Colleges should be central to discussions about tuition and post-Covid recovery

The hashtag #andcolleges has been doing the rounds on social media for a little while now, representing the post-16 education sector’s frustration in response to statements, projects and policies focused on schools (and often universities as well) that demonstrate no apparent awareness of the significance of post-16 providers in the education landscape.

When it comes to closing the attainment gap between young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers, it is particularly puzzling to find colleges excluded from the discussion. After all, the majority of students from disadvantaged backgrounds progress to colleges at the age of sixteen, meaning that colleges support a far higher proportion (double the percentage) when compared with school sixth forms. More specifically, colleges work with the vast majority of the 300,000 students who need to resit their English and maths GCSEs each year, 70 per cent of whom are from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Last week, the House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts published its report on Education Recovery in Schools in England. The report highlights the role played by learning lost during the pandemic in entrenching disadvantage, noting that a decade of progress in reducing the gap in attainment between learners from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers has been wiped out.

A significant focus of the report is on the role played by tuition, and the National Tutoring Programme (NTP) in particular, in the drive to ensure the disadvantage gap rapidly returns to pre-pandemic levels and continues to close. There was no mention of the NTP’s sister programme, the 16-19 Tuition Fund, which last year made £92 million available to post-16 providers so they could provide catch-up tuition to young people.

Colleges work with the vast majority of students who resit English and maths

One of the report’s five recommendations was that DfE “should monitor how much tutoring is being provided, in 2022/23 and 2023/24 when it is providing a subsidy, and in subsequent years, and intervene if tutoring levels drop significantly.” The focus here was on the NTP, in recognition of the impact that tutoring can have on learners from disadvantaged backgrounds in schools, but we can certainly follow this with our hashtag – #andcolleges – where tutoring can play a significant role in closing disadvantage gaps for older learners.

There is strong research evidence that small-group and 1:1 tuition can have a significant impact on educational attainment, particularly in maths and reading, and particularly for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. At Get Further, we have recently published our annual impact report for 2021/22 which demonstrates the equally significant impact that small-group tuition can have on learners resitting GCSE English and maths in post-16 settings.

With extra support provided by tutors, we have found that young people can achieve grade 4 in English or maths at rates considerably higher than the national average. We also know that achieving English and maths GCSEs can lead to economic benefits for learners, with an increase in lifetime earnings of over £45,000. Not only does the investment in tuition considerably improve the life chances of the individual young people who benefit from it directly, there are also significant benefits for the wider economy.

Post-16 education has a crucial role to play both in closing the disadvantage gaps that opened up during the pandemic and ensuring that the pre-Covid progress made in closing gaps is resumed. It is overwhelmingly colleges that are helping those young people who, due to disrupted education, missed out on a grade 4 in their English and maths GCSEs to catch up. They should not be left out of conversations about education recovery, not least because the financial and staffing pressures confronting schools are compounded in a sector that has historically been significantly underfunded.

In this context, and in light of the compelling evidence of the impact tuition can have the educational and life chances of all young people, including those over the age of 16, we are calling on the government to ensure that colleges are more than an afterthought in the decisions taken about educational recovery.

The government needs to extend and scale up national tutoring policies to ensure that high-quality, fully-funded tuition is available beyond August 2024 to all young people who need that extra bit of support to truly achieve their potential.

Mind the gap: adult skills education must adapt to changing learner needs

The workforce and learner demographics landscape is rapidly evolving, driven by factors such as demographic shifts, technological advances, and the changing dynamics of the global economy. In 2015, people aged 60+ represented 12.3 per cent of the global population, but by 2050 this will have increased to over a fifth (21.3 per cent). Additionally, more and more people are moving towards entrepreneurship, favouring its autonomy and flexibility over traditional employment structures.

It is increasingly clear that our current systems – those that govern work, education, and the intersection of the two – are at odds with these seismic changes. There is a change in how we learn, upskill and consume information. The adult education sector must adapt to fill this gap with new, innovative ways of delivering training.

For a recent report for the City of London, Social Finance conducted research into Global Skills Trends and Best Practices and came across the following workforce and learner demographics trends that are changing the employment landscape and training requirements.

An ageing population at risk of exclusion

Although working longer has financial and non-financial benefits, recent digital and technological advances mean older people are at higher risk of being excluded from the workforce. Regular skill development boot camps for older adults in lifelong learning centres could optimise the demographic benefit.

The spring budget showed the treasury is aware of this with its introduction of ‘returnships’ to motivate adults over 50 to rejoin the workforce. Elsewhere, India-based Magic Billion offers certified training to local talent, helping bridge skill gaps in nations with older populations. Collaboration with this kind of global expert could offer a temporary stop-gap and prevent an economic slowdown due to skill shortages.

Non-linear career paths

The notion of a career for life is waning, replaced by the rise of non-linear careers. Millennials in particular are leading this change, with over 21 per cent in the US having switched jobs in the past year, a threefold increase compared to non-millennials.

In the UK, millennials have held as many jobs as 55-year-olds have had in their entire careers. This trend is fuelled by a quest for better salaries, personal growth, work-life balance, and monetising hobbies. But job insecurity, the disappearance of industries and lack of progression also force frequent employment changes. COVID-19 has accentuated this trend.

Other systemic problems mean those spending significant time out of the workforce for reasons from parental leave to contact with the criminal justice system continue to face challenges when re-entering employment. For instance, only 23 per cent of those released from custody are employed six months later.

Whatever the reason, supporting such transitions with high-quality education and skills training at every life stage is crucial and requires collaboration between private trainers, employers, and government. Enhanced data collection would also help to track the challenges of those available to rejoin the workforce and refer them to existing services.

The age of entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurial activity among young people in the UK has doubled since 2000, with 53 per cent expressing a desire to set up their own businesses. This global trend sees individuals increasingly keen to turn hobbies into careers. Yet there’s a noticeable lack of training and support to capitalise on this upsurge in entrepreneurialism.

Unique programmes such as The Prince’s Trust’s Get Into offer potential solutions, with its hands-on training to support budding entrepreneurs. Likewise, Senart’s young creators programme offers invaluable mentorship aligned with participants’ goals.

Local government bodies can play a crucial role by fostering such practical learning programmes in collaboration with the private sector.

To tackle our already growing skills shortages and changing demographics, we need to re-envision an education sector where every learner, regardless age or circumstance, can learn, grow and contribute. To do that, we must respond to the trends shaping not only industry but the aspirations of individuals. Our report showcases various examples of how collaborative efforts are effectively narrowing the skills gap, and we must learn from their successes.

Judge upholds 71-year-old teacher’s Covid complaints

A sixth form college in north London has lost an employment tribunal because of its “failure to take on board” the complaints of a 71-year-old teacher about working in a classroom with no windows during Covid.

Lorraine Naidoo, a part-time English as a second language teacher, took the 16 to 19 Haringey Sixth Form College, to an employment tribunal over its actions in 2020. 

Naidoo’s classrooms had no limit on the number of students to make sure they were social distanced and one had a window that wouldn’t open, a judgment published this week said. 

She repeatedly raised her concerns because of her age, as older people were at higher risk of serious illness if infected with Covid-19.  

Judge Jeremy Lewis backed her claim of indirect age discrimination.  

While there was a general risk assessment, the tribunal judges said there was a “serious failure” to adequately consider if additional requirements were needed. 

Judge Lewis, who signed the judgment, said there was also a “wholly unreasonable failure” to comply with ACAS fairness practices.  

Haringey said it was “disappointed” and is considering an appeal. A separate hearing will consider compensation for Naidoo.  

Naidoo used two classrooms, one of which had a single window that was sealed shut.  

The space tended to become “stuff and smelly” in the summer, she claimed, which health and safety guidance has suggested is a sign of poor ventilation.  

The sixth form said there was a system to draw in fresh air, but the judges said such systems were “recognised as less than satisfactory”.  

Judge Lewis also said there was “no evidence” the sixth form was unable to buy carbon dioxide monitors before the government rolled them out in September 2021. 

Naidoo was moved to a “smaller teaching room without notice” on one occasion. 

In a risk assessment, Naidoo asked for each pupil to have their own table to help physical distancing, and windows that could be opened.  

But Judge Lewis said there was a “failure to take on board and take into account” her concerns.  

Naidoo was signed off with work-related stress at the end of September and never returned. 

An occupational health report indicated that her concerns on the lack of safeguards was an “obvious impediment to her health recovering”, the judgment said. 

It wasn’t until October 9 that a “nine-point plan” was sent by the sixth form that included the suggestion to “cap your group size”. It also said she could request personal protective equipment “at any time”.  

But Naidoo said it didn’t “sound like the detailed formalised plan I requested”. Judge Lewis also said in “large part” the nine points were “merely a restatement of existing practice and guidance rather than being additional measures”.  

In her formal grievance, Naidoo said her risk assessment was “ignored” and “made me feel that I was alone in dealing with the increased serious health risks I was being exposed to at work.”  

Judge Lewis said the sixth form “did not deal with the issues raised promptly” and that there was “no adequate investigation” in response to Naidoo’s grievances.  

There was a “wholesale and wholly unreasonable failure” to comply with the ACAS code of practice, which sets out principles for handling disciplinary and grievance situations in workplaces.  

A sixth form spokesperson said it was “very proud” of how it dealt with the “many challenges arising from the pandemic, to ensure we continued to deliver a high-quality teaching and learning experience for our students, whilst doing our very best to comply with Covid guidelines, rule, recommendations and regulations and keep all within our college community safe”. 

Its Covid data “evidenced the extremely low infection rates” at the sixth form, “with no serious cases of Covid-related illness”. 

Naidoo started at the sixth form in 2008, but retired to work part-time in 2012. She had worked for less than three weeks of the September 2020 college year, which Haringey said was “unfortunate” as she was unable to see “the many measures we put in place for all in our college community, with a great deal of success”. 

HSE spot checks of schools in March 2021 found that 80 per cent had a good understanding of what it meant to be Covid secure.

PeoplePlus walks away from AEB delivery

A major training provider is walking away from adult education budget delivery this summer due to the “continuing tight labour market”.

PeoplePlus Group has decided not to renew its AEB contracts, currently held across multiple mayoral combined authorities, for the 2023/24 academic year. The company will switch its focus from face-to-face direct delivery to its online digital delivery platforms.

The decision appears to have been made abruptly, considering the firm was awarded a new AEB contract in the North of Tyne area just two weeks ago.

PeoplePlus held the largest national AEB contract among all independent training providers in 2020, with an allocation of £5.6 million. At the time it was delivering courses to around 8,000 adults and training to around 3,000 apprentices.

But the scale of this provision has plummeted in recent years after the company failed to secure another national contract with the Education and Skills Funding Agency in the controversial 2021 AEB tender.

PeoplePlus also sold its “loss-making” apprenticeship business to Babington Business College in December 2020.

The company was downgraded from ‘good’ to ‘requires improvement’ by Ofsted last month when it had just 148 adult learners on its books studying level one and two courses in subjects such as security, health and safety, customer service and digital technology.

Ofsted reported that achievement rates across PeoplePlus’ students were “too variable”, and that there was not enough effort to improve learners’ English and mathematic skills. 

On some courses, the “type or location of work opportunities are not always compatible with the needs of the learners”, inspectors added.

PeoplePlus said all current learners would be “unaffected” by the decision to discontinue its AEB delivery, adding that the provider will support them to complete their qualifications.

The company would not confirm whether any jobs were at risk.

PeoplePlus currently holds AEB contracts with combined authorities in West Yorkshire and Tees Valley and a five-year contract with Liverpool City Region, worth more than £1.2 million, £755,800 and £657,000 respectively. 

It also recently secured a five-year contract with Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority for an unknown amount of funding.

Last August PeoplePlus scooped a seven-year £15 million contract to offer teaching at the Werrington Young Offender Institution in Staffordshire and was delivering education programmes across 22 adult prisons at the time.

PeoplePlus is owned by Staffline Group PLC, one of the biggest recruitment firms in the UK. In its latest annual report for the year to December 31, 2022, Staffline noted that PeoplePlus was “impacted by the disruption to its skills training as a result of the tight labour market, with workers being able to go straight into jobs without pre-job training”. That caused its revenue to slide by 6.3 per cent from £83.1 million to £77.9 million, according to Staffline’s accounts.

Staffline also devalued PeoplePlus by 12.1 per cent to £59.6 million, which it blamed on a “reduction of forecast earnings by the division”.

A spokesperson for PeoplePlus said: “In the continuing tight labour market, we want to ensure that our adult education offering in England is optimised for these new conditions and the changing requirements of learners.

“This means that, from the 2023/24 academic year, we will be revising our footprint in the sector to allow us to focus on the continued rapid growth of our digital learning platforms and our portfolio of partner services through which we support a fast-growing number of fellow provider organisations.

“Learners on our 2022/23 programmes will be unaffected by the transition to this new service model as we support them to complete their qualifications.”

‘Inadequate’ provider stops trading with almost £1m in unpaid bills

An insolvent adult care training provider has left creditors with over £960,000 in unpaid bills after announcing it will wind up operations following a scathing Ofsted verdict.

Bestland Solutions Limited, which traded under the name Training Associates during its 20-year operation, was given an ‘inadequate’ rating by the watchdog in March. Inspectors found apprentices quickly dropped out due to being “overwhelmed” and demoralised by the lack of off-the-job training.

The provider, which offered mostly adult care training nationwide to more than 500 apprentices at the time of the inspection, has since had its skills funding agreement with the government terminated. 

Leaders of the firm held a general meeting on June 13, where it announced a special resolution to wind up voluntarily.

According to Bestland’s statement of affairs published this week, the company will be unable to sell any of its assets, leaving creditors unlikely to recoup their share of a total debt of £960,343.76.

Elias Paourou and Sean Bucknall, the joint voluntary liquidators from Quantuma Advisory, identified close to £560,000 worth of assets, including a £355,000 director’s loan account. But they estimated that none of it could be used to pay off debts.

Documents show employees are likely to be left in the lurch with regards to unpaid wages. Bestland owes £116,757 in back pay, holiday pay, tax and national insurance contributions.

The company has also incurred debts of £843,434 to non-preferential creditors, namely trade creditors, banks and employees.

Bestland Solutions chief executive Jeremy Gilbert did not respond to FE Week’s request for comment. Quantuma Advisory declined to comment.

Unpresidented: College in ‘crisis’ over best-paid CEO’s new role

A college is facing “serious questions” over its governance following accusations of nepotism and a newly created role of president for England’s highest-paid principal which has thrown the recruitment process for his successor into disarray.

Multiple attempts to fill the post at Weston College, first advertised in October, have failed and at least two job offers to successful candidates have been withdrawn. Some interviewees have questioned the board’s decision to keep Sir Paul Phillips on in a remunerated role after he retires this summer.

Eyebrows have also been raised after it came to light that Phillips’ son has held a senior leadership position responsible for the college’s finances and has recently been promoted to chief operating officer.

Current Cornwall College deputy principal Kate Wills had resigned from her post to become Weston College principal from September 1. Cornwall College has since appointed a successor. But her new job offer was withdrawn last week in mysterious circumstances.

According to a Weston College spokesperson, the board and Wills “had asked” Phillips to support the new principal for an “unspecified period of time”.

The board of governors, chaired by Andrew Leighton-Price, told staff in May in memos seen by FE Week that it was “absolutely key” that the role of president be created as it will support initiatives around governance, profile bids, the Centre for Excellence in SEND and various events, as well as being “responsible for mentoring the principal et al”. 

The president position, which FE Week understands will be remunerated, had allegedly rung alarm bells with candidates being interviewed for the principal post.

One offer was withdrawn as early as November during the first round of recruitment. Two more rounds followed, with the college finally appointing Wills as principal before withdrawing the offer. 

Wills told FE Week: “Following discussions between the board of Weston College and myself, both parties have agreed not to confirm my move to the college at this time.”

A Weston College spokesperson said: “We do not propose to comment about the appointment of Kate Wills as a successor to Sir Paul. An announcement will follow at the appropriate time.”

The spokesperson added that “while discussions have taken place” around the president role, Phillips “has not agreed any finalised arrangements to this end”.

Union officials said the principal situation was “very worrying”.

Nick Varney, the University and College Union regional official, said: “Sir Paul’s demand to be named honorary president is creating a crisis at the college. No one is sure who is actually in charge, and the person appointed as principal has now had her career thrown into disarray. 

“There are now serious questions for the board of governors to answer.”

‘Sir Paul’s personal fiefdom’

Phillips is the highest-paid college principal in the country, earning a total package of £362,000 in 2022, as revealed in FE Week’s principal pay analysis this month. Known as Dr Paul to staff and governors, Phillips was due to retire three years ago, but stayed for the pandemic period. 

In his time as principal, Weston College was rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted, though it has not been inspected for a decade. According to its latest accounts, the group generated a surplus after tax of £218,000 in 2021/22, down from a surplus of £1.1 million the year before.

Phillips was awarded a knighthood last year and named a “national leader of further education” by the government in 2017.

In anticipation of Phillips’ departure now planned for August, the corporation has arranged numerous events to celebrate his retirement – despite him taking up the presidency.

On June 29, a retirement dinner is set to take place with a celebrity host. The next day a final staff meeting and lunch is scheduled, where a recreation of a “Love Actually”-style photo montage will be shown.

Staff were also asked to attend filming slots last week where they would lip sync a tailored version of Tina Turner’s Simply the Best, including the chorus: “You made us the best, better than all the rest, better than anyone, and we have passed the test, we’re grateful for you, leading us with joy each day, it tears us apart, knowing you’re retiring today.” The final music video is poised to be played at the staff meeting.

In addition to a digital card for all staff and learners to sign, the finance department has set up a donation page on the college’s website. Financial donations will be used to purchase holiday vouchers for Phillips and his wife to go on “a special trip to remember us all at the college”.

The festivities have reportedly left a sour taste in the mouths of many staff members at Weston, especially in light of the strikes last October over pay, and the exorbitant pay package agreed by the board to Phillips.

“Our pay is appalling compared to the leadership team and other colleges around England,” remarked one staff member who wished to remain anonymous. They added that some staff are discussing whether to boycott the farewell meeting.

“I do not want to shame the work that we do at Weston College. The staff make the college not Dr Paul, and I certainly do not want to pay for him to have a holiday when I myself have not been able to afford one for three years.

“We have team members going to the food bank,” they added. “We are not a cult, and he is not our leader.”

A Weston College spokesperson said the events for Phillips “befit his unparalleled contribution to the college, and FE nationally, over the last 21 years of his tenure”.

They added: “The costs associated with the event are limited, since it is held on college premises, with catering usually provided by learners, giving them an opportunity to showcase their achievements.”

UCU’s Varney said that the staff have been ignored by the college’s governors. 

“Weston College looks like it is being run as Sir Paul’s personal fiefdom, and it shows that further education’s governance model is not fit for purpose. We need a new model that works for staff and works for students,” he said.

A family business

Multiple sources have raised concerns with FE Week about the board approving the appointment of Phillips’ son, Joe, as a senior leader in charge of finances.

Joe Phillips has recently been promoted from his job as Weston College’s vice-principal for finance and business planning to the roles of deputy principal and chief operating officer.

Weston College maintains that Paul Phillips had “no influence” over his son’s promotion and none of his positions since joining the college in 2010 have had any conflict of interest. The college also said that his appointment was “transparent, competitive and robust” and he was unanimously appointed to the role.

“There is no conflict of interest in respect of his previous or new position since, as deputy principal, he reported to another leadership board member alongside the chair of audit committee, with a further officer from the Association of Colleges. This fully mitigated any potential conflict of interest and was approved by the college’s external auditors,” a college spokesperson said.

Governance experts told FE Week that colleges must publicly publish a conflict of interest policy on their website, as mandated by charities law. Weston College has only published a conflict of interest policy for governors. 

“It is not just a matter of poor governance, I think it could be a breach of the law as well not to have a conflict of interest policy. If they haven’t got a conflict of interest policy, they ought to have board minutes which actually deal with this particular point and issue,” one expert told FE Week.

“That doesn’t sound right to me,” they added when asked about Joe Phillips’ positions and promotion. “He may be the best person for the job, in which case some procedures would need to be put into place to manage the conflict of interest.”

The expert also refuted the claim that conflicts of interest can be approved by external auditors. “They don’t have any governance responsibilities to them,” they said.

This is not the first time that questions have been presented over the college’s structure. According to corporation minutes from 15 December 2021, one governor questioned the “firewall between related parties” in the new structure.

Weston did not respond to FE Week’s requests to see its conflicts of interest policy.

The Department for Education and FE Commissioner declined to comment.

Level 2 apprenticeship spending down by £200m since the levy

Annual spending on level 2 apprenticeships has plummeted by more than £200 million since the launch of the levy – as money paid out for higher levels rockets, FE Week can reveal.

New figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request also show the only age group that has experienced a fall in apprenticeship spending over that period is 16 to 19-year-old school leavers.

Experts have put the trend down to the “clunky and arduous” apprenticeship system that small and medium-sized employers (SMEs), who have traditionally taken on a disproportionate number of lower level and young apprentices, struggle to navigate.

A Department for Education spokesperson said apprenticeships were “employer-led and businesses have flexibility to spend their levy funds to invest in the skill level they need”, adding that “these figures show they are doing that”.

Falling numbers of entry-level apprentices have been well reported since the launch of the apprenticeship levy in 2017, with latest official government data showing level 2 starts have dropped by two-fifths from 161,390 in 2017/18 to 91,520 in 2021/22.

But, because the government refuses to publish spending data for the levy, the sector is left to guess how much less funding this trend translates to.

FE Week can now reveal, for the first time, exactly how much funding has been spent on each level of apprenticeship in every year since the levy was introduced after obtaining the data under the FOI law.

It shows that level 2 apprenticeship participation spend dropped by a third, from £622 million in 2017/18 to £421 million in 2021/22.

All other levels experienced an increase in spending over the same period. Level 3 apprenticeship spending grew by more than quarter, before much bigger increases from level 4 onwards.

Spending on level 6 apprenticeships grew nine-fold, while level 7 apprenticeship spending was 20 times higher in 2021/22 than in 2017/18.

FE Week has also got hold of apprenticeship spending data by age for the first time. It shows that spending on apprenticeships for young people aged 16 to 19 fell by £60 million, or a tenth, from £686 million in 2017/18 to £626 million in 2021/22. 

Meanwhile, spending on apprenticeships for 19 to 24-year-olds grew by £312 million, or four-fifths, from £389 million to £701 million, and spending on apprenticeships for those aged 25 and older went up by £474 million to £934 million in 2021/22, which is more than double the £460 million spent on this age group in 2017/18.

Since 2017, apprenticeships in England have been funded from a levy equivalent to 0.5 per cent of payroll imposed on large employers with annual wage bills above £3 million.

Levy payers can then use their levy pot to fund their apprenticeships. The levy was designed so that large employers would not spend all their contributions, with their unspent funding going towards paying for the rest of the system, such as apprenticeships for non-levy paying SMEs.

But SMEs have since complained that the system for signing up apprentices through the government’s digital apprenticeship service is too bureaucratic, time-consuming and complex, forcing many to turn their backs on apprenticeships.

Simon Ashworth, director of policy at the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, said: “Although the shift towards an employer and demand-led apprenticeship service has been a generally positive move, the system is still too clunky and arduous for SMEs. SMEs traditionally have taken on a disproportionate number of young people, particularly those at level 2.”

He added that the continuing lack of a level 2 business administration standard, which was a hugely popular apprenticeship under the old-style frameworks until it was switched off in 2020, has also impacted entry-level apprenticeship numbers.

Stephen Evans, chief executive at the Learning and Work Institute, calculated the real terms changes in spending for each level by adding inflation. This showed a £264 million, or two-fifths, drop in level 2 spending between 2017/18 and 2021/22.

He said the changes in spending were the “natural consequence of allowing free employer choice with few incentives to underpin investment in young people and apprenticeships at all levels”.

He added: “They reflect the historic pattern of employer investment in training, with graduates three times more likely to get training than non-graduates.

“The growth in higher apprenticeships is welcome, but this should not be at the expense of training at other levels and for young people. Learning at all levels boosts productivity and we need to tackle our historic shortfalls, or we will all be the poorer for it.”

Large provider’s contracts in doubt as ‘inadequate’ rating looms

The future of a large training provider based in the West Midlands is uncertain as Ofsted prepares to issue it with an ‘inadequate’ judgment, FE Week understands.

Inspectors are expected to downgrade BCTG Limited from the ‘good’ rating it achieved in 2018 to the lowest possible grade following its latest inspection which concluded last week.

The provider holds multi-million-pound contracts with different authorities to deliver training to thousands of apprentices and learners in sectors such as care, early years, accounting, construction and HGV. Its contracts include the adult education budget, advance learner loans and the government’s new skills bootcamps.

Ofsted’s reasons for the anticipated grade four verdict are unclear, and it is not known whether BCTG is appealing against the judgment. A spokesperson for the company said bosses can only formally respond to the recent visit and grade once the report has been published.

One big change for BCTG Limited since its last inspection has been an “accelerated” shift away from subcontracting to a predominantly direct delivery model, as stated in its latest accounts. The company worked with 27 subcontractors at the time of its 2018 ‘good’ result. This was cut to just five subcontractor partners in 2021/22, according to government data.

A statement from BCTG Limited, which is part of the BCTG Group, said: “BCTG Limited recently received a routine Inspection by Ofsted which concluded on June 16, 2023.

“As with all Inspections, the findings and any grades awarded remain provisional and confidential until the report is finalised. We will respond to this, once published.

“BCTG continues to support all our learners and employers, and values the relationship with our funding partners.”

Rules set by the Education and Skills Funding Agency, with which BCTG holds more than £5 million worth of skills funding contracts, state that private training providers will have their agreements terminated if they receive an ‘inadequate’ Ofsted result, unless there are extenuating circumstances.

The company was recently awarded an adult education budget contract with the West Midlands Combined Authority, which takes a discretionary approach on whether to terminate contracts for providers rated ‘inadequate’.

It is not clear what impact a grade four and any contract termination would have on BCTG Limited.

The company recorded turnover of £15.2 million and a profit of £1.1 million in 2022, according to its latest accounts which shows it employs 64 staff.

BCTG Limited’s latest Ofsted inspection comes two months after Performance Through People, which is also part of the BCTG Group, received a ‘good’ judgment from Ofsted.

89 winners scoop silver at 2023 Pearson National Teaching Awards

Outstanding teachers, support staff and leaders from across the UK’s schools and colleges have been honoured in the Pearson National Teaching Awards.

A total of 89 winners have scooped silver awards, and their names have been announced to coincide with national Thank a Teacher day – the largest celebration of educators.

The silver award winners (full list below) will now be shortlisted to win one of 16 gold awards. The winners of the final will be announced in November.

Education secretary Gillian Keegan, in a tweeted video to teachers today, said: “You change lives on a daily basis, setting up young people for a life that fulfils their potential.

“Everyone you teach will look back one day as I did and have a reason to thank teachers. So thank you once again and happy thank a teacher day.”

Schools minister Nick Gibb added: “Thanks to your effort and your commitment and your passion, our children are now some of the best readers in the world.”

‘Valuable role inspires generations’

Author Michael Morpurgo, president of the Teaching Awards Trust, thanked the winners for the “amazing contributions they have made to our communities”.

“I am inspired by the devotion of teachers and the huge impact they have on the lives of the young people they tutor, support, encourage and motivate day in and day out. 

“The valuable role they play both inside and outside the classroom has inspired generations of young people across the country to achieve their potential.”

Sharon Hague, managing director of schools at Pearson UK, congratulated the silver award winners on their “incredible achievement”.

“We can’t underestimate the huge contribution teachers make to our young people’s lives.”

Here’s the full list of silver winners.

DIGITAL INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR, sponsored by NORD ANGLIA

Lynsey Stuttart, ACS Cobham International School

Melanie Hall, Chase High School, Westcliff on Sea

John Croxon, Lea Forest Primary Acad, Kitts Green, Bham

Daren White, New Rickstones Academy, Witham Essex

Nino Trentinella, Sutton Grammar School

Amanda Pickard, South Ayrshire Council

EARLY YEARS TEAM OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Department for Education

Essential Early Years, Birkenhead

Arden Primary School, Sparkhill

Eggbuckland Vale Primary School, Plymouth

Little Grubs Kindergarten, Ludlow, Shropshire

The Rathcoole PSNU Early Years Team, Newtownabbey, Antrim

Little SERC South Eastern Regional College, Lisburn

St Margaret’s Primary School, Lowestoft

The Woodland Nursery, Blackheath, London

EXCELLENCE IN SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION, sponsored by Logitech

Victoria Butler, Asst Principal, Mark Hall Academy, Harlow

Amy Stimpson, Meridian High School, Croydon

Philip Potter, Oak Grove College, Worthing

David Jones, Pembrokeshire College

Alice Morphet, Woodlands Primary School Nursery Class, Ellesmere Port

FE LECTURER OF THE YEAR, sponsored by the Department for Education

India Loveland, East Norfolk Sixth Form College, Gt Yarmouth

Rachel Bown, Fairfield Farm College, Dilton Marsh, Wilts

Pamela Brown, North West Regional College, Derry

Aine McGreeghan, SERC, Lisburn

Lauren Robinson, Sunderland College

FE TEAM OF THE YEAR

Creative Arts Department, Coleg Gwent, Caerphilly

Everton Football College

Performing Arts, HRUC Uxbridge College

Entrepreneur Club SERC, Lisburn

Trinity Sixth Form Academy Senior Leadership Group, Halifax

HEAD TEACHER OF THE YEAR – PRIMARY SCHOOL, sponsored by Hays

Maria Carlton, Bewley Primary School, Billingham Co Durham

Matthew Jessop, Crosthwaite CofE School, Kendal

Lisa Walsh, Grove Street Primary School, Grove Street Wirral

Peter Hilton, Millbrook Primary School, Waltham Cross, Herts

Dave Shaw, Spire Junior School, Chesterfield

HEAD TEACHER OF THE YEAR – SECONDARY SCHOOL, sponsored by Hays

Farhan Adam, Crown Hills Community College, Leicester

Robin Newman, Haileybury Turnford, Waltham Cross

Jane Galbraith. Lathom High School, Wigan

Fiona Mullen, St Andrew’s and St Bride’s High School

IMPACT THROUGH PARTNERSHIP

The Legacy Project, Delph Side Community Primary School, Skelmersdale

HISP Multi-Academy Trust, Chandler’s Ford, Hants

The HEARTs project, Hope School, Liverpool

LightBulb Mental Wellness Programme for Schools, St Andrew’s College, Northampton

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT, sponsored by the Department for Education

Jane Frankish, Broad Heath Primary School, Coventry

Julie Deville, Eldon Grove Academy, Hartlepool

Sue Thompson, Redden Court School, Romford

John Patterson, St Vincent’s School, Liverpool

Sue Higginson, Wirral Met College

Sheelagh Rusby, Dumfries and Galloway Council

MAKING A DIFFERENCE – PRIMARY SCHOOL, sponsored by PixL

Lansbury Lawrence Primary School, Tower Hamlets

New City Primary School, Plaistow

St Oliver Plunkett Primary School, Belfast

East Plean Primary School, Stirling

MAKING A DIFFERENCE – SECONDARY SCHOOL, sponsored by PixL

Crown Hills Community College, Leicester

Kettering Buccleuch Academy

Sharples School, Bolton

St Michael’s Church of England High School, Rowley Regis W Mids

Braes High School, Falkirk

OUTSTANDING NEW TEACHER – PRIMARY SCHOOL, sponsored by the Department for Education

Alice Jones, Emmbrook Junior School, Wokingham

Robyn Hastings, Heber Primary School, London

Daniel Callaghan, Thorpe Primary School Bradford

OUTSTANDING NEW TEACHER – SECONDARY SCHOOL, sponsored by the Department for Education

Ayla Zenkic, Bishop Challoner, Birmingham

Zac Moxon, Chiswick School

Russell Hill, Houlton School, Rugby

Julie Howard, Queen Katharine Academy, Peterborough

TEACHER OF THE YEAR – PRIMARY SCHOOL, sponsored by Randstad

Mia Bano, Arden Primary School, Sparkhill, Birmingham

Mairi Miller, Coombe Hill Junior School, New Malden

Chelsea Castell, Ernesettle Community School, Plymouth

Kate Harrison, Fishtoft Academy, Boston, Lincs

Kateryna Konstantynova, Malmesbury Primary School, Tower Hamlets

Claire Adshead, Thames View Primary School, Rainham, Kent

Matthew King, Trinity St Peter’s Liverpool

Yehoshua Radomsky, North West London Jewish Day School

Leah Coyne, St Johns CofE Primary School, Canterbury

TEACHER OF THE YEAR – SECONDARY SCHOOL, sponsored by Nord Anglia

Jo Turner, Callington Community College, Cornwall

Patrice Gonzales, Harris Academy Orpington

Lee McCue, Madeley High School, Crewe

Ibraheem Talib, Ninestiles Academy, Birmingham

Jose Ros, Queen Katharine Academy, Peterborough

TEACHING ASSISTANT OF THE YEAR – PRIMARY SCHOOL

Lorna Cannon, Margaretting CofE VC Primary School, Ingatestone, Essex

TEACHING ASSISTANT OF THE YEAR – SECONDARY SCHOOL

Julie Barnfield, Beacon Hill Academy, Dudley

Patrick Walker, Turnbull High School, Glasgow

TEACHING ASSISTANT OF THE YEAR – FE

Claire Swain, Halesowen College, W Mids

Liz Barber, Halesowen College

UNSUNG HERO

Manjit Nahal, Bridgetown School, Stratford upon Avon

Duncan Marshall, St Edburg’s CofE VA Primary School, Bicester

Elaine Small, The Coppice Primary School, Lapworth

Mandy Farrar, Diamond Wood Community Academy, Ravensthorpe, W Yorks

Ryan Gardiner, Howden School, Goole

Becky Smith, New College Pontefract