Ofsted boss Sir Michael Wilshaw has told of his shock at GCSE English and maths attainment levels and teaching quality — and just days later figures for 2012/13 revealed nearly half of 16 to 18-year-olds without at least grade C in GCSE English or maths failed to repeat or even study alternative qualifications at the same or lower levels.

The chief inspector warned that “alarm bells” should be ringing over 16 to 19 study programmes, which were launched last year — after the period of the Department for Education figures — and requiring learners without grade C in GCSE English or maths to keep working towards the achievement.

The figures for 2012/13 further showed that of the total number of key stage four learners that did not achieve A* to C GCSE in English (188,365) and maths (211,171) only around 18 per cent were re-entered for either. And in total, just 6.5 per cent then achieved at least C in English and 7 per cent in maths.

Schools Minister David Laws said: “These figures show that prior to our reforms too many young people were allowed to give up these subjects without achieving the levels required by employers.”

But Sir Michael, speaking ahead of a lecture by the education watchdog’s FE and skills director Lorna Fitzjohn, expressed fears that young people were not “well served” by study programmes.

“Too few students make sufficient progress in improving their skills in English and mathematics, because the teaching they receive is simply not good enough,” he said.

He said: “The gap between the good intentions of government policy in relation to this age group and the reality of what is happening on the ground is worryingly wide… our recent surveys of the 16 to 19 study programmes and youth participation, should ring alarm bells for policy-makers and also practitioners.

“The simple truth of what’s happening at the moment is that too many young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and those who want to find vocational pathways, are not yet being well served by these programmes… as chief inspector, I am very concerned.”

Sir Michael also used his speech to talk about the potential impact of not preparing young people for the world of work, claiming that a “sloppy attitude to punctuality” and a “lackadaisical” attitude could stem from poor employability skills teaching.

He said: “Our most recent report on careers guidance, published this time last year, is one of the most damning documents that Ofsted has ever produced.”

He added: “Again, it’s quite shocking that 84 per cent of youngsters who don’t get their GCSE at grade C in English and maths at 16 fail to achieve these grades at 19.

“Above all, I am particularly concerned that education and training is not preparing young people well enough for work. Many employers complain that far too many young people looking for work have not been taught the skills, attitudes and behaviours they need to be successful in the world of work.

“And what does this actually mean on the ground? It means they have a sloppy attitude to punctuality. It means they are far too relaxed in terms of meeting deadlines to produce work. It means that far too many young people are lackadaisical in the way they present themselves for work. If they dress inappropriately, speak inappropriately, and have poor social skills, they are not going to get a job.

“Youth unemployment in our country is far too high, and it is in everyone’s interest to ensure that young people receive the very best education and training to improve this situation.

“And the consequences, if we don’t get this right, are too serious to ignore.”

 

Editorial

In October last year, we reported how new DfE figures showed the majority of students achieving a GCSE grade D in English and maths were not then being re-entered for the qualification at sixth form or college.

In his editorial at the time, my predecessor Nick Linford was rightly critical of colleges for offering alternative qualifications, such as functional skills, to these learners where achieving the grade A* to C GCSE would have overcome a barrier to employment.

We now know nearly half of all those not achieving the grade C, not just those with a grade D, were neither entered for GCSEs nor functional skills in 2012/13.

In fact, they didn’t even study an alternative entry or level one English or maths qualifications.

The government has acted, as English and maths lessons for those 16 to 18-year-olds without a grade C or above at GCSE became a funding requirement as part of a study programme from this year.

And from 2015/16 a learner leaving school with a grade D GCSE in English or maths will have to retake it.

Yet these new government requirements are worth nothing if the teaching and success rates are poor.

The Ofsted’s verdict on study programmes last year is not good.

So the whole school sixth form and FE sector needs to step up to the challenge.

What must be avoided as a response is the shirking of responsibility and, like many employers, the raising of entry criteria and thus refusing to take on 16 to 18-year-old learners without GCSE Cs and above.

The government needs to be alert to that risk, as it would be an unintended tragedy.

Chris Henwood, editor

 

 

An improvement plan aimed at turning around the fortunes of an inadequate-rated university technical college (UTC) has been ripped up and rewritten by its new general FE college sponsorship team.

Ofsted inspectors revisited Central Bedfordshire UTC to see how it was getting on after the grade four result, but branded its improvement plan “not fit for purpose”.

However, Bedford College, having been asked by former Education Secretary Michael Gove to step in and take over, became the UTC main sponsor after the revisit — and principal Ian Pryce said a new plan had been drawn up and was now in place.

Mr Pryce, who is also the newly-appointed UTC chair of governors, told FE Week: “Bedford College has a separate plan, which Ofsted said it would consider at its next visit.”

He added: “Since Bedford College became sponsors of the UTC over the summer, we have appointed a new head, new senior team, strengthened the teaching team, revised the curriculum and invested in new facilities including the library.

“The Ofsted visit also took place before the summer exam results came out and these included excellent pass rates in engineering courses and improved A-level results.”

Ofsted’s inadequate rating came in June, with inspectors critical of the quality of leadership, governance, teaching and curriculum.

They also said learning at the 150-learner UTC, which specialises in engineering and design, was “not secure” because teachers “do not always check students’ understanding or how well they have developed skills in lessons”.

The inspectors’ report on the revisit, which took place mid-July, also revealed how “due to too few applications, the college is not expecting to admit any students into year 10 in the academic year 2014/15.

Nevertheless, with the UTC in new hands, Mr Pryce said he was “confident the UTC has a very bright future”.

Of the three other UTCs inspected so far, Black Country and Hackney UTCs got grade three results while the JCB Academy in Staffordshire received a good rating.

However, the issue of low enrolment figures has hit a number of UTCs, including the one in Hackney, which is to close after this academic year having failed to recruit enough students.

Despite this, Shadow Education Secretary Tristram Hunt told
FE Week sister publication Academies Week on Tuesday (September 9) that he wanted “considerable growth” in their numbers.

However, he stopped short of the recommendation in June’s review for the Labour Party by Lord Adonis, called Mending the fractured economy: Smarter state, better jobs, in which the Labour peer proposed 100 more UTCs by 2020.

Mr Hunt told Academies Week at the CBI Education Conference: “There should be considerable growth in UTCs but I won’t put a figure on it.”

Main pic: Ian Pryce

The future of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) could be just as much on the line as the United Kingdom, FE Week can reveal.

With voters in Scotland due to go to the polls this week over whether they want independence, it has emerged that the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has not planned for the UKCES in the event of a split.

A BIS spokesperson conceded the future of the UK-wide research and policy body was not planned for if Scotland was to break away after Thursday’s referendum.

She said: “We will not be making or commenting on plans for the possibility of an independent Scotland before the referendum.”

The organisation, which had a budget of £66.9m for 2013-14 and employs around 100 staff, produces an annual employer skills survey for each of the four UK nations, as well as an overall survey — but much of its work focuses on the UK as a whole.

The Scottish government directly contributes £500,000 a-year to the UKCES to support the development of National Occupational Standards. And the Scottish government claims to have made an “active contribution” to the development of the UKCES.

The Scottish government website says: “Scottish Ministers influenced and agreed the organisation’s remit and year one objectives, ensuring that UKCES focussed appropriately on Scottish issues from the outset.”

A spokesperson for the UKCES, which was created in April 2008, said she was unable to comment on plans for the future of the organisation.

But Sir Charlie Mayfield (pictured front), UKCES chair, speaking in his role as chair of the John Lewis and Waitrose partnership, appeared to express misgivings about the prospect of Scottish independence, warning there would be “economic consequences to a Yes vote”.

And Colin Borland, head of external affairs at the Federation of Small Businesses Scotland warned the future of many projects such the UKCES could be at risk.

“There are many cross-UK institutions who are wondering what’s going to happen to them,” he told FE Week.

“Whether or not a lot of the good work could continue in the event of a Yes vote or a more devolved situation, we don’t know but it’s going to have to be sorted out.”

The BIS spokesperson said: “The UKCES has a commissioner appointed from each of the home nations by their respective governments. Each year, the four nations have the opportunity to influence the work of UKCES through their grant-in-aid letter.”

However, she declined to comment further on the grounds that the government was observing Purdah — an electoral convention where all parties agree not to publish material that could sway the vote just before an election.

But both the Yes and No campaigns have accused the other of breaking Purdah following a host of new policy announcements affecting Scotland.

The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) has broken through the milestone of £20m in sector contracts.

It gave out a total of £23,364,323 to 77 different organisations, from charities and unions to universities and private training providers, since its official launch around August last year and the beginning of last month.

The three biggest-earning contractors, Tribal Education Ltd, the Association of Colleges (AoC) and the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP), were awarded contracts worth almost £9m between them for various services.

The biggest single contract, with Tribal, was £2,930,000 for the maths teacher recruitment incentive scheme.

David Russell, ETF chief executive, told FE Week: “All of our contracts are designed to generate high value outputs and impact. Quite rightly we are held up to account on this by our sector owners, our board, expert panels and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) — as our funding body.

“An English enhancement programme is about to start which will enable 1,400 teachers to teach at GCSE level. This will impact thousands more learners. This stands out as it provides practical support to a sector under pressure to respond to the new GCSE requirements. Regional leads across the country will put organisations in touch with the support available to them.

“Also topical this month is the contract we issued for workforce data collection which has resulted in the most comprehensive set of characteristics we have ever had about the FE workforce.”

Last November, the ETF, which is owned by the AoC, AELP and the Association of Adult Education and Training Organisations (also referred to as Holex), said it was handing back £7m of its £18m budget to BIS due to an underspend.

Nevertheless, the ETF got an £18m budget for 2014-15 and is set to get a reduced figure of £10m next year.