The Association of Colleges (AoC) has called for clarity over proposed new rules that could see college staff jailed for failing to report sexual abuse of learners.

Prime Minister David Cameron has announced a consultation on plans to extend the new criminal offence of ‘wilful neglect’ to cover those who work in education — but he stopped short of saying what age range of learners it would cover, or which institutions.

The announcement has already led the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) to warn the change could lead to a “flood of referrals,” fearing the change could scare teachers into a culture of “over-reporting”.

And Marc Whitworth (pictured), AoC acting director of employment policy and services, said: “We’ve always called for child protection rules in colleges to be the same as those in schools.

“Following the consultation on the government’s new plans to tackle child sexual exploitation, it will need to be absolutely clear what the specific requirements would be for college staff and they must be given adequate support to feel confident about referring children they believe to be at risk.”

Brian Lightman, the general secretary of the ASCL, said: “School and college leaders and their staff play a key role in child safeguarding and already work closely with social services and police where there are any concerns about a child’s welfare.

“There are robust professional systems in place in schools and colleges to ensure that staff report suspicions and it is unnecessary and counter-productive to threaten them with jail sentences.

“The unintended consequence could be that teachers are scared into over-reporting and that this leads to a flood of referrals to social services departments which are already struggling with workloads. This will ultimately make it more difficult to identify and deal with cases needing urgent attention.”

A spokesperson for the University and College Union (UCU) has called for the consultation on the change to be “full and open”.

She said: “FE staff already take their safeguarding responsibilities seriously. Any proposed changes to requirements should be subject to a full and open consultation with colleges and education staff.”

Speaking at a Downing Street summit organised in the wake of a series of damning reports which identified “systematic institutional failings” in response to child sexual exploitation scandals in Rotherham and other areas, Mr Cameron said the proposals were about “making sure professionals… do the jobs they are paid to do”.

He said: “Children were ignored, sometimes even blamed, and issues were swept under the carpet — often because of a warped and misguided sense of political correctness.”

The dates of the consultation have not yet been announced.

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Editor’s Comment

Taking a lead on care

At present, a number of colleges come into daily contact with children through school links.

And there is also a small, but growing number of ‘direct recruiters’ — and it’s on this point that my mind is cast back to the AoC conference of 2012 when then-Shadow Education Minister Karen Buck displayed all the petty ignorance with which the sector sadly still has to contend.

She said she was worried that “very young people going into college may not get the full pastoral care and support they would want”.

Of course Ofsted reports on college provision for 14 to 16-year-olds has shown just how wrong she was.

But more than this the sector has been at the forefront of other safeguarding issues.

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan told fellow MPs a few days ago about a new portal for reporting abuse — a concept many colleges will have been familiar with for some time on a local level.

The will to take such a lead has not come via the threat or force of criminal law — it has come through care for the learner and as such the sector’s voice should be among those most keenly heard in the government’s consultation on the wilful neglect law.

A European Commission-forced government climbdown on plans to hand control of nearly £1bn of Euro skills cash to the 39 local enterprise partnerships (Leps) has been labelled a “backward step” and “reverse-devolution”.

The government had previously planned to give Leps a “direct role” in decision-making over European Social Fund (ESF) spending for skills training schemes up to 2020.

But the Minister for Communities and Local Government European Programmes, Lord Ahmad, has written to Leps telling them that only the London Enterprise Panel (London’s Lep) would now be allowed to “manage and take decisions” over ESF and other European Union (EU) structural and investment funds.

His letter said the commission had “advised that this approach is non-compliant” with European Structural and Investment Fund Regulations, which state that only the managing authority — central government in England’s case — could decide where the money goes.

The Greater London Authority Lep will be able to spend the cash as it has the necessary intermediate body devolved status.

It has left the remaining 38 Leps with merely “advisory” roles.

The climbdown failed to impress Alex Pratt, chair of the management board of the Lep Network and also chair of Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Lep that was allocated £5m capital skills funding up to 2021 last July.

“It is reverse devolution that’s giving more power to London from the regions and not what was previously planned,” he said.

Daniel Mouawad, chief executive of South East Midlands Lep that was allocated £9m capital skills funding up to 2021 in July, said: “At face value, it would seem that this goes against previous policy to encourage devolution beyond London.”

A government spokesperson said: “Throughout the development of the EU Structural Funds programmes, the Government has sought a substantial amount of local involvement.

“We have always been clear that central government would retain Managing Authority functions, but as part of this the government has sought to give Leps and partners a direct role in decision-making on projects.

“However, the commission has expressed concerns about our proposed approach. To ensure that the programmes can start as soon as possible the government proposes to proceed with a model in which Leps and partners have a key advisory role while decisions will remain with managing authority teams based in local areas.

“The government will review the position in the next 12 months and use that time to work with Leps to develop proposals for greater local responsibility.”

 

A National Audit Office (NAO) probe into FE and skills finances may not go far enough in looking at how the sector has been hit by “multiple funding cuts,” National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (Niace) chief executive David Hughes has warned.

Mr Hughes, a former national director of the Skills Funding Agency (SFA), told FE Week of his concerns about the purpose of NAO review in looking at the work of the SFA and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to monitor the financial health of FE providers and intervene.

The review, launched last month (February) and due to conclude this summer, has a “particular focus on colleges” and comes with FE and skills providers facing a national budget cut of up to 24 per cent next academic year. Apprenticeship providers are expected to escape the worst of the cuts.

Mr Hughes said: “I think the issue of the multiple funding cuts colleges have faced and the increasingly narrow margin they are expected to operate in is putting the sector into a really difficult situation and I would hope that would be part of the context for this review.

“It is almost impossible to make every college in the country financially viable given all the funding changes that have been made, and the NAO may not want to ask about that, but it’s certainly something the next government is going to have to answer.

“The NAO has to be apolitical, and given the decisions that have been made concerning the most recent cut, just looking at how the BIS and the SFA work to identify financial difficulty and intervene is a very narrow purpose.

“They have to do this review in the context of all of the cuts which have happened, including the one most recently announced, but I don’t think it will deliver quite what some of us might like it to, which is a proper review of the financial future of the sector, particularly for colleges. That is a much bigger political debate, and one which the NAO is not going to start.”

And while Stewart Segal, chief executive of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, called for the financial situation of his members to be taken into account as well as colleges’, the Association of Colleges, University and College Union and Association of School and College Leaders have already called for the 24 per cent cut to be considered by the review.

Meanwhile, Dr Lynne Sedgmore, executive director of the 157 Group, said: “It will be important that the NAO examines all aspects of the future sustainability of our skills system, including the responsibility of government in this area.”

Dr Mary Bousted, Association of Teachers and Lecturers general secretary, said: “Following the government’s announcement that it would cut FE funding for 2015-16 by up to 24 per cent, we hope the NAO evaluates the government’s unnecessary focus on apprenticeships.

“We believe this focus on apprenticeships will limit colleges’ usual operations, and reduce the options for learners because colleges will have to cut many other courses to be able to fund apprenticeships.”

 

Leaders of a general FE college that sponsored a local school have seen it forced to close just two years after opening having failed to attract enough pupils.

Stockport Technical School, a 14 to 19 free school that opened in September 2013 and currently has 98 learners, offers vocational courses in engineering, construction and motor vehicle engineering through Stockport College, alongside traditional GCSEs.

It was heralded as the first technical school of its kind in the country when it launched and was described as “innovative” by principal Philippa Ollerhead (pictured above right) and “groundbreaking” by chair of governors Wayne Jones (pictured above left).

But no new students will join the school from September, and those currently attending will complete their courses and work placements until September 2016 when the school will shut its doors for good.

Ms Ollerhead blamed problems with the school’s accommodation, which left it operating out of an office block in Stockport town centre, for the recruitment problems.

“We found it difficult to attract sufficient learners as we have been located in a temporary office building — this did not support our ability to market and recruit new learners,” she said.

“The Education Funding Agency purchased the former Hillcrest Grammar School site on behalf of the school in August 2014, but unfortunately on analysis it became apparent that the building was not financially viable to run with the number of students the school was estimating at full capacity.”

She added: “Advice I would give to any other principals or head teachers in a similar position would be to ensure that a permanent building was identified and secured before opening.”

Despite the setback, Ms Ollerhead remained positive about what she had hoped to achieve.

“There is clearly a demand from employers for the ‘young apprenticeship’ model of education which the school provides,” she said.

“Stockport Technical School has successfully engaged with large, leading engineering employers in Stockport to secure 20 apprenticeship places.”

Although Stockport College is not a direct recruiter of 14 and 15-year-old learners, it is hoped the college will be able to continue offering similar vocational options through its links programmes with other schools.

A Stockport College spokesperson said: “Stockport College has been a sponsor of Stockport Technical School since its inception.

“We opened our doors to Stockport Technical School pupils and staff to provide access to workshops and facilities suitable for science, technology, engineering and maths.

“While it’s not in our remit to take ownership of delivering provision directly, we will work with Stockport Technical School, as we do with other schools, to offer an appropriate 14 to16 programme.”

The school is also supported by Stockport employers Man Diesel & Turbo Ltd, Jacobs Engineering, Thales Worldwide, Stepping Hill Hospital and Balluff Sensors, as well as the University of Manchester.

 

The government has agreed to the automatic scrapping of a rule that forces apprentices to re-sit qualifications they already have after fears frameworks would have to be rewritten to accommodate the change.

The five-year rule will be removed from the specification of apprenticeship standards for England (Sase), and it now appears it will be stripped from frameworks too — without them having to be re-issued.

The rule, due to be removed next month, means learners with English or maths GCSEs achieved more than five years before enrolment have to re-sit them or take equivalent qualifications.

It was thought its scrapping would only affect new frameworks written after April 6, but an FAQ document published by the Federation for Industry Sector Skills and Standards and endorsed by the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) in its latest newsletter claims frameworks “do not need to be amended”.

The news has been welcomed by Ross Midgley, director of early years training provider, who had launched legal action against the rule, but he called on the government to go further.

He said: “Apparently the government lawyers have invented some magic fairy dust which can be sprinkled over existing frameworks, without the need to re-issue them, which makes the words printed in the framework take on a completely different meaning for learners who enrol after April 5.

“But in any event this does now seem to be an almost complete vindication of our judicial review. All apprentices — not just those in early years — are now free of the odious five-year rule.”

Association of Employment and Learning Providers chief executive Stewart Segal said: “It’s essential that the SFA takes a consistent approach across all frameworks.

“There will be apprentices with an old GCSE who may need to improve their English and or maths and we’re discussing with the agency how to retain this funding.”

A BIS spokesperson said: “We are working with partners to implement the changes to the Sase from April 6.”

She added that designers of some apprenticeships, including the children and young people’s workforce (England) framework and the health and social care (England) framework would still be re-issuing them “in order to ensure that the apprentices meet both the Sase requirements and specific sector/occupation requirements”.

 

Barnfield College is “looking to forge new relationships” with partners in the education sector after Whitehall rubber-stamped its split from a chain of academies and studio school.

Skills Minister Nick Boles officially approved the break-up of the Barnfield Federation, which means the Barnfield Academy Trust and Barnfield College, its original sponsor, are now separate entities.

The decision brings to an end more than seven months of uncertainty since the proposed split was announced last June, and a particularly troubled period for the college, which became the first FE provider to expect a second full visit from FE Commissioner Dr David Collins after Ofsted described it as “inadequate” in January.

It comes more than a year after the Skills Funding Agency and Education Funding Agency both published critical findings of their investigations into the federation and after Dr Collins called for at least half the governors to be replaced and for “significant changes” to the federation’s leadership after his first visit last January, triggered by financial concerns.

Tim Eyton-Jones, the new principal of Barnfield College, said the college was looking for new partners, but did not say whether he meant other colleges, schools or other providers.

He said: “We are looking to forge new relationships with all partners in the education, learning and skill sector so that collectively we can meet the needs of local learners, communities and employers.

“We have implemented a series of strategies at the college focused on reclaiming the excellence in teaching, learning, outcomes and destinations Barnfield College was once renowned for.”

Barnfield Academies Trust, which is made up of Barnfield South school, Barnfield West school, Moorlands Free School, Barnfield Vale school and the Barnfield Studio School, has also spoken of its efforts to move on from the federation.

Trust chief executive Andrew Cooper said: “Today’s announcement is the news we’ve all been waiting for.

“There have been issues and challenges in recent times, but from today it’s a brand new start for us. This is fantastic news for teachers, parents and most importantly the children and students we teach in our two primary schools, two secondary schools and studio school.

“The ministerial permission to go it alone demonstrates a huge vote of confidence in the great work already being done in our five schools. We share that confidence — we are all incredibly excited about this fantastic opportunity.”

Mr Cooper said the trust would change its name in the future.

 

The FE sector has to face up to low levels of literacy and numeracy among staff if it wants to improve learners’ maths and English, an Ofsted official has warned.

Marina Gaze, Ofsted’s deputy director for skills and FE made the comments at the BKSB Skills Conference focussing on English and maths.

Ms Gaze’s comments found support from the other members of the panel gathered at Leicester City Football Club on Tuesday (March 3).

In August, it became a condition of funding for all learners who had not yet achieved A* to C GCSE English and maths by the age of 16 to continue to study these subjects as part of their 16 to 19 education.

Ms Gaze argued one of the best ways to teach good literacy and numeracy was to embed it into other subjects, as well as offering English and maths classes.

However, she said, this created problems when staff had their own issues with literacy.

“I often see absolutely brilliant vocational tutors who can do the most amazing things, have the most fantastic skills, but their use of English is weak,” she said.

“So because if staff don’t have skills themselves, they can’t help learners improve their own skills.

“So I think we have to be honest as a sector about the staffing issues we face.”

Ms Gaze added the solution to issues with literacy and numeracy for both staff and learners often came from leadership.

“At Ofsted, when we see maths and English working well there is always somebody senior with responsibility for it,” she said. “It has to be led from the top.”

However, many panel members and delegates pointed to issues with recruiting and retaining staff to teach English and maths.

Dame Asha Khemka, principal of West Nottinghamshire College, said: “Recruiting the right people to teach English and maths and upskill is still an effort, but we need to do more of that.”

She added that the college had recruited more English and maths graduates recently as a result of the ‘golden hello’ bursaries offered by the Education and Training Foundation (ETF).

But, she said: “Retention is an issue. Do you know what? There’s no correlation between how much you pay people and how you retain people. It’s about motivating those people, and nurturing them and recognising them.

“It is a problem, you have to work at it, you need to skill and reskill people constantly so people are being supported to do a better job.”

Association of Employment and Learning Providers chief executive Stewart Segal said constantly changing government policy didn’t help with staff retention.

“It’s about making sure that what you’re teaching is respected so that your teachers get respect,” he said.

“Every minister says, we’ve got to improve — I know we have but what it suggests is that what we’ve been doing so far is not good enough.

“They’ve got to listen to what people are struggling with and build on what’s good and we might have a chance of convincing people that what they’re doing is recognised.”

One audience member, who provided training in the Royal Air Force (RAF), explained all their apprentices were required to take Functional Skills as many had not come straight from school.

This meant, she said, many learners were forced to take level two Function Skills qualifications, despite operating at level three.

Naomi Nicholson, director of strategic relationships for vocational qualifications at Ofqual, said level three Functional Skills had thus far not been developed because “the idea was that level two was the functional level”.

However, she pointed to the ETF review of English and maths qualifications currently underway. and due to report at the end of March, and said: “It would be interesting to see whether they might have any views on that or if other people say there’s a need for it.”

A Department for Business, Innovation and Skills spokesperson told FE Week: “We are not intending to introduce a new Functional Skills qualification at level three at this time.

“We have commissioned the ETF to carry out a review of English and maths qualifications outside of GCSE, and whether these suit employer and learner needs. We will consider any recommendations it makes.”