in-depth evaluation by the regulator demonstrates the excellent education that is delivered by our staff.”

Degree apprenticeship students were found to have “exceptionally positive” attitudes towards their studies, develop substantial new knowledge and skills and are fully included in the university community.

Ofsted also noted that leaders have made “significant investments” into their apprenticeship provision and accountability and scrutiny at the highest level results in leaders responding “swiftly” to make improvements.

Inspectors also praised the provider for delivering “demanding and ambitious teaching” that challenges apprentices and for employing “highly qualified” tutors with extensive industry experience.

The report said: “Tutors use their knowledge and experience to inspire apprentices. For example, they give expert guidance to digital and technology solutions professionals to help them evaluate software projects and develop holistic perspectives on software engineering.”

Professor Stephanie Marshall, Queen Mary’s VP education said: “It demonstrates the quality of our educators who teach our degree apprentices alongside our undergraduate and postgraduate degree students. I could not be more proud.”

Stop depleting your cash reserves, Legrave tells colleges

The FE commissioner has urged colleges to stop running their cash reserves down “too fast”.

Shelagh Legrave spoke to FE Week about the key trends her team found when investigating the reasons behind the latest batch of government financial notices to improve.

Rising costs have had an impact, as have restrictions imposed on the FE sector from reclassification to the public sector, namely the ban on revolving credit facilities. But the main cause leading to intervention is cash flow pressures caused by poor strategies.

Legrave said: “The key reason is a lack of focus on cash. Colleges have run their reserves down too fast and then something unexpected happens and they don’t have a contingency.”

She pointed out it’s also not only small colleges working on the tightest margins that are running into trouble.

Warwickshire College Group (WCG) with a turnover of £50 million was hit with a notice to improve this year due to “serious cash flow pressures”.

The FE Commissioner’s team will publish their report after investigating the reasons for WCG’s issues in the coming months. Legrave said the college’s financial strategy was “interesting” and “wouldn’t be one that I would have followed”.

Revolving credit ban

She also told FE Week that one of the biggest challenges she sees is capital cash, and restrictions on using a revolving credit facility from a bank has “really hurt colleges”.

Legrave said the Department for Education had “done its best” by introducing the college capital loans scheme to fill this gap, but admitted this is not a “proper lending facility”.

The FE Commissioner acknowledged a lack of pay settlement for FE was also an issue as there is a “necessity” to pay certain teachers “a lot of money” in skills shortage areas.

“Very high” agency costs are a related problem. She said: “They [leaders] can’t persuade the individuals to come on to the books of the college, but at the same time, it’s costing them an enormous amount.”

Legrave said her message to colleges seeking avoid financial intervention would be: “Try to ensure you have a reservoir of cash that you won’t go below. Also ensure that you are very clear on your financial strategy. If you combine both of those you should be OK. If you’re really worried about it, please ask for help early.”

Severance pitfalls

The commissioner also called colleges out for falling foul of severance agreement rules, imposed as a result of the 2022 public sector reclassification.

Approvals must now be sought for severance payments of £50,000 or more, where they are equal to three months’ salary or more, an exit package of £100,000 or more, or where the employee earns over £150,000.

FE Week reported earlier this year on how waiting times for approvals from the Treasury were taking months longer than expected.

Legrave suggested that some colleges are confused about when to apply for severance approval and have run into trouble with the government.

She said: “If the severance payment is over and above three months’ salary, then you have to get Treasury clearance for it.

“I know as a previous principal that you have tricky cases occasionally, and it could be somebody, let’s say a teaching assistant who is earning quite a small amount of money. So if you multiply three months, even if it isn’t a huge amount of money, you still need to get approval.

“It’s just understanding the rules. Where some colleges have fallen foul, they didn’t read the financial handbook and realise that they needed approval before they did it. Lack of knowledge isn’t a defence.”

College teacher pay snub goes legal

A judicial review into the decision to snub colleges from this summer’s 5.5 per cent school teacher pay award has been launched, FE Week has learned.

The legal challenge was filed by the Sixth Form Colleges Association in a bid to “redress the imbalance” ministers created.

The body, which speaks for 80 members but is fighting for all 200-odd colleges in England, will claim the government’s decision to award £1.2 billion to schools to increase pay in 2024/25 but not their counterparts in colleges was unlawful and irrational.

SFCA will challenge ministers’ defence that the government is not responsible for setting pay in colleges, namely because FE is outside the scope of the School Teacher Pay Review Body, and could not afford to include colleges in the funding.

A key argument will be that academies were counted in the settlement even though they, like colleges, are not in the remit of the pay review body.

The action comes as sixth-form college teachers prepare to hold three days of strikes over the fiasco, led by the National Education Union.

SFCA chief executive Bill Watkin (pictured right) said: “SFCA has been working hard to reach a satisfactory solution in this matter but we took the decision to seek a judicial review on the basis we had been left with no choice. 

“This is not a course of action that we embarked on lightly, and it is one we have tried to keep confidential.”

An email from the association to members, seen by FE Week, said there was “emphatic and unanimous support for bringing a claim for judicial review” during a meeting of its council on October 10.

FE Week understands the case was officially filed on October 25 and the government’s lawyers must provide a response by Wednesday. At that point, unless SFCA is satisfied by the nature of the response, the claim will be laid before a judge, who will rule after a process that can take months.

‘Farcical situation’

On July 29 chancellor Rachel Reeves accepted the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5 per cent pay rise for school staff, equivalent to an increase of over £2,500 for the average teacher.

To help fund this the government handed out £1.2 billion in additional cash to schools, starting from September 1. Colleges were offered no funding for pay and fear the already large £9,000 pay gap between their staff and schools will be exacerbated.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson (pictured left) and her team of ministers’ excuse has been that colleges are not in scope of the pay review body’s remit and the government therefore does not decide pay in further education settings.

Despite this, academy schools and 16-to-19 academies, which are also not in the scope of the pay review body, were included in the £1.2 billion settlement. The pay-rise funding is also for support staff, who, again, are not part of the pay review body.

It has led to what the NEU called a “farcical situation” where staff in England’s 40 sixth-form colleges that converted to academy status benefit from the 5.5 per cent pay award but 40 autonomous sixth-form colleges do not.

On top of this, sixth-form colleges along with general FE colleges were reclassified as public sector institutions by the government in November 2022, imposing a series of strict controls around borrowing, governance and other areas, similar to what schools have to abide by.

Reeves did announce an additional £300 million for FE at last month’s budget, but the funding isn’t expected to kick in until the start of the new financial year in April and is likely to fund projected demographic increases in 16-to-19 students.

SFCA told members it had hoped the government would take the opportunity to also fund the pay rise in colleges “without losing face” but has found “no choice but to press ahead” with the judicial review.

It added: “Both schools and colleges deliver a state-funded education to young people, and sit in the public sector. There is no logical reason to distinguish between them.”

Watkin told FE Week that colleges need an “urgent solution” and “simply cannot wait for the spending review” to see if their institutions are offered new funding for pay.

The next steps for the judicial review, likely to cost tens of thousands of pounds, include gaining formal permission from a judge to move towards a hearing.

The DfE declined to comment.

Good work: What young people really want from labour reforms

On 10 October, the government released their plans to ‘make work pay’ in the new Employment Rights Bill. Now, in partnership with Workwhile, Youth Futures Foundation has released a new definition of ‘good work’, uniquely shaped by young people.

In the words of young people who participated in this co-creation project:

Good work means feeling valued, fulfilled and supported. It means being respected and treated fairly in a workplace that is diverse and inclusive, where there is open and honest communication and decent pay.

Good work is done to a high standard and gives you a sense of achievement. It happens in a place where you can make change happen, and where everyone has a voice.

Good work protects your health and wellbeing. You’re excited to tell your friends and family about good work, not because they ask but because you’re proud of it.

A staging post

The past decade has seen increased attention to the concept of ‘good work’ and its importance for wellbeing and living standards.

As the national What Works Centre for youth employment, we know that young people, particularly those from marginalised backgrounds, are disproportionately affected by barriers to accessing and maintaining good jobs.

In 2024 in the UK, 1 in 8 young people are not in education, employment or training. Yet, until now, young people’s experiences have been largely absent from discussions of what constitutes ‘good work’.

That’s why Youth Futures commissioned Workwhile to collaborate with a diverse group of young people to co-create this definition. It is a foundational staging post in our ongoing work to develop a comprehensive, data-driven understanding of what makes good work for young people and how it can be accessed.

A complex picture

Between now and the implementation of the proposed Employment Rights measures in August 2026, youth voice and the ever-growing evidence base on what works in youth employment has a vital role to play.

Several of the proposed reforms will impact young people more than other groups in the labour market. Namely, the rise in minimum wage for young people; the introduction of greater day-one rights; and the ban on exploitative zero-hours contacts.

Evidence shows, for example, that while 1 in 50 older workers are employed on zero-hours contracts, this figure soars to 1 in 8 for young people.

And the situation is complex, with many young people sharing that the option of flexible working arrangements is important for them despite the risks that exist, especially for those in low-wage occupations.

Youth voice will be vital in facilitating the effective implementation of such policy changes.

A policy crossroads

With young people’s experiences and perspectives front of mind, and accompanied by effective job support and skills development, the proposed measures have the potential to improve equality and job security, ensuring more young people can achieve good work.

Evidence compiled in our Youth Employment 2024 Outlook Report shows that this will in turn bring huge benefits for employers and the economy. If the rates of young people not earning or learning are reduced to those seen in the Netherlands, UK GDP could be increased by £69 billion.

But, without sufficient attention to young people’s needs or the value they bring, the new measures could have the opposite effect: a reduction in young people accessing and thriving in good work, and a further increase in youth unemployment.

We are pleased government is committed to continued consultation and that they will introduce other welfare and skills reforms like the youth guarantee. We will consistently strive to keep youth voice front and centre, to seize this opportunity to improve job prospects and employment rights for marginalised young people.

One thing highlighted by the new definition and through our project with Workwhile is that young people want to make a difference and do a good job.

This should spur employers and policy makers to continue listening to young people, and to develop policy and practice that supports them to thrive and reach their full potential.

Level 7 at the crossroads: lessons from solicitor apprenticeships

The solicitor apprenticeship programme offers valuable insights into the broader potential and challenges of Level 7 apprenticeships across professional sectors. As policy makers consider fundamental changes to higher-level apprenticeship funding, the legal sector’s experience provides crucial lessons for the future of professional skills development.

Evidence of impact and demand

The legal sector demonstrates how higher-level apprenticeships can transform professional education. Data from training provider Datalaw reveals compelling evidence of both demand and social impact for their solicitor apprenticeships, with over 1,000 new registrants for 2024/25 cohorts in six months.

Beyond the raw number of applicants, their demographics tell a powerful story:

  • 54 per cent of apprentices are aged 18-25, showing strong youth engagement
  • 42 per cent are from minority groups, demonstrating improved diversity
  • 34 per cent are from the most deprived areas, indicating social mobility impact
  • 86 per cent are from co-funded organisations, proving employer buy-in

These figures demonstrate not only the programme’s popularity but its success in reaching traditionally under-represented groups in the legal profession.

Policy implications

The current debate around Level 7 apprenticeship funding has implications far beyond the legal sector. The programme demonstrates several key principles relevant to other professional sectors:

Employer engagement

The high proportion of co-funded apprenticeships shows how the levy can effectively engage employers in professional skills development. This engagement is crucial for ensuring training meets industry needs while maintaining professional standards.

Social mobility

Significant participation from under-represented groups proves that higher-level apprenticeships can break down traditional barriers to professional careers. This success provides a model for other sectors seeking to diversify their workforce.

Skills integration

The programme successfully combines theoretical knowledge with practical application, offering a template for other professional qualifications. This integration ensures apprentices develop both technical expertise and practical competencies.

A policy challenge

The programme’s impact is particularly evident in how it opens up the legal profession to diverse candidates. Madison Earl, a solicitor apprentice at Sills & Betteridge LLP, exemplifies the transformative potential of these programmes.

“As a young working mother, I never imagined a career in law was possible,” she explains. “The apprenticeship has opened doors I thought were permanently closed to me.”

Her ability to balance work, study and family life demonstrates how the apprenticeship model can create accessible pathways into professional careers that traditional routes might not offer.

So while current government discussions signal a potentially significant shift in apprenticeship policy, the reality is that plans to remove certain Level 7 apprenticeships from levy funding eligibility could significantly impact these successful programmes.

While budget management is important, the data suggests these programmes deliver substantial returns on investment through improved social mobility and professional development.

Learning the lessons

The solicitor apprenticeship experience offers several key insights for policy makers:

Data-driven results

The demographics prove these programmes simultaneously achieve multiple government priorities, among them increased youth employment, greater workforce diversity and regionally distributed social mobility.

Sector-specific consideration

The legal sector’s success suggests blanket approaches to Level 7 funding may risk losing effective programmes that have demonstrated clear social and economic benefits.

Social mobility impact

Funding changes should consider the demonstrated role of Level 7 apprenticeships in widening access to professional careers and creating sustainable pathways to social mobility.

As policy makers evaluate the future of Level 7 apprenticeships, the solicitor apprenticeship programme provides valuable evidence of what can be achieved through this model. The demonstrated success in attracting diverse talent, securing employer engagement and delivering effective professional training suggests that careful consideration should be given to how funding changes might affect these outcomes across all professional sectors.

The potential exists to replicate these achievements across other professional fields, creating a more inclusive and dynamic professional workforce for the future.

An evaluation of the apprenticeship levy framework is currently underway and will examine how funding will be allocated across training programs. The solicitor apprenticeship model illustrates key considerations in the process, including qualification requirements, delivery costs, resource distribution, and long-term workforce development objectives.

How we’re supporting NEET learners at Harlow College 

In Harlow, like the rest of the country, the number of NEETs (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) is growing. 

When you think of a NEET learner, you might think of a ‘trouble-maker’ from the PRU (Pupil Referral Unit), or a kid with ‘challenging’ behaviour, who’s been permanently excluded from school. 

What we’re finding are learners who have struggled with their mental health, who are overwhelmed or need a different approach. Some of our NEETs learners are surprisingly academic, but have lost their way. 

The rise in NEET numbers post-Covid is staggering. For many, the pandemic disrupted their education completely. Some missed months – if not years – of regular school attendance, and they’ve lost confidence in their ability to succeed. 

Some have challenging home lives, or have been knocked off course with mental health issues. The barriers to re-engaging these young people are significant. 

At Harlow College we have developed an initiative called ‘Choices’ to address these challenges. Choices is for young people who need a more supportive, nurturing environment to help them re-enter education.

As the name suggests, the whole idea is to give them options, supporting them to take control of their futures. 

A holistic approach 

From the moment a young person shows interest in joining us, we offer face-to-face enrolment and interviews. Meeting them in person helps us to build trust early on, to get to know them and understand their unique challenges. 

We want these young people to feel like they matter, that we care, and that we really are invested in their success. 

Once enrolled, our support continues on an individual level. They get a tour of the college, meet their lecturers and have extra time to familiarise themselves with their new environment.

These might seem like small details, but for learners with anxiety or those who’ve had a negative experience somewhere else, it makes a massive difference. 

Predictability and stability are important; learners know exactly what to expect from their college day, who they’ll be learning with and what their timetable looks like. 

One of the most important elements of the Choices programme is its flexibility. We offer two qualifications: Gateway Qualifications’ Level 1 progression diploma and a smaller, entry-level certificate.

For those who didn’t achieve any grades in school, the certificate offers a starting point. For those who may need more challenge, the diploma provides that extra stretch, without pushing them too quickly into mainstream education. 

On top of that, every Choices learner is given an iPad to use while they are with us. This ensures they have the tools they need to engage with learning and shows them that we really are invested in their success. 

And it’s working. Take, for example, one of our learners who joined us last year, unable to enter the classroom without a parent walking him to the door. Today, he’s thriving on a Level 3 gaming course – independent, confident, and engaged. 

A bridge to mainstream 

Our goal with Choices isn’t creating a stop-gap solution. We are giving young people the skills and confidence they need to move on to further levels of education or even into employment. 

They aren’t treated like second-class students; they have access to everything mainstream students do. They participate in enrichment activities, attend employer visits and take part in mainstream GCSE or functional skills maths and English classes. 

Colleges need to see the value in these learners. Today’s Level 1 students are tomorrow’s Level 3 learners. They may come to us needing a bit of extra support now, but if we don’t give them that, we’re missing out on the chance to nurture the next cohort of skilled, motivated learners in its full diversity.

Last year, the programme hosted 50 learners. This year, that number has more than doubled. Choices is a game-changer, for both the learners and the college. 

Your turn

We have just four tips for emulating our success:

  • Start small and be clear about your objectives 
  • Focus on building predictability and stability 
  • Make sure you’ve got the right staff in place
  • Adopt a flexible curriculum