Kevin Hamblin outlines the journey his Ofsted grade two-rated college made in order to take over sponsorship of a nearby academy.
South Gloucestershire and Stroud College (SGS College) has announced that we will sponsor an under-performing secondary school though our newly-formed SGS Academy Trust.
If anyone had asked me four months ago if we would be in this position I would have doubted it.
I knew little about Multi Academy Trusts (MATs), how one would set about forming an MAT, and I had thought even less about why we might wish to do so — after all, haven’t we got enough on our plate right now with an expectation that funding will be even tighter after the election?
This all changed after a chance discussion in October with the South West’s newly-engaged Regional Schools Commissioner (RSC), Sir David Carter.
At the end of that meeting, Sir David asked if the college had considered forming an MAT.
As I see it, colleges can sometimes be victims of the success or failure of their feeder schools.
Or, more precisely, if there are schools in the community in which a college operates that are struggling financially or academically, sooner or later the effect of that performance will affect young people, many of whom will find their way to college.
Our intention is to sponsor primary schools feeding into these secondary schools, to produce an ‘all-through’ model
An MAT will allow SGS to work with feeder secondary schools to improve their academic performance, and our economies of scale will easily absorb back-office functions, freeing up income to spend on student-facing services.
Furthermore, as the MAT develops, our intention is to sponsor primary schools feeding into these secondary schools, to produce an ‘all-through’ model.
So, from that chance encounter in October, we have been taken through the process with considerable support from the Department for Education (DfE)and RSC staff.
Unusually, in my experience, the process has been output driven, with little additional bureaucracy, and the staff assigned to support SGS have all been very responsive, with a ‘can-do’ attitude.
This has involved many late night and early morning conversations with DfE staff as we have navigated our way through the process involving several ministers and government departments.
Within a week of agreeing with Sir David to look into forming an MAT, two excellent staff seconded from the DfE, and working for the SW Academies Group, visited me. They became an invaluable asset and have taken the college through the process and support available to form an MAT and to support any costs incurred.
A series of steps were necessary to keep governors informed and supportive, but also to ensure that SGS was walking into this initiative aware of the risks of such a move.
After the application for funding was agreed, which would cover the costs of the legal formation of the MAT, the Education Secretary’s approval that SGS was a fit and proper organisation to sponsor up to three schools initially was given.
Further funding to cover increased staff capacity, school improvement and due diligence costs was successful, as was a small but not insignificant grant to improve the first school’s ‘environmental appearance’.
We are now working with the school, which will become the first sponsored school in our MAT, subject to governors agreeing to its transfer at the end of this month, and after they have undertaken due diligence.
Obviously, an MAT isn’t for every college — it isn’t something which will benefit the bottom line and it will increase responsibilities for a number of college staff.
But I firmly believe if we can help support our local schools to be more successful, rather than catching the fallout from their underperformance, then there will be dividends for the young person, the community and post-16 providers in the future.
Lambeth College’s long-running dispute over new staff contracts came to an end this evening after striking union members voted to return to work.
Members of the University and College Union (UCU) unanimously agreed to call off an indefinite strike, which began on Monday, in a meeting at the college’s Clapham site.
Lecturers at the London college have taken part in a series of strikes since March last year, including an indefinite walkout in June which lasted for five weeks ending just before the summer holidays.
The row over contracts for new staff members, which UCU said would leave them with fewer holidays, less sick pay and longer working hours, also saw a series of escalating strike over the last two months, which culminated in the second indefinite walkout on Monday.
However, when the college offered to allow existing staff to change their hours without transferring to the new contract and made changes to the first year of sick pay, union members voted to accept and will return to work tomorrow.
UCU regional official Una O’Brien said: “UCU members at Lambeth have demonstrated their resolve throughout this long and at times bitter dispute. We are pleased that an acceptable resolution has been found and accepted by our members.
“We hope we can now restore good working relations with the college and get back to business as usual.”
Lecturers are expected to return to work tomorrow.
Lambeth principal Mark Silverman said: “The college has always been open to, and hopeful of achieving, a reasonable resolution to this dispute, and I welcome the end of strike action and return to work.
Mark Silverman
“This agreement brings an end to what has been a considerable distraction for our managers and staff, and I am pleased that we can now focus our time and effort on the important work of teaching and supporting our learners.
“We are very clear on the steps we need to take to improve the quality of our teaching and to assure our financial position as we build a high-quality sustainable college for south London.
“The terms and conditions in the ‘new’ contract, and the agreement we have reached today, support both of those objectives and I am pleased that we can now put the dispute behind us.
“My sincere thanks go to the staff who worked diligently throughout strike action to ensure that lessons and support for learners could continue.”
Lewisham Southwark College is set for a new principal and chief executive in Newcastle College’s Carole Kitching this summer.
She is due to take over in July, replacing the current interim leadership team of Jo Lomax and Ioan Morgan (both pictured below right).
Ms Kitching, who joined Newcastle College as assistant principal in 2011 and was appointed as principal in September 2013 after eight months as interim principal, said: “I am delighted to have been appointed as principal and chief executive at Lewisham Southwark College at this exciting time.
“I am passionate about establishing the college as a beacon of excellence in London and beyond for services to students, employers and the community and I am looking forward to working with governors, staff and stakeholders to achieve this vision.”
But progress appeared to have slowed three months later with a fourth and final Ofsted monitoring inspection uncovering insufficient progress in college efforts to bounce back from the inadequate grading. Mr Morgan conceded there were “no excuses” for the poor results at the college, which won ministerial permission in November to rename from Lesoco to Lewisham Southwark College.
Ms Lomax became interim principal from January 5 with Mr Morgan’s contract terminating at the end of last year, at which point governors agreed to split the role of principal and chief executive, keeping Mr Morgan on in the latter role.
Lewisham Southwark College was created in 2012 by the merger of Lewisham College, which was outstanding in 2006, and Southwark College, which was branded inadequate in 2011.
Corporation chair John Landeryou said: “The corporation is delighted that Carole has accepted the offer of the position. The board welcomes her experience and expertise and look forward to working with Carole to returning the college to its rightful place as an outstanding college in the heart of South London.”
Joe Docherty, chief executive of Newcastle College’s parent NCG (Newcastle College Group), said: “It is a challenging role but one which I am sure she will excel at. NCG has a good record of developing senior staff who progress to take on leading roles within their sector.
“We will start the process immediately to look for a suitable replacement for Carole to ensure a smooth hand over when she leaves us in July. We wish her every success when she takes on her new role.”
Skills Minister Nick Boles plans to open discussions with the Treasury about a possible VAT exemption for sixth form colleges.
Responding to an education question in the House of Commons from Labour MP Kelvin Hopkins about the issue today, Mr Boles said he was prepared to discuss the matter with the “fierce” Treasury.
Mr Boles said: “I am aware of this issue, which has been a long-standing issue which the last government also failed to correct.
“One of the things I am looking into is the possibility of enabling sixth form colleges to change their status if they are willing to link up with other schools.
“But that is something that has to be brought forward by sixth form colleges themselves and it is still subject I’m afraid to discussions with the Treasury who are always pretty fierce on these matters.”
It comes amid an ongoing campaign by the Sixth Form Colleges Association (SFCA) calling for its members to be granted the same exemption, from what it calls the “learning tax,” as schools and academies.
A campaign petition launched before Christmas has already been signed by more than 10,000 people, including X Factor presenter Dermot O’Leary and Oscar-winning actor Colin Firth.
It also comes after former Education Secretary Michael Gove claimed his “hands were tied” by the Treasury over the issue.
SFCA deputy chief executive James Kewin told FE Week he welcomed “any steps” taken by the government towards equality, but called for clarity over Mr Boles’s remarks.
He said: “It was an interesting response, but we are going to need more specific information.
“For example, we would want to know what he means when he says ‘change our status’. It’s not clear whether he means change our status to academies or something else.”
Former BBC Dragons’ Den investor and government apprenticeship reform adviser Doug Richard has been arrested and bailed on suspicion of raping a 13-year-old girl.
The US-born entrepreneur, who has strongly denied the accusation, was arrested in connection with the alleged attack on an underage girl this month.
He was quizzed by detectives from City of London Police before being released on bail until March. He has already stepped aside as chancellor-designate of Teesside University for “personal reasons”.
The 56-year-old multimillionaire, whose 2012 Richard Review of Apprenticeships triggered ongoing reform proposals, said: “I absolutely deny the allegations made about me. It would be inappropriate to comment further given that the police are at a very early stage of their investigation.”
A City of London Police spokesperson said: “Detectives arrested a 56-year-old man on January 5, 2015, on suspicion of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, sexual activity with a child, meeting a child following sexual grooming and rape of a girl under the age of consent.”
The Richard Review of Apprenticeships has continued to impact on the FE sector since its publication in 2012. It recommended giving employers control over apprenticeship funding.
As well as apprenticeships, he has worked closely with the government as a member of the Small Business Task Force, which advises Chancellor George Osborne and Prime Minister David Cameron.
A Teesside University spokesperson said: “The university can confirm that it has been notified that Mr Richard has stepped aside as chancellor-designate for personal reasons.
“Mr Richard’s scheduled installation in March will not go ahead. Our current chancellor, Lord Sawyer of Darlington, has agreed to remain in post for the foreseeable future until a successor is appointed.
“The role of chancellor is a ceremonial position only with no executive or operational responsibilities.”
The Sunday Times Festival of Education has confirmed FE Week and FE Week as a 2015 media partner.
The annual festival will be taking place on June 18 and 19 at Berkshire-based Wellington College and more than 100 speakers from across the world of education and training and beyond have already been confirmed.
After being confirmed as a 2015 media partner, managing director of FE Week and FE Week publishers, Lsect, Shane Mann said he planned to ensure that this year’s event would be more FE and skills orientated than ever before.
FE Week managing director, Shane Mann, chairing a session at last year’s Festival of Education with Find a Future and AoC chair Carole Stott (right) and World Skills gold medalist Ashley Terron (left).
He said: “I am delighted that both FE Week and FE Week will play a key role in the development of content this year.
“Last year was the first year that the festival had organised a large FE and skills section to the agenda.
Ofsted Chief Inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw speaking at the Festival of Education 2014.
“There was lots of great content and well attended sessions thanks to the efforts of the festival organisers and partners the Association of Colleges. My hope is that with FE Week’s involvement, we can help to ensure that there is even more FE and skills content this year.
“The festival is a fantastic opportunity for all involved in the FE and Skills sector to come together, share and learn. This will be my third festival and it is an event which astounds me every year, so to be part of its development is very exciting.”
The festival is one of the largest, most respected forums for thought leadership, innovations and developments in the field of education, attracting education’s most forward thinking innovators, influencers, practitioners of change, politicians, journalists, business leaders and policy makers.
Speakers at this year’s festival will include professor of psychology at Stanford University and author Carol Dweck, associate professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and a leading advocate of character-based learning Angela Duckworth, and FE Week editor and respected education blogger Laura McInerney.
Director general of MI5 from 1992 to 1996 Stella Rimington, writer, philosopher and television presenter Alain de Botton, gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, and rock musician, author and historian Julian Cope will also be speaking.
Louise Hunter, co-director of the festival, said: “This partnership places FE Week and FE Week in a key position to work with us to develop the content for this year’s festival and we are excited to be working with Shane [Mann] and the team.
“The response to the festival year-on-year has been fantastic and we are committed to continuing to develop and grow the festival as a rich source of continuing professional development, innovation, inspiration and growth for everyone in education.”
Information on special festival rates for FE Week and FE Week subscribers will be announced soon.
A drawn-out strike could be averted and one of the most long running FE employment disputes in recent memory brought to a close as union members consider an offer made by Lambeth College.
University and College Union (UCU) members at the London college walked out indefinitely today, but the row over contracts for new staff members could be over by the end of the week.
Members are due to meet on Wednesday at 4pm and UCU has urged them to vote to accept new proposals put forward by the college.
The row centres on contracts for new staff, which unions say would leave them with longer working hours, fewer holidays and lower sick pay.
In discussions last week the college offered to guarantee that existing staff would not be made to change to the new contract, even if they wanted to change their hours, as well as improving sick pay for the first year.
If UCU members accept the vote, they will return to work on Thursday.
UCU regional official Una O’Brien said: “Nobody wants to be on strike, but our members have been clear from the outset at how unhappy they were with the original contracts.
“We are pleased that there have been further improvements and we are recommending that members vote to accept the new deal when they meet on Wednesday.”
Today’s strike is the culmination of a series of escalating strikes throughout December and January.
It is the second indefinite strike in less than a year after UCU members walked out for five weeks in June, returning just before the summer holidays.
Lambeth principal Mark Silverman: “We welcome the recommendation from the regional team that the proposals should be accepted and the dispute ended.
“We have always been open to a reasonable resolution to the dispute which supports the improvement of teaching and learning, and assures our financial position. That is what the ‘new’ contract has always aimed to achieve.
“The college remains open to all learners and staff, with lessons continuing, and hopefully we can resolve this dispute imminently.”
Lambeth College staff look set for their second indefinite strike over new contracts in less than a year — this time with the backing of a group of MPs who accused college management of “provoking” the dispute.
University and College Union (UCU) members at the college have taken part in a series of escalating strikes since early last month, due to culminate today (January 19) with open-ended industrial action.
Staff had walked out for five weeks in June, calling off their indefinite strike just before the start of the summer holidays.
They claim new contracts will leave colleagues with longer working hours and less annual leave and sick pay.
JohnMcDonnell
And they have won the support of Labour MPs who put their name to an Early Day Motion (EDM) in the House of Commons that claims college management “provoked” the dispute with the new terms.
Principal Mark Silverman has said the new contract, introduced from April 1, was “in line with sector norms”. He said they were part of the college’s recovery plan following financial deficits of £4.1m in 2012/13 and £3.5m last year.
However, the cause of the striking staff has drawn support from Labour MP John McDonnell, whose EDM calls on the college to “resolve” the dispute to “avoid jeopardising its current Ofsted status”. At the time of going to press, four other Labour MPs had signed the EDM.
“Staff are adamant they will not accept the management’s disgraceful attack on staffing provisions and their employment conditions,” he told FE Week.
However, the college said it had put a proposal to resolve to dispute to the union and Mr Silverman — who described the EDM as a “very one-sided view” — said the college and the union had been in discussions.
“In these meetings we did discuss a proposal for resolving this dispute,” he said.
“If existing staff want to reduce their hours a bit, without going on to the new contract, in order to resolve this dispute we could allow that as well, and minor changes to the first year of sick pay.”
Mark Silverman
UCU regional official, Una O’Brien, said: “We remain committed to resolving the dispute. However, as things stand, we are still set for indefinite walkout.”
Mr Silverman said the college had managed to stay “up and running” during the recent strikes and would “remain open for students”.
“We will continue making sure that learners are not damaged and hopefully we can resolve this dispute — which has been and is very distracting — soon,” he said.
“I hope UCU will recognise it is in everybody’s interest to draw a line under this and try to move on.”
Gazelle chief executive Fintan Donohue has said that it’s for to colleges to decide if his organisation delivered value for money as he unveiled an impact report containing no assessment of how it had spent £3.5m-plus of public funds.
The former North Hertfordshire College principal spoke exclusively to FE Week about the positive Gazelle-commissioned report and said colleges’ ongoing membership showed they thought there was sufficient return on their taxpayers’ investment.
In a frank interview that touched upon his future plans for the organisation, he sought to address the report’s omissions of public spending issues and also Ofsted grades as he conceded that there wasn’t a “direct correlation between an Ofsted grade and Gazelle membership”.
However, the report has already been attacked by the University and College Union (UCU), which said it “fails to detail how a college might benefit from being a member and there is no proper evidence of why being a Gazelle member might represent good value for money”.
It concludes that Gazelle has “had a significantly positive impact on its member colleges and on the wider sector,” having assessed the organisation under the five themes of impact on the sector, on colleges, on learners, structure, and communications.
The organisation claims to “develop innovative new learning models and new partnerships with business to deliver an improved outcome for students, their communities and the economy” — but the report does not consider whether that impact was worth the £3.5m-plus it collected in public finances from colleges through set-up, membership and other fees since 2012.
“The difficulty with the concept of saying Gazelle has had this money is to suggest that there is an organisation that gets this money and does what it likes with it,” said Mr Donohue.
“The Gazelle membership group determines its priorities, it determines its expenditure, it evaluates its own impact, it decides what it wants to spend that money on, and it determines whether it has been a value for money return or not.”
The report covers the issue of the five colleges to have left Gazelle — the most recent of which was Lewisham Southwark College — saying that former members remained “positive about the value provided by Gazelle”.
It says that the departures were “not a criticism of their experience to date but a recognition that, in the present economic climate, a £30K investment requires tougher scrutiny and an appraisal of alternative returns on that investment.”
Mr Donohue said: “The report seems to suggest that, in terms of the sector as a whole and across the college members, Gazelle has had a significant impact.
From left: FE Week editor Chris Henwood interviews Gazelle chief executive Fintan Donohue
“Our judgement would be similar to that of the Gazelle impact report — that we have been honest in our endeavour; we have set out to do something very positive, our absolute total commitment is to continue to do that, and it’s up to others to make their judgement as to whether they think Gazelle has delivered a good enough return or not.
“And I, having lived with it for three or four years, have got to stand by and ask if I have put enough energy and effort into doing the best possible job with it, and I believe I have.”
Criticism of Gazelle and the amount of public money it has received emerged last year after an FE Week investigation found that its five founding colleges dished out more than £530,000 each to Gazelle, according to figures obtained from Freedom of Information Act.
More than 20 current and former member colleges were asked what they had spent on the organisation, with standard annual membership priced at £35,000.
“I don’t think you can set out to say what did this penny buy, what did this penny buy and what did this penny buy, what you do get in this impact report was that here’s a group of colleges who chose to share investment they would have made in those activities in any case, and the evidence would suggest it’s had a positive impact, both for the colleges and for the sector as a whole by doing it that way, “said Mr Donohue.
“And I’m fairly certain that the Gazelle Impact Report suggests that, by spending it collaboratively, we have had more impact.”
However, the Policy Consortium report also makes no mention of Ofsted grades of which, taking into account most recent inspection reports versus those immediately prior to membership, four resulted in no change to grades. A further four did result in overall grades going up, and by a total of four grades — but four also resulted in overall grades going down, and by a total of eight grades. The picture for teaching and learning was largely the same [click here for FE Week analysis of Ofsted grades and Gazelle membership].
Gazelle, looking at colleges inspected while members and taking into consideration recent departures, has been left with five colleges rated overall as good and four as ‘requires improvement’.
Nevertheless, the impact report says: “The Policy Consortium’s overall conclusion is that Gazelle has a good story to tell and individual Gazelle colleges have some solid achievements that deserve more widespread recognition.
“These include the development of new and exciting approaches to teaching and learning in individual institutions, and an increase in the reputation of the sector nationally in relation to an emerging policy focus on enterprise and entrepreneurship.
“Gazelle also deserves credit for demonstrating a sector-led approach to curriculum and leadership development.”
However, UCU head of FE Andrew Harden attacked the report. He said: “If this report is supposed to be a defence of the Gazelle Group, its work and its value then it fails to make a convincing case.”
He added: “It fails to detail how a college might benefit from being a member and there is no proper evidence of why being a Gazelle member might represent good value for money.
“There is no evidence Gazelle membership enhances Ofsted or exam results, nor is there any way of determining if the thousands spent on Gazelle membership is good for the college.”
Mr Donohue said: “A number of Gazelle colleges, in their Ofsted reports, have been highly commended for some of the stuff that Gazelle is doing, and I wouldn’t want that to get lost in the fact that there isn’t a direct correlation between an Ofsted grade and Gazelle membership.
“What it isn’t fair to say is, for example, that all the stuff that we’re doing with Gazelle hasn’t impacted on students, on staff and teaching and learning, and that that’s not reflected in a number of the Ofsted reports.”
He added: “It would be a very serious mistake to suggest that being part of Gazelle hasn’t improved teaching and learning, or hasn’t actually enhanced student experience, or doesn’t lead to a more positive Ofsted report, because many of the colleges that have excellent Ofsted reports would actually say it has, and the Ofsted reports would be very clear on that in terms of their comment.
“If you want to say there isn’t a consistent impact of Gazelle membership across the board on teaching and learning, across all the colleges, I would say that’s absolutely right.”
Gazelle chief executive Fintan Donohue speaks to FE Week editor Chris Henwood
What do you take from the impact report?
It reinforces the impact that Gazelle has had on the sector as a whole and on the colleges that we’ve been working with over the last three years. Gazelle colleges themselves who have received the report view it very positively. I think it makes it very clear that we have made significant in-roads to innovation in the sector. We have I think created a significant agenda around enterprise and entrepreneurship that didn’t exist before we started.
Is the report telling you anything that you didn’t already know?
It highlights areas around our communication, our structure, our clarity that we need to improve, and it also highlights the fact that our sector is changing, and with it, we need to be ever more relevant to that sector, particularly with its funding crisis and so on. That’s very helpful as well because it tells us we can’t stand still, we need to continue to evolve — and I think that is an important message for us to take on board.
Given there’s no mention of Ofsted or value for money in relation to membership of Gazelle, how would you answer the criticism that this report is just glossy marketing?
This report is a very clear statement from Gazelle that it is very open to investigative research done by a wholly independent organisation into its impact, its approach, its value for members. It’s directly the opposite to glossy production. It’s fairly balanced. It’s very clear about the areas we need to improve upon.
How much did the report cost to commission?
That’s a commercial and confidential issue for the people who provided the report. It’s not something that I can give, but what I can say is that I think that it was necessary, having done an impact report ourselves in the previous year, to commission an independent report that could provide a higher level of objectivity about what Gazelle has been about.
How do you feel about the fact Gazelle recently lost five of its 23 member colleges?
That is a function particularly of financial/funding issues, and I think it’s a function of the fact that the discretionary spend of colleges is becoming more contracted, and our colleges have got to think very clearly about what they can spend and how they can spend it.
And I believe that, if we go the way we want to go, which is to become essentially an organisation which helps colleges to grow new income, to develop new products, to distinguish their curriculum offer, other colleges will want to join with us in different ways, but I wouldn’t rule out the fact that in these times, and in these difficulties, colleges will have to make those decisions.
Are you looking to expand Gazelle?
Colleges need to be very clear that their strategy is consistent with what Gazelle is trying to achieve. If a college came to Gazelle now and said, “We think that we very much want to embrace a strategic approach to putting enterprise and entrepreneurship more centrally as a plan for development in our college,” we would be very open to talking to them.
We have never sought, we have never recruited colleges, we have no expansion plans – we never have had. I’ve never actually gone out at any point ever and looked for college members.
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The report outlines areas for improvement — things that weren’t right on your watch. Do you therefore have any plans to step aside?
The indications from the members of Gazelle, both the founder members and the wider membership, are they appear to place significant value on my membership. I, certainly in relation to the FE sector and Gazelle colleges, believe I’ve still got significant experience and value to offer in trying to help colleges cope with what I think is going to be a very difficult period.
But I am very clear that remit would be focused wholly on the FE colleges side, and I wouldn’t have an involvement in the commercial side of the organisation as it develops, I am much more on the not-for-profit further education improvement side, and I would expect to continue to have a leadership role, and that should be for the next few years.
How would you answer the criticism that Gazelle language, in terms of the phraseology in its reports, such as ecosystems and T-shaped learners can be alienating?
Frequently, the language around entrepreneurship doesn’t connect well enough with the student, and maybe even the teacher, and we have got to simplify that, and make it much more accessible to students and to teachers, and we need to do that. We have to do that. We have to take that on board and we have to try to reach all areas by adapting and changing language, and perhaps more importantly getting students and teachers to help to write and work with us to get that right.
Gazelle’s founder colleges were hoping it would have a commercial arm eventually, with a view to getting a return of their investment. What is happening with that?
We took a very sanguine view, which was if we can develop some good things — it could be around leadership, it could be around design, it could be around curriculum — wouldn’t it be great if we could essentially develop those and sell them on so that we could actually get money back in and reinvest. And that’s still very much an aspiration. It’s very much an aspiration to say, “How could we do that professionally?”
I think what the Gazelle Impact Report makes clear – which we fully accept and recommend – is that those two strands need to be wholly separate. You cannot really miss the two, and that’s why essentially we are very clear that I work on the not-for-profit Gazelle College Group agenda, and any future commercial development of those products and services actually becomes very distinctive and very clear.
Do you think you might be bringing the £35k fee down?
I don’t think that’s what the vast majority of members want. What you’ve got to ask is, “What value can you deliver?” You know, you can’t research, develop and connect as well if you’ve got fewer resources. You can’t do as much with the students, or you can’t maybe run as many training and development events for your staff.
Report claims it’s ‘too early to tell’ if Gazelle is worth it
The Gazelle impact report assesses the organisation under five themes — the impact on the sector, its member colleges and learners, structure of Gazelle and communications.
Further sections offer an executive summary conclusions and recommendations, bibliography and organisations interviewed.
While it contains much praise for Gazelle, it does also criticise the organisation, identifying “issues concerning the structure, strategy and purpose of Gazelle”.
However, it does not consider whether Gazelle has delivered value for public money nor the effect of membership on Ofsted grades, claiming “there is a valid ‘too early to tell’ argument”.
It adds that member colleges are “all at different stages on the journey and are moving at different speeds”.
It has led to criticism from University and College Union head of FE Andrew Harden that, ‘”the report simply lists excuses why Gazelle cannot and should not be properly judged”.
He said: “Saying Gazelle is a young organisation is no excuse. Five colleges have already decided to end their “journey”.
“The remaining Gazelle colleges need to explain why they continue to pump thousands of pounds of public funds into a group that opts for buzzwords and excuses ahead of any kind of proper audit.”
Mick Fletcher, a member of the Policy Consortium, which published the report, said: “An overall value for money analysis would not be valid, nor practicable, since different funders have put differing amounts in and got different things out each case would need to be treated separately.
“Many things affect Ofsted gradings and separating out the impact of Gazelle membership from everything else going on in individual colleges would be a very big piece of work beyond the scope of this study.”
An online conman who sold fake City & Guilds and OCR certificates from his Darlington cul-de-sac home has been sentenced 80 hours of unpaid work.
Edexcel, AQA and Ofqual logos were also used by Martin Bowman as he produced the counterfeit paperwork.
However, Darlington Magistrates’ Court heard that most of his customers asked for refunds because the certificates were of such poor quality.
The 26-year-old, who has moved to Gosforth since the crimes, was sentenced at Darlington Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (January 14) to 80 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay costs of £567.97, including a £60 victim surcharge. He had, at an earlier hearing, admitted two counts of selling goods with a sign which was likely to be mistaken for a registered trademark.
Andrew Swan, defending, said there was a statement on the website that the certificates were for novelty use.
Most of the certificates were for GCSEs and A-levels, and an Ofqual spokesperson said it acted after discovering Bowman’s website, www.fakequalifications.co.uk. She said: “Ofqual discovered this website and investigated. We monitored conversations online and purchased a number of certificates. We also discovered the address linked to the website and referred the matter to Trading Standards officers at Darlington Council.”
Michelle Meadows, executive director for strategy, risk and research at Ofqual, said: “Fake certificates for qualifications will not be tolerated and we have ensured that the website no longer provides these. We want people to feel secure in the knowledge that a qualification accredited by Ofqual is valid.”
Alison Lewis, AQA’s director of quality and customer standards, said: “Selling or using fake certificates is unacceptable. Students work hard to gain their qualifications and we want them to feel secure that their certificates will be highly valued by universities and employers.
“There are security features on all AQA certificates and if any employer has a concern about an AQA certificate they can phone us to check it is valid.”
City & Guilds PR officer Wendy Anstead said: “City & Guilds was aware of the qualification forgery, and we’ve been assisting the investigation.”
A spokesperson Pearson, which owns Edexcel, said: “The integrity of our qualifications is of paramount importance to us and we welcome the news that this issue has now been brought to a close. We take the security of our qualification certificates very seriously and have measures in place to protect against fraud. For example, our certificates are printed on customised, tamper-proof paper with inbuilt security features both visible and invisible to the naked eye.”
Chris McEwan, Darlington Council’s cabinet member for economy and regeneration, said: “The jobs market is tough and it may be tempting to make false claims but anyone using a fake qualification certificate to get a job will be found out and ruin their employment chances.” He added: “Qualification claims should always be verified.”
