Latest news from FE Week

Norfolk and Suffolk obtain adult education budget powers in devolution deal

Two more counties – Norfolk and Suffolk – will sign devolution deals today that will see local leaders take control over adult education budgets.

Levelling Up secretary Michael Gove is set to sign the deals in Norwich and Bury St Edmunds today, after chancellor Jeremy Hunt teased in the autumn statement that both counties were close to finalising arrangements.

The government said the deals combined were worth more than £1 billion over the next thirty years – £600 million for Norfolk and £480 million for Suffolk, and from May 2024 the two counties will get a directly elected leader.

It confirmed that both would get full control over their adult education budgets (AEBs) so they can shape provision to better meet local need, although a figure for how much those AEBs will be worth has not yet been given.

It is also expected to mean more responsibilities around skills, such as involvement in the local skills improvement plans (LSIPs).

According to the devolution deal documents, Norfolk is facing a “growing productivity and wage gap” with “Norfolk businesses citing skills as one of the biggest issues facing the economy”.

In Suffolk, qualifications levels were “relatively low” the devolution deal report said, with 54.5 per cent of 16-to-64 year-olds holding a level 3 or higher qualification compared to 61.5 per cent nationally.

The AEB will be fully devolved by the 2025/26 academic year for both authorities, subject to approval, the report said.

It added that both will be considered alongside other devolved authorities at the next spending review for the devolution of skills funding.

Today’s announcements mean that 50 per cent of England will now be covered by devolution deals, according to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Norfolk County Council leader Andrew Proctor said: “Striking a deal will help us to boost our economy through jobs, training, housing and development, to improve our transport network and to support our environment.”

Suffolk County Council leader Matthew Hicks added: “The deal recognises Suffolk’s ambitions, would put more powers in the hands of local people and bring more than half a billion pounds of investment into the county.”

Once signed, the deals are subject to local consultation, approval by those councils and parliamentary approval.

The news comes just one week after Cornwall’s county deal was announced, in which it has also been handed AEB and skills powers, and follows devolution deals already announced this year for York and North Yorkshire and the East Midlands.

Other county deals under negotiation currently are for Devon, Plymouth and Torbay; Durham; and Hull and East Yorkshire.

The government pledged that all parts of England will be able to negotiate a devolution deal by 2030.

Revealed: 32 colleges bag £70m from HE capital fund

More than 30 colleges have secured £70 million of capital funding from the higher education regulator.

The Office for Students today announced the outcome of a £399 million bidding exercise to support investment in new buildings, facilities and equipment.

Universities secured the lion’s share, as expected, but the list of 100 winners show 32 colleges were among the successful applicants and received individual allocations ranging from £150,000 to £5.8 million.

It follows other recent capital funding awards for colleges, worth hundreds of millions of pounds, including for energy efficiency, T Levels and reclassification to the public sector.

There were 203 bids to the OfS’ capital fund for higher education facilities. The 32 colleges secured £70 million between them.

The maximum amount on offer per provider was £5.8 million – an allocation that five colleges managed to secure.

Susan Lapworth, chief executive of the OfS, said: “Competition for funding was strong, with high-quality applications from across the sector. The OfS-funded projects will ensure current and future students have a positive experience while studying expensive-to-deliver subjects that are strategically important to society. Taxpayers will feel these benefits too, as the investment will boost local and regional economies and support environmental sustainability.”

Education secretary Gillian Keegan added: “This investment is about making sure students get the highest quality training in key subjects which are driving economic growth. That means access to top of the range facilities which prepare people for the workplace, filling skills gaps and levelling up the whole country.”

Burnley College was one of those awarded the maximum allocation of £5.8 million and will use its funding to add three additional floors to its university centre. The development will include an employability and skills hub, bio-medical laboratory, observation laboratory, cyber security suite, robotics and automation workshop, library study area, and lecture theatre.

Another, NCG, will use its £5.8 million to builds two specialist hubs in construction, engineering and energy and digital technologies, while Bradford College will spend their £5.8m for their garden mills project, which will create flexible training facilities for digital, science, and allied health subjects.

Why an apprenticeship works in today’s world of learning and work

As an apprentice, I get the chance to put what I’ve learned immediately into practice

Describe your apprenticeship experience

The apprenticeship has been a full throttle learning experience – I’ve thoroughly enjoyed putting my skills to the test every single day. I’ve come from having limited IT skills to being able to manage the entire suite of IT equipment and services on my own. It’s been a boost to my knowledge base and importantly, my confidence too.

How has your apprenticeship training helped build your skills?

I learn new skills on the job every day through working with qualified colleagues. They guide me through new tasks and suggest positive solutions. This is reinforced in the classroom where I learn the theoretical side of the IT scope. This is then brought to life as I use the practical element of my learning in my job role.

What have been the main benefits for you of the apprenticeship?

Traditional education can teach you the theory of any subject, however putting it into practice cements the skills and knowledge in my mind. I am also able to pick up key business skills which are omitted from the classroom experience. For instance, communication skills, understanding my client and recognising the value of certain processes are all key skills that can only be gained through experience on the job.

What progression opportunities do you have now because of your apprenticeship training?

This training has opened doors for me in the world of IT which massively expands the scope of what I can aim towards throughout my career. I’ve also gained invaluable experience for my CV and been able to network with individuals who would have been otherwise inaccessible to me.

Would you consider recommending apprenticeships to others? Why?

Since starting my apprenticeship, I’m a big supporter of them. We constantly question and wonder about what the future holds, apprenticeships give a glimpse into a possible future without requiring the apprentice to commit to years of full-time education. You can continue to experience the real world while still learning and growing.

Zaki Rizvi, Field Services Support, ICT Level 3 Apprenticeship

Six things we learned from Keegan’s first education committee

Education secretary Gillian Keegan faced her first education committee grilling today.

She answered questions about apprenticeship quality, the possibility of teaching apprenticeships, and plans for a new British Baccalaureate.

Here’s what we learned

‘Pragmatic’ on a British Baccalaureate

In October, The Times reported that prime minister Rishi Sunak was keen on introducing a British Baccalaureate as part of plans to reform the education system.

But no further details have been released.

Keegan suggested today that with only another two years of this parliament, the baccalaureate may not be coming imminently, despite being open to the idea.

“We have to figure out where we are as well because we have got two years possibly left, so throwing everything up in the air is not as good idea either. We need to have an open pragmatic mind,” she said.

She did however confirm that discussions were focused a lot around youngsters studying maths up to the age of 18, one of the key proposals within the British Baccalaureate.

Schools bill scrapped – so where does that leave FE teacher misconduct powers?

Keegan confirmed the schools bill would not progress in its current form, but said certain elements would be prioritised as the government considers its legislative programme.

That may not seem like much relevance to the further education sector, but one element within the bill was a proposal for teachers at further education colleges and independent training providers to be covered by teacher misconduct regulations.

In April, it emerged that the Department for Education intended to extend the Teacher Regulation Agency’s powers to post-16 education and training “when a suitable legislative opportunity becomes available”.

The scrapping of the remainder of the schools bill raises questions over whether that will now happen.

Following the hearing, the DfE told FE Week it “remains committed” to measures “improvements in teacher regulation”, which will still be “progressed when the legislative timetable allows”.

Teaching apprenticeships back on the table

While falling short of a firm commitment, Keegan confirmed she had asked her department to investigate potential apprenticeship routes for undergraduates to get into teaching.

A postgraduate teaching apprenticeship currently exists, but there has little success to date on an undergraduate pathway.

“I am always keen to look at what more we can do, and I want them to look maybe at an apprenticeship for undergraduates, maths and physics teaching apprenticeships, I have asked the department to look into that,” she said.

“Is that something that we could develop, would that broaden the pipeline? Would that allow people who had maybe had a career in engineering and might want to teach as a second career, or indeed want to earn and learn at the same time and avoid the student debt and loan etc?”

In addition, education committee chair Robin Walker urged the department to liaise with government colleagues on potentially bringing former armed forces personnel into retraining as teachers, to which Keegan said “that could indeed be an apprenticeship model”.

Apprenticeship achievement rate target remains

Back in June, then-skills minister Alex Burghart set a new “ambitious” target for an overall 67 per cent achievement rate on apprenticeship standards by 2025 – a 15 percentage point increase on the current rate.

While continuing to be an issue for the sector amid a 47 per cent drop out rate, fears were raised at the time that the target may be unachievable.

Keegan re-iterated that commitment to MPs after being questioned on the quality of apprenticeship training.

She said: “We want to see increased achievement rates, so 67 per cent by the end of 2024/25 is what we have set, and it is 52 per cent for standards at the moment.”

More IoT-style collaboration?

Keegan told MPs the government will push for more collaboration between further and higher education institutions in the future.

She referenced the Institutes of Technology model – tie-ups between businesses, universities and colleges to deliver higher technical qualifications.

The first 12 of those have already been established with a further nine now being formed following an announcement in December last year.

Keegan said those sorts of collaborations are “absolutely the way to go” but she was “not really hung up on the structures” of what those sorts of partnerships could look like.

She added: “They are really leading in key critical skills areas, and I think collaborations between universities, FE colleges and businesses is where a lot more effort is being made.”

More medical apprenticeships

The apprenticeship route is already well-established for many healthcare roles, but Keegan said she wanted “work in considering whether we can do a master’s degree, higher level apprenticeships also to facilitate more routes”.

Keegan said there were around 70 currently, and Health Education England in the summer announced a medical doctor apprenticeship route will be launched from September 2023 to make entry into the profession more accessible.

EDI: Five key considerations for a successful strategy

The very nature of further education is inclusive; we work to ensure that people from all backgrounds and of all abilities have the chance to gain qualifications and achieve their life and career ambitions.

This context makes for an ideal starting point when it comes to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) strategies. EDI is a corporate priority for most and nurturing a positive, supportive and inclusive workplace for all is high on every college’s agenda.

Over the past three years, my own college has been on a rapid EDI journey. We are starting to see some positive outcomes, including being awarded a level 4 accreditation by ‘Investing in Ethnicity’. This has put us in the top 25 employers, recognising our commitment to this agenda.

But what does a successful EDI strategy look like and how can it be implemented to achieve maximum impact? We know from our own experience that change doesn’t happen overnight and that EDI is very much a journey. Here are some of our key learnings:

Encouraging disclosure

It is essential that colleges know their starting points. Encouraging staff and students to disclose details about their gender, mental health, disabilities, religion, ethnicity and so on is vital to build up an accurate picture. Fully analysing this data and all its intersectional ties will enable appropriate actions to be taken.

Encouraging and enabling this disclosure is key. Everyone needs to feel they will be supported and certainly not discriminated against when providing such sensitive data.

Targeted interventions

High and accurate disclosure rates will ensure EDI action plans can be effectively targeted, achieving much greater impact at a faster pace.

For staff, it is important to compare demographic profile with the community a college serves. While we had a positive picture in term of overall representation, we saw evidence of under-representation of non-white staff at more senior levels.

This gave us the opportunity to take positive action, which included creation of a talent management programme to identify future leaders, as well as providing mentoring, coaching and other development opportunities.

Staff and student engagement

Any EDI strategy must be embedded across the entire college, at all levels. Training and awareness raising is key; providing context and understanding for staff and students.

We have introduced EDI champions to help with this engagement. Events including debates and workshops, are run to highlight black history month, LGBTQ+ history month and mental health awareness week.

Diverse workplaces bring an important mix of talent, experience and knowledge. It’s not box ticking – it’s about creating opportunity for all, which benefits every business. High quality training supports this, including for example, inclusive recruitment training for recruiting managers.

Embedding EDI in the curriculum

An inclusive curriculum is vital to take your strategy right to the front line.

If a group of students are not achieving, you need to understand the link with EDI criteria. By understanding specific barriers and challenges, positive action can be taken, such as extra tutorials and targeted intervention programmes.

Using this approach, we have narrowed achievement gaps for some student groups over the last two years – for example, looked-after children and young care leavers (by 6.7 per cent) and Black African adult students (by 2.2 per cent).

However, gaps continue to widen for others, including students of black/white dual heritage and those with mental health conditions. This is undoubtedly one of the most challenging areas we face and is a key focus for us going forward.

External partnerships

Working in collaboration with partners to exchange best practice and get an external lens is an essential part of EDI development. The Black FE Leadership Group’s 10-point plan has been central to our work, together with Stonewall’s support with our LGBTQ+ initiatives and Investors in Ethnicity’s help to benchmark our EDI practices.

EDI must be part and parcel of everyday college life. It is not a ‘tag on’. It must be embedded into everything, with everyone understanding their own role within it.

Getting this right takes time but will ultimately benefit the whole organisation and its wider community.

Green apprenticeships: A matter of skills supply and demand

In 2009, the Climate Change Act made history. We were the first country to set out in law the path to achieving net zero by 2050. The department of energy and climate change (DECC) was also the first of its kind at the time. Thirteen years on, the abiding message from COP27 is that we need to redouble our efforts. Legally binding targets have provided certainty about the scale of the change we need to make to go green, and we know training will be central to that transition.

In 2009, we were part of the small fuel poverty review team that first developed the warm home discount and energy company obligation which have proved vital in supporting the most vulnerable households through the current cost-of-living crisis. The latter has also driven increasing demand for retrofitting homes with new insulation and heating.

Now at IfATE, we are pleased to be able to support retrofit from the supply side too. Employers tell us they need retrofit skills in the workforce. We are therefore prioritising retrofit skills within the standards that underpin apprenticeships and technical qualifications, convening employers and industry experts at pace to update current standards and developing a new occupational standard, the ‘Retrofit Co-ordinator’.

But retrofit is just one of many new and emerging skills needed to achieve the transition to net zero.

The Government has set an ambition for two million green jobs by 2030. There are already over 420,000 jobs in low-carbon businesses and their supply chains (with an estimated turnover of £41.2 billion in 2020), but that leaves huge scope for further growth.

In addition, 80 per cent of the 2030 workforce is already in work. So, reaching net zero by 2050 will require government and industry to work together fast on training and retraining.

Sustainable supply of green skills

Our green advisory panel of expert employers has made good progress with transforming apprenticeships and technical education. Over the past year, they have been testing whether apprenticeships meet green jobs task force recommendations and where we need to develop new standards.

Their work has found that around 100 standards contribute to climate change and environmental goals, with many more up for revision to make them greener. This includes:

upgrades to existing apprenticeships, for example to train aspiring electricians to install and maintain domestic heat pumps, solar panels and electric vehicle charging points
specialist occupations, like ecologist and countryside ranger
apprenticeships designed to help any businesses improve their impact

We have also built partnerships to better understand the green skills required for the future workforce. Apprenticeships and technical qualifications must provide businesses with employees who can use and apply these new skills and technologies and be agents of change within their organisations.

Sustained demand from trainees

The other crucial part of the puzzle is capitalising on demand from younger people. Learning and Work Insitute research found that 80 per cent of them consider it important that they work for an organisation committed to tackling climate change.

Learning green skills also makes financial sense; individuals employed in green industries earn approximately 7 per cent more than those working in non-green industries.

To harness this enthusiasm and earning potential, government and education settings must do a better job of highlighting and promoting green training opportunities. To make that much easier, IfATE is developing interactive new occupational maps to show which career pathways help tackle climate change and what apprenticeships and technical qualifications at all skills levels support people into them.

So that’s the plan. Trace the impact of the net zero targets down to the sectors where change is needed, engage employers to discuss the roles and skills that will enable a successful transition, and work at pace to translate that into world-class apprenticeships and technical education, promoted brilliantly to everyone.

We have come a long way since 2009, but there is a long road ahead. We’ve led the way before, and with a focus on workforce training we can keep leading the world to a sustainable future.

The Staffroom: How to incorporate assistive technology

Oldham College recently won the nasen award for teacher development in digital accessibility, but the real winners are our students. We have seen first-hand the benefits that assistive technology (AT) can bring: Students are more confident and empowered, accessing learning with the skills they need to thrive in and outside the college gates. And yet, I find myself teaching in one of the few colleges that offers a range of AT to all staff and students.

Some teachers find the technology daunting and believe it will be too hard to incorporate. Many leadership teams feel it is too expensive, especially with continuously squeezed budgets. Of course, it isn’t something that can be embedded successfully and work for all overnight. And yes, the technology isn’t overly cheap. But with time, students will reap the rewards.

If you are thinking of investing in AT software, or planning to use the built-in accessibility features on your current devices, here are five considerations that have been key to incorporating more assistive tools within our classrooms.

Know your options

There are so many devices out there, so it’s important that you and your leadership team invest in the right tools for you and your students. You will find many reviews online and feedback in teacher forums, but our students heavily influence our decisions too.

Most AT providers will allow you to trial their software and equipment, so give your students time to explore and feed back their own opinions. This will help you build an even more solid case for use of funds in the budget. Our students have helped us choose software to support memory recall and creating mind maps and – something I feel has particularly helped many students – text-to-speech software that can read text aloud to students online or in documents.

Let your learners explore

One of the biggest barriers to students embracing AT is confidence, so it’s vital to have the time and space for them to try out what’s available. Give students total access to the various AT tools and let them explore their learning potential.

I also find taking the time to listen to parents and carers is hugely beneficial to make sure they are aware of the AT being trialled, its potential benefits, and to help plan any interventions.

AT doesn’t have to mean new devices

Most computers and laptops have built-in accessibility tools, so check what devices you have and see what tools there are in their settings options. Chromebooks have text-to-speech, dictation and display- and screen-changing options in their settings menu. iPads have assistive touch and guided access, while Microsoft Office has ‘Immersive Reader’ (a free tool that helps improve reading) as well as the dictation tool. If your class uses Google Docs, all your students will have access to dictation there too.

Introduce monthly AT sessions

It’s important that every teacher is on board and understands and appreciates what is available to them in their classroom. We have monthly sessions where we go through any AT that is currently being trialled as wells as any new AT that has been incorporated and feed back on how we and our students have found working with it in class. This is a great way to learn from one another.

Maintain ongoing training

Technology is constantly evolving so it’s important to keep up to date with what is available or any updates to the technology you already have in place. I’m always on the lookout for CPD on what technology is out there and working for others to help improve my general knowledge and that of my fellow teachers.

Having access to AT has made many of our learners more determined and ambitious and it’s wonderful to see them grow. I know I am extremely lucky to work for a college that invests so heavily in AT, but by exploring the tools you already have within your devices, and with some research and trials on external AT, your students could be reaping the benefits before you know it.

Confirmed: College for vulnerable adults judged ‘inadequate’ over safety concerns

A college for disadvantaged adults has officially been downgraded to ‘inadequate’ after Ofsted found poor safeguarding practices that fails to protect learners.

Ruskin College fell two grades from ‘good’ in a report published today. This was the college’s first inspection since being taken over by the University of West London (UWL) in August 2021 following a turbulent period.

Ofsted’s report includes many positives about students’ experience and the delivery of teaching.

But, as FE Week reported last month, it was ineffective safeguarding arrangements which caused the college to be hit with Ofsted’s lowest possible grade.

Ofsted’s report said the college’s leaders are “unable to identify and protect learners who may be at risk or need help”. Leaders “do not know about significant personal challenges that some vulnerable adults faced while in their care” and are “unable to help staff to keep these learners safe”.

Leaders acknowledge that they have failed to follow their internal safeguarding procedures, for example by not ensuring that staff are safe to work with vulnerable adults while waiting for Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks.

Staff do not know how to identify and report safeguarding concerns because they have not completed the relevant training. As a result, staff develop their own individualised responses when vulnerable adults disclose concerns or issues and leaders are unaware of the advice given.

Today’s report makes Ruskin College the only “institute for adult learning” – as classified by Ofsted – to hold an ‘inadequate’ grade.

Ofsted acknowledged that Ruskin College has undergone a period of “significant change” since being taken over by UWL, adding that due to the newness of many of the organisational structures, leaders have “not yet fully implemented a system of governance and oversight which provides effective challenge to managers around quality assurance”.

A UWL spokesperson said: “While we are naturally disappointed with Ofsted’s findings in respect of the college’s safeguarding processes, we acknowledge and accept that improvements are required in this area. We are committed to making these improvements as a matter of priority as we work to ensure the highest standards in all aspects of the college’s performance.

“The ‘good’ assessment received in the other three areas of the report, after only a year under new ownership, supports our confidence that our objectives for the college are achievable.”

Oxford-based Ruskin College, founded in 1899, designs its courses for local residents furthest from the labour market, those who are socially isolated and those seeking a second chance at education.

Its offer includes Access to HE diplomas, English for speakers of other languages courses, and trade union courses accredited by the TUC.

The college has been subject to a financial notice to improve from the Department for Education since 2014. The notice was reissued in November 2020 when the Department for Education placed the college in supervised status following a report by then-FE Commissioner Richard Atkins which said the provider faced an “uncertain future” due to deteriorating finances caused by falling enrolments.

The Education and Skills Funding Agency also clawed back more than £5 million, an issue which led to the firing of former principal Paul Di Felice, and the college was told to find a strong merger partner to secure its future.

At the time of Ofsted’s inspection, there were 374 learners enrolled.

The watchdog found that learners are “very positive” about their experience at Ruskin College which, for many, is a “much-welcomed second chance at education”.

Learners “value the support they receive from staff and peers, and the knowledge and experience of their tutors, which make lessons interesting and informative”.

Leaders were praised for designing an “inclusive and welcoming” curriculum while tutors “prepare learners well to be active citizens in modern Britain”.

UWL’s spokesperson said: “Overall, we have been pleased with the considerable progress which has been made since UWL’s acquisition of Ruskin College to secure its future last year, and in particular we were delighted with the recent positive report from the FE Commissioner – something we are looking to mirror with Ofsted at the earliest opportunity.”

Tuition in FE: Success depends on a better evidence base

Last week, the very first national tutoring summit took place in London. A little over two years on from the introduction of the National Tutoring Programme (NTP), this inaugural event brought together schools, tuition partners, research organisations, and think tanks to explore the power and potential of small-group and one-to-one tuition.

As with all good conferences, I left with a renewed sense of purpose, buzzing with new ideas, and keen to get started with new projects. But I also have a big question: what is happening in further education?

We know that tuition can have a highly positive impact on learning and progress, particularly for learners from disadvantaged backgrounds. According to the EEF, small group tuition can provide an additional 4 months’ progress while one-to-one tuition can provide an additional 5 months’ progress. It is an invaluable tool for supporting learners with low prior attainment or who are struggling with particular topics.

A key focus of the Summit was how schools, often working with tuition partners, might draw on recent studies into tuition best-practice to ensure that learners derive maximum benefit from the sessions. Ofsted, the EEF, and the NFER have all highlighted the value of accurate assessment of student needs, sessions targeted at specific gaps in knowledge and skills, and close working relationships between tutors and teachers.

Central to the discussions of the research underpinning our developing knowledge of effective tutoring was an emphasis on the value of micro-research. While macro-studies provide evidence of impact at scale, of the kind that is useful for ministers and policy makers, what practitioners often need are micro-studies – the kind generated through peer discussions and communities of practice that reveal precisely what approaches and techniques have worked in particular settings and contexts. There were calls for far more of this kind of research.

Which providers are doing what, with whom, and how?

And this is where my question comes in. What, exactly, is happening in further education? A year after the NTP was introduced, the DfE created the tuition fund to ensure that 16- to 19-year-old learners can also benefit from small group and one-to-one tuition. As a sector that supports a high proportion of learners from disadvantaged backgrounds and/or with special educational needs and disabilities, it makes sense that further education should be deploying a strategy identified as conveying particular benefits to those groups.

We know that effective tuition is happening in the further education sector. Ofsted has recently published phase one of its review of 16-19 provision, highlighting the value of tuition that is aligned to the wider curriculum and targeted at gaps in learners’ knowledge.

Working within a further education tuition partner, I know that our own work with colleges has helped to support student achievement in English and maths GCSE resists, with students who attended 12 tuition sessions being almost twice as likely to secure their grade 4. But it would now be good to hear far more about this provision: Which providers are doing what, with which students, and how are they doing it?

Within the national conversations about tutoring there is plenty of room for voices from further education that would help us to better understand what is happening – on both the macro and the micro levels. What do we know about the deployment of small-group tuition to support English and maths, vocational studies, personal development, adult learners, and apprentices? What are our communities of practice uncovering that might be shared and magnified? Which organisations are conducting the macro-studies needed to explore the widespread impact of tuition on post-16 learners?

While tuition, with all the benefits it conveys to the learners who need them most, remains a subject of national and political interest, how can we work together to ensure that further education is at the heart of the discussion?

The fact that the answers to these questions are not readily available is telling. In light of the introduction of the DfE’s new tutoring advisory group, it’s time that the sector and its policy makers grasped the opportunities to better our understanding – and young people’s educational outcomes.