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

First regional AEB learner survey published

The Greater London Authority has today published its first regional adult education budget (AEB) learner survey.

The GLA took control of the capital’s annual AEB budget back in 2019 and announced plans to launch a learner survey in early 2020 to capture social, learning and employment outcomes for the AEB.

Mayor Sadiq Khan is responsible for the £320 million per year budget for the capital, which included a cost of £300,000 for the GLA’s learner survey.

The survey examines seven outcomes, divided into economic and social outcomes. Economic outcomes comprise progression into employment, movement within work and progression into further learning; and social outcomes entail health and wellbeing, improved social integration, improved self-efficacy and participation in volunteering.

The survey received full answers from 6,297 GLA-funded learners out of a possible 201,000 learners in the capital. It was comprised of one survey when the learners began their AEB course in the academic year 2021/22 and a follow-up survey around five to seven months after the course ends.

Here are the results:

Half of learners have positive outcome

In the academic year 2021/22, 52 per cent of non-retired learners had a positive economic or educational change after their course.

Almost three in 10 (29 per cent) of learners who were out of work when their course started moved into employment following their learner aim.

The report also found one third of those in employment reported that their pay had increased in the time between the two surveys, whilst 47 per cent reported their pay remained the same.

It added that there was a 10 per cent increase in average annual income from survey participants reporting their earnings.

Prior to starting the course, 30 per cent of learners said they had enrolled so they could begin another course or training programme. Over double (68 per cent) then continued or were poised to begin more study or training.

High social outcomes

Regarding social outcomes, the majority of participants (96 per cent) experienced a positive social change following their AEB course.

The survey found most of the AEB courses (84 per cent) had a positive impact on learner’s wellbeing. Learners said that they felt significant increases in their life satisfaction and happiness and reductions in anxiety levels.

According to the results, 79 per cent of AEB courses helped learners meet new people, when 30 per cent said it was one of the reasons for enrolling in their course.

It also helped learners to spend time with more adults from different social classes. Prior to AEB participation, one in five (19 per cent) learners spent quite a lot or all their time with adults from a different social class, and this increased to one in four (25 per cent) during their course.

The survey also found 52 per cent of AEB learners do not participate in volunteering.

However, there was a small increase in the percentage of learners taking part in formal volunteering, such as working at a charity, which rose from 16 per cent to 19 per cent in the follow-up survey.

Unions take college teacher recruitment crisis to MPs

The education select committee held the first session of its inquiry into the recruitment and retention of teachers this morning.

MPs heard from a range of education experts and union representatives, including the University and College Union and Association of School and Colleges Leaders who spoke about the key challenges in colleges.

Here are the highlights:

Collective bargaining could slow FE’s ‘pay erosion’

The pay gap between teachers in colleges and schools currently stands at £8,000 and this inequality is often cited as a key reason for strike action in the college sector.

Part of the reason wages in colleges have been low for so long is the lack of collective bargaining, Jenny Sherrard, national head of equality and policy at the UCU told the committee today.

In the schools sector, unions and employers submit evidence to the School Teacher Pay Review Body which then makes a recommendation on teacher pay rises to ministers. What ministers decide is then binding on schools.

There is no national framework for teacher pay in colleges. Instead, colleges are given a voluntary recommendation on pay awards annually by the Association of Colleges following discussions with unions. This year though, the AoC has so far refused to make a recommendation.

“Frankly most colleges ignore [the AoC’s recommendations]. That has contributed to this overall steep decline in FE pay,” Sherrard said.

Now that the FE sector has been reclassified into the public sector as of November last year, the next step must be to instigate collective bargaining, she said.

“Really, without a binding collective agreement on pay, we are going to continue to see pay erosion in the sector.”

That could also be helped by FE representatives having a seat as school pay is negotiated as an observer, so that the two levels of pay are seen as interlinked, she added.

The pay gap between school and college teachers also means FE institutions compete with schools for staff, the UCU’s Sherrard said.

“When we see that pay is at an even lower level than it is for schools, we have to factor in that we are also competing against another part of the education sector which is reporting its own level of challenge.”

‘Lots to support’ for T Levels but teacher recruitment ‘extremely challenging’

T Levels – the government’s flagship new qualifications labelled as the technical equivalent to A-levels – have been rolled out since 2020, with hundreds of millions of pounds pumped into them.

But wages are a big stumbling block when it comes to recruiting staff in sectors with occupational specialisms, Julie McCulloch, director of policy at the Association of School and College Leaders told the committee. In areas such as engineering and mathematics, after all, wages are much higher within the industries themselves.

“They are coming from industries that are much better paid,” she said.

“If you are bringing in someone to lead an engineering apprenticeship or somebody to lead an apprenticeship in technology, those people could have much more lucrative careers frankly if they stayed in the day job rather than coming into FE.”

That concern comes as the government aggressively pushes forward with the T Level rollout, with controversial plans to cut off funding for many alternative applied general qualifications like BTECs from 2025.

“There’s lots to support around T Levels alongside other high quality post-16 qualifications,” McCulloch said. “But certainly what we hear from our college members is getting the pull-in to provide the teaching and support to students in those very specialised areas is extremely challenging when they cannot afford to match anything like the pay that they could get elsewhere.”

In March, the government bumped up teacher training bursaries for the FE sector to tackle teachers shortages in some of the areas which are struggling the most. Teachers of maths, science, engineering and computing could get bursaries worth £29,000, while English teachers could get bursaries of £15,000.

“We definitely don’t know if they’ll have any impact on [staff] retention,” McCulloch said.

But Sherrard, from the UCU, said the “bigger issue” was still the low wages.

“It’s all very well having a bursary of £29,000, but then if the starting salary in FE is £26,000 that is not a particularly attractive offer for the years after your training.

“The reality is that the starting salaries are simply not attractive when it compares to other sectors.”

A ‘very serious crisis’ is on the way

More than 95 per cent of colleges report they are struggling to recruit staff, and the sector staff leaving rates are just as concerning, Sherrard said today.

Around a quarter of teaching staff at FE colleges leave after just a year in work, which rises to almost half within three years. At schools, around a quarter leave within the first three years.

Three quarters of teachers at FE colleges leave after a decade as well – all the while student numbers are booming.

As teachers drop out of the FE sector altogether, FE is also facing a “challenging age profile”, Sherrard told the committee.

“We know that 30 per cent of the workforce are over 50 and only 8 per cent are in those lower age bands coming in.”

While she accepted that workers often come into FE “slightly later” than other sectors, she said that ageing workforce has combined with the high drop out rates “at the very same time as we have this bulge in students coming through the system”.

“We are rapidly heading towards a very severe crisis if we cannot address the issues with recruitment and retainment by improving pay and addressing workload,” she said.

London mega-college announces new CEO

One of the country’s largest FE college groups has revealed its next chief executive. 

Angela Joyce will take over as leader of Capital City College Group in January 2024, the group announced today. 

Joyce will leave WCG, formerly Warwickshire College Group, which she has led as chief since 2015, this December. 

CCCG has been led by Pablo Lloyd on an interim basis since the departure of Roy O’Shaughnessy in April. 

Joyce leaves one rural, multi-site college group to join an even larger urban one. 

On her watch, WCG grew to six colleges across Warwickshire and Worcestershire. The group also has three subsidiary companies. 

The fate of one of WCG’s former colleges, Malvern Hills College, is currently before the courts as the group attempts to lift a covenant on the use of land before it’s sold off. The closure of Malvern Hills has been met with controversy locally, in particular from the area’s MP. 

As well as expanding the group, Joyce oversaw WCG in becoming one of the first colleges to be granted foundation degree awarding powers and, later, bachelors degree awarding powers. 

“I am delighted to join one of the UK’s largest college groups and lead the organisation into its next phase of development. While I will be sad to leave WCG, I take much pride in the achievements accomplished by our board, colleagues and students during my eight-year tenure as CEO,” Joyce said. 

CCCG is made up of three large general further education colleges spanning ten sites across central and north London, as well as a number of subsidiaries.

Joyce’s new position will see her in control of a budget more than twice the size of WCG and more than three times the number of funded learners.

According to the latest accounts data, WCG recorded 8,051 ESFA and OfS-funded learners in 2021/22 while CCCG had 26,125. On total income, WCG received just under £49 million compared to just over £116 million received by CCCG.  

CCCG and WCG were both rated ‘good’ at their last Ofsted inspections, which took place in December 2022 and March 2018 respectively. 

Alastair Da Costa, the chair of CCCG, said: “Angela stood out as the exceptional candidate during our extensive selection process. Her unparalleled track record in leadership and ambitious vision for CCCG’s future make her an ideal fit for the role.”

The board of WCG will begin the process of recruiting a new CEO “in the coming months.”

London SEND college awarded top Ofsted marks

A London-based specialist college delivering vocational courses for high needs adults has been praised for its “highly inclusive and supportive” education in an ‘outstanding’ Ofsted report.

The watchdog undertook its first full inspection of Great Oaks College in the London borough of Hounslow in April and awarded the college ‘outstanding’ across the board.

The college had 98 learners aged 19 to 25 at the time of the inspection, all of whom have high needs or education health and care plans (EHCPs), and had learners with moderate, severe or profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), including some with autism spectrum disorder.

The relatively new college had shown positive signs from an early monitoring visit in 2021, which found it was making ‘significant progress’ after opening in 2018. The college is co-located on the same site as Oaklands School.

Inspectors said staff and learners have “very high levels of respect for each other”, and that staff understand learners’ needs “extremely well” and have a “clear and very effective vision” for learners to live as independently as they can.

The report found the majority of learners achieve their learning goals and continue onto positive destinations after college, such as supported living and employment.

It said that teachers “thoroughly” prepare learners for post-college life through careers support and interview skills training for those on a vocational pathway.

It also found that staff are highly trained to identify safeguarding concerns through frequent training.

“College staff go above and beyond their statutory legal duties to help learners,” inspectors said, regarding safeguarding.

The college additionally taught students “sensitively and appropriately” about sexual identity and sexuality and how learners can keep themselves safe in college, at work and in the community surrounding online safety and consent.

Elsewhere, Ofsted said teachers were given an extensive training and development programme including SEND-related topics such as how to support learners who have Autism, moving and handling learners and behaviour management.

College Principal Nickyie Thomas told FE Week that everyone is “thrilled” to receive the rating and the achievement was a testament to the college’s commitment to excellence.

“The inspectors acknowledged and praised the hard work and dedication of our staff, who provide a stimulating and engaging educational experience for our students,” she said.

She also praised staff for their “tenacious enthusiasm” and “consistently excellent” teaching.

“The teachers, therapists, medical team, and support staff work collaboratively to provide bespoke learning packages,” she added. “Their work enables students to develop their independence, communication and to ensure that they are fully prepared for their next destination, as they take their place within the community.”

Thomas also said she was “immensely proud” of the students. “They have shown they are resilient, positive, and ready to challenge barriers and misconceptions.”

“I am proud to be the Principal of Great Oaks College and will continue to strive to develop our outstanding practice alongside a highly skilled team and our inspirational students.”

Sir Michael Barber reappointed as government skills adviser

The government has extended Sir Michael Barber’s role as a skill policy adviser.

The public administration supremo was announced as an unpaid adviser on skills reform implementation by the chancellor in November 2022 for a six-month term.

A Treasury spokesperson said today that “given the importance of the skills agenda and the need to maximise impact”, the chancellor and education secretary had decided to extend Barber’s role for a second term until December 16, 2023.

Little information has been published about Barber’s advice in the skills policy arena, but he told FE Week earlier this year that there will be no major “Barber Review of Skills Reform”.

His advice to the Treasury and Department for Education is more focused on delivery mechanisms – making what policies the sector has now work better.

The major reforms Barber is advising on include T Levels, boosting apprenticeships, approving Higher Technical Qualifications, rolling out skills bootcamps, and introducing the Lifelong Learning Entitlement from 2025.

Barber’s work was discussed at a meeting of the Department for Education’s board in February 2023.

Minutes from the meeting, published today, said Barber is advising the education secretary and the chancellor on five themes: “Skills delivery, a change in society’s perception of skills, the use of data to enable delivery of skills, careers information in secondary and tertiary education spaces, and a whole-of-government approach to skills.”

Barber has served in a number of roles within government, including as chief adviser to the education secretary from 1997 to 2001, head of the prime minister’s delivery unit from 2001 to 2005, chair of the Office for Students from 2018 to 2021, and led a review of the Number 10 delivery unit in 2021.

Outside of government, he has been a partner at McKinsey and head of their global education practice, and chief education adviser at Pearson.

Minister wants education providers to benefit from AI revolution

Ministers are scoping out how to ensure education providers benefit financially from any future use of pupil data by artificial intelligence systems.

The rapid rollout of generative AI such as ChatGPT and Google Bard has prompted a scramble across government to harness the technology’s power, but also to guard against any risks.

Such “large language models” could quickly process huge amounts of data, which experts say could help schools to understand their pupils better and analyse the impact of innovations.

Third-party organisations, including private companies, can already request data from the national pupil database for analysis. 

The development of more and more sophisticated AI systems could make this analysis easier. However, ministers are understood to be concerned about any use of pupil data to generate profits for private companies without any benefit for schools, colleges and pupils.

Baroness Barran, the minister leading on AI for the Department for Education, told FE Week’s sister publication Schools Week that ministers were “absolutely thinking about all of these issues”.

“It wouldn’t be truthful to say that we’re clear on what principles we will follow, but obviously, we are extremely sensitive and aware of the use of individual or aggregated pupil data. That’s clearly a real priority that we get that right”.

DfE probes data ownership and value

Barran said ministers were asking “a number of questions”, including on ownership of the data and “what’s it worth”.

“It’s about as complicated as anything I’ve ever looked at. But we’re working with people who are experts in data ethics and privacy, to really think through these problems.”

Ministers this week launched a call for evidence about the future use of AI in education, having already issued guidance for schools and colleges on how to combat issues such as cheating.

Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, told London Tech Week on Wednesday that AI was “transforming the world”, and that education must not be “left behind”.

Niel McLean, the head of education at BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, said there were potential benefits to using AI and pupil data. 

“If you build up a really large data model, and you train it using the pupil level data, then you can use that data model to help you understand your students as whole people.

“Everything matters. Their attendance matters, their performance matters, all those sorts of things. You’ve got a better sense of them as individuals. AI can do that. It can just help you just know your learnings better.” 

But he urged ministers to think about “four Ps”.

“There’s an ethics of purpose – what you’re actually using this to do? There’s an ethics of processes – how is data handled? What’s the confidentiality? How secure is it? There’s a people side. You want the people doing it to be professional, and feel they’re accountable. 

“The fourth P that came to my mind is the payback. Having a clear public benefits statement about giving that data to this entity, what does it deliver? And it shouldn’t just be financial return. It should be something that improves things for young people.”

But the DfE already faces questions about its approach to data-sharing.

A damning audit by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in 2020 found the department broke data protection laws in how it handled pupil data. The full report still hasn’t been released.

It was also reprimanded over a “serious breach” that allowed a company providing age-verification for gambling companies access to the personal information of millions of young people.

Jen Persson, from the campaign group DefendDigitalMe, said the department should “publish the evidence of today’s data reality before getting ahead of itself with imagined futures. The 2020 DfE ICO audit must be published in full, with a timeline for what remains to be done. 

“And the DfE must commit to giving families control over the current commercial re-uses of their own and their children’s information from the millions of named records in the national pupil database, that few know exists.”

Colleges must embrace their central role in making apprenticeships more inclusive

The popularity of apprenticeships has soared since the introduction of the levy in 2017. Nevertheless, it is disconcerting that neurodivergent individuals who are keen on pursuing these opportunities have limited accessibility. To fix that, we need to start by shedding light on the challenges they encounter.

Lately, there has been a significant shift in the mindset of many learners, who are now favouring apprenticeship as their preferred path for progression. Students can earn while they learn, gain industry-specific skills and avoid the burden of high student loans. Successful completion leads to a recognised qualification and enhances job prospects. And they are accessible to a wide range of learners from level 2 to level 7, making them an appealing and well-defined pathway.

But what of the 15 per cent of the population thought to be neurodiverse. Education settings have been working to improve their inclusiveness over decades, but there is still plenty of scope for improvement. In addition, apprenticeships involve employers, many of whom have never engaged in this kind of work. Are they ready to meet the standards we set, let alone to help us to keep driving those standards up?

The first thing to note is that neurodiversity varies from person to person and represents a spectrum of needs, from hidden disabilities to more severe impairments. Across the sector though, our current programmes to support learners to find apprenticeship opportunities remain intrinsically very generic. Indeed, my experience indicates that they are broadly devoid of factoring in the spectrum of needs of neurodivergent learners.

A one-size-fits-all approach is clearly inadequate when addressing the needs of neurodivergent learners. These individuals require personalised guidance and support to make informed decisions about their education and career paths beyond their FE studies.

Another key barrier is systemic. Higher-level apprenticeships are to all intents and purposes off-limits for many neurodivergent learners who have completed level 3 vocational courses and struggled to achieve a grade 4 at GCSE or a level 2 in functional skills for maths, English or both.

A one-size-fits-all approach is clearly inadequate

Mencap has suggested that, where there is no industry standard regarding English and maths, neurodivergent learners’ abilities to meet the requirements of the job should be re-assessed. This is certainly an area where FE providers could work with employers to increase access. In the meantime, however, many neurodivergent learners remain ineligible for the level 3 and higher apprenticeship opportunities due to rigid criteria.

A third barrier that could be removed very quickly relates to support networks. Lack of tailored support and industry standards often result in neurodivergent learners turning to their parents or other sources for guidance and support into work, but these support networks can be limited – not least with regards to the information required to navigate the complex apprenticeships system on a level footing with their peers.

According to Scope, the disability employment gap is 29 per cent. This is even more pronounced for neurodivergent learners from disadvantaged groups. As a recent Guardian article highlighted, people from BAME backgrounds continue to face barriers to accessing apprenticeships – even without learning difficulties.

The rise in the popularity of apprenticeships, and the distinct advantages these qualifications confer, require us to think carefully about how our improving culture of inclusion can grow to encompass the specific demands of these qualifications.

Part of that is up to the DfE, who as part of their SEND and AP review must surely also revise the current ‘Specification of Apprenticeship Standards for England’ to remove unnecessary restrictions.

But there is a lot that we can and should be doing to customise our support structures in FE settings to offer personalised and sufficient assistance for neurodivergent students. We must establish policies that guarantee equal access to support and guidance for every learner, based on their unique needs.

And we must work with employers to make apprenticeships more inclusive. Big employers like Microsoft, Ernst and Young, JPMorgan Chase, and GCHQ are at the forefront of this work, but the many SMEs who form the backbone of apprenticeships and the economy need our help to follow suit.

The growing popularity of apprenticeships is a success story for the sector and for the economy, and we must ensure that this success is shared with every young person irrespective of needs.