South Cheshire learners teaching lessons of the past

Two Cheshire students will be passing on a message of tolerance to fellow learners after becoming ambassadors for a holocaust remembrance project.

Charlotte McCourt and Ryan Stephan, both 17, have been chosen to take part in the Lessons From Auschwitz project and have visited the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland and attended seminars to learn more about the history of the holocaust.

They shared their experiences with other students at South Cheshire College by giving presentations and organising debates, starting with a talk to mark Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27.

Both students are doing A-Levels and hope to study history at university.

Charlotte said: “Hopefully, I can explore some of the key messages which the project has highlighted with students at college.

“This is an interesting and exciting opportunity for us both and is something extra to our A-Level courses.”

Ryan added: “The project has helped us to understand far more about the holocaust and now we are looking forward to taking part in specialist projects in college which focus on some of the key messages that stem from it.”

Glitz and glamour at college winter event

Creative industries students in London brought some sparkle to winter at Brent Cross shopping centre with a showcase of live music, photography and fashion.

The winter showcase was themed ‘glitz and glamour’ and combined the talents of creative learners from Barnet and Southgate College, with fashion and hairdressing students modelling their own designs as well as make-up by beauty students, who were also offering make-overs to shoppers.

Music students accompanied the fashion show with live performances, while photography students had a chance to exhibit their work in public.

Kamila Agayea, 18, an NVQ level one hair and beauty student who modelled in the show, said: “I was a little nervous before I stepped onto the catwalk but the cheers from the crowd were amazing. It’s such great experience to be part of a live show, with live music in front of an actual audience.”

She added: “We’ve been preparing for the show for several weeks to ensure it all looks amazing and goes smoothly – it’s definitely been the best thing about my course so far.”

Spicing things up at Walsall College

Young West Midland chefs added a touch of spice to their cooking when they received a master class in Indian cookery from professional chefs.

The catering students at Walsall Collage were shown how to prepare a range of mouth-watering Indian dishes by experts from award-winning local restaurant Five Rivers á La Carte.

Catering student Siana Walker, 18 and from Wolverhampton, said: “I really enjoyed the lesson and I now know how to blend spices
to make a curry paste, and use this as a base
to create a variety of authentic Indian dishes such as prawn curry.”

The budding chefs’ new skills will be judged by Five Rivers to see which student can recreate the best Indian dish.

Walsall College catering assessor Steve Biggs said: “We are very grateful to the chefs at Five Rivers for taking the time to share their skills and expertise in Indian cuisine with our students.

“It is a cuisine we don’t cover in great detail on the course, so the workshop was a great opportunity for students to learn new techniques from industry professionals.”

We can do it, say Fashion Enter apprentices

Budding designers in London are saying “We can do it!” in a bid to encourage young people to take up apprenticeships.

Apprentices at Fashion Factory, Fashion Enter, are part of a campaign to mark the opening of applications for Creative Skillset’s new higher level apprenticeship in fashion and textiles.

Kristen Lucas, 19, a current Fashion Enter apprentice said: “I am learning so much and it is opening my eyes to all the different careers available in the fashion industry, and I get to earn as I learn.

“Other young people should think about apprenticeships, not just in fashion, as the best option for work and getting skills.”

Fashion Enter is increasing its intake of apprentices following the success of its Made in Britain clothing label, which has allowed it to relocate to larger factory premises in Haringey, North London.

Jenny Holloway, managing director of Fashion Enter, said: “The higher level apprenticeship in fashion and textiles provides new and exciting opportunities for both the individual and the fashion industry.

“Apprenticeships are 100 per cent right for the current economic environment – employers need people that can do, and on the job training is invaluable to success.”

Carers’ helping hands get a manicure

Young beauticians in London got to share their caring side when they offered free treatments to a group of carers.

The level two and three beauty students from the College of North West London invited the carers, who look after ill, elderly or disabled relatives or friends, into the campus salon.

Maggie Barth, head of faculty for arts, community and leisure studies, said: “This kind of activity is extremely beneficial to the students.

“It gives them hands on experience as well as the opportunity to work on their social skills too — a big part of being in the service industry.”

The carers, who all use the support group Elders Voice, were treated to full body massages as well as hand and nail treatments.

Elaine Fletcher, health development worker at Elders Voice, said: “All of the carers are most grateful for the wonderful treatments and they didn’t want it to come to an end. Some commented it helped take their mind off their caring role and it was a great treat.”

Young athletes in the media spotlight

It was lights, camera, action in Hampshire when media students had the chance to put apprentice footballers on the spot as part of a joint training exercise.

Media students studying a BTec level three diplomas at Farnborough College of Technology filmed 17 Aldershot Football Club apprentices being interviewed on a range of issues including racism, homosexuality, infidelity, crowd violence, alcoholism and misuse of social media.

Leah Deacon, 17, played the role of interviewer, and footballers were able to watch the recording to see how they performed under questioning.

Trainee footballer Reece Beckles-Richards, 17, said: “This session certainly opened my eyes to how the media could play a part in my career.”

The footballers, who are doing sports performance as part of their two year scholarship with Aldershot, took part to support their athletes’ lifestyle module which aims to help them gain an understanding of life as a professional footballer.

Funding reform tops agenda

More than 150 representatives from colleges, training providers and government agencies came together for Lsect’s winter Data and Funding Conference.

The conference, held at London’s Morley College, had a packed agenda, ensuring delegates left the event armed with hot-off-the-press funding updates and expert advice on the efficient use of data to raise standards in education.

Attendees had the opportunity to network over lunch, and share experiences with staff in other colleges facing similar challenges within their own organisations.

Key speakers at the February 5 event included managing director of Lsect (and FE Week editor) Nick Linford, who was joined by lead auditor at RSM Tenon Karl Bentley and learning and skills consultant Mike Davis, formerly of Ofsted.

Nick kicked off proceedings by commenting on the pace of change for 16 to 19 funding as colleges find themselves faced with the implications of a new per student funding methodology.

Funding will no longer be linked to whether a learner achieves”

“With the raising of the participation age comes a whole new way of funding 16-18 year-old learners,” he said.

“Clearly the most significant reform is the transition from funding per qualification to funding per student, which includes a move away from standard learner number rates on the learning aim reference application.

“Also, funding will no longer be linked to whether a learner achieves the qualification, but simply whether they finish the course.”

Mr Linford also spoke about the government’s policy to introduce study programmes to include English, maths and work experience.

He reiterated the importance from 2013/14 of recording all eligible qualification and non-qualification activities in a student’s learning plan to showing how the institution incurred a recognisable cost in delivering activity.

“When putting together your programme, you need to take into account your learners’ needs as well as which activities fit into the programme and the funding requirements for that,” said Mr Linford.

“The Education Funding Agency is expecting full-time learners to do on average 600 hours per year over the course of two years, although to be counted and funded as a full time learner their study programme must have at least 540 hours.

“My advice is to avoid curriculum planning right on the threshold of 540 hours. It’s much better to plan around 600 hours so you have around 60 hours as a buffer rather than cutting right to the bone for efficiency savings.”

Funding auditor Mr Bentley followed onto the platform with a look at audits past, present and future.

“Although colleges and other providers are now focusing on planning the academic year 2013/14, there are big changes afoot in 2012/13 from an audit point of view,” he said.

“For example, the new single audit approach for this year will audit all elements of adult skills budget, so no separate visits for classroom and workplace provision. Everything will be under scrutiny at one time.

“It’s also predicted that the final individualised learning record return deadline will take place around a month earlier than usual, meaning audits might cut into summer holidays and busy periods of enrolment — I realise this can cause concern both for colleges and auditors.”

In terms of 2013/14, Mr Bentley said he could only speculate on what the future would hold for auditing purposes. However, it was likely that subcontracting will be continue to be a hot topic, along with verifying the minimum 540 hours for full time 16 to 18-year-olds, he said.

It’s imperative that colleges and training providers take note of the new rules”

Mr Davis, fresh from departing Ofsted this month, offered colleges some independent advice on how they should prepare for the new short notice inspections from the point of view of performance data.

He said: “You need to have what the inspectors are looking for at your fingertips — it’s important to plan thoroughly and to have a regularly maintained data pack available including all the key information.”

Mr Davis also warned colleges they needed to be able to prove more than just success rates.

“There are several measures required to be able to judge learners’ outcomes fully – Ofsted want to see the speed at which learners are moving forward into meaningful employment,” he said.

“Data is therefore expected for relevant learners’ progression and destination.”

Mr Linford concluded the conference by giving an insight into the Skills Funding Agency’s new funding methodology for 2013/14.

Delegates were guided through the new qualification and curriculum framework funding rate banding matrix for 2013/14.

Mr Linford also took a closer look at the introduction of 24-plus advanced learning loans, in terms of provider funding from the Student Loans Company, learner eligibility (assessed by the loans company) and supporting students in their application as well as the bursary fund.

The presentation ended with a look at the new Skills Funding Agency funding rules for 2013/14 on subcontracting.

“It’s imperative that colleges and training providers take note of the new rules and ensure they publish correct data on the actual level of funding paid and retained for each subcontractor in 2013/14,” said Mr Linford.

To round off the day, all delegates were invited to the pub for a post-conference drink courtesy of Lsect to wind down with some informal chat.

Hats off to green thinking college students

Students in the South West have been putting their thinking caps on in record numbers to raise awareness of the environment and sustainability.

More than 1,500 students and staff from across Wiltshire College’s 10 campuses donned specially made paper hats in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most people wearing recyclable hats simultaneously across multiple locations.

Students produced a range of creative designs including berets, top hats, crowns, bonnets and a pharaoh’s headdress.

Principal Di Dale wore a lily pad hat made for her by level three art and design students Cheralynne Rendell and Emma Downs, both from Chippenham.

She said: “I was delighted with my hat and feel the students have all been absolutely brilliant during the whole record attempt.”

She added: “Today was without any doubt a true college-wide team effort of which we can be proud.”

It will be up to six weeks before the college finds out if it has broken the world record, which currently stands at 972.

A capital in crisis?

Tumbling inspection grades over the last two years have begged the question ‘is London learning?’ Chris Henwood looks at what’s happening to the capital’s big colleges.

Are London colleges failing city learners? It’s a simple, but critical question based on a “worrying” trend in Ofsted judgements over the last two years.

Of the nine inspections that have taken place at the capital’s 14 biggest colleges, six have resulted in downgradings — and a couple of these were down two whole grades.

As far as these colleges inspected since 2011 go, the city has been left with an inadequate establishment, five that require improvement (or were rated as grade 3 and therefore satisfactory before September), and just three good ones.

Or, more importantly, nearly 50,000 learners are at colleges that Ofsted said were heading in the wrong direction.

The picture was so different before 2011 when, of the big colleges re-inspected since 2011, the capital boasted an outstanding college along with eight good ones – not a single grade 3, let alone any inadequate ones .

The situation, predictably, is a cause for concern.

Sean Harford, Ofsted director of the college watchdog’s newly-formed London regional office, said: “We are concerned about the performance of colleges in London. Specific issues come down to the college level, but it can’t be right that the capital has more grade 3 and 4 colleges as a proportion compared with the rest of the country. That’s what we’re concerned about at the moment.”

Just three months ago the government was urged to “shine a spotlight” on England’s FE sector with a damning annual report from Ofsted boss Sir Michael Wilshaw.

He pointed to a boom in the number of colleges branded inadequate last year — up to 13 compared to four the previous year.

But, in fairness, there do appear to be positives in the capital.

Barnet and Southgate College, for example, is rated by Ofsted as good, and in Newham College, Uxbridge College and also City and Islington College London has three outstanding establishments.

But not one of these has been inspected in the last two years.

And then again Kingston College, last inspected in October 2010, was a grade 3.

That’s not to say grades will slide further at next inspection, but there have been college grumbles over Ofsted’s new Common Inspection Framework (CIF) and the number of downgradings since it was introduced in September.

Crucially though, five of the aforementioned six downgradings took place before the new CIF.

Toni Pearce, NUS deputy president, said: “These figures start to show a concerning crash in performance from London colleges, and if that trend is mirrored nationally then ministers need to urgently investigate the reasons why.

“Ofsted has been changing their inspection framework and we know that colleges were giving their attention to areas that are no longer a priority for inspectors.

We are concerned about the performance of colleges in London”

“Regardless of whether this is a national or London only issue it is still very worrying and it’s important that Ofsted and ministers urgently investigate its cause.”

Stephen Twigg, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary told FE Week: “There are real challenges in the quality of learning in some colleges, as highlighted by these figures.

“Principals need to address this challenge with focussed support from government. We need the same focus and rigour for colleges that Labour applied in government to improve London schools.

“Labour would work with businesses to accredit vocational courses, and raise the number of high quality apprenticeships.

“And we would give young people a clear path to progress, to a gold standard Technical Baccalaureate at age 18.”

FE Minister Matthew Hancock said: “The majority of further education colleges have a high standard of provision, with 66 per cent of colleges across the country rated as good or better.

“But we know more needs to be done, which is why we have set up the Independent Commission on Adult Vocational Teaching and Learning, are introducing the FE Guild and we are setting minimum standards that measure performance consistently across all 16-18 institutions.

“Where there are cases of a decline in performance but no swift action to improve, the Government will intervene.”

So action is needed, but is London a special case with specific problems to address?

The Association of Colleges’ (AoC) London region director, Caroline Neville, talks of having to educate “some of the most disadvantaged students in the country, as well as some of the most demographically diverse,” while Munira Mirza, London’s deputy Mayor for education and culture, mentions the city’s “difficult circumstances”.

“There is work to be done to ensure that all London colleges are the best, particularly as they deliver to some of the most disadvantaged students in the country, as well as some of the most demographically diverse,” said Ms Neville.

She added: “Ofsted’s How Colleges Improve report last year showed that funding challenges can all make improvement more difficult for a college, as can last minute changes to fee support for students and taking on a merger to support another college in difficulty.

“To support improvement, we are taking a lead in London on a good practice project in partnership with Ofsted. This will document what great teaching and learning look like in urban areas, including some of the outstanding practice that we have in colleges in the capital. This will be shared with all.”

Ms Mirza said: “A recent mayoral inquiry showed how critical high-quality education is, and the need to raise standards that equip young Londoners with the skills they need to compete on a global stage.

“Many London colleges are rated good or outstanding and they work in particularly difficult circumstances, but there is no room for complacency.

“It is good that Ofsted and others continue to challenge colleges to do better for students in London.”

She added: “We are pleased that the AoC and colleges are also working with Ofsted to make improvements across the board and will offer support through our own education and apprenticeships work as appropriate.”

So it seems the final piece of the jigsaw is to ask ‘what is being done’ about the aforementioned colleges — who qualified as the capital’s ‘biggest’ with individual total incomes for 2010/11, as declared to the Skills Funding Agency, of more than £30m.

As Ofsted’s Mr Harford pointed out: “We know there are issues, so what are we doing about it?

“We’ve got a programme of seminars and workshops aimed at getting colleges graded as satisfactory under our old framework, and requires improvement under the new one, to good.

“We’re also doing work with colleges on how to observe teaching and learning in lessons.”

He added: “Of course there are challenges for urban colleges, but a good college is a good college no matter where it is.

It is good that Ofsted and others continue to challenge colleges to do better for students in London”

“We have many, many examples of where colleges succeed in difficult circumstances so we want to spread that best practice. We’re trying to be part of the solution to improve things.”

And the Learning and Skills Improvement Service has also put forward its services. Abi Lammas, regional development manager for Greater London, said: “We offer a range of interventions to enable providers to improve. Although most of the colleges identified attained a previous grade of at least two and therefore were not eligible for the improvement and development service, they could have accessed our portfolio of other improvement services.

“However, colleges must approach improvement as something that is sustained in order to gain the desired result. Short, sharp bits and pieces of engagement in standalone — often individual — improvement do not make the necessary impact.

“Colleges that do not access holistic improvement approaches, or wait to do so until the last minute, are more likely to be downgraded at inspection.”

Click here to see the colleges’ comments. (PDF – 2mb)