Latest news from FE Week

Day in the life: The community campus lead peddling a virtuous cycle for students

Further education colleges often describe themselves as anchors within their communities, but at City of Bristol College, that commitment extends beyond a slogan.

Its team of three community campus leads work on students’ personal development alongside their education and employability skills.

Jake Sanders, community campus lead for the college’s Ashley Down and Parkway campuses, knows Bristol inside out. A former carpenter and a passionate cyclist, he carved out a career in FE after working on building sites.

This is what a typical day looks like for him.

5.00am

Three mornings a week, my day begins with a gravel bike ride. My usual 25km route climbs to a viewpoint above the River Avon, where I can look out across both Bath and Bristol – an incredible way to begin the day.

I think I fit well within FE because I understand what it feels like growing up with the stigma of being a free school meals kid.

My family sometimes couldn’t afford the 50p needed for school discos, and in the holidays we’d often live off jam sandwiches because money was tight. It shapes the way I think about inclusion and how colleges can support students beyond the classroom.

I knew my parents really wanted me to get an apprenticeship and earn a living, so I trained as a carpenter – and I loved it. But part of me also felt capable of much more.

7.30am

After taking a shower and getting the kids ready for school, I down a smoothie packed with oats and berries before jumping back on my bike and cycling to work.

The two campuses where I work have their own distinct feel. Ashley Down, where I am today, offers ESOL courses and SEND provision.

Its grey stone buildings carry a fascinating history as the site of the Müller Orphan Homes, founded in 1849 as a progressive alternative to the harsh Victorian workhouse system. The campus later became the exterior filming location for the BBC medical drama Casualty.

Meanwhile, Parkway Centre specialises in engineering, motor vehicle and construction courses. When I joined the college last year, I assumed that campus would feel like a natural fit because of my background in construction.

But over time, I’ve realised I probably fit in better at Ashley Down as supporting our most vulnerable learners plays to my strengths. My nephew has Down’s syndrome, which gives me a personal connection to supporting young people with SEND.

8.15am

As I’m locking up my bike, I notice a student who is already on his final written warning jumping his moped over a speed bump. I know he can become defensive when challenged by staff, and the last thing I want is for him to lose his place at college. He’s only 18 and already a father.

Instead of confronting him there and then, I ask him to come and see me an hour later so we can talk properly about what had happened. The approach worked. He acknowledged what he had done and no further action was needed.

A big part of my role involves contributing evidence at behaviour management meetings, but I always try to consider the wider context behind a student’s behaviour as part of our trauma-informed practice.

8.30am

I spend some time at reception greeting students as they enter. Many of our SEND learners arrive by taxi. Part of my role is simply being a familiar, welcoming face – someone who helps students feel they belong here.

I love the sheer variety that each day brings. One moment I’m organising a campus tour for local MP Darren Jones (the prime minister’s chief secretary), and the next I’m arranging a student talk on healthy relationships or reviewing CCTV footage for breaches of the student code of conduct.

I took a small pay cut to join this college because I’d always wanted to work here. Bristol is my hometown, and this role was unlike anything I’d seen before or since in further education.

9.15am

With GCSE exam season approaching, my office is piled high with boxes of calculators and exam supplies. I attend a meeting with staff working through the finer details, only to discover that one exam clashes with a student activity happening nearby. It’s the sort of logistical issue that can quickly become a headache if it’s not picked up early.

I don’t mind attending lots of meetings. When I first started as a carpentry lecturer at Wiltshire College & University Centre, aged 25, I remember sitting in my first staff meeting thinking, “I can’t believe I’m getting paid for this”.

Around me, lecturers were complaining about minor frustrations while I was thinking, “Last week I didn’t even have a toilet on site, working on building sites – what’s there to moan about?”

Teaching had always been my dream job, but stepping into FE felt like entering a different world. Up until then, I’d just been kicking around construction sites, so I carried a huge sense of imposter syndrome.

The first time I had to teach theory, I was terrified. I’d never stood in front of a room and spoken publicly before. But over time, teaching taught me how to communicate clearly and connect with people.

Moving into management was another challenge altogether. When I became deputy head of construction, the role felt alien and I struggled with the difficult conversations that come with leading staff. There were even moments when I tried to resign and return to full-time teaching, but thankfully, nobody let me.

Later, I joined Swindon College as a quality manager, a role that suited my growing interest in teaching, learning theory and the processes that underpin good education.

10.45am

I’m in a meeting planning a community picnic as part of the college’s Refugee Week activities. The idea is to create a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere where students can share food and sit together on picnic blankets so it feels like a genuine community event rather than a formal college activity.

A big part of my day is spent in such meetings with department heads and programme managers. In a recent meeting with our ESOL team, we were reviewing attendance data and noticed a dip during Ramadan. It prompted important conversations about how we can better support students during that period, including perhaps introducing later starts next year to better reflect their needs.

12.00pm

We’re hosting Avon and Somerset Police for a lunchtime pop-up linked to a project called Corridor Conversations, designed to reduce any distrust students may feel towards the police.

For our SEND learners, particularly those who experience anxiety or become dysregulated, the presence of police officers can feel intimidating. The aim is to create positive interactions and help students see officers as people they can approach for support. I spend time encouraging students to ask questions and talk openly with the officers about issues affecting them.

A couple of years ago Bristol suffered a rise in knife crime linked to postcode rivalries between gangs, although things have improved since then. We’re supporting the national knife crime initiative Operation Sceptre, and the police are making students aware there are safe and anonymous ways to hand weapons in.

12.30pm

I grab a panini and coffee in our student-run café, and catch up on emails. It’s the best place on campus to see students interacting with one another. I’m quietly keeping an eye on things, making sure they’re treating each other respectfully.

A huge part of my role is about making college feel like more than somewhere students simply pass assessments and get qualifications. It’s about creating a genuine sense of community.

Later, I head to our Parkway campus. I’ve developed a structured enrichment programme there for apprentices and vocational learners who might not normally volunteer for enrichment activities, to broaden their horizons and help prepare them for life beyond college.

The 12-session programme covers topics such as gambling awareness, driver safety and refugee myth-busting.

Often, our safeguarding team will come to me with concerns about behaviours emerging among students, and together we’ll organise talks or workshops to address them. As the network of local organisations I work with continues to grow, it gives me more flexibility to bring in the right support where it’s needed most. That’s probably the part of the job I enjoy most – knowing that, in some small way, I’m helping these young people make better life decisions.

2.00pm

As I arrive at Parkway, a group of motor vehicle students are gathered in the car park, chatting about cars and playing loud music. I stop briefly to join them in conversation, but the real reason was to ask them to lower the volume and remind them to use the designated smoking area before heading inside. I find challenging behaviours in this way more effective as it makes the interaction less confrontational and helps us to develop a respectful relationship.

I’m attending a student council meeting focused on plans to redevelop parts of the campus. We want students to help shape what that redevelopment looks like and gather feedback from their peers about what they think might improve their college experience.

Some staff understandably prioritise teaching, so part of my role is balancing those perspectives. I’m that bridge between different groups across the college – translating what students want into something workable for lecturers and support teams.

1.00pm-3pm [on Wednesdays]

One of the most rewarding parts of my day is seeing students experience something that many people take for granted: the freedom to ride a bike.

At Ashley Down, we work closely with a local organisation, Warmley Wheelers, that has a range of adapted bicycles so everyone can enjoy cycling, regardless of physical ability or disability.

At first, we ran a cycling collaboration at Gloucestershire County Cricket Club’s grounds, before moving it to the Ashley Downs food hall. During the sessions, the hall is transformed into a makeshift velodrome, with students navigating the adapted bikes around the space together.

The activity draws out our students’ potential; lecturers have described seeing them communicating with each other for the very first time while trying to overtake one another on the track. Forget the cycling; at that point it’s all about what else that project is doing.

3.00pm

Another part of my role involves leading the college’s approach to competitions. I work closely with departments to encourage students to take part in regional contests or create opportunities through internal events.

Today, I’m meeting with the programme manager for foundation and community learning to plan the next stage of Art Beyond Barriers, an inclusive SEND competition we’re running in partnership with four other colleges across the South West.

The project invites learners to creatively explore and express the barriers they experience in everyday life. Local artists help judge the entries, and the competition culminates in an exhibition and celebration event showcasing the students’ work.

More than anything, it gives learners the chance to connect with others who share similar experiences and feel seen through their creativity.

5.30pm

When I get home, I usually try to switch off from work so I can maintain a healthy work-life balance. At the start of each term, I’m full of energy and ideas, although by half-term I’m usually limping towards the finish line in need of a break. But the fulfilment I get from the job more than makes up for that. I feel incredibly fortunate to do work that genuinely means something to me.

Even now, though, I never want to lose sight of the fact that at heart I’m still a carpenter. I’m proud of that background. And whatever happens in my career, I love knowing I can still fit my own kitchen if I need to – which is a pretty useful string to my bow.

Most evenings, I’m tinkering with my bike in the garage or reading cycling articles on my phone, already thinking about the next ride.

In many ways, my job feels like cycling – the uphill parts can be tough, but they’re also what make the journey so rewarding.

Ofsted delivers ‘needs attention’ blow to Multiverse after starts stop on weakest apprenticeships

Leadership and training at apprenticeship giant Multiverse ‘needs attention’, Ofsted has said after inspectors found some apprentices were enrolled on courses that did not match their work roles and staff were overstretched.

It comes as FE Week learned the company has paused starts on multiple apprenticeship standards where performance is poor, following an agreement with the government.

The latest Ofsted result for Euan Blair’s firm marks a significant fall from grace since it was judged ‘outstanding’ in 2021 under the watchdog’s previous rating system.

The company, valued at an estimated £1.6 billion despite never turning a profit, has grown rapidly over the past five years, with apprentice recruitment soaring fourfold to 14,000. But achievement rates have consistently stayed low and barely half of apprentices successfully completed their training last year.

Ofsted inspected the company under its new report card approach in February and returned for an extra day in April to gather additional evidence after the latest qualification achievement rates were published by the government in March.

Leadership and governance, apprenticeship achievement, curriculum and teaching, and participation and development were all judged ‘needs attention’ – the second lowest of five possible ratings.

One ‘expected standard’ grade was handed out for inclusion.

‘Too many leave before completion’

Ofsted found that leaders have a “clear vision and commitment to work mainly with existing employees in large businesses to upskill and equip apprentices to work effectively and efficiently with artificial intelligence (AI) and data”.

But it added: “Apprentices do not have a consistently positive experience. The content of the apprenticeships for some apprentices is not well matched to their role at work, and too many leave before completion.”

Inspectors said that leaders are working to reduce the proportion of aborted apprenticeships by “improving initial advice and guidance so more apprentices are on courses that match their roles at work” – but the impact was “yet to be seen”.

A Multiverse spokesperson said the company “fundamentally does not accept that it is as blunt as people are on apprenticeships that are not suitable for them”.

They added: “We are delivering training in an emerging frontier technology, which the regulated system is beginning to catch up with. We told people extensively that we were going to be delivering AI apprenticeships, and in fact got encouraged and applauded on that journey, and we have also been completely transparent about the job titles, the different areas that our people work in, and [are] very, very proud of that.”

High workload

Ofsted said “too many” staff reported that their workload was “too high, with a large number of apprentices to support”.

Ofsted outlined this was largely due to staffing changes which leaders are in the process of resolving through increased recruitment and the use of AI to reduce administrative burden.

Inspectors found that apprentices “mostly” enjoy their online coaching and workshop sessions, but “many” feel these are “rushed, with limited time to ask questions”.

Ofsted reported that leaders have reduced the duration of some apprenticeships to meet employer demand – leading to “some” apprentices struggling to complete their learning in the time allowed.

Leaders also “do not work closely enough with employers to coordinate apprentices’ on- and off- the-job training”, while careers advice was found to be lacking.

Inspectors did however praise Multiverse’s “skilled” coaches and instructors, as well as the company’s inclusive culture, “appropriate support” from governors, and professional development opportunities for staff.

Ofsted stated that apprentices who remain and achieve gain “substantial new knowledge and skills” in AI, use of data and business analysis and management. They mostly remain in employment and gain promotion or increased responsibility.

Chloe Barker, senior director of quality at Multiverse, told FE Week the company is a “completely different provider” from when it was judged ‘outstanding’ in 2021, a time when it was only delivering to new employees in areas such as business admin and digital marketing.

She claimed inspectors came away from the latest inspection admiring Multiverse’s approach of delivering apprenticeships in “cutting-edge areas in domains where people don’t have job titles that perfectly match occupational-led standards” but while managing to achieve “a meaningful impact for them”.

Barker quoted internal statistics that show 70 per cent of the company’s withdrawing apprentices “deliver at least one project in their apprenticeship that has measurable return on investment”.

Some starts stopped

Training providers that receive ‘needs attention’ Ofsted judgments in leadership and any provision-type level evaluation area for apprenticeships are placed in the ‘needs improvement’ category under the government’s apprenticeship accountability framework.

Multiverse told FE Week that the government already intervened in the months leading up to the Ofsted visit as officials had early sight of their declining achievement rates.

The firm said it volunteered to pause starts on some apprenticeships, including leadership standards and the business analyst standard. Multiverse refused to provide the full list of apprenticeships where a pause has been contractually applied, but claimed it was a “small number”. It added it would continue to grow its data and AI-focused standards.

Leaders believe the pause will be lifted when qualification achievement rates improve.

Multiverse confirmed it was not invited to deliver the government’s flagship apprenticeship units, which include three new AI short courses funded through the growth and skills levy.

Multiverse’s overall achievement rate fell from 59 per cent in 2023-24 to 52.6 per cent last year. Its most popular standard, data analyst, recorded an even lower achievement rate of 50.1 per cent based on 2,770 leavers, while its lowest achievement rate was 42.3 per cent for the business analyst standard which had 760 leavers.

Starts at the training provider soared from 3,050 in 2020-21 to 12,030 in 2024-25. The business is on course to grow again in 2025-26, having recorded 8,390 starts in the first two months of the year – more than any other training provider in England.

‘We know what it takes to be an outstanding provider’

Multiverse is typically scrutinised by the national media due to its high-profile chief executive, high valuation, international AI work and growing apprenticeships division. The Times reported recently that it was accused of placing learners on apprenticeships ill-suited to their careers due to an “aggressive” focus on learner recruitment.

Examples from The Times included funeral planners and security guards enrolled on data and artificial intelligence apprenticeships.

Blair, son of former prime minister Tony Blair, defended the approach in a blog post where he admitted completion rates were too low and that his firm had not always managed the strain caused by fast growth “as well as we should”.

For Multiverse’s AI programmes, his team chose an “inclusive approach to enrolment” at the expense of completion rates.

Blair wrote: “Employers asked us to reach frontline workers – the people who typically get passed over for formal training. The result is a 50/50 gender split on our two biggest AI programmes and genuine reach across the country. That approach comes with a real trade-off on completion.

“One of our NHS apprentices reduced missed appointments in a hospital department by 30 per cent. A pay rise or promotion during or after the programme is the majority outcome for our learners.”

He added that Multiverse also hit “friction” because the regulated apprenticeship system hadn’t caught up with AI.

“The release of the first general purpose AI apprenticeship is now imminent; but nearly four years after ChatGPT launched. The right answer was never to simply ignore AI from an apprenticeship perspective – but we paid a price in our QARs for innovating ahead of the programmatic standards available. We’re working to close that gap.”

Multiverse has attracted more public funding to deliver apprenticeships in recent years than any other training provider.

Despite this, the company openly admits it “optimised for mass adoption of AI skills over completion rates”.

Responding to Ofsted’s report, a Multiverse spokesperson told FE Week: “Ofsted have recognised some of our strengths. They’ve also given us areas where we need to pay additional attention.

“We know what it takes to be an outstanding provider, because we have been that in the past, but our mission today is to prioritise mass adoption and reach as many people as possible.

“We work with the regulators, they’ve given us scenarios to pay attention to, and so we’re going to do that.”

We want to end the snobbery around post-16 vocational routes

You will have heard a lot about new V Levels vocational qualifications recently and how we want to remove the snobbery from post 16 education.

This is more than a catchy headline; it’s a chance at a future for young people who otherwise couldn’t see themselves thriving in the existing system. And our reforms are much more than V Levels alone. We’re also bringing in new level 2 qualifications that will provide support to lower attainers to help prevent them from dropping out of the system and becoming one of the almost one million people who are NEET.

These reforms will go a long way in putting vocational learning on par with academic and breaking down crucial barriers for young people to get rewarding, well paid jobs. It is central to the prime minister’s ambition to ensure two thirds of young people are in a gold standard apprenticeship, higher training or university by the age of 25, boosting priority sectors in the industrial strategy, and driving economic growth as part of national renewal.

Currently, thousands of vocational courses sit within a system which is incredibly difficult to navigate and does not reflect the skills employers tell us they need.

You already work incredibly hard to support young people and we want to make sure the system matches that effort with the right tools.

The implementation plan

That’s why we have published an implementation plan setting out how we intend to deliver a clearer system of V Levels, T Levels, and A Levels, along with the new foundation certificates and occupational certificates, over the next four years. Crucially, it makes clear how we will support you through the transition because none of this works unless you are supported to deliver it.

We are listening and improving. Change of this scale needs to be pragmatic not dogmatic. For example, the availability of industry placements has proven a barrier to growing T Level numbers in the past. We have worked with the sector to make substantial changes, including scrapping the limits on the percentage of remote hours a student can do and how many employers they work with. This gives providers the scope to deliver placements at scale while making clear our ongoing expectations for quality. We have published that new guidance alongside our implementation plan to give providers time to make those changes ready for the year ahead.

Reform of this scale doesn’t stand still, and neither will our implementation plan. We will keep it updated as decisions are made, informed by conversations with you, so you always have a clear picture of where things stand and what’s coming next.

We are already consulting on the content of the first eight new vocational qualifications. By the end of the year, we aim to have draft content for consultation for over 30 more qualifications from routes such as construction and engineering, social care, sports and health.

Qualification pioneers

To support these reforms, we will work with 16-19 providers to create robust transition plans with a clear timeline and strategy for supporting staff, students and employers through the change. We have set up a new sector-led group known as Qualification Pioneers, a mix of 16-19 providers from across England, reflecting different regions, provider types, sizes and levels of readiness, to help shape what strong provider transition plans look like in practice. They will support engagement between the Department for Education and providers during the transition period, and will help to develop guidance, tools and approaches to help with delivery.

We have also set-up a stakeholder steering group that will also help to shape the delivery of these important changes, giving the sector insight on curriculum planning and what works for your students.

Thank you to those of you who continue to be generous with your time and experience in contributing to subject content development and the consultations we are running. It’s incredibly important that we continue to harness the expertise in the sector and we welcome further contributions by getting in touch with the Department for Education.

You already do extraordinary work with these young people. We want to support you by putting in a qualifications architecture that matches that ambition and is fit for the future. We’re building one, we’re delivering it and we are determined to work with you to get it right.

T Levels go fully remote as ministers scrap work placement limits

Students can now complete T Level industry placements entirely from home, following the government’s latest attempt to rescue the flagship qualifications.

Updated guidance published by the Department for Education removes limits on how much of a placement can be carried out remotely. It also scraps caps on the number of employers involved in a placement.

The changes mean that a student on a standard 315-hour industry placement could complete the entire requirement remotely and divide the hours among as many employers as necessary.

Claire Green, post-16 and skills specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, said the limited availability of full, in-person industry placements had been a “major barrier, particularly in rural areas, and introducing greater flexibility should make it easier for colleges to deliver these qualifications”.

However, she warned that the purpose of an industry placement is to give young people “meaningful, hands-on experience of the workplace”, and there is a “risk that fully remote or highly fragmented placements could dilute this experience if not carefully managed”.

Red tape removed

The move marks a retreat from the original vision for T Levels when ministers insisted placements must take place almost entirely in person in the workplace, but with 35 hours permitted for “work taster activities”.

That position was softened in 2023 after colleges and employers warned the rules were unworkable. The Department for Education then allowed most students to complete up to 20 per cent of their placement remotely, rising to 50 per cent for digital T Levels.

The latest rewrite abolishes those thresholds altogether.

Officials still “recommend” using remote hours for no more than 20 per cent of the placement “where possible”, with students spending most of their time working face-to-face with an employer.

But removing the percentage limit was necessary to recognise that not all placement employers will have a physical workplace for the student to attend, with the guidance adding that in some sectors, such as digital, it “may be more appropriate for learners to spend more than 20 per cent of their placement working remotely”.

Restrictions on employer numbers have also been removed. Previous guidance allowed placements to be split between two employers, or up to three where firms formed part of the same supply chain or network.

New guidance said providers “should” still aim to use no more than two employers, but exceptions will be made where a student “would benefit from broader sector exposure” or short-term placements are more workable for employers.

For example, a student studying the health T Level could split their industry placement between three different employers across the local NHS integrated care system – including a hospital, a care home and a pharmacy.

The relaxation of placement rules goes further. Ministers have also removed limits on how much time students can spend on team projects and simulated training environments rather than in traditional workplaces. Previous guidance stated that small team projects overseen by employers and time spent in skills hubs or training centres should account for no more than one-third of a placement. The revised rules now only “recommend” that threshold.

The DfE has also widened the use of placements run ‘on site’ at colleges beyond students with special educational needs and disabilities.

A DfE spokesperson said removing this “red tape” would “help more young people to access premium placements and empowers businesses to offer placements that work for everyone”.

Green urged the government to keep the impact of its changes under close review, adding that the “priority must be to ensure that all students benefit from high-quality placements which genuinely support their skills development and progression”.

Low recruitment challenge

The changes mark another dilution of the government’s flagship technical education policy after years of low recruitment numbers and repeated concessions to schools and colleges struggling to make the system work.

T Levels were introduced in 2020 with the promise of creating a prestigious technical alternative to A Levels, combining classroom learning with substantial industry experience. Ministers hoped hundreds of thousands of students would eventually enrol.

Instead, take-up has remained stubbornly low. A report by the National Audit Office last year showed student number forecasts were missed by three quarters, resulting in a near-£700 million spending shortfall, and questioned whether employers and providers could sustain the demanding placement model.

The government has already moved to reduce the size of future T Levels, cutting teaching hours in an effort to make the courses more manageable for students and colleges.

Regulator Ofqual is also working to remove content “not absolutely necessary to demonstrate threshold competence” and cut the assessment burden for T Levels.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Industry placements remain a key part of T Levels. Our updated guidance introduces a new delivery framework for high-quality placements, giving providers more scope to tailor placements to their local context and the needs of their students.

“These updates have been carefully designed based on feedback from businesses to remove barriers to being accessible while crucially maintaining quality.

“Providers remain responsible for delivering high-quality industry placements that support their students to progress.”

Milburn quizzed by MPs on NEETs

Welcome to FE Week‘s live blog from a work and pensions committee session on the independent report into young people and work. The session will begin at around 09.30am. This is an oral evidence session part of the committee’s inquiry into youth employment, education and training.

Appearing before MPs will be Alan Milburn, chair of the Young People and Work Report, an independent investigation into soaring numbers of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).

DfE axes single awarding body licence model

Ministers are set to scrap the single-licence model for T Levels and will not adopt the contentious awarding body approach for new vocational qualifications.

The decision was revealed in the government’s post-16 pathways implementation plan, published today to support colleges and schools transition from legacy qualifications like BTECs to its new suite of V Level courses.

From 2027, V Levels will be a new vocational pathway at level 3 and sit as third route for students to choose from after school, alongside academic A Levels and technical T Levels.

The implementation plan was promised in last year’s skills white paper and details the transition timeline, as well as policy updates including using the national adult skills fund to offer vocational and technical courses to young adults, and an announcement of the education providers chosen to be “qualification pioneers”.

Here are the key developments you need to know.

Single AO licensing model axed

Using a single awarding organisation (AO) per T Level, as opposed to the the multi-AO approach for A Levels, was a recommendation by Lord Sainsbury in his 2016 review of technical education. The Department for Education adopted the policy when T Levels launched in 2020.

However, the government’s own research warned that with no alternative to step in if problems arose with a contracted body, there was a “risk of system failure”. Exams regulator Ofqual also “advised on the risks related to the single provider model” ahead of their launch. In recent months, DfE officials have aired their view that the exclusive licensing model has been “incredibly challenging”.

Pearson, NCFE and City & Guilds have been the dominant holders of T Level contracts since their launch, but the latter two have gradually reduced their share of the market amid concerns the contract values did not meet delivery demands.

Following a recent relicensing round, Pearson will award 16 out of the 20 available T Levels by September 2027.

The DfE announced today that “going forward”, the department “does not intend to use contracted models such as single licensing” and confirmed that existing T Level provision will “transition away from exclusive single licences and towards an Ofqual-regulated market model”.

Under this model, awarding organisations that meet Ofqual’s recognition criteria will be able to enter the market and offer their own T Levels and V Levels, as well as incoming foundation and occupational certificates.

This would bring T Levels and V Levels in line with awarding arrangements for GCSEs and A Levels. However, demand for the technical and vocational qualifications is much less predictable than their academic counterparts.

Ofqual’s regulatory approach, nationally set subject content and common rules about assessment design and grading scales will “ensure high quality and consistency across qualifications offered by different awarding organisations and support coherent progression between qualifications delivered by multiple providers”, the DfE said.

It is not clear how the value of T Level contracts will change under this new approach.

The DfE said the timing of this transition for T Levels will “respect contractual arrangements and will be managed to protect continuity for learners and providers.

“In the near term, we will market test awarding organisation interest in new T Levels, such as social care and sport, planned for introduction from 2028, to confirm their suitability for delivery through a regulated market.”

Adult Levels

V Levels, foundation certificates, occupational certificates and T Levels will soon be eligible for funding through the adult skills fund (ASF) in non-devolved areas.

The DfE’s planning document was light on further details but said the idea behind the move is to “support integration of adult and 16 to 19 provision and progression opportunities for young adults in particular”.

It acknowledged that the majority of the ASF is devolved, and committed to working with strategic authorities to “help them understand the reformed landscape and support their decisions on whether to fund these qualifications”.

A separate section explained that T Levels will be made available for “young adults” who specifically do not already have a level 3 qualification from autumn 2027. Further detail on eligibility and funding will be provided “in the near future”.

The decision comes a year after an FE Week investigation found a pilot scheme for adult T Level learners attracted just 14 people despite targeting 150, with those involved warning there was “very little interest”.

No V Level ‘partnering’ in 2027 and UCAS points TBC

Ministers have decided that V Levels will be a similar size to a single A Level – 360 guided learning hours – with the intention being that students can mix and match between the two qualifications.

The DfE is considering whether to allow V Levels to be “partnered” with another V Level in the same subject area for 720 guided learning hours – in a similar way to how A Levels in maths and further maths can be taken together.

Along with other criteria, partnered V Levels must “offer the same level of demand as two V Levels taken in different subjects which are not partnered” and also not offer an “alternative large study programme which competes with T Levels”.

DfE expects a “very limited number of exceptional cases” to be granted for V Level partnering and decided that the first V Levels to be rolled out in 2027 – in accounting and finance, digital systems and data, and education – do not meet the criteria.

Officials will now consider if there is a “need” for partnering V Levels part of the 2028 expansion, which will see, for example, two V Levels in engineering and two in health rolled out.

For the 2027-28 academic year, DfE will also not implement any rules that restrict qualifications from being combined to form a study programme. This will allow providers to combine new V Levels in education, accounting and finance, and digital systems and data with existing funded qualifications, such as: A Levels, alternative academic qualifications, applied generals, tech levels and maths and English retakes.

And DfE has promised to work with UCAS to publish the tariff points for V Levels “as soon as possible”.

Finance T Level written off and other subject nuggets

The planning document confirmed the DfE will remove the T Level in finance, which launched in 2022, after no awarding organisation bid to run it in the latest procurement round. The final cohort for this qualification will commence from September 2026.

Officials also confirmed that several subject areas will not move forward as V Levels after testing found they were not viable. These include catering, onsite construction, and hair, beauty and aesthetics.

The DfE said students aiming to work in these sectors would be better supported by other qualification routes already available within the system.

The onsite construction T Level was also previously found not to be viable, while further testing has sparked a potential revival for T Levels in hair and beauty and catering despite previous tried and failed attempts.

DfE also confirmed the department is exploring options for subject areas currently covered by technical and vocational qualifications at level 2 and level 3 but not covered by the incoming suite of post-16 courses, including blacksmithing, criminology, equine care, transport and logistics, and British sign language. Further details are expected by early 2027.

Qualification pioneers revealed

A new sector-led group called ‘qualification pioneers’ has been created to “lead the way for the sector, shaping and sharing best practice as providers transition to the new qualifications”.

As previously announced, schools, colleges and training providers will be required to have individual “robust” transition plans to support staff, students, and employers through the change. The plans must be “owned” by the accounting officer for each provider, confirm “high-level intentions” for delivery from the 2027-28 academic year, and be submitted to DfE by July 6.

Qualification pioneers will “play an important role in helping providers to develop and implement transition plans, modelling effective practice, and identifying practical support needed to help providers navigate the transition to reformed qualifications”, DfE said.

The qualification pioneers for each region are:

North East:

o Education Partnership North East (City of Sunderland College Group)

o Education Training Collective

o Macmillan Academy (Endeavour Academies Trust)

North West:

o East Lancashire Learning Group

o Cheshire College South and West

o Altus Education Partnership

Yorkshire and the Humber:

o Luminate

o Sheffield College

o Thomas Rotherham College

East Midlands:

o Loughborough College

o Leicester College

West Midlands:

o Heart of Worcestershire College

o Newcastle and Staffordshire College Group

o Three Spires Trust

East of England:

o Harlow College

o Suffolk New College

o Saffron Walden County High

London:

o Waltham Forest

o Christ the King Sixth Form College

o Swanlea school

South East:

o South Hampshire College Group

o EKC Group

o Bohunt School in Liphook

South West:

o The Cornwall College Group

o Yeovil College

o Callywith College

National:

o Ark Schools

Independent Training Providers:

o Education for Industry Group

o Access Further Education

AoC wins £20m teacher training contract from ETF

A major CPD programme for FE teachers will be run by the Association of Colleges after the Education and Training Foundation lost the government contract it had held for more than six years.

The AoC will take on the renamed technical and vocational subject teaching professional development this summer, after it beat five competitors for the deal worth £20 million over three years.

The ETF, which the AoC helped set up, had delivered the contract – then called the T Level professional development programme – since the launch of T Levels in 2020.

The Department for Education renamed the scheme to include forthcoming V Levels and new level 2 qualifications.

The DfE expects the AoC to develop “significant” new content to support the incoming qualifications, which begin next year.

This will include “evidence-based subject-specific and pedagogical training for teachers”, plus industry upskilling and training for leaders on growing their vocational and technical provision.

FE staff will have access to free training and in-person activities, as well as upskilling sessions delivered by industry and “collaboration networks” to support peer learning.

Bids bids to run the scheme were submitted in an open tender round earlier this year. The other unsuccessful bidders were Pearson, University Vocational Awards Council, Cognition Education and Avencera (formerly Matt Hamnett & Associates).

The deal is worth nearly £23.1 million over three years with an option of a one-year extension. Contracts officially change hands next month, with activity expected to begin from September.

David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, said: “We’re delighted to have won the contract. We were really keen to make sure it stayed in the sector and could be delivered with the sector for the sector.”

DfE fallout

The ETF’s delivery of the programme had earned it close to £76 million from the DfE.

The charity’s relationship with the DfE soured in 2022 when it emerged the foundation had racked up an unexpected surplus from lower-than-expected costs during the pandemic.

The DfE requested the ETF return up to £7.5 million while the charity’s lawyers argued it only owed £1.5 million.

The ETF ultimately agreed to repay £6.2 million, pushing it into a deficit in 2021-22.

The charity’s contract was nevertheless extended for two years in 2024, and it was awarded an extra £19.9 million.

The programme recorded over 11,800 engagements from more than 6,300 individuals in the 2025 financial year.

Dr Katerina Kolyva, chief executive of ETF, said: “While we are naturally disappointed not to have been selected for the new technical and vocational professional development contract, we are incredibly proud of what ETF and our partners have achieved on the current T Level professional development programme, which ends this summer.

“Our work has supported tens of thousands of professionals involved in the planning and delivery of T Levels, helping to build confidence, strengthen knowledge and improve practice. That impact reflects the expertise, commitment and professionalism of our colleagues and partners.”

The ETF’s staff headcount shot up to account for the TLPD contract and its other grant-funded programmes.

Numbers went from 75 in 2019-20 to 141 in 2020-21. By 2023-24, full-time equivalent staff numbered 176 at the charity, dropping to 144 the following year.

That drop was likely due to the DfE seizing its Taking Teaching Further programme from the ETF mid-contract in March 2023.

Kolyva added: “ETF’s mission is bigger than any single contract. As the professional body for the FE and skills workforce, we will continue to drive the development, recognition and professionalism of teachers, trainers and leaders to continuously improve student and sector outcomes.”

We can’t fix prison education without listening to its teachers

In recent years, much attention has been given to the role of education in reducing reoffending and supporting rehabilitation within prisons. Yet, while policies and outcomes are frequently debated, one crucial perspective remains largely unheard: that of the prison teacher. I am conducting research as part of an EdD (doctorate in education) that seeks to address this gap by exploring the lived experience of prison educators through the lens of phenomenology, a methodology dedicated to understanding how individuals make sense of their everyday realities.

At first glance, teaching in prison might appear to mirror teaching in any other further education setting. There are lessons to plan, students to support, and outcomes to achieve. But beneath this familiar structure lies a vastly different professional landscape, one shaped by security constraints, complex learner needs and a working environment unlike any conventional classroom. Prison teachers operate at the intersection of education, rehabilitation and the criminal justice system, yet their voices are rarely central to discussions about reform.

This silence matters.

An overlooked workforce

Prison educators play a vital role in offering second chances. They teach literacy, numeracy, vocational skills, and personal development to individuals who often have had disrupted or negative prior educational experiences. Despite this, their professional identity is frequently overshadowed. Are they teachers? Are they part of the prison system? Or are they something in between? These questions are not merely academic; they have real implications for recruitment, retention and professional development. At a time when prisons face increasing pressure to deliver meaningful education, understanding the experiences of these educators is more important than ever. Prison education is now required to demonstrate real rehabilitative results, and educators have responsibilities far beyond classroom instruction and management. These increased expectations will directly influence how prison teachers define their professional identity and role within the prison.

Why lived experience matters

My research does not aim to measure performance or evaluate policy. Instead, it seeks to listen. I am exploring how prison teachers experience their roles: how they perceive their professional identity, how they navigate challenges, and how they make sense of their work within a system that can be both restrictive and transformative.

This approach is significant because it prioritises human experience over abstract metrics. It acknowledges that behind every lesson delivered in a prison classroom is a teacher negotiating complex emotional, ethical, and professional demands. These include managing safety concerns, building trust with learners who may be resistant or vulnerable, and maintaining motivation in an environment where progress can be slow and setbacks frequent.

Challenging Assumptions

There is a tendency to view prison education through a deficit lens, focusing on what learners lack rather than what can be built. Similarly, prison teachers are sometimes seen as operating in a lesser or alternative branch of education. Understanding the lived experience of prison teachers is not just about giving them a voice; it is about informing better policy and practice. If we want prison education to succeed, we must first understand the people delivering it.

This research has the potential to:

Improve professional recognition and status for prison educators
Inform training and support systems tailored to their needs
Highlight pathways for career development within prison education
Ultimately, enhance the quality of education offered to learners in custody

At its core, this study is about visibility. It is about ensuring that prison teachers are not an invisible workforce operating behind locked doors.

Looking forward

Prison education is regarded as a pillar of rehabilitation; pillars require strong foundations, which are built by the educators working within the system. In amplifying these voices, my research aims to contribute to a more informed, humane, and effective approach to education behind bars. Because beyond the statistics, beyond the policies, and beyond the prison walls, there are stories that deserve to be heard.

I found my voice through lifelong learning – others deserve the same chance

Last November, I was invited to a ceremony at the Barbican in London to receive an award. No, Craig Revel Horwood was not waiting with a Glitterball Trophy and a long-overdue apology. Instead, I was greeted by Maggie Galliers, president of Learning and Work Institute (L&W), and presented with the lifelong learning ambassador award.

It was both a surprise and an honour. But it also prompted a question: what had I done to deserve it? I had helped expand learning opportunities for teachers during my time as a minister, but that was many years ago. I have reached grade 7 standard on the piano, but my attempts at Bach hardly justify national recognition.

In truth, the award reflected not just what I have done for lifelong learning, but what lifelong learning has done for me.

Adult education changed my life. It was through the adult learning provider City Lit, and one of its exceptional tutors, Jan Logan, that I found a way to manage my interiorised stammer. That stammer fully crystallised one afternoon at the dispatch box. “He’s the secretary of state and he can’t even get his words out” – I can still hear those words across the Commons chamber.

I was not the first person in public life to face this challenge. Winston Churchill and King George VI – later immortalised by Colin Firth – both navigated similar difficulties. But their stature did not give me confidence in the way Jan did. She helped me believe in myself, while also pushing me to do the hard work needed to improve. When I received the award, I dedicated it to her.

My experience is personal, but the wider lesson is clear. Supporting learning and skills for adults is essential. People are living and working longer, while technology is reshaping jobs and how we interact with public services. If even a fraction of the hype around artificial intelligence proves accurate, the economic shift will be comparable to deindustrialisation.

That makes it imperative to make learning more accessible at every stage of life.

There are reasons for optimism. Devolution in England has given regional mayors greater scope to tailor provision, unlock potential and respond to local needs. But there are also persistent challenges. Public funding for adult education has been under pressure regardless of which party is in government.

At the same time, employer investment has declined. Research from L&W shows businesses now invest nearly a third less in training than they did two decades ago, and at close to half the EU average on a per-worker basis.

Having spent time in the Treasury, I recognise that governments face difficult choices. But widening access to adult education is vital for the country. It delivers economic and social returns: more people in better jobs, more people able to change direction, recover from setbacks, or build new careers, and ultimately healthier and more fulfilling lives.

That is why I was proud to become a lifelong learning ambassador and to support L&W’s Get the Nation Learning campaign. Its aim is simple: to make and win the case for lifelong learning. It is a case that deserves attention.

Nominations for this year’s Get the Nation Learning Awards are now open. Organisations can share their success stories before 4 June and join more than 200 organisations backing the campaign by signing the Get the Nation Learning Charter.