You’re never too young (or too old) for honest self-appraisal

When I was asked to attend a ‘strengths’ course as part of my participation in the Skills and Education Group’s emerging leaders programme, I have to admit I was more than a little sceptical. At the age of 32, I felt sure I knew my strengths and weaknesses and that no amount of additional probing or analysis was necessary. How wrong I was.

The course was devised and run by Hannah Miller from coaching company, Sidekick. Using the world-renowned CliftonStrengths assessment, it was focused on personality and preferences. We were taught how to really get to know ourselves: what we do best, and how and why we contribute and show up in the way we do. The theory is that the more we understand these aspects of ourselves, the better equipped we are to make the right professional decisions and to build a career that really works for us.

It made me realise that I’m at my best when I’m working directly with students; listening, engaging, and helping them to navigate their way through college life – and, ultimately, their next steps. As Nottingham College’s Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire collaborative outreach partnership (DANCOP) project manager I was already working to raise the aspirations of learners from disadvantaged backgrounds and to help them realise their potential, but I wanted to get back to that one-to-one, direct support.

As a result of the course, I switched to becoming a pastoral tutor in our A Level department. Just a few weeks into my new role, I already know I made the right move. And the experience has got me thinking: imagine if I’d understood myself this well when I was younger.

Every day I work with learners who don’t fully understand their strengths and don’t know how to navigate or overcome their weaknesses. So I contacted Hannah and discovered that she already had a version of the course for young people. We collaborated to devise a bespoke, face-to-face version that we could run over two days at Nottingham College. We called it Purpose Pursuit, Young Adult Edition.

We wanted the programme to develop attendees’ confidence and focus on their strengths. We also wanted to address the notion that career and next-step support can sometimes be quite generic or leave young people ill-equipped.

Imagine if I’d understood myself this well when I was younger

By liaising with the college’s pastoral staff and the DANCOP programme, we approached 25 learners to take part in the first of our courses. We focused on students who were either progressing onto their second year of A Levels, needed help in considering their next steps, or were at risk of not completing their course due to issues around confidence.

For two days, we worked with those learners to focus on their moments of brilliance and to view them as clues to their real purpose. We looked at talking confidently about who you are and what you bring to a situation, and we worked on identifying transferable skills, experiences and behaviours.

We also worked to identify weaknesses and figure out how to navigate what might be holding these learners back in order to remove barriers to change. Doing all of this enabled us to tease out realistic five- and ten-year goals for every person in the room – along with a plan on how to achieve them.

The course was a huge success, but one moment really stood out for me. One particular learner, who hadn’t lived in the UK for long, was struggling with their identity and with what they saw as an uncertain future. This manifested in a fear of talking to other people. By the end of the two days they were joining in a group discussion. This was a big win.

So we are now planning to run the course again at the end of this month for another 25 learners. I cannot wait to see what impact this will have on the next cohort of learners. And meanwhile, we will also be catching up with our last cohort to monitor and support the longer-term impact of taking part in the programme.

One thing is certain: it has already been transformative for me.

8 reasons we shouldn’t use the term ‘provider’ – and what we could say instead

In the ever-evolving landscape of education, a debate is brewing over the term ‘provider’ and its application to esteemed institutions such as colleges, institutes for adult learning and local authority adult community education services. Advocates for change argue that the use of this term diminishes the significance of their work and fails to garner the attention and recognition they rightly deserve.

For my part, it seems that the term ‘provider’ could mean anything. It’s demeaning, disrespectful and minimises the great work our sector does to support individuals and their communities.

Not convinced? Here are eight reasons to jettison the word from our educational vocabulary, and my pitch for what to replace it with.

1. Narrow focus

The term ‘provider’ suggests a narrow focus on delivering services, potentially overshadowing the broader educational goals of these institutions. Learning organisations aspire to more than just service delivery; their missions often include fostering critical thinking, creativity and personal growth. Often, they support learners, families and whole communities well beyond the strict remit of providing courses.

2. Incomplete representation

Learning institutions are not just service providers; they engage in curriculum development, research, policy advocacy and community engagement. The term ‘provider’ falls short in representing the multifaceted role they play in society, potentially diminishing their standing and role in fostering economic gain.

3. Depersonalisation of education

Critics argue that the term ‘provider’ depersonalises the educational process, reducing education, mentoring and teaching to mere mechanical processes. This oversimplification neglects the intricate and nurturing relationships that form the foundation of effective learning.

4. Commodification of learning

Referring to education as a ‘service’ delivered by a ‘provider’ emphasises a transactional relationship  that belongs in the register of commerce rather than education. It’s language that undermines the intrinsic value of learning, turning it into a mere commodity, and the relational nature of education.

5. Overemphasis on delivery

The use of ‘provider’ can shift the focus towards the delivery of content, sidelining crucial aspects of the learning experience. Learning is not solely about what is provided but how it is absorbed, understood and applied.

6. Downplaying diversity

‘Provider’ oversimplifies the diverse nature of education and learning, failing to capture the variety of approaches, methods and philosophies employed by different institutions – and indeed within institutions.

7. Quantity over quality

Perhaps inadvertently, the term ‘provider’ with all its connotations prioritises quantity and profitability over educational quality and ethical considerations. This is a key concern among critics of the commercialisation of education, and one its proponents have consistently argued should be guarded against.

8. Incommensurate with our standing

The department for education and its agencies extensively use the term ‘provider’, while simultaneously talking up FE’s parity with other parts of the education sector and its importance to economic prosperity. For all the reasons above, the language and aspiration are essentially incompatible. The term is disrespectful, hinders the sector’s desired standing and diverts attention from learning organisations’ overarching objectives and values.

Embracing ‘learning organisations’

It would great if agencies of government could use institutions’ true names: college, institute for adult learning or local authority adult service. If that’s not possible then we advocate a change and propose adopting the term ‘learning organisations’ as a more encompassing and respectful alternative. This shift would better reflect the multifaceted nature of these institutions and highlight their crucial role in shaping society.

As the debate continues, the education sector grapples with the challenge of finding a term that truly encapsulates the essence of these vital institutions. Of course, there are other more pressing priorities, but one thing I am convinced of is that the choice of language goes beyond mere semantics.

How we are referred to – and how we refer to ourselves – reflects our values, our priorities and our worth. That makes this debate an empowering one for the sector. But more than that, it could turn out to be the key that unlocks many of our other challenges.

How colleges can foster safe engagement with the Israel/Palestine conflict

The current conflict between Israel and Gaza means it is incumbent on college leaders to familiarise themselves with the legal framework around issues of discrimination, extremism and freedom of speech as they impact campus life.

Colleges have a statutory duty to take reasonably practicable steps to ensure freedom of speech within the law for staff, students and visiting speakers. This is in addition to their duty as public authorities to act in a manner compatible with the European Convention of Human Rights, including the qualified right to freedom of expression.

Neither of these duties were mentioned in the education secretary’s letter to colleges, which focused on duties to prevent harm and ensure safety. This may be because the letter was also addressed to schools, which operate under a different statutory context. Rather than being restricted by concepts of harm and safety, free speech obligations permit colleges to intervene where speech is unlawful, including by taking disciplinary action where proportionate.

Words and context will always be highly relevant, but there are a range of ways in which campus speech could potentially be unlawful.

Terrorism offences

Hamas is a proscribed organisation under the Terrorism Act 2000. Students and staff may be at risk of committing a range offences by speaking in support of it. These include inviting support for Hamas or expressing supportive opinions regardless of whether these might encourage others to support it. Arranging meetings and protests that appear to support Hamas or its activities is also unlawful. Other offences include glorifying terrorist events that have already occurred.

Colleges may be at risk of breaching their Prevent duty if they don’t take steps to ensure such offences do not occur. The Prevent guidance extends to exposure to non-violent extremism, so colleges may be required to act where speech strays close to support for Hamas or violence more generally.

Incitement and harassment

Speech about the conflict could amount to a public order offence such as incitement to racial or religious hatred or causing harassment, alarm and distress. Similarly, online speech could amount to a communications offence.

Colleges can also intervene where speech constitutes unlawful harassment under the Equality Act.  This is unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic (such as race or religion) that has the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that person.

Where conduct is intended to harass by targeting individuals or groups, then the decision to take action should be straightforward. More problematic is where protest or debate is claimed to have the effect of harassing individuals.

In these cases, the law applies a three-point test:

  1. Whether the individual experienced the conduct as harassment
  2. The circumstances in which the conduct occurred. For example, it will be relevant that the speech relates to matters of public interest and is taking place in a setting where the aim is to advance knowledge
  3. Whether it is reasonable for the conduct to be perceived as harassment given the fundamental importance of freedom of expression – a right that extends to ideas that disturb or offend.

Fostering relations

Where colleges are aware of campus tensions, the public sector equality duty to foster good relations may require them to intervene proactively to ensure all groups feel supported and able to participate effectively in campus life. Colleges may want to consider issuing guidance on freedom of speech, emphasising their duty to uphold it while highlighting the risks of criminal offences or unlawful harassment. 

Speech which transgresses the guidance should be investigated quickly and proportionate action taken where appropriate to ensure the parameters of lawful free speech are respected. Staff and students who feel marginalised or vilified should be offered appropriate support. The aim should be to enable students and staff to discuss matters of public interest freely and robustly without exposing themselves, others or the college to the consequences of unlawful speech.

Given the complexity of the legal position, colleges may understandably be concerned that they will face complaints and potentially legal or regulatory challenge whatever they do. The key will be to demonstrate that decisions were made reasonably, taking all the evidence and responsibilities into account.

Reclassification one year on: Capital, control and confusion

This time a year ago, we discovered that colleges were, after all, in the public sector and had been since 1993. The office for national statistics (ONS) made this declaration, citing an international statistical standard introduced eight years earlier, in 2014.

ONS is a slow and methodical organisation. It looked again at laws passed by Parliament in the 1990s and, because the statistical rules had changed, the ONS national accounts committee changed its mind. No longer private sector, it said. Colleges have been public sector all along.

Unlike ONS, the department for education moved quickly. Within minutes of the ONS announcement, DfE ministers presented a statement to parliament and the education and skills funding agency (ESFA)’s chief executive sent a letter to college principals. Following treasury orders, they introduced a series of new controls on college decisions.

With immediate effect, colleges were ordered to ask for approval on issues like taking out loans, offering financial support to other organisations via guarantees and making voluntary severance payments worth more than three months of salary.

The DfE gave governing bodies a six-month notice period for new approval rules for offering high pay to senior staff, but all other controls started from 29 November 2022. The government only acts this fast when there’s a crisis or when they need to pre-empt bad behaviour. It was an over-reaction and not a good start to a new era. 

So, while the rest of the world may remember last November as the ChatGPT launch date, a group of college leaders will remember it as the time when the government created hassle, doubt and unproductive paperwork. In a few cases, this almost derailed long-planned building projects. As the weeks and months passed, DfE and ESFA officials sorted things out, created new forms to fill and invented a process for colleges to borrow from the government instead of banks.

A year on, things have settled down and reclassification is old news.

The rules are in place. They are an irritant but they’re now quite familiar. Discussions in leadership teams have reverted to other challenges.

The rules are in place – an irritant, but quite familiar

The talk at this November’s AoC conference was about novel and contentious technology rather than tedious accounting rules. But college public sector status is now a fact of life, and that won’t be changing soon. ONS made an all-encompassing judgement about colleges and it would require a big reform to change their mind.

There isn’t the political appetite now to comprehensively deregulate colleges and take apart the intervention apparatus piece by piece. With £6 billion in public spending going to the sector and a high profile for skills, it’s hard to think of a scenario in which a future government would make this choice. This leaves the college-DfE relationship in an unsatisfactory state.

Having promised financial freedom in the past, DfE is now the main lender for colleges alongside its roles as majority funder, curriculum promoter, occasional capital project manager, charitable regulator and intervention agent.

Different teams of officials have different tasks but there’s a risk of conflicting messages. College leadership teams retain the most important duties: organising staff, managing courses, talking to employers and addressing student needs. But they do so with an increased list of government instructions.

Meanwhile, colleges now find themselves back in the public sector just at the point when top-down treasury financial control is greatest.

This leaves colleges less certain than ever about future capital funding – not just how much they’ll have but how it will come. At a time when student numbers are rising, there is growing pressure to provide skills for the economy. Where investment is needed to modernise buildings for new uses and new sources of energy, this is an obvious worry.

In the end, independence is a state of mind. Whatever their classification or accounting status, colleges have a social purpose.

The new controls are a responsibility and reclassification has been a distraction but if we let it get in the way of all the things we need to do, we’ll only have ourselves to blame.

‘Milestone’ Ofsted result for arts college

A specialist arts college in Hereford is celebrating a “milestone” achievement after securing top Ofsted marks.

Hereford College of Arts was today awarded ‘outstanding’ grades across the board following a full inspection in October.

The college was previously rated as ‘good’ and has been on an improvement journey since 2011 when it was handed an ‘inadequate’ rating by Ofsted.

It currently has 522 FE learners across two campuses, who study level two and three courses across art and design, music performance and production, performing and production arts, and creative media production and technology.

Inspectors praised learners’ “in-depth knowledge, understanding and creative skills often beyond their level of study”.

The report said this was due to leaders planning a range of activities and events that enrich a “well-thought-through” curriculum.

“Leaders have created a curriculum that consistently and extensively promotes the personal development of learners,” the report added. “Learners are provided with many opportunities that go beyond the curriculum.”

One example is music and performing arts learners getting involved in their community through initiatives such as bringing music into local schools and a concert to support Hereford’s refugee musicians. “As a result, learners are acutely aware of why it is important to contribute actively to society,” the report said.

Teachers were complimented for using project work to set the development of skills into real situations and contexts and taking care to check learners’ understanding of key concepts carefully and effectively.

The watchdog said learners are highly motivated and enthusiastic about their learning and work collaboratively.

The Ofsted report also highlighted that a “very high proportion” of learners progress to the next steps, often going to study at prestigious institutions.

“Learners develop the high-quality skills and knowledge that they need to become successful artists,” it said. “They benefit from highly skilled teachers, technicians and industry practitioners sharing their knowledge and experience.”

Principal Abigail Appleton said: “This report is a milestone for Hereford College of Arts, but we know ‘outstanding’ is a way of travelling and not a destination. Hereford College of Arts is on a journey of continuous improvement and development, committed to serving the needs and ambitions of every individual student, but also to helping develop and serve the community of our city and region and the needs of a changing world.

“I am immensely proud of the whole staff team, all our expert and passionate academic and professional services staff, but also of the students, governors, parents/guardians, colleagues in partner education institutions and the wider community of businesses, other organisations and individuals in Herefordshire and elsewhere who have helped the college achieve this ‘outstanding’ judgement.”

Multiply boosts adult education numbers

Most of the growth in adult FE learners last year was down to Multiply courses, FE Week analysis has found. 

New participation statistics released today show that of the 75,300 extra adult learners in education and training in 2022/23, 70 per cent took a course through the prime minister’s maths scheme. 

There were just over 1.8 million adult learners in FE and skills in 2022/23, up 5.8 per cent on the year before. While now firmly back to pre-pandemic levels of 2019/20, there were still 1.3 million fewer adult learners in the system than in 2010/11.

This is the first-time participation statistics have been released for a full academic year of the Multiply programme, which was announced by then-chancellor Rishi Sunak in the 2021 spending review and launched the following April. 

Sunak committed £ 560 million from the government’s UK shared prosperity fund across three financial years to “transform the lives” of half a million adults with low maths skills. 

But the rollout has not gone smoothly.

A planned £100 million online learning platform was shelved and over £30 million of local authoring allocations were handed back to Treasury. Local leaders said they couldn’t spend the money they were allocated because the DfE approved their funding plans mid-year, leaving them with little time to recruit and provide the courses before having to hand that year’s money back. 

Today’s data shows that 52,600 adults took part in a Multiply course in England in the 2022/23 academic year. Multiply courses had to be designed to help adults progress to a level 2 maths qualification, rather than provide the qualifications themselves. Nearly all – 96 per cent – of Multiply learners did a course without a level.

Of those learners, 70 per cent were women and just over a third were aged over 45. Of all Multiply enrolments, 69 per cent achieved. 

For the first time this year, Multiply learners count towards the overall education and training measure which includes largely classroom-based courses and excludes apprenticeships and community learning. 

Education and training student numbers increased by 8.5 per cent in 2022/21 compared to the year before, an increase of 75,300 students, of which 52,600 were Multiply students. 

Free courses for jobs slashed advanced learner loans

Demand for level 3 courses under the government’s free courses for jobs policy has grown slightly. In 2022/23, 24,740 enrolments were recorded through the scheme, which provides full funding for certain level 3 qualifications, up from 19,700 the year before.

This brings the total number of enrolments since its launch in April 2021 to 49,220.

Before free courses for jobs was introduced, learners would typically have to take out an advanced learner loan to cover their course fees for level 3 courses, unless they had an entitlement for funding or could cover the costs themselves.

As a result, new figures show the number of students with advanced learner loans has continued to decline to record lows.

There were just 51,440 learners with loans in 2022/23, down from 65,760 the year before. Compared to pre-Covid levels, before free courses for jobs was introduced, the number of advanced learner loan funded students has halved. 

DfE has calculated that enrolments on free courses for jobs qualifications are 56 per cent higher than the numbers studying for the same or similar qualifications in 2018/19 before the policy was introduced. 

ESOL and community learning on the rise

Today’s statistical release also shows a large increase in the number of ESOL learners to 144,560, up 17 per cent from 2021/22. 

A recent FE Week investigation found examples of colleges and adult learning organisations struggling to keep up with demand for ESOL courses from rising numbers of young and adult refugees and asylum seekers.

There was also a small rise in community learning students, which increased by 8 per cent in 2022/23 to 328,690. Much of that rise was down to boosts in family learning and personal and community development learning. 

While community learning numbers have just about recovered to pre-pandemic levels, they are still far below earlier years. Over half a million students a year took community learning courses prior to 2018/19. 

More adults learning in the North

The North East continues to outperform other regions on adult education participation. 

The region has had the highest adult education rate, which looks at participation per 100,000 population, for the sixth year running. For every 100,000 residents, 4,376 adults were in learning in 2022/23. The next best performing region was London, with a participation rate of 3,442 per 100,000, and then the West Midlands, with a participation rate of 3,004.

The East of England region, with a participation rate of 2,103, replaced the South East at the bottom of the list.

Indicative adult education participation rate (per 100,000 population)

Position2019/202020/212021/222022/23
1North East (4,112)North East (3,882)North East (3,958)North East (4,376)
2Yorkshire and The Humber (3,000)London (2,909)London (3,225)London (3,442)
3London (2,938)Yorkshire and The Humber (2,909)West Midlands (2,859)West Midlands (3,004)
4West Midlands (2,924)North West (2,783)North West (2,836)North West (2,991)
5North West (2,813)West Midlands (2,764)Yorkshire and The Humber (2,662)Yorkshire and The Humber (2,929)
6East Midlands (2,732)East Midlands (2,610)East Midlands (2,587)East Midlands (2,901)
7South West (2,349)South West (2,334)South West (2,169)South West (2,313)
8East of England (1,892)East of England (1,960)East of England (1,928)South East (2,115)
9South East (1,849)South East (1,894)South East (1,902)East of England (2,103)
Source: Department for Education

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: EDITION 444

Nichola Tasker

Chief Executive Officer, Royal Anniversary Trust

Start date: November 2023

Previous job: Territory Director: Stonehenge & West, English Heritage

Interesting fact: Nichola is a qualified architect and although she’s worked mainly in heritage conservation, she once spent a year in Hong Kong designing skyscrapers

Nikki Davis

Chair, West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges

Start date: November 2023

Concurrent: job CEO and Principal, Leeds College of Building

Interesting fact: Nikki was instrumental in supporting the ‘WOW barn’ built by 300 women, girls, and non-binary people earlier this year. Following training at Leeds College of Building, the group completed a “barn-raising” project in just 24 hours. The barn structure was then used as a venue for three weeks of the Leeds 2023 Year of Culture festival.

Kion Ahadi named as new Federation of Awarding Bodies chief

The Federation of Awarding Bodies has announced Kion Ahadi as its new chief executive.

Ahadi, who has held multiple executive level posts at professional bodies and sector skills councils including The Law Society, ScreenSkills and the Chartered Management Institute, will take the helm from February 5, 2024.

He will replace John McNamara who has led FAB on an interim basis since the departure of Tom Bewick in September.

Alan Woods and Kirstie Donnelly, co-chairs of the membership body for over 120 awarding organisations, said: “Kion’s expertise will strengthen our voice in the sector across the four nations, supporting members as we face continuing challenges from qualifications reform and political uncertainty. We look forward to welcoming Kion to the team in February.”

Ahadi is a data and research expert, having held senior positions at The National Lottery Heritage Fund and innovation think tank Nesta.

A FAB spokesperson said his previous roles have included driving commercial growth, strategy development, policy and successfully leading high-performing teams.

Ahadi was also a board member of Ravensbourne University London and is a science fiction author who published a novel called Exit Darkness, Enter Light in 2012.

He said he was “drawn” to FAB because of its “vision to improve the quality of technical, professional, and vocational education to support social mobility, and change lives”.

“I am deeply passionate about the important role the right skills play in helping build individual confidence, improve workplace productivity and ultimately to support social cohesion,” Ahadi added.

“The role of chief executive presents me with an unmissable chance to work with the ambitious FAB board, National Strategy Forum and with a committed team to provide a first-rate service to the over 260 businesses and thousands of people employed in the UK awarding and assessment industry. 

“Together with all our members, we will ensure we successfully seize the opportunities ahead, while successfully navigating the challenges. I am really excited about what we can achieve.”

Hull sixth form college celebrates first Ofsted ‘outstanding’

A sixth form college in Hull with nearly 2,500 students has achieved its first ‘outstanding’ result from Ofsted. 

Wyke Sixth Form College last month received its first full inspection in ten years and improved on its previous ‘good’. 

The report, published today, praised college leaders for providing students with “an ambitious and challenging curriculum” and said teachers “use a range of useful strategies to help students learn and remember new knowledge”.

The college, which offers over 30 A-level courses, the health T Level and a range of other vocational qualifications, praised students and staff for achieving the outcome. 

Paul Britton, principal of Wyke Sixth Form College, said: “I am extremely proud of our students, teachers and support staff for all their hard work and enthusiasm that ensured the college achieved the grade we deserved.”

Inspectors rewarded top ‘outstanding’ grades for each of the main inspection indicators, including quality of education, provision for high-needs learners and leadership and management. 

The college was found to have made a ‘reasonable’ contribution to meeting local skills needs, the second highest judgment possible.

Ofsted highlighted that insights from local secondary schools about the backgrounds of their students “influence their curriculum offer” and that employers help to design and implement the curriculum. 

“Students benefit from the experience and expertise of employers, which supports them in achieving the skills required for their next steps into employment of further study,” the report said.

Leaders were praised for working with other FE providers locally to share best practices and ensure their education offer was relevant to young people.

“Exceptionally well-behaved” students make “very good progress from their starting points,” according to Ofsted, and achieve “high grades in their qualifications”. The report points out that high-needs students “make progress in line with their peers” and most progress to higher education. 

Teachers use assessment “exceptionally well” to check students’ learning and have “very good access to professional development that enhances their pedagogical skills”.

Inspectors also highlighted the college’s tutorial curriculum on healthy relationships, sexual harassment and abuse and consent. As a result, “students can confidently recognise harmful, unacceptable behaviours such as sexual harassment and coercive control.” 

This also means students “contribute fully towards maintaining a culture where such behaviours are not tolerated”.

FE Week analysis of recent Ofsted data found that all sixth form colleges are judged ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ compared to 91 per cent of general FE colleges and 71 per cent of independent training providers.