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A murder trial changed my career – and how I see education

Before the pandemic, around 60,000 children were being home-schooled. By 2024, that had risen to nearly 112,000.

Many vulnerable teenagers never returned to school; authorities lost contact with families who moved during lockdown or whose children turned 16.

I see these young people every day in my role as head of alternative provision at Shooters Hill Sixth Form College. It came about after a 20-year career teaching and managing a performing arts department in FE.

I had been randomly selected for jury service at The Old Bailey. I tried to get out of it by saying I was a teacher and in the middle of exams, but this request was denied by the Judge. The case lasted four months. Four young men, all under 18, were charged with murder. Three of them were home schooled.

By the end of the trial I had changed. I could no longer go back to teaching acting, I needed to do more – a lot more, as it turned out.

In August 2024, Geoff Osbourne, principal, and Dan Berbeck, assistant principal of Shooters Hill sixth form set about creating the first home school department in the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

With a new sense of purpose, I applied for the role as head of alternative provision. The role allowed me to work and support registered elected home educated children aged 14 to 16 who were disengaged from mainstream education or home schooled by choice. Nothing could have prepared me for the mishmash of characters who came for interview.

Cat had dyed blonde hair, lashes and jewels in her fake nails. Despite her worldly look, she was only 14. Somehow, she’d gone through the school system without anyone noticing she could not read or write. During our meeting her mother spoke non-stop; she had been in prison for a petty crime a few years ago, which left Cat in the care of her dad.

Clive, 15, had been on bail since he was 12. The crime was unclear – it was either being next to a knife or near a person with a knife. He lived with his grandad two nights a week, his mum three nights and his dad the rest of the time.

Dean, who looked like he was 30, full beard and a hard stare, arrived with his mum and a social worker. He had initially been removed from school for his own safety, then the entire family had been re-located and were now staying in a safe house.

Not all the cohort had backgrounds like theirs; some pursued Latin, played the violin and had parents who taught or paid for private tutors. All were lacking in friendship groups, avoided eye contact and social interaction.

There were also many whose parents were key workers in the police, NHS and social services, who had not returned to school after lockdown due to anxiety and fear of the new world we now live in.

I was given the opportunity to build a new school for these children, where they could thrive and make new friends as well as take their GCSEs in English, math and biology.

I set about finding teachers who were not the norm. I needed to create a space that did not look or feel like an institution: I also needed a budget for trips, visits, speakers and experts in art, music, sports, storytelling and outdoor activities.

We took care of their social and communication skills and built relationships with each child. We met them at the college gate, and stayed with them all day in lessons and break times. It was exhausting; we were a small team of two in the first year, and no downtime or breaks were factored into our days. Most of the cohort had anxiety/mental health issues and were also neurodiverse.

We quickly expanded as demand for places was high, so I was given resources for more teachers and classrooms.

Participation on an enrichment programme became a prerequisite for staying in the programme. The EHE students were offered a conditional place in the sixth form if they completed the programme; this allowed them time to transition into the mainstream college before the new students arrive, allowing them time to try out a subject before enrolling.

It’s now over two years since we started. We have 100 students enrolled, and progress is better than I expected. We also have over 100 EHE children waiting to start their educational journey with us. We have a dedicated block of classrooms, a student hub filled with games, bean bags and a place to relax, and we are growing our own team of teachers, teaching assistants and mentors.

Our retention rate is 98 per cent and progression into Shooters Hill or another FE provider is 100 per cent. Over the past two years every child has sat their GCSEs. It makes no difference to me the grade, although one EHE learner got the highest grade in the college for maths. The most important thing is they all turned up and gave it their best shot.

This is not an article to harp on about the realities of mainstream education.

This programme goes to show what a goal of working with the needs of the community and local context can do for young people.

These young people are not unable to learn; they do not fit into the mould of mainstream education and are being left behind. Programmes like these are what is needed across the UK.

These young people have been through a global pandemic throughout a key stage of their development, and we will continue to see the ripple effects of this for years to come. Hopefully, more programmes like this will help these young people get back on track. We know that no two people are the same. So why do we expect all young people to learn the same way?

Don’t let the pursuit of rigour undermine vocational reform

For too long, vocational education has risked being talked about as an alternative to the academic route rather than a valuable pathway in its own right.

Things are now shifting; In July, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Britain must ‘value the hard hat every bit as much as the graduation cap’, and education Secretary Lucy Powell has been equally clear that every young person should be able to see a route to success, whatever their talents or ambitions.

But parity cannot simply be declared. If vocational pathways are to command the same confidence as traditional academic routes, the qualifications underpinning them must have the quality, rigour and relevance to make that ambition a reality.

That also means addressing the complexity that has developed within post-16 vocational education.

Over time we have seen different qualifications, of different sizes and levels, offered by different awarding organisations.

Compare that with the relative simplicity and widespread understanding of A Levels and it is perhaps unsurprising that vocational routes can be more difficult for learners, parents and employers to navigate.

That complexity may also have made it harder for vocational qualifications to command the recognition they deserve.

Reform therefore provides an opportunity for greater clarity and consistency.

At its heart should be a simple principle: a qualification should not merely demonstrate what somebody has learned. It should help them take the next step.

That might mean progression to further or higher education, an apprenticeship, further occupational training or moving directly into employment. Our qualification system needs to recognise that rather than attempting to force everybody down the same pathway.

This is where the emerging suite of qualifications, including V Levels, Foundation Certificates and Occupational Certificates, has the potential to make an important contribution.

They form part of a wider attempt to create clearer pathways through post-16 education while maintaining the choices learners need.

Increasing the rigour of vocational qualifications is important if we want learners, employers and the wider education system to have confidence in them. But there is an important caveat.

Reform has real consequences for the colleges and other centres that will ultimately deliver these qualifications.

Some proposed changes to qualification design, particularly around external assessment and assessment by examination within V Levels, will create additional pressures for centres.

That message has come through clearly in our conversations with the sector.

There is widespread support for high-quality vocational qualifications and ensuring they command the confidence and recognition they deserve. But colleges are operating in an environment where capacity and resources are already under considerable pressure.

Changes to assessment and delivery have resource implications that need to be understood.

We have seen similar issues through our experience of qualification reform in Wales. Many of the same messages are now being heard from post-16 providers in England.

The real test of reform, however, will be what it means for learners.

A successful post-16 system cannot simply offer a wide range of qualifications. Learners need to understand where those qualifications can take them.

For some young people, A Levels will continue to provide the right route. For others, a technical or vocational pathway will be better suited to their talents, interests and career ambitions. Neither should automatically be regarded as more valuable than the other.

What matters is that qualifications are high quality, recognised and capable of opening doors.

That also means ensuring vocational qualifications have genuine occupational relevance. Employers need confidence that learners progressing into their sectors have developed appropriate knowledge and skills, while learners need confidence that the time and effort they invest will help them progress.

Collaboration between awarding organisations, employers and education providers is therefore essential.

At Eduqas, our approach is based on co-construction, bringing employers into the development process so qualifications reflect the realities of industries and occupations.

We can build on sector relationships, similarly to those developed through our work on T Levels, while colleges and lecturers bring the equally important perspective of understanding learners and what it takes to deliver qualifications effectively.

There is also a much bigger economic issue behind these reforms.

Across the economy, employers continue to talk about skills shortages and difficulties recruiting people with the capabilities they need.

Qualifications cannot solve those challenges on their own. But they are an important part of the answer.

Eduqas is particularly well placed to contribute to that challenge.

We are one of a small number of awarding organisations with experience spanning A Levels, T Levels and Applied Generals. Through WJEC, we also bring recent experience of significant qualification reform in Wales.

That gives us an understanding not simply of individual qualifications, but of the whole learner journey and how different qualifications need to work alongside one another.

We will bring that experience to the development of V Levels, Foundation Certificates and Occupational Certificates, while continuing to listen to employers, colleges and lecturers.

If, in the years ahead, young people can look at post-16 education and see clear, respected routes into further study, training and employment, with vocational education regarded as a positive first choice rather than a second option, then this reform will have achieved something significant.

Teaching English is the easiest part of my job

The final ESOL assessments have been marked, class trips to zoos and museums have gone well, all that remains is a few class parties and tidying up our desks. A time to reflect and take stock.

How do I actually feel after another demanding term in an FE ESOL department? Frazzled, burned out and emotionally empty. With over 60 students under my care, 90 per cent of them being refugees and asylum seekers, the emotional load of getting these students to the finishing line is becoming more and more difficult.

Teaching English is a fraction of the workload. Yes, planning and delivering lessons and administrating and marking assessments is a huge task, but the difficulties of managing 60 complex people in a classroom day in day out is far more gruelling.

One student’s serious health condition is worsening by the day. She is almost obsessive in her quest to learn English before her health goes completely. Stressed by her mission to complete as much of her education as quickly as possible, she is frequently overwhelmed by her life. A lot of my time this year has been spent listening to her and trying to help her find support from the complex routes into local authority care and charities in a language that is not her own.

Another ESOL student, who went through extremely traumatising events before arriving in Scotland, continues to experience mental health difficulties and is frequently hospitalised, citing his sleeplessness and terrifying dreams as the main reason he does not attend classes every day. Despite this, he works tirelessly at home on his English and has become one of the fastest learners in the class.

A third student experienced multiple bereavements while separated far away from her family. She has been broken ever since but through sheer determination has managed to complete her course with the support of teachers, classmates and a fantastic college wellbeing team.

I have not even begun to mention the atrocities that our Sudanese students have witnessed. Often, they have families back home facing murder, rape and hunger every day. Contact is patchy or not available. Sometimes, when a student is worried about whether a parent is safe or whether a visa application will be approved, learning about the present perfect continuous can seem like an almost absurd inconvenience.

However much they try to forget their past, students bring their memories and trauma into the classroom. Add on to that adapting to a new culture, temporary accommodation problems, the labyrinthian visa application process and isolation from lack of English language and you have a perfect storm.

Our wellbeing department helps, as do outside agencies who do their best to support and carry the most vulnerable. But the truth is the system is struggling to cope and many fall through the cracks.

Teachers are not trained counsellors, psychiatrists or social workers. We do not have training in how to manage sustained exposure to trauma or maintain healthy boundaries. Yet we are the ones on the front line, who see vulnerable students every day and notice when they don’t attend or are out of sorts. Individually they are a heavy weight to bear, as a cohort it is a burden that many teachers carry into their personal lives.

The term ‘compassion fatigue’ is often cited around nurses and doctors but increasingly teachers are finding the phrase fits for them too. There are days when I cannot stop thinking about a particular student. It could be a snippet of a conversation about a relative in danger or a student expressing suicidal feelings. These thoughts do not disappear after the classroom door closes.

The problem is that caring is not an option in ESOL classrooms. Most of the time our compassion is what helps a student achieve and integrate into society. It takes time to build relationships and trust with these students, who have often been let down in many institutions before ours. So if we suddenly withdraw our care, it can have devastating consequences. And yet if we become too emotionally involved, we risk exhaustion.

Alongside this, teachers are under pressure from college management to meet targets and ensure that students progress through the system in a timely fashion. This creates complications as most of our students are dealing with significant life problems. Their progress in not linear and often takes longer than timescales allow.

Teachers find themselves caught between what is right for the individual student and the expectations of the educational institution. With spaces limited and demand hugely outstripping supply, long waiting lists create extra pressure on teachers to move students through the system and make room for those still waiting for a place. This adds another layer to teachers’ emotional burden.

Finding the balance is crucial. We have to support and listen and advise but also realise that we cannot solve every problem for people going through what may be one of the hardest periods of their lives. It is imperative that we create a safe space for people to learn and grow. That is not measurable on a spreadsheet and it often goes unnoticed.

So, as I pack my files away and think about how exhausted I am, I understand that it is not only because of the lessons, planning and marking but the emotional load of carrying people whose lives are so much more complicated than my own. Every qualification earned is a testament to the students’ resilience and determination. But it comes at a cost. Acknowledging the emotional burden carried by ESOL lecturers is not a sign of weakness. It is simply an honest reflection of what the job has become.

Why we’re bringing employers into education earlier

For centuries, university has been the more traditional and default destination for young people, with vocational education seen as the ‘alternative’. We need to broaden the conversation around what success after school can look like, with vocational and technical education such as degree apprenticeships offering valuable alternatives to a university degree. This is particularly important as more young people than ever are showing an interest in these types of qualifications.

By working closely with schools, sixth forms, colleges and universities, we can help young people understand the full range of routes available to them – from apprenticeships and higher technical qualifications such as HNCs, HNDs and HTQs, through to degree-level study.

So, why is there such a significant mismatch between what employers need and what young people are learning in school? And, why are young people hesitant to venture into construction careers when there is such a desperate need in our local economy?

Largely, the issue comes down to a widespread misunderstanding of the opportunities available in practical industries. Construction offers some of the clearest and quickest routes into well paid, meaningful careers, with fields such as digital and AI, green construction and heritage skills becoming increasingly important within nationally significant infrastructure projects.

Once qualified, construction professionals are also much more likely to start their own businesses and employ others as a result. But many people are simply unaware of the breadth of opportunities available in practical careers.

As the Construction Technical Excellence College (CTEC) for the East of England, West Suffolk College was one of just 10 colleges selected to take part in a £100 million national government-backed programme to transform the quality and perception of construction education.

An employer-first curriculum

A distinguishing feature of our curriculum at West Suffolk College is that learning isn’t aimed towards employment once students finish with us. It is co-designed, co-created and co-delivered by employers throughout our students’ journeys in our education group’s schools, from primary age onwards.

Rather than leaving employment to simply just the traditional careers fair, we work with employers to offer work experience opportunities and shape all learning from our skills content to our equipment, delivery methods and assessment approaches. Once our students leave, our employer partners offer a range of progression pathways where they can build on what they have already learned. The result is a talent pipeline that meets local employer needs, with students building relationships with businesses long before they complete their studies.

Exploring a world of opportunities

The construction industry extends far beyond the ‘classic’ roles. Digital construction, robotics, infrastructure skills and modern construction methods are exciting and rapidly expanding sectors at the cutting edge of the UK’s economy, while sustainability or project management roles might excite young people wanting to drive the bigger picture.

Heritage crafts like thatching, flint knapping and stained-glass restoration might sound outdated, but they are in high demand. They play a critical role in conservation efforts and are key to the net zero restoration of a number of different types of buildings. To recognise this, and to ensure that we produce qualified experts to all the industries that sit under the umbrella of construction, we have made them a key pillar of our educational provision.

Building the future

For too long, we have measured success through a narrow academic lens while overlooking the practical skills that build our roads, homes and nationally significant infrastructure projects, restore our heritage, drive innovation and power economic growth.

There are signs, however, that this is beginning to change. The government’s recent announcement of new V Levels, including a potential Building and Construction pathway from 2029, is recognition that young people should have the opportunity to develop practical and technical skills alongside a strong academic core. That is a welcome step, but we also need to continue to strengthen links between education and employers, giving young people the chance to understand where these skills can take them.

We should ask ourselves a simple question: are we preparing young people for the world as it is, or for the world as we imagine it ought to be? If we are serious about tackling skills shortages, reducing youth unemployment and building a more resilient economy, then practical, employer-led education must become the central part of our national education strategy.

Philip Le Feuvre named new NCFE chief executive

Awarding organisation NCFE has appointed Philip Le Feuvre as its new chief executive, alongside two other senior leadership changes following the death of David Gallagher.

Le Feuvre, currently chief operating officer at the awarding organisation, will take over from Gallagher, who died in July. Gallagher had led the education charity since 2019.

Kris Todd, chief financial officer, has been appointed to a new deputy chief executive role, retaining his existing finance responsibilities.

Janine Oliver, currently director of product and standards, will become chief commercial officer in another newly created role.

All three will take up their new positions on 9 November. The appointments were confirmed by NCFE’s board of trustees following a competitive internal recruitment process.

Le Feuvre joined NCFE as chief strategy officer in 2020 before becoming chief operating officer.

A former primary school teacher, he previously worked in PwC’s strategy team in London and Sydney, advising clients across education and employment.

He said it was a “privilege” to lead NCFE into its next chapter.

“NCFE has an extraordinary heritage and a powerful charitable purpose. Our ambition is to build on those foundations, embracing change, innovation and new partnerships to extend our reach and impact,” he said.

“Above all, I want to make sure we stay focused on the people we exist to serve, helping more learners develop the skills, confidence and opportunities they need to succeed.”

Todd joined NCFE in 2015, having previously worked at the college group NCG.

He said his priorities would include “growth and diversification”, embedding innovation and technology in NCFE’s work, and exploring ways to extend its reach in the UK and internationally.

Oliver, who became director of product and standards in 2023, has more than 20 years’ experience in education, skills and workforce development, including a previous role at Skills for Health.

Her newly created position will focus on product development, customer relationships and sustainable commercial growth.

Deborah Jenkins, chair of NCFE’s board of trustees, said the appointments marked a “transition into a new era”.

“This has been a challenging year for NCFE, irrevocably coloured by the tragic loss of David, but it has brought out the remarkable strength and resilience of our workforce, not least the executive team, who have led the organisation with great skill and compassion without losing any focus on quality,” she said.

“We will never forget David, but I am confident that he would have been as delighted as I am to entrust the organisation he loved so much to the leadership of Philip and Kris and the new configuration of our talents.”

Dame Mary Beard crowned lifelong learning champion

Celebrity historian Mary Beard has been honoured as a champion of lifelong learning at this year’s Get the Nation Learning awards.

The bestselling author, broadcaster and classicist joins the British Army and Walsall Football Club among 12 winners of this year’s celebrations, which also recognised colleges, adult education providers and inspirational learners.

Beard received the lifelong learning ambassador award for making classical history accessible through her books and television programmes. She is also a fellow of City Lit and an advocate for women in academia.

She follows former politician Ed Balls, who won the award last year.

The awards, organised by Learning and Work Institute (L&W), were presented at the Royal Society in London on Wednesday as part of Get the Nation Learning week.

The British Army was named employer of the year for its commitment to essential skills, social mobility and preparing service personnel for civilian careers.

Walsall FC won the talent is everywhere award for a training programme developed with Pilot IMS, which helps local residents gain qualifications and paid matchday work in spectator safety, security and event operations.

Among the FE winners, Newham College received the net zero hero award for its green skills provision in construction, engineering and retrofit. Its offer includes 22 short courses in sustainability and low-carbon construction.

Westminster Adult Education Service was named learning provider of the year for programmes spanning English, maths, ESOL, digital skills and apprenticeships, particularly for adults facing barriers to education.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority took the regional growth award for using devolved adult education powers to align training with local jobs and employers.

Academy Transformation Trust Further Education (ATTFE) won the stronger communities award for its Stop the Bleed initiative, teaching thousands of people first responder skills for serious incidents.

Two individual learners were also recognised.

Stacy McKeown, from Salford, received the patron’s award from the Princess Royal after progressing from unemployment and personal hardship into an adult social care apprenticeship and higher education.

Aiden Tsen won the new directions award after spending five years out of education, employment and training amid health challenges. He entered the NHS through a King’s Trust programme, completed three FE qualifications and is now studying for an access to higher education diploma.

Elsewhere, Adult Literacy Trust won the essential skills award for its volunteer reading coaches, while Barts Health NHS Trust took the learning with technology award for developing staff digital, data and AI skills, including through apprenticeships.

Adult Learning North Yorkshire received the healthier futures award for supporting residents who may be experiencing isolation, poor mental health or long-term inactivity through community learning and one-to-one conversations.

Stephen Evans, L&W’s chief executive, said the winners demonstrated the benefits of learning for “individuals, communities and our society as a whole”.

The learning age never ended. The funding just dried up

It’s almost 30 years since a Labour government relatively new to office was thinking about how to respond to a new IT revolution and spread opportunity to all. Part of its response was the learning age green paper, published by David Blunkett as education secretary, arguing that lifelong learning could hail a “renaissance for a new Britain”.

The argument was that new technology created new opportunities, but lifelong learning would be crucial to take advantage of them, particularly given an aging population.

Thirty years later, lots has changed, but lots is still the same. Today, a Labour government wonders about the impacts of AI (among other things). But how has that ‘learning age’ gone? Around two in five (43 per cent) adults told Learning and Work Institute’s Adult Participation in Learning Survey that they have taken part in learning in the last three years, little changed from 40 per cent in 1996 when the survey first started.

So was the learning age a damp squib? No, because adult learning has been transformed and adults’ interest in learning remains remarkably resilient. What has changed is how people learn and the opportunities available to them.

The lifelong learning revolution

Accelerated by the pandemic, Britain has experienced something close to a technological revolution in lifelong learning. Online learning has become mainstream, with almost half of learners now studying entirely online.

Learning for leisure and personal interest has expanded dramatically and now accounts for almost half of all learning activity. Self-directed learning, enabled by apps, online platforms and digital resources, has moved from the margins towards the mainstream. Far from abandoning learning, adults have found new ways to pursue it.

But sadly opportunities to convert that learning into recognised skills, qualifications and career progression have become more limited.

Adult skills funding in England remains around £1 billion lower than in 2010, while employer investment in training has fallen one third in the last twenty years. Adults may be finding new ways to learn, but too often without access to the structured opportunities that help turn learning into economic mobility and workforce development.

The inequalities that blighted access to education for adults in the 1990s remain. We estimate that class-based inequalities mean three million lost learners, and that people are 3 per cent less likely to learn with each year older they get. Feeling “too old” has become one of the most commonly reported barriers to learning.

This matters because the case for lifelong learning is becoming stronger, not weaker. Net zero, AI, and longer working lives each require people to update their skills and retrain more often. In previous generations, economic change could often be absorbed as older workers left declining industries and younger people entered growing sectors. That model no longer works. Four in five people who will make up Britain’s workforce in 2035 have already left full-time education. Future prosperity will depend increasingly on their ability to keep learning throughout their careers.

And learning delivers benefits beyond learning too. More than nine in ten learners report positive outcomes, including improved confidence, greater enjoyment of learning, stronger social connections and better wellbeing. Older learners are especially likely to report health and wellbeing benefits, highlighting the contribution learning can make to tackling loneliness and supporting healthy ageing.

Things can only get better?

The central lesson from thirty years of evidence is therefore not that lifelong learning has failed. Rather, adults’ enthusiasm for learning remains undimmed, but opportunities to take that learning further have not kept pace. Technology has opened up new possibilities. People have embraced them. Governments and employers have too often failed to match that energy with investment.

The challenge for the next decade is not simply to raise participation. It is to ensure that the lifelong learning revolution becomes genuinely universal, giving people of every age and background the chance to develop new skills, improve their lives and adapt to a rapidly changing world. Until then, Britain will continue to have a learning revolution whose benefits remain unevenly shared.

Learning Curve subsidiary hit with ‘urgent improvement’ blow

Poor attendance and low achievement on access to higher education courses have resulted in two ‘urgent improvement’ judgments for a subsidiary of major training provider network Learning Curve Group (LCG).

Profound Services Limited, based in Durham and part of LCG since 2018, was handed Ofsted’s lowest rating for achievement and participation and development in adult learning programmes, in a report published today.

It also received three ‘needs attention’ judgments, including for leadership and governance and inclusion, alongside three ‘expected standard’ ratings for apprenticeships delivery.

Profound is led by Tracey Fletcher-Ray, who became LCG’s chief executive in May following the departure of the group’s high-profile leader Brenda McLeish.

At the time of Profound’s last Ofsted inspection in 2022, the provider was judged to be ‘good’ overall, while adult learning programmes were considered ‘outstanding’.

Ofsted’s report noted that many leaders at the provider are “very new to the organisation or recently promoted”. Alongside a newly appointed governance board, they “generally understand the quality of their provision, particularly regarding apprenticeships”.

However, inspectors criticised leaders for failing to “accurately identify several weaknesses” in access to higher education programmes, such as low attendance, low participation in learning and poor assessment of learners’ gaps in knowledge.

Profound had 112 adult learners studying for access to higher education diplomas at the time of its inspection in September. It holds a £328,119 advanced learner loans facility with the Department for Education.

The provider recorded an overall adult learning achievement rate of 57 per cent in 2024-25, compared to the national average of 87 per cent.

Ofsted’s report said achievement on higher education diploma courses had remained “consistently very low and shows no sign of improvement”.

Achievement rates for learners with a declared learning need were also “significantly lower than those without”, inspectors said.

Learners who complete the diploma gain the grades needed to attend university. But despite this, a “significant proportion” of these learners do not progress to university.

Many adult learners at Profound are returning to education after long periods of time. But inspectors found that leaders do not consistently identify or address barriers to learning, including for learners who speak English as an additional language, lack level 2 qualifications in English or maths, or have demanding personal circumstances such as caring responsibilities.

The few learners who need to gain formal qualifications in English and maths alongside their higher education diplomas are not supported “well enough to achieve these”. Inspectors said this “too often” prevents them from securing university places.

Low attendance drives poor achievement

Leaders and teachers were criticised for not requiring learners to attend their classes.

Adult learners are “not prepared well” for attending university or entering employment in sectors such as health or teaching because they miss taught sessions, do not catch up with their work, and miss out on opportunities to share experiences and develop additional knowledge and skills alongside their peers.

Profound’s main area of delivery is apprenticeships. The provider currently trains 464 apprentices across a range of standards within the care, housing, logistics and digital sectors.

Although Profound’s overall apprenticeship achievement rate was 44 per cent for 2024-25, compared with a national average of 65 per cent, Ofsted praised the quality of this delivery and said the proportion of apprentices who stay and complete their apprenticeships on time is increasing.

A spokesperson for Learning Curve Group said: “We take Ofsted’s findings extremely seriously, and an improvement plan is already in place to address this specific area of our wider provision.

“We also welcome Ofsted’s positive assessment of Profound’s apprenticeship provision and confirmation that safeguarding standards are met.”

FE Week has asked the DfE whether it plans to take any action against Profound following Ofsted’s judgment.

The department typically terminates a provider’s contract following ‘urgent improvement’ ratings for apprenticeship delivery.

Third of FE staff plan to leave sector

More than a third of further education staff are actively planning to leave the sector – with workload, pay and stress among the biggest reasons for wanting to quit, a new Department for Education survey has revealed.

The survey of 4,440 leaders, managers and teachers found that 37 per cent intend to exit FE. A further 17 per cent were unsure about their future.

Just 42 per cent said they had no plans to leave.

The findings come as FE faces a deepening recruitment and retention crisis, with colleges and providers struggling to fill vacancies as growing numbers of school leavers enter the sector.

The survey was carried out by the National Foundation for Educational Research between November 2025 and January 2026 across general FE colleges, sixth-form colleges, independent training providers and adult community learning providers.

Among those planning to leave within the next five years, 63 per cent said workload and working hours were a factor, while 57 per cent cited pay.

A lack of career progression was cited by 30 per cent, while 29 per cent said a lack of recognition or appreciation had influenced their decision.

College staff more likely to consider leaving

Colleges face the biggest retention challenge. Just 36 per cent of staff at general FE and sixth-form colleges said they had no plans to leave the sector, compared with 55 per cent at independent training providers and adult community learning providers.

The survey found that 44 per cent of general FE college staff and 43 per cent of sixth-form college staff were planning to leave in the next five or more years. The equivalent figure for independent training providers and adult community learning providers was 23 per cent.

Managers with teaching responsibilities were most likely to leave followed by teachers, while leaders and managers with no teaching responsibilities were most likely to stay in the sector.

The technical report’s statistical modelling also reported that part-time staff were more likely to report an intention to leave than full-time staff.

Just 33 per cent of part-time staff who combined FE work with another profession, known as dual professionals, said they had no plans to leave the role.

Workload and stress

Almost three-quarters (72 per cent) of respondents said they experienced work-related stress.

The proportion was higher among staff with teaching responsibilities, reaching 82 per cent among managers who teach and 72 per cent among teachers.

This compared to 67 per cent of leaders and 64 per cent of managers without teaching responsibilities.

The research also reported that 40 per cent of FE staff believe their workload was unacceptable, compared with 45 per cent who agreed it was acceptable.

Full-time teachers reported working an average of 43.4 hours during their most recent full working week, while full-time managers with teaching responsibilities reported the longest hours, at 47.2.

More than four in ten respondents (44 per cent) agreed that unfilled vacancies had increased their workload.

The technical report’s statistical modelling found that staff who experienced work-related stress were more likely to report an intention to leave, while those who considered their workload acceptable were less likely to do so.

Don’t pay, we’ll walk away

Pay has continued to be a major concern, with 57 per cent of respondents saying they were dissatisfied with their current salary.

More than half (58 per cent) disagreed that FE offered a good salary compared with alternative careers they could pursue, while 54 per cent were dissatisfied with their longer-term salary prospects.

Teachers were particularly negative about their pay.

Just 19 per cent of teachers in general FE colleges said they were satisfied with their salary, compared with 27 per cent in sixth-form colleges and 36 per cent in independent training providers and adult community learning.

The majority of leaders reported being satisfied with the salary they currently receive.

The report’s modelling stated that higher pay satisfaction was associated with a lower intention-to-leave score.

Recruitment pressures

The survey also reported that engineering and manufacturing was the most common area in which it was difficult to recruit skilled teachers, identified by 30 per cent of leaders.

Construction was cited by 29 per cent and digital and IT by 26 per cent.

The findings chime with an Association of College survey published in November 2025 which found teacher shortages and lack of space had forced most colleges to close enrolments on construction courses – with over half setting up waiting lists to train tradespeople.

Maths was the most difficult academic subject to recruit to, identified by 31 per cent of leaders, followed by English at 20 per cent, the DfE’s research added.

Leaders and managers most often identified salaries compared with industry and schools as barriers to recruitment.

This is “particularly important in subjects where staff have strong external labour market opportunities, such as engineering, construction and digital, and in areas where FE competes directly with schools for qualified teachers, such as for teachers of mathematics and English,” researchers said.

The pay gap between school and FE teachers is currently around £10,500.

A collective nationwide ballot of college staff is expected to be staged in the coming weeks by the University and College Union.

But FE staff do value their work

Despite the concerns, the survey found that staff continued to value the purpose of working in FE.

Three-quarters (74 per cent) said that making a difference to learners’ lives was one of the best or most rewarding aspects of their job.

More than half (54 per cent) cited building positive relationships, while 36 per cent said teaching their vocational or subject specialism was rewarding.

Around two-thirds of respondents were satisfied with working in FE overall.

However, the researchers concluded that “intrinsic motivation is unlikely to be sufficient to sustain the workforce if staff continue to experience concerns about pay, workload, wellbeing and progression”.