Omicron: Colleges need to draw up contingency plans

If bigger changes are needed as Omicron spreads, colleges will need to be ready to implement contingency plans, writes David Hughes

This year’s final discussions between college leaders and their senior teams will probably be a bit different to those in the pre-pandemic era. Back then you might imagine discussions about the risks of snow interrupting the start of term in January or of cyber-attacks over the festive break. There would be the inevitable looking back over what always feels like a long term and the need for everyone to get a break – staff and students alike. There’d be the staff Christmas party to look forward to, hoping that everyone behaved themselves whilst letting their hair down before the welcome break.

This year might be a bit different around those senior leadership meeting tables (virtually or real) – probably no Christmas party for a start, they look risky. There’s likely to be a big focus on staff and student well-being though, after such a long period of disruptions and uncertainties and even more desire to ensure all staff get a chance for a break this year. All of that though might have been swamped by speculation about how covid is developing.

The trick, of course, is to move the discussion from speculation about how omicron might impact, to thinking about the situation that might be facing colleges in January and doing the contingency planning. Time spent now on that planning could be invaluable in the weeks to come because we know that decisions often must be made with little implementation time. And after nearly two years of this, we know the sorts of things which might become challenges. Here are my top 5 possible scenarios to get you started:

1.           The government has to ramp up the covid controls and decides that a short lockdown is essential to break the spread of omicron. Colleges are asked to close and continue learning for most students online. Like before, there would probably be a need for onsite learning and support for vulnerable students.

2.           No national lockdown, but your local Director of Public Health decides that covid numbers in your area require a local lockdown, with the college closing other than for vulnerable students.

3.           The government needs to tighten up controls but sticks to the line that learning must not be disrupted. For colleges that might lead to the January and February exams being cancelled. This could be for all assessments or could allow colleges to continue to carry out assessments in practical courses for those needing qualifications to move into the labour market.

4.           Numbers of staff absences reaches crisis point in the college from a combination of covid cases, self-isolations and other illnesses. That puts pressure on both teaching and managing exams.

5.           Student covid cases rise to very high proportions, meaning that attendance is suffering and many students will not be able to attend for their exams.

None of these might happen, or a combination could, and every college will have its own more nuanced and sophisticated scenarios planned for by now. Often we do contingency planning, and it doesn’t need to be used, and I hope that that is the case this time, but it’s a useful exercise to do nonetheless. Whatever the scenarios there are some basic components of a plan which need to be addressed:

1.           Key responsibilities are all clear – who leads, who decides, who is involved in the plans, decisions and implementation.

2.           Communication with the governing body, staff and students are all ready to go – who needs to know, what do they need to know and when.

3.           Clarity on the particular needs of different groups of students –stage of learning, ability to move online, needs of students on hand-on practical courses, those wanting to be assessed to move into work soon, more vulnerable learners and so on.

4.           Resources are ready to be mobilised – online learning materials, masks and PPE, laptops/dongles and so on.

5.           External stakeholder communications are all ready to roll – ESFA, DfE, Director of Public Health, the media, partner organisations.

As always, college leaders will use their skills and judgements, honed over the last couple of tough years, to make the best decisions for students. Nobody wants them to suffer more disruptions, and the priority is always to keep education and training going, but that desire has to be balanced with the need to keep students and staff as safe from covid as possible.

We all hope that next term will start calmly and be as normal as anything can be in a pandemic. It’s pretty clear though that the rapid spread of omicron will need some local adaptations and I want colleges to be trusted to make those – sensibly and proportionately but designed to work for their own context. 

But if bigger changes are needed, colleges will be ready to implement their contingency plans. What they will need is early and clear communications from government which allow colleges to use their judgement about how to implement. We will also need to work hard on the media to ensure that they recognise the differences between schools, colleges and universities, because students and their parents need to hear that their needs and circumstances are being planned for.

Whatever happens, and it does feel as uncertain as ever, colleges will shine through. I just hope that everyone in our sector manages a break this festive season, a chance to recharge batteries and clear minds. That would be the best present lots of people could wish for.

DfE looks to ex-teachers to fill Covid staffing gaps

The Department for Education is looking to former teachers to help fill Covid staffing shortages, with new guidance planned to boost supply staff numbers.

With new reported Covid cases hitting a record high on Wednesday as Omicron spreads, fears are growing over school and colleges’ ability to cope when term resumes in January.

Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi has written to school and college leaders today setting out how they can help “manage the virus”, including urging them to reach out to former colleagues.

The message acknowledges the availability of supply staff is a “particular issue” in areas with high absences. The government is now considering new measures to “boost supply capacity”, Zahawi said.

“We will work with sector leaders and supply agencies over the coming days to offer advice to ex-teachers who want to provide support to schools and colleges.

“We will help them to register with supply agencies as the best way to boost the temporary workforce available to the sector.”

Zahawi said discussions had already begun between senior DfE officials and key stakeholders.

He also said leaders themselves could “support this effort” by using their own networks to “encourage others to sign up to offer temporary help”.

The letter said take-up of the booster jab by staff and young people was “critical” too.

The government had already announced the extension of its Covid workforce fund earlier on Thursday, signalling worries over continued disruption well into the new year.

Just 195 of 5.7m teacher grades changed after exam board reviews

Just 195 of 5.7 million GCSE and A-level teacher assessed grades (TAGS) were changed after being reviewed by exam boards last academic year, new data reveals.

And for the almost 1 million vocational and technical qualification (VTQ) TAGs, just 636 were changed.

Ofqual has released its summer report this morning, showing how TAGs were quality assured after exams were cancelled in 2020-21.

Of the 195 teacher grades changed – which represents just 0.003 per cent of all GCSE, AS and A-level results handed out this summer – 179 decreased, while 16 increased (see graph below).

Students got record-breaking results this year. The proportion of students achieving three As or better at A-level more than doubled from the last time exams were held in 2019.

At GCSE, the proportion of grade 7s and above rose to 30 per cent from 22 per cent in 2019.

Just one in five schools and colleges had their evidence checked by exam boards in the last academic year to make sure grades were accurate.

Boards could not change a grade, but where quality assurance checks found they were not supported by evidence, schools and colleges were asked to revisit the results.

The grade changes were recorded across just 26 centres from the sample of 1,101 schools and colleges who had evidence checked.

Another 159 centres of those sampled were subject to “additional scrutiny”, and 133 had their original TAGs upheld following further examples from staff.

0.7% of VTQ TAGs changed

From October 2020 to September 2021, VTQ awarding organisations issued a total of 4.6 million certificates for their qualifications.

The majority of these were determined based solely on normal or adapted assessments.

But in 10 per cent of VTQs, such as those of technical qualifications in T Levels and approved for inclusion in Department for Education’s performance tables, results were determined wholly or in part using alternative arrangements such as TAGs.

Of the 904,674 TAGs that were submitted by centres for these qualifications, 302,782 were externally quality assured by awarding organisations. Of these, 2,447 TAGs were referred back to the centres for reconsideration and 636 TAG grades were changed.

Students given results early

Exam boards reported 28 security breaches to Ofqual this year concerning GCSEs and A-levels which all related to students being given their results early at 23 schools or colleges.

Students at 18 centres were told their results before results day, ranging from the point teacher grades were submitted to the exam boards to just before release.

This was down to failures in systems, for instance where TAGs were “either unwittingly stored in insecure areas of centres’ networks which students or their parents or carers could access”.

Another example was where automatic notifications were sent to students or their parents through centres’ software for tracking and sharing students’ progress.

Ofqual said in a “very small number of cases” teachers allegedly disclosed TAGs before results day and boards treated these as potential instances of malpractice or maladministration.

Cyber-attack risk

But there were fewer than five penalties issued to schools and colleges in 2021, down from 15 last year.

There were 295 penalties issued to students in 2021, up from 20 in 2020. Thirty-five penalties were issued to school or college staff, up from 25 in 2020.

Ninety five of these were for use of a mobile phone in an exam room, 65 were for using “unauthorised material” and 30 were for plagiarism.

Meanwhile, 77 centres were reported as having been potentially affected by a cyber-attack.

The exam boards put in place “alternative arrangements” to ensure they were able to submit grades, as well as flexibility on deadlines for schools and colleges that lost access to data.

Only 2 in 5 improve grades in autumn

An exam series was held this autumn for pupils who were unhappy with their teacher grade.

At A-level, just under 40 per cent improved their grade. Around 30 per cent achieved the same grade and another 30 per cent received a lower one.

For those that did not improve, summer grades can still be used. Autumn GCSE results day is February 24. For English and maths resits, it is January 13.

Education recovery in FE: Ofsted reveals key findings from autumn 2021 inspections

Recruitment struggles are leading to “difficult” financial positions, students are “frustrated” with delays to assessments and suffer from practical skills deficits, Ofsted has found this term.

According to the watchdog’s new report Education recovery in further education and skill providers: autumn, safeguarding concerns have also doubled in some cases and there are multiple instances of high staff turnover.

The report is based on 39 inspections of FE and skills providers between 1 and 19 November 2021. Findings from monitoring visits and prison inspections were not included.

This comes after Ofsted released findings from a series of interim visits to FE and skills providers last year, which also showed providers facing financial pressures and learners’ mental health deteriorating due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Here are six key findings from the Ofsted research published today…

1. Providers under ‘growing financial pressures’

Inspectors reported recruiting apprentices had proven “particularly challenging” for providers.

Apprentice numbers were lower than in previous years, the report highlighted, after government figures published in October showed starts fell by almost a fifth between 2018/19 and 2020/21.

While providers had scrabbled together alternatives, with one running short courses to make up for low uptake on a level 5 apprenticeship, other providers have not been able to and face “difficult financial positions”.

The report highlights one, unnamed provider which had limited its intake of apprentices as employers were unable to offer placements and they were focused on training existing staff during the pandemic.

Many apprentices were still on breaks in learning at the time of the inspections, though a proportion had returned to training.

Several providers reported attrition from programmes, due to the pressures of remote learning, lack of face-to-face assessments, changes in employment and limited time for learning.

Apprenticeship programmes at some providers were made “vulnerable to closure,” the report says, due to reduced learner numbers.

2. Delays in assessments a ‘source of frustration’

That learners were still facing delays in taking their assessments was a “source of frustration” for both learners and staff.

Delays have been blamed on the assessments not having been reinstated and providers having to say learners were not ready for examination as they had missed out on learning.

But staff had taken the initiative by setting up facilities on campus so exams could go ahead in better ventilated areas where learners could socially distance.

Test centres were also contacted to secure cancelled slots and the format of assessments were changed, such as by combining exams with coursework and utilising feedback from trainers.

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education recently announced a swathe of flexibilities for apprenticeship assessment would continue into the next year, owing to the Omicron variant.

3. ‘Significant deficit’ of work placements created gaps in learning

As Covid-19 reduced opportunities for placements and furlough, learners could not engage with practical elements of their programmes, “key components” of FE and skills qualifications, the report notes.

Many providers cited this lack of engagement as “a significant deficit during the pandemic,” which had created gaps in students’ learning.

Apprentices were given individual support by providers in practical workshops to develop skills and “skills checks” were introduced to ensure learners had the necessary skills to progress.

A number of providers were repeating parts of programmes to ensure learners could progress with the right level of skill and knowledge, including by revisiting elements which had been taught online once face-to-face tuition resumed.

Where learners had been absent for long periods during the pandemic, providers gave extensions and allowed students to repeat elements of their study.

This helped those who had been furloughed complete practical workshops.

One provider was picked out by the report for giving learners the opportunity to join other cohorts after breaks in learning.

But inspectors found evidence of learning loss in other areas of the curriculum, including English and maths, due to coronavirus.

Enrichment activities such as CV writing and interview support, had yet to come back by the time of the inspections.

Providers have also made use of the 16 to 19 tuition fund, announced by the government in summer 2020, to increase staff hours and run individual and small-group catch-up sessions.

4. Safeguarding concerns ‘double’, including around sexual abuse

One provider told inspectors how the number of safeguarding concerns had doubled in comparison to last year, as lockdown ended.

This was not confined to mental health concerns either, as self-harm and sexual abuse were also raised.

Much like during the interim visits last year, Ofsted reports providers continuing to report an increase in poor mental health and wellbeing concerns among learners.

The transition out of lockdown and back to face-to-face learning had caused some learners anxiety, due to having to return to a physical setting and commute.

To support mental health and wellbeing, some providers adapted their curriculum to focus on the topics more, teaching students how to manage stress, improve confidence and reduce anxiety.

There were also existing strategies in place to support learners, such as engagement with external agencies, mental health first aid and communication through newsletters and apps.

One provider was credited for using online wellbeing courses, running mindfulness sessions, and offering the option of working from home to support staff.

5. Pandemic piled the work on staff

Workload on some staff had increased due to the pandemic, the report notes, echoing another finding from its interim visits last year.

This was blamed by providers on a backlog of work and the need to support learners catch-up on education.

The additional demands on staff to support learners during Covid-19 had hurt staff’s mental health, providers also noted.

Inspectors found “a few instances of high staff turnover,” particularly felt in careers information, advice and guidance teams.

Having staff redeployed during the pandemic was given as one possible reason for these staff dropping out.

6. Attendance ‘disrupted’ by the pandemic

Attendance “continued to be disrupted by the pandemic,” the report says, partly due to staff and students having to self-isolate.

While courses continued remotely where they were unable to be delivered face-to-face, providers found learners’ motivation for their programme “dwindled” during the pandemic, due to the shift to remote learning and students’ having to balance study with other commitments such as childcare.

Re-engaging them had been “challenging,” the report notes, though a focus on retention by some providers “had resulted in some providers seeing excellent attendance and learners being eager to engage as the provider moved back to face-to-face learning”.

AoC recommends ‘kick in the teeth’ 1% college staff pay rise – again

College staff should be given another 1 per cent pay rise this year, the Association of Colleges has recommended in a move that has left unions “furious”.

The unions say this is the thirteenth below inflation offer in a row submitted by membership body, which is causing staff trying to make ends meet “major distress and anxiety”.

AoC chief executive David Hughes admitted the offer will “feel like a kick in the teeth” for staff who have worked through the pandemic but explained the “extremely challenging financial position” of colleges has again limited the pay recommendation they can make.

He said a “more meaningful” pay award might be possible next year.

In October, five trade unions asked colleges to significantly move to restore the “35 per cent cut in pay staff have suffered since 2009”, in a claim that would also close the £9,000 pay gap between schoolteachers and further education lecturers.

In addition, the unions called for the foundation living wage – currently £9.90 or £11.05 in London – to be the minimum for all staff across the sector, and for colleges to become “accredited living wage employers”.  

But the AoC said it could not recommend more than a 1 per cent pay rise for all staff.

The unions say this is despite a joint campaign with colleges to win additional funding for the sector and when inflation is at a ten year high. They warn that “trust must be restored now it’s become clear” that the jointly won £400 million funding increase of 2020 is not being passed on to staff.  

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “This Christmas, college employers have decided to gift staff yet another real terms pay cut. After holding the entire sector together during the pandemic, those who work in our colleges will rightly be furious at this offensive 1 per cent pay offer.

“Colleges have repeatedly used a lack of government funding as an excuse to hold down staff pay, but after joint campaigning resulted in increased funding for colleges last year staff expected their falling pay to finally be addressed. Sadly, employers seem unable to wean themselves off cutting staff pay.”

But Hughes hit back: “The reality is that with no funding rate rise at all for this academic year, and with inflation soaring, colleges are struggling to break even this year.

“Despite recent investment announcements, they have in effect suffered a funding cut again this year of 4 or 5 per cent, and the planned future increases will not rectify the last decade of cuts. The recent spending review should mean that a more meaningful pay award will be possible next year – I sincerely hope that is so, because college staff deserve much better than this.”

The unions did welcome a commitment from the AoC to work with them to develop an agreement on workload, wellbeing and mental health. But they say this won’t resolve the underlying issue of low pay.

Colleges in Scotland and Wales are already accredited living wage employers. But in England many staff only earn the minimum wage.  Unions say the AoC needs to do more than encourage college employers to pay the real living wage, it “needs to instruct them to do so”.

Unite national officer for education Siobhan Endean said the “derisory” pay offer goes “nowhere near meeting the rise in the cost of living”, while GMB national officer Avril Chambers described it as “frankly insulting” and “a slap in the face”.

UNISON head of education Mike Short added: “A 1 per cent pay offer is a joke – and not a funny one. There can be no justification for what amounts to another pay cut for dedicated staff.”  

He warned that college employees are “struggling to keep their heads above water” as the cost-of-living spirals and could start leaving for better paid jobs elsewhere.

DfE extends Covid workforce fund until Feb half-term

The government has extended its Covid workforce fund until February half-term – signalling that ministers expect further disruption caused by the Omicron variant well into the new year.

The fund, which supports colleges with the cost of filling staff absences, was reintroduced in November until the end of term following the emergence of the new and highly transmissible variant.

It was originally established in the second half of the autumn term last year and provides funding for supply staff and to increase hours of part-time teachers.

Latest attendance data from the Department for Education showed 1.5 per cent of FE teachers and leaders absent due to Covid-19 reasons on Decemeber 8.

Meanwhile, 1.2 per cent of teaching assistants and other staff in FE were absent due to Covid on December 8, up from 1.1 per cent on November 24.

Land-based college handed finance warning as commercial income takes £1m hit

A land-based college is “ploughing on” after being put into formal intervention due to its commercial income suffering a “major impact” from coronavirus.

Having generated a £1.4 million deficit in 2019/20, Kingston Maurward College in Dorset has now been handed a financial health notice to improve by the Education and Skills Funding Agency.

“As the college’s financial health has been confirmed as inadequate following the assessment of the CFFR (college financial forecasting return) submitted in July 2021, the college is now being placed into intervention in line with the ESFA policy released in July 2021,” the notice reads.

The ESFA has placed extra conditions on the Ofsted grade two college’s public funding in the notice, published today but dated for September.

This includes continuing to work with the ESFA, FE Commissioner Shelagh Legrave, and her advisers Meredydd David and Becky Edwards.

Legrave visited the college for its first formal intervention visit on November 22, the college has said.

It must also submit management accounts with a revised cash flow forecast by the 20th of each month.

The ESFA has also warned the college could face an independent business review, which would further assess its financial position.

This is the first financial health notice issued to a college since June.

Pandemic made principal’s job ‘even more challenging’

Principal Luke Rake told FE Week running a college is “challenging” and the pandemic made it “even more challenging”.

Having financial problems on top of that only adds to the challenge, but “we’ve been very well supported by the FE Commissioner team and our local ESFA are very supportive and we’re working through it together to make sure that the right outcome comes out for the people.

“We’re just ploughing on,” Rake said, and will not be cutting back provision or laying off any more staff after ten workers from its commercial arm were let go when Covid hit.

The college has suffered a “major impact,” from Covid-19, its latest accounts reveal.

Its deficit in 2019/20 was £1,419,000 before costs such as pension revaluation were taken into account, double what it was in 2018/19 – £662,000. After the pension liability was added, the college’s deficit reached £5 million last year.

Rake

Commercial income, including conferences and its animal park featuring goats, peacocks, ponies and other animals, was £400,000 behind budget by the end of the year.

Rake explained the drop off in commercial income was “primarily” the reason for the college falling into intervention, as they lost £1 million when the first lockdown came in last year.

Following this, the college asked the FE Commissioner for a diagnostic assessment and is now subject to a structure and prospects appraisal.

“Our challenge is primarily our cash reserves position,” he explained as the college’s accounts reveal these were limited at the start of financial year of 2019/20 and took a “major impact” from Covid-19.

College has seen fall in adult learners and apprenticeship numbers

Kingston Maurward is less dependent on government funding than many other colleges: just 65 per cent of its income is from the public purse.

Yet it has acquired a £1.2 million coronavirus business interruption loan from the government, to be repaid over five years starting this month.

That is on top of three outstanding loans totalling £1.5 million from the college’s banks, due to be repaid this year, next year and in 2032 – though Rake is not worried about being able to repay them.

The provider has also acquired a £400,000 rolling overdraft to ensure it has “sufficient working capital and liquidity”.

Despite the negative financial outlook, student numbers on 16 to 18 full time courses have increased by 5.5 per cent.

But the college has seen a “continued reduction” in adult learners, blamed on changes to loans policy, as well as apprenticeships.

Like many colleges, Kingston Maurward could not meet the controversial 90 per cent performance threshold for their national adult education budget allocation this year.

It only delivered 51 per cent of its allocation in 2020/21 and faced having £200,000 clawed back by the ESFA.

Yet, after the government finally relented and allowed providers to present business cases as to why they should keep any underspend, the college will not face any clawback.

Its future cash position is looking “ok,” said Rake and he thinks the college will be able to improve on inadequate financial health this year, but: “A lot will depend on what happens with potential future lockdowns and changes to Covid.

“Our current monthly management accounts are very positive, as a result of a firm hand on costs, and there has been a return of commercial income. So that’s good.”

Good for Me, Good for FE on track to reach £1m volunteering target

The Good for Me, Good for FE campaign is halfway to its target of generating £1 million in social value, following a blast of volunteering by colleges.

The sector-led charity drive has accumulated 23,000 volunteering hours, which have been put through a calculator to work out their monetary value towards the target.

Additionally, the campaign’s target of donating 20,000 items to foodbanks has been reached.

‘Campaign highlights the true generosity of staff and students’

Good for Me, Good for FE was set up by London South East Colleges, East Coast College and Loughborough College in June, with the goal of raising £1 million in social value by the end of the academic year.

Volunteers at Loughborough College

The three colleges’ principals – Sam Parrett, Stuart Rimmer, and Jo Maher – have said: “Seeing how the sector has come together to support this initiative is truly amazing.

“We already know what important roles colleges play in their communities, but this campaign highlights the true generosity of staff and students when it comes to supporting others.”

After such a “challenging” year, the campaign’s success is “even more impressive,” they argued, and reaching halfway “is testament to our incredible sector and we thank every single staff member and student who has contributed so far.

“We look forward to hopefully smashing our target next year – and to seeing how much more can be achieved by our fantastic sector.”

Colleges’ volunteering helped foodbanks and healthy living

A number of colleges have put on special events to generate social value, including a Santa dash organised by East Coast College.

LSEC’s Christmas hampers for foodbanks

There has also been a community college kitchen set up by Trafford College, as well as a social action day at Loughborough to support a local homeless charity.

London South East Colleges has donated 124 Christmas hampers to foodbanks, while Lancaster and Morecambe College asked attendees to an open day to bring an item for the foodbank collection.

Lincoln College also combined forces with Morrisons and a local construction firm to provide ingredients and recipe cards for students as part of its ‘eat well and learn well’ initiative.

Staff have also been volunteering in other roles, such as football coaches or supporting St John Ambulance, in their communities.

Good for Me, Good for FE was recently buoyed by a £750 donation by the Skills and Education Group, won in an online vote by readers of FE Week and its sister paper Schools Week.

The campaign says this money has now been donated to the Trussell Trust foodbank charity.

The Scouts, the FA, the National Association for Voluntary and Community Action, and SLQ Sports Leaders have also helped offer volunteering opportunities across the country.

Pictured top: Participants in East Coast College’s Santa dash

Covid delays Ofsted’s T Level research

Ofsted has pushed back its research into T Levels by a year due to the pandemic.

A thematic survey looking into the implementation of the government’s flagship qualifications and its transition programme in their first two years was announced in December 2020.

An interim report was due out in September 2021 with the final report planned for September 2022. But a spokesperson for the watchdog told FE Week: “We’ve had to push back our T Level thematic survey by a year because of the pandemic.

“We will publish an interim report in autumn next year, with the final report being published in autumn 2023. In all other respects, our approach will be the same as what was announced previously.”

Visits to T Level providers ‘will continue’

ofsted

The thematic survey involves visiting a sample of the over 100 current T Level providers and applying Ofsted’s education inspection framework to assess educational effectiveness and the quality of education.

This is intended to give an independent overview of the quality of T Levels, including strengths, weaknesses, areas for improvement and good practice, which can be fed back to government and stakeholders.

Ofsted says these visits “have started and will continue until next spring”.

T Levels have already faced disruption of their own

Ten T Levels are now available for delivery, with three having been rolled out in the first wave in 2020 and a further seven starting last September.

Six extra courses will start in 2022, followed by another seven in 2023.

The pandemic has already taken a heavy toll on the new level 3 qualifications, cutting off opportunities for students to fulfil the 315-hour mandatory industry placement.

Colleges were forced to postpone placements for students on the early years T Level earlier this year, to keep students as well as employers and children at nurseries safe.

After an FE Week investigation this month found 9 out of 10 T Level providers had missed enrolment targets for the second wave of T Levels, the Department for Education admitted there have been “some challenges” in securing placements “as a result of Covid-19”.

Students who started their T Level in 2020 can now spend a maximum of 40 per cent of their placement hours remotely after the government issued a new flexibility in November.

The NHS, local councils and employers are also being pressed upon to offer up more industry placements after colleges have struggled to find enough for their students.

Ofsted has already had to suspend inspections this week, to allow providers to prepare contingency plans for handling the Omicron variant of Covid-19 when students return in January.