A big dip in funding concerns FE leaders

FE bosses have urged the government to address a growing dip in funding for 16 to 19-year-olds that could “stymie” talent.

In a letter to Education Secretary  Michael Gove, leaders of organisations representing heads and college principals claimed that funding will slump from £4,645 for every 16 to 19-year-old in 2011/12 to less than £4,400 by 2015.

Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), Martin Doel, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, David Igoe, chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges’ Forum and Nick Lewis, general secretary of Principals Professional Council (PPC) said the cuts could lead to popular subjects being scrapped, increased class sizes and reductions in teaching time, tutorial and pastoral support.

“At a time when the age for participation in education is being raised [to 17 in 2013 and 18 in 2015] and when social mobility is a flagship government policy, it makes no sense for frontline provision to be jeopardised by these funding cuts,” Mr Lightman told FE Week.

“This is why we have written to the Sectary of State urging him to work with us to ensure that the young people in our schools and colleges are not let down, and that these worthwhile policies, which ASCL strongly supports, do not fail.”

We are concerned that the 16 to 19 funding dip could stymie the best endeavours of schools and colleges”

The letter claimed that income per pupil under 16 in secondary schools was £5,620 in 2011/2012 — £1,000 more than for 16 to 19-year-olds — while in the same year the average fee per university student was £8,414.

It warned the disparity would cause “significant and adverse consequences for 16 to 19 education”, and pressed the government to act before the next Comprehensive Spending Review.

It said: “We are concerned that the 16 to 19 funding dip could stymie the best endeavours of schools and colleges to cultivate the potential talents of young people.

“The next comprehensive spending review should re-evaluate the resources needed for a good education for all 16 to 19-year-olds in state education.”

It added: “The 16 to 19 funding dip has appeared as an unwelcome anomaly. An anomaly that we believe should be removed.”

Mike Hopkins, chair of PPC, told FE Week: “This government should demonstrate its dedication and support for skills as a priority by increasing fair funding for all.”

The group said it “welcomed” the opportunity to work with the government in “helping to determine the resources needed to achieve these aims and how these resources are then best deployed”.

A Department for Education spokesperson said the government was spending £7.5 billion this year on education and training for 16-19 year olds.

“Work on the next Spending Review Period is on-going and no decisions have been taken,” said the spokesperson.

“As the participation age increases, we are providing funding to ensure schools and colleges can offer places in education or training to all young people who want them,” she added.

‘Photos really capture special moments in my life’

Jake Beattie had three things on his wish list – including his own camera. Rebecca Cooney reports on how Hopwood Hall College helped to make the seriously ill student’s dreams come true

A seriously ill art and design learner from Manchester was lost for words when his college made his wish list a reality.

Jake Beattie, 19, from Heywood, has been a supported learner at Hopwood Hall College since 2010.

He has a short life expectancy as he suffers from pulmonary hypertension, a condition that will eventually cause heart failure.

During his recovery after a major health setback in 2011, Jake asked the college’s senior learning mentor Harriet Herdman to visit him with work, as he was frightened of falling behind.

During this visit he told her his three greatest wishes — to meet his hero, TV presenter Jeremy Kyle, to do some charity work and to have a camera of his own so that he could develop his passion for photography.

Harriet decided to see what the college could do to make Jake’s wishes come true, and in February last year organised for Jake to watch filming of The Jeremy Kyle Show — and to meet the host backstage.

It then went on to wishes two and three, first by organising a fundraising event in aid of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association.

Jake’s fellow art students made jewellery, cups and bookmarks that were sold on a stall manned by Jake and learning support staff, while games groups donated games and ran a competition, and college staff contributed by donating gifts for a tombola.

The event, which ran alongside the end of year art exhibition, raised just over £365.

Some of the money was used to grant Jake’s third wish, a Samsung WB150 camera with a memory stick and case.

“I am studying media and photography is part of my course,” said Jake. “I’ve had to borrow a camera from my tutor but won’t need to do that anymore.

“Photography is one of my passions but my condition means that I find it hard to get out a lot.

“Now, when I’m unable to go out, I can look back on all the photos I’ve taken.  Photos really capture special moments in life.”

The rest of the money was given to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association.

A spokesperson for the association said: “We’d like to thank Jake for fundraising on our behalf.

“His generosity will help in our fight to defeat this terrible disease and enrich the quality of life of all those affected.”

The presentation of the camera and cheque for charity had to be delayed after Jake suffered another setback, but he said later that it was all “definitely worth the wait”.

The director of information and support services at Hopwood Hall College, Luke Goodlet, said it was the first time he’d ever seen Jake lost for words.

Guide to 24+ Advanced Learning Loans supplement

Download your free copy of the FE Week 16 page special Guide to FE Loans, sponsored by Tribal.

Click here to download (17mb)

Introduction

It’s never a surprise to see a new way of doing things come along for the ever-resilient FE sector.

But the advent of 24+ advanced learning loans has left many feeling unprepared.

College leaders, lecturers, trainers and students are all grappling to get their heads around the new funding regime — the first time a credit system has entered the world of FE.

It has been brought in by the government as it scraps subsidies for mature students, getting them to foot the bill instead.

This supplement aims to offer a helping hand while assessing this change, casting a critical eye over where the main challenges lie and what the current thinking on them is.

On the next page we start off by looking at the background to the new loans system — the government’s justification for them and the finances involved.

A flowchart on page 4 explains the journey the learner will take through the new system, steered by the Skills Funding Agency, with anchorage from providers and the Students Loans Company.

On page 5 we have compiled a handy collection of figures such as how much students would start paying back per month, once they become eligible to cover their debt.

But how have prospective learners heard of the change?

This supplement aims to offer a helping hand”

On page 6 we hear about the government-funded marketing of loans and how providers are using their allotted cash to promote them — complete with the posters, slogans and some of the artwork they used.

And a 27-year-old learner tells FE Week first-hand on page 7 why she couldn’t go back to education without the funds as she waits on her loans application.

Page 8 and 9 carry an advert from Tribal, before we hear how providers have supported learners in taking up a loan through the learning and funding information letter, on page 10.

Providers have explained, on page 11, how they set their fees as a result of the loans, and the bursary fund — for students with extra needs — is explored with some of its flaws exposed.

Fierce opponents of learners incurring debt are Shadow Skills Minister Gordon Marsden and Toni Pearce — soon to become the National Students Union’s president.

Both make their thoughts clear on pages 12 and 13 with Mr Marsden warning the sector isn’t ready for what he describes as the “biggest change in FE in over a generation”.

And Ms Pearce points to a survey her union sent out which showed a quarter of lecturers, managers, support staff, and students were “not at all” aware of the new system, while just six in 10 were “slightly aware”.

On the other hand David Hughes, chief executive of the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, considers the possibility that relationships could improve between providers and learners as students become “empowered” customers.

And Barry Brooks, strategic adviser to the Tribal board, talks of the risks that will lie on principals’ shoulders with the birth of the new regime.

Finally on pages 14 and 15 we have provided a list of resources you can use to help you find out more.

Whatever your role in the sector the message out there is loud and clear — everyone needs to know what these loans are for, how they might be of use and what to be aware of.

Government announces vocational measure

Plans for a new Tech Bacc were announced by the government today.

It will be introduced for courses beginning in September 2014 and be reported for the first time in the college and school sixth-form performance tables in January 2017.

The Tech Bacc will be a performance measure marking achievement by young people aged 16 to 19 in three areas.

Skills Minister Matthew Hancock said: “The Tech Bacc will be a mark of achievement for young people who successfully study three key elements — a rigorous high-quality vocational course, maths and literacy.

“We are being clear to our young people about the skills they need to succeed and get good jobs. We want an education system in which everyone can reach their potential.

“Our reforms to post-16 qualifications, including the introduction of the new Tech Bacc will do that.

“They will incentivise the development of high-quality courses and incentivise schools and colleges to offer the courses that get young people on in life.

“We expect all bright students who want to go into technically skilled jobs or apprenticeships to aim for the Tech Bacc.”

A government spokesperson said the TechBacc represented one of the final stages in its work over the past two years to implement the 27 recommendations of Professor Alison Wolf’s review of vocational education. All recommendations have been implemented or are being implemented, they said.

Professor Wolf’s report in 2011 found that “at least 350,000 young people in a given 16-19 cohort are poorly served by current arrangements”.

Her report continued: “Their programmes and experiences fail to promote progression into either stable, paid employment or higher level education and training in a consistent or an effective way.”

Professor Wolf said: “A really good and practical vocational course, allied to strong English and maths, can provide a fantastic start to adult life. I am delighted that the government is recognising this.

“The introduction of the Tech Bacc will encourage colleges and schools to offer a programme that combines all three at a high level, and this is excellent news for vocational education.”

 

League stars prepare for life off the pitch

Rugby league players are going back to college to prepare for the day when they hang up their boots.

Fifty players from teams across the Super League will study a range of vocational courses at Warrington Collegiate to help them to prepare for a career once their playing days end.

Warrington Wolves squad member Trent Waterhouse, 32, said: “I’m studying business with a view to running my own coffee shop… There’s a few of us doing the same subject so it’ll be fun to study together and help each other out.”

The players will take time out from training on Wednesday afternoons to attend the courses, organised through league’s governing body, the RFL.

RFL operations director Emma Rosewarne said: “We recognise the importance of preparing players for life after rugby league; we aim to provide as many opportunities as possible to help them to achieve their goals both on and off the pitch.”

Featured image caption: From left: Super League players  Iain Thornley, 21,  Paul Clough, 25,  Joe Mellor, 22,  and Trent Waterhouse, 32

Spoons at dawn in Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough College students were part of a head-to-head cook-off between their lecturer and a former student.

The level three professional cookery students were split into teams working for tutor Steve Donnison and Matty Beadnall, now a sous chef at Rockliffe Hall.

More than 30 diners at the college’s training restaurant chose between a menu prepared by Matty’s team and one prepared by Steve’s.

Matty said it was a pleasure to work alongside his old tutor again. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it — and the students stepped up,” he said.

Diners were asked to award points out of 10 for the meal’s flavour and presentation without knowing who had cooked it — and Steve’s team just managed to win.

He said Matty had inspired students to realise that they too could achieve their ambitions.

“We are looking at the possibility of Matty returning to Middlesbrough and delivering skills workshops to the students,” he added.

Featured image caption: Chef lecturer Steve Donnison and former student Matty Beadnall

Brittany jets off for dream job in travel

An apprentice from Yorkshire is jetting off to Greece after landing her dream job for a global travel organisation.

Brittany Stubbs, 20, was struggling to find work before she enrolled on an administration apprenticeship programme at Doncaster College, which involved a mixture of level two technical business and administration qualifications, and level one ICT, maths and English, as well as work experience.

She was selected from hundreds of applicants to work on the island of Rhodes as an administrator for TUI, which owns travel company Thomson and operates in more than 180 countries.

Brittany, from Warmsworth, said: “It’s my dream job to work abroad, I never lost hope of doing something I wanted to do and the qualifications gave me confidence not to
give up.”

Brittany planned to fly out to her new job over the weekend.

Featured image caption: Brittany Stubbs, 20, who is jetting off to her dream job in Rhodes, Greece

Night of dreams on a West End stage

Dreams came true for a group of young people London when they staged a spectacular production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at a West End theatre.

More than 200 youngsters, led by learners from Havering College of Further and Higher Education, took part in the one-night-only performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical at Her Majesty’s Theatre.

The show was a community project involving schools and learning organisations from Havering and other London boroughs, including cast members as young as six and some with learning or physical challenges.

The production, directed by college music lecturer Peter Dayson, took a year of planning and rehearsals.

Featured image caption: Adam Wheeler, 17, who studies A-levels alongside a BTec in performing arts, leading a 200-strong cast as Joseph

Zack hauls in £250-worth of equipment

Apprentices in Derbyshire swept the board in a ‘super-merchant sweep’ challenge to win equipment from a local building supplies merchant.

The six Derby College apprentices had 60 seconds each to dash around a branch of Travis Perkins in Ilkeston, Derby, filling a wheelbarrow with equipment worth £250.

Carpentry and joinery apprentice Zack Haslam, 17, was crowned the winner as his haul was the nearest the £250 target.

Derby College construction team manager Lee Pratt said: “It’s wonderful that Travis Perkins is supporting the builders of the future — we were keen to give learners the opportunity to ensure that as many young people as possible could benefit from the tools and materials that were on offer.

“Everything that the apprentices collected will be put to good use in supporting the vocational training of full, part-time and apprentice learners at Derby College.”

Featured image caption: Zack Haslam, 17, who won £250 of supplies in the super merchant sweep