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‘Don’t spend Bursary Fund cash on FE free meals top-up’ — DfE

Officials at the Department for Education (DfE) have told providers they can’t top up FE free meals allocations with Bursary Fund cash after it emerged a number of colleges were looking to boost the £2.41 hand-outs up to as much as £5.

General FE colleges and independent learning providers, from this month, are required by law to offer FE free meals to qualifying disadvantaged 16 to 18-year-olds.

And the government announced in April that providers would receive funding at a rate equivalent to £2.41 per student per meal taken — but FE Week understands a number of colleges wanted to give more with official guidance unclear on FE free meals top-up rules.

Providers were looking at topping up FE free meals allocations with funding from other sources, including the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund — usually dished out to help pay for education-related costs for disadvantaged learners including travel, clothing and books.

But the DfE “definitively” ruled out such practices issuing providers guidance on Thursday (September 4) after an enquiry from FE Week.

Kingston College was among those looking to boost learners’ money for food. A college spokesperson told FE Week: “We wanted to ensure that its most needy learners were ready and fit to learn across their timetable.

“In order to do this, we were exploring a £5 a-day allocation, which would entitle learners to a healthy breakfast, nominally £1.50 and lunch at £3.50.”

But, she added: “Like many other colleges in the country we were exploring the possibility of topping up the limited FE free meals allocation from bursary funds.

“However, the sector has now been given definitive guidance from the Education Funding Agency that this is not permissible. Kingston College will comply with the guidance.”

A DfE spokesperson said: “The situation is that institutions are not allowed to top up FE free meals funding from other support funding, including the 16 to 19 bursary fund.

“They can, however, use the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund to pay for FE free meals for people who would not otherwise be eligible, at the same rate of £2.41.

“We would like to stress this is not a change of rules. These are the same arrangements that were already in place.”

He added the 16 to 19 bursary could also be spent on schemes to encourage more learners who were entitled to FE free meals to claim the benefit.

A 157 Group spokesperson said: “It is early days for the new policy and we hope DfE will keep the rates under review to make sure colleges can offer nutritious meals. Colleges themselves will be best placed as time goes on to judge the amount they will need and we hope DfE will be receptive to their feedback.”

A spokesperson for the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) said: “The FE free meals allowance is a helpful element to the support provided for all learners. It would be better if the allowance was higher.”

The Association of Colleges declined to comment.

EDITORIAL

So how much is an Education Funding Agency (EFA) FE free meals voucher worth?

The obvious answer is £2.41 as the EFA has said this is the maximum eligible learners can be given.

And yet until FE Week made inquiries with the EFA some colleges thought there was no maximum and were considering as much as £5.
So why two different answers and who is right?

The higher figure comes from colleges planning to top up the £2.41 with bursary funding — a different EFA pot.

Bursary funding is discretionary, and some providers have in previous years been using it for free meals worth more than £2.41.

But the EFA has now explicitly ruled out topping up and its word is final.

The need for EFA clarification, late changes by providers and two pots for free meals (with different rules) creates the potential for confusion, all of which should be of concern.

Combining FE free meals and bursary allocation seems the sensible solution.

Otherwise continued micromanagement by the EFA will leave a bitter taste in the mouth for what should be a popular policy.

Chris Henwood, editor

Breast cancer survivor completes half-triathlon

Breast cancer survivor Sue Chant raised more than £450 for charity through completing a half-triathlon.

The 54-year-old horse management Hartpury College lecturer completed the UK Ultimate Half Triathlon at Dearnford Lake, Shropshire, in just over eight hours.

It involved a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride and 13.1-mile run.

She raised more than £450 in sponsorship for the Breast Cancer Support charity in memory of Angela Kearns, an equine lecturer who died earlier this year. She had breast cancer.

Sue, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011 and is now in remission, said: “The event was very hard, but I’m so happy I completed it for a cause which is very close to my own heart.”

Cap: Horse management lecturer Sue Chant shows off her medal after finishing the UK Ultimate Half Triathlon

Failure warning as ‘less than half’ of traineeship providers deliver starts

The Department for Education (DfE) has “failed” to manage providers operating its traineeship programme, a senior MP has claimed.

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chair Margaret Hodge (pictured) made the comments in response to a report from the National Audit Office (NAO), which showed that just 200 out of 459 eligible training providers who said they would deliver traineeships had recorded starts as of June this year.

The report also raised concerns that proposals to make employers pay for up to a third of the costs of training and assessment of apprentices aged 16 to 18 could lead to a further fall in the number of starts in that age group — already down from 129,900 in 2011/12 to 114,500 in 2012/13.

It comes as a government impact assessment, out on Thursday (September 4), conceded that the funding reforms could affect 16 to 18-year-old apprentice numbers differently to older learners, and said the situation would be “monitored”.
Mrs Hodge said the DfE needed to do more for young people considered to be not in education, employment or training (Neet).

She said: “These young people have not been helped by the Department’s failure to manage its providers — with only 200 out of 459 eligible training providers actually delivering the traineeships they promised.”

Association of Employment and Learning Providers chief executive Stewart Segal welcomed Ms Hodge’s comments, and the light shed on poor traineeship take-up by the NAO report.

He said: “The recognition by the NAO and Mrs Hodge for the need to grow the traineeships programme is welcome. We have consistently said that we should open up the programme to all providers that can evidence quality delivery.”
Association of Colleges chief executive Martin Doel said: “FE and sixth form colleges have worked hard to ensure young people stay in education or training.

“However, in the next few months, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has some tough decisions to make about the funding her department provides to educate and train 16 to 18-year-olds.

“Further government reductions, exacerbating those already handed out, could result in less course choice for students and the achievements of the past few years being at risk.”

A DfE spokesperson said: “The report from the NAO recognises the success of the apprenticeships programme, and that it is value for money.

“As part of our reforms we also want to give employers control over the funding for apprenticeship training. This will help them choose the most effective work preparation for their employees, working directly with providers. We have published details of the funding model that we are trialling for starts based on new employer-designed standards in 2014/15.”

A PAC inquiry into 16 to 18 participation in education is due to begin on November 3, and the education select committee is due to look at apprenticeships and traineeships in the autumn.

DfE gives colleges school data access to remove young learners’ hurdle

A major stumbling block holding up colleges looking to take on 14 and 15-year-old learners has been addressed by the government, FE Week can reveal.

Colleges could recruit learners from the age of 14 from September last year but were hit with problems getting key student data — including learners’ past test results, attendance and special needs — from the Fisher Family Trust (FFT), which deals with schools.

Among those to have struggled last year was Hull College — one of seven given Education Funding Agency (EFA) permission to recruit younger learners full-time last year.

Graham Towse (pictured), Hull principal, told FE Week: “We faced significant delays in obtaining FFT data. We had to request this from local authorities, which takes longer, delaying the essential process of ascertaining the individual needs of pupils.” [click here for Mr Towse’s expert piece on his college entering its second year of direct recruitment]

However, the Department for Education (DfE) told FE Week that it would now allow colleges to access its own database instead.

A DfE spokesperson said: “From this month, we have given all colleges that enrol 14 and 15-year-olds permission to access the data they need through our central system.

“The EFA will be writing to all colleges to make sure they are aware of the arrangement.”

He added colleges would also be able to access central data on learners aged 16 and above.

Mr Towse said: “We very much welcome the response from the DfE in taking steps to resolve this issue.”

Joy Mercer, AoC director of education policy, said: “We are very pleased to hear that access to schools data is now possible. The lack of information made it difficult to plan and make sure students were on the right programme of study.”
A 157 Group spokesperson said: “This is very good news. Access to student information was a major difficulty for colleges taking in students, not just at 14, but at 16 as well.”

Angela Boffy, FFT marketing manager, said: “Although we are working to extend the range of institutions which receive data from us, FE colleges historically have not been provided with data from FFT — we only provide data to LAs and schools/sixth form colleges.

“We fully support the sharing of data, within the constraints of data protection legislation, to support the improvement of pupil outcomes.”

Bromley College takes on 14-year-old learners for the first time this month. Click here for an expert piece by principal Sam Parrett.

SFA’s £30.4m grant clears K College advances debt

East Kent College principal Graham Razey

Debts at the defunct K College were cleared after the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) dished out a £30.4m grant, FE Week can reveal.

The SFA confirmed it paid the debt-ridden college before it was split into five campuses and taken over by East Kent College and Hadlow College from last month.

The SFA said the grant was then used to pay back the advances it had paid to the college, but it insisted the debt had not been “written-off”.

It would not reveal how much was owed in the form of advances. However, East Kent College principal Graham Razey (pictured) has said K College owed £16m to the SFA and £18.5m to Barclays.

But the grant meant K College transferred to East Kent and Hadlow with a fraction of the debt.

And FE Week can also reveal that both takeover colleges have struck deals with the SFA to guarantee funding allocations, in Hadlow’s case for three years and East Kent for two. However, neither college disclosed the value or conditions of the guarantee.

An SFA spokesperson said: “All advances of funds are paid out on the understanding that they will be recovered against future funding and they are always recovered by us.

“K College was allocated a grant of £30.4m to cover the costs of maintaining provision which was used to recover the outstanding balance of funds paid out in advance at that time. No amount has been written off.

“The decision to issue a grant was taken to protect the needs of existing learners and put in place better local provision for the future.

“The decision was made following extensive consideration of all alternative routes, the anticipated costs of those alternatives and consideration of the impact on existing and future learners.”

From last month, East Kent took K College campuses in Folkestone and Dover, while Hadlow had Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and Ashford sites.

The break-up and sale was agreed after K College debts spiralled out of control. The college was also branded inadequate by Ofsted in December last year.

Mr Razey told FE Week: “As far as I’m concerned, there was no SFA debt. I can’t speak for Hadlow, but I would be very surprised if they still had any.

“What I know from my point of view is that in there was an outstanding liability of £500,000 to Barclays relating to the Folkstone campus which was settled at the point of the takeover. There was no debt relating to Dover.”

Hadlow declined to comment.

Edition 109: Margaret Mineham, Rebecca Garrod Waters, Tim Grant and Kate Roe

At least 13 colleges, independent learning providers and other skills bodies have started the new academic year under new leadership.

he last academic year came to an eventful end, with retirements and resignations announced across England.

Whitehall was no exception, with Nick Boles and Nicky Morgan having been announced as the new Skills Minister and Education Secretary, respectively, over the summer.

Among the more recent announcements is the news that Darlington College has appointed former NHS and local government worker Kate Roe as its new principal following the retirement of Tim Grant, who led the college for five years.

Mr Grant said: “I am leaving at a very exciting time when the future of the college is set fair as a national centre for two important industries.

“The college is the only one in the country to have a sub-sea facility and we are also looking forward to establishing bio-pharmaceutical training here in response to the new biologics manufacturing centre being developed on site.”

Ms Roe, from London, read modern Chinese studies at Leeds University after her A-levels and worked in communications for the Voluntary Services Overseas charity and later the Royal National Institute for the Blind.

She worked for the NHS and held senior positions in local government, taking on leadership roles at authorities in London, Yorkshire and the North East.

Ms Roe said: “Darlington is a great place, really friendly, very positive and proactive; you can see that in the way facilities have been developed here.

“The quality of what we do in college is core to teaching and learning. We are also ensuring that what we do is relevant to the people of the town, employers and the economy.

“Working in partnership is really important as well. I want everyone to continue to be really proud of the college and I am looking forward to the future which, while challenging, also has some really great opportunities on the horizon.”

Cleveland College of Art and Design (CCAD) has announced that its head of FE, Margaret Mineham, has retired for the second, and last, time.

The college said Ms Mineham had retired once before in 1994, but that this retirement, announced in July as she celebrated her 70th birthday, was her last.

Ms Mineham began teaching at CCAD in 1974 after a career in the fashion industry. Starting as a part-time lecturer, teaching young girls with behavioural issues, she was a full-time tutor in women’s and children’s wear, then course leader for fashion. She was then promoted to business development manager, curriculum manager and finally head of FE.

“I never thought my career would pan out as it has but I wouldn’t change a thing,” said Ms Mineham.

“I’ve loved every minute of it and the best thing of all has been the students. I like everything about them and I’ve built up a lot of respect for them over the years.

“Seeing them grow and achieve is my reward. Many of them I taught, such as Vicky Wake and Stephen White, have even come back to CCAD after highly successful careers in the fashion industry, to teach as tutors themselves.”

Ms Mineham, who was awarded an MBE in 2010 for her services to education, is now looking forward to spending her retirement with husband Ged. Her role has been split, and will be covered by new starters Michael Wheaton, head of visual arts, and John Waddington, head of design.

Adult education charity the Ufi Trust has also seen movement at the top, with the appointment of its first chief executive Rebecca Garrod-Waters, who is charged with driving forward the Trust’s mission to “improve the accessibility and availability of adult learning through the use of technology”.

Ms Garrod-Waters comes from an innovation background, having most recently been at the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre. Her previous roles include director of innovation at Advantage West Midlands and deputy director at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Ms Garrod-Waters said: “I am really looking forward to helping the Ufi Trust move onto the next stage. The Ufi Trust is a comparatively new organisation and it has already funded some great projects.

“The challenge for me is to build on the work that has already been done and help Ufi identify further innovative projects that will help widen learning opportunities in the vocational sector and maximise the impact of digital technologies on vocational learning. Technology offers an unprecedented opportunity to extend the reach of learning and help bridge the skills gap.”

Meeting the direct recruitment challenge — one year on

As participating colleges get ready to take on learners from the age of 14, Graham Towse outlines his experiences as one of the few principals with a full academic year of the policy under his belt.

In September 2013 we welcomed our first intake of students to the HCUK 14-16 College.

This represented a new legal status for us as a college and followed recommendations by Alison Wolf that colleges be allowed to enrol students from age 14.

Our first year has been extremely successful — at our initial monitoring visit by Ofsted, we received the highest rating possible.

A series of strengths were identified, and the students were praised for their strong aspirational goals, and the progress they made since joining us.

We have also successfully managed the implementation of the changes to GCSEs, introduced nationally.

We begin our second year this September with a cohort of around 210 students across years 10 and 11 at Hull and Goole Colleges. This growth has driven the relocation of the 14 to 16 college to a larger, purpose-built standalone building, which is within the college campus and is exclusively for the use of the 14 to 16 college students.

Schools don’t like what we are doing mainly because we do not just accept students that schools wish to pass onto us

We have had to negotiate two key difficulties — the funding lag and obtaining Fischer Family Trust (FFT) data for our students.

The funding lag means we had to operate for the whole of the academic year without any funding at all, which had a significant impact on cash flow for the college. We are hoping that this will be addressed by the EFA for this year.

We have also faced significant delays in obtaining FFT Data — essentially our students’ transition data — from schools, as we are not officially classified as a school and therefore cannot access the data centrally.

We have had to request this data from the Local Authorities, which takes longer, delaying the essential process of ascertaining the individual needs of pupils early on in their learning programme. Unfortunately, the issue remains unresolved [click here for FE Week story on the resolution of this issue].

Our cohort has already expanded significantly, and we have capacity for up to 300 students in our new building.

We do plan to grow in the future — when that time comes, we will have the teaching capacity, having already recruited a dedicated 14 to 16 teaching and support team which will grow as the provision does.

Our vocational provision is bought in from Hull College, so we would not foresee satisfying growth as being a problem.

Our 14 to 16 students come from a spread of schools throughout the Hull and East Riding Area and some travel a significant distance to attend college.

A number of students travel from Withernsea every day, which is a 90-minute bus journey each way. We don’t tend to recruit in large clusters from individual schools, we’re more likely to take a handful of students from each school.

We have been clear in describing that our provision complements that which already exists locally within schools and academies.

What we offer does not compete directly with the schools, as nobody else offers the same vocational pathways as the 14 to 16 college.

We have maintained a strong relationship with many local schools and we still receive their students through our curriculum partnership model. It is true however, that some schools don’t like what we are doing mainly because we do not just accept students that schools wish to pass onto us.

All new entrants to the 14 to 16 college must apply for a place and must have the full backing of their parents.

For our own students, we continue to offer impartial information, advice and guidance regarding progression. The majority of our students will choose to follow an apprenticeship route, but we can also support them to study vocational FE, A-levels and beyond to a range of locally-available foundation degrees and degrees.

Security was a key consideration within the initial requirements for colleges wishing to enrol from age 14. We employ all the same safeguarding procedures that we do for post-16 provision.

As previously mentioned, our students are housed within a separate building which has swipe card entry, and a dedicated staffing team.

However, they are not locked in the building from 8.15am to 4pm. They have use of general communal areas within the main body of Hull and Goole Colleges if they wish, including refectories, library and resource centres.

Years 10 and 11 are all allowed off-site and into the city centre at lunchtime providing they have parental consent. While many Year 11s will choose to leave the site at lunch time, the Year 10s tend to stay within their building and use the dedicated social areas.

While the 14 to 16 college is a relatively new concept, Hull College has been teaching 14 to 16 students from schools on day release programmes and similar for a long time so has significant experience of managing younger pupils within the college environment.

Bromley College takes on 14-year-old learners for the first time this month. Click here for an expert piece by principal Sam Parrett.

Hub breaks down on ILR data deadline day

Providers trying to submit information for the first individualised learner record (ILR) return of the academic year faced software issues on deadline day.

Thursday (September 4) was the deadline for the first ILR return of 2014/15, but many providers found using the Skills Funding Agency’s hub software impossible due to technical issues.

It is not the first time problems had occurred on the first deadline day of the academic year, raising questions as to why the R01 return still existed in its current format.

Morley College funding manager Steve Hewitt told FE Week: “I would like to point out that the Information Authority [whose board was scrapped last year] did canvas on getting rid of R01 as a return and paying everyone on profile because of this happening every year about three of four years ago and providers were very much in favour.

“I honestly can’t see what the return gives to SFA and all it does is massively inconvenience a lot of people who, almost inevitably, end up getting paid on profile anyway.”

An SFA spokesperson said: “For those providers who submitted a file during the ILR R01 collection period, we will pay against that file.

“We recognise that some providers have experienced technical issues submitting data. Therefore, for those providers we will make a profile payment as per normal practice, increasing payments where appropriate.

“We apologise for any inconvenience that this may have caused. Our primary concern will be to continue to ensure all providers receive timely payment.

“To mitigate any impact on providers we will postpone the opening of the ILR R13 collection for 2013-14, which will now open on Monday, September 8 and will close on September 15.”

Sector bodies have their say on government plans

Officials at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) are currently sifting through the results of FE and skills consultations — one focussed on traineeships and the other on FE loans.

The traineeship consultation began on June 19 and closed on August 14. It asked if traineeship providers should be paid based on learner destination. Progression into apprenticeships, jobs or further learning could be incentivised from 2015/16 under the proposals.

Meanwhile, the consultation on FE loans, which opened on the same date but ran a week longer, considers extending the system to cover level two qualifications and more learners as it looks to make 19 to 23-year-olds. Currently, FE loans are available to level three and above learners from the age of 24.

Below is a snapshot of the responses the government received from some of the major sector bodies.

*Some bodies only responded to one consultation