SPONSORED: Provider receives huge demand for distance learning with over 15,000 applying

While there is a considerable amount of uncertainty in the world surrounding Coronavirus, one thing is clear – there is still a huge appetite for learning. 

As face to face learning is no longer possible to help prevent the spread of the virus, we’re seeing a growth in individuals choosing to study online across the sector. With a large portion of the population furloughed or left unemployed due to the crisis, people are choosing to spend their time in isolation gaining new skills and knowledge to support them once this is over. 

In just two weeks, national training provider, Learning Curve Group have generated over 15,000 expressions of interest to study one of their distance learning qualifications after launching their #EducateWhilstYouIsolate campaign.

The campaign has a core focus to support local communities by providing high quality online learning across key areas of priority at this extremely challenging time. Working alongside local colleges, the aim is to give individuals access to online training to raise skill levels, increase social mobility and generate new employment opportunities – especially within current Key Worker occupations.

Brenda McLeish, chief executive of Learning Curve Group, said: “Our #EducateWhilstYouIsolate campaign has enabled us to support a large number of learners in their locality to access accredited learning safely from their home. The campaign has seen phenomenal demand as people seek to use their time in isolation to learn new skills or further develop the skills that they have. 

“A number of colleges across the country have supported this campaign by using their AEB funding to fund the activity, and this has been brilliant, in times like this it’s clear that we need to ensure that learners remain supported to continue their learning, as well as give the opportunity to those who want to learn and develop. I’m really proud of our sector and the way we’ve pulled together to keep the learner at the centre of everything we do.” 

Brenda McLeish

Multiple colleges across the country have backed the Learning Curve Group campaign to keep individuals studying and learners on track throughout the crisis.

Lorraine Heath, deputy principal for curriculum, performance and innovation at Basingstoke College of Technology, said: “There has been a significant demand recently for adult learning courses such as Children and Young Peoples’ Mental Health, Nutrition and Health, Counselling Skills and Business Administration to support wellbeing during isolation and career progression. We are pleased to be working with Learning Curve Group who provide the online resources and support delivery to continue learning.”

The initiative has allowed colleges to meet that increased demand and support learners locally to develop their skills and knowledge. Kam Dehal, vice principal – business development (college group) commented: “During this period of isolation, we are keen to continue to deliver access to learning across our wider communities. We are extending our reach and responding to the increased demand so that we can support our local residents to be able to develop their skill set and focus on supporting their mental wellbeing during this time. We are delighted to have been able to join forces with the Learning Curve Group in order to support this essential initiative”’

One learner, who preferred to remain anonymous  said, “Having the ability to do online courses has helped me improve my skills and knowledge and also my depression as it gives me something to focus on, especially in this time of uncertainty, I have the ability to do it wherever and whenever I want to and have a bit of ‘me’ time.”

After the success of the #EducateWhilstYouIsolate campaign, the provider has also launched a #KeySkillsForKeyWorkers campaign. With qualifications such as End of Life Care, Infection Control and Customer Service suitable for those volunteering as key workers throughout the crisis, or as CPD for key workers who may be isolating. 

On Friday 3rd April, the government released a publication that said FE providers should continue to deliver learning online, ‘including for ESFA funded AEB, via existing sub-contracting arrangements to support existing learners to successfully complete their courses…  or retain evidence where this is not possible’ it also suggested that providers should be supporting ‘furloughed workers to enhance existing or develop new skills’. 

There has never been a higher demand to study online, and whilst this is a rapidly changing situation and one that no FE provider has experienced before, the message to FE providers from the government is clear – online learning is key to supporting learners through this crisis. 

If you’d like to support Learning Curve Group’s campaign and support the demand from learners in your area, find out more here: www.learningcurvegroup.co.uk/landing/isolate

Director of apprenticeships to leave ESFA

The Education and Skills Funding Agency’s director of apprenticeships, Keith Smith, is leaving the role later this month.

He will move to the Department for Education as its new director of post-16 strategy.

Smith will be replaced by Peter Mucklow, who is currently the ESFA’s director of further education.

Eileen Milner, chief executive of the ESFA, said Smith will “lead on strategic issues across post-16 provision to deliver the secretary of state’s priorities” and will be working alongside Gillian Hillier, DfE director of careers and further education.

FE Week understands one of his main duties will be responsibility for preparing a new FE bill that this newspaper revealed was in the works in January.

Smith is a civil service veteran with over 20 years’ experience in the education and skills sector.

From 2012 to 2018 he was the ESFA’s director of funding, leading on the apprenticeship funding reforms and the introduction of the levy.

He was then named director of apprenticeships, leading on policy and implementation of the whole system.

Mucklow has over 25 years’ experience working in the education and skills system and is currently responsible for oversight of FE providers.

Milner said she will shortly appoint someone to cover this role and added: “I wish Keith and Peter all the very best as they step into their new roles.”

 

AoC calls on Ofsted to delay inspections until 2021

The Association of Colleges has called on Ofsted to suspend all inspections until at least January 2021 owing to the disruptions caused by coronavirus.

The membership organisation says scheduled inspections should only go ahead where specific concerns have been raised about safeguarding or an inspection is requested by a provider.

Last month Ofsted announced it had temporarily suspended all inspection activity, including publishing reports, until further notice.

The AoC said today that education providers are likely to be closed to the majority of students until September, and will then be focussed on supporting students to “catch up” from an extended period at home and without face to face teaching.

The capacity of colleges and other training providers will be “stretched, and we expect that to affect the whole academic year 2020-21”.

Inspecting during the autumn term would “therefore be unfair”, according to AoC chief executive David Hughes.

He said: “Delaying inspections until early next year is the right thing to do in the current circumstances. Our leaders and staff are working tirelessly to support their students and communities.

“Colleges will be doing everything they can in the autumn term, presuming they can open, to support students to ‘catch up’ and get back into the rhythm and habit of learning.”

He added: “Work will need to be undertaken in collaboration with the sector to consult on the changes required to the methodology once inspections resume.

“When inspections resume the priority needs to be supporting the changes colleges will have made and learning from this unprecedented period of closures and online learning.

“No college should be at a disadvantage due to the fallout of the implications of coronavirus. We will continue to work with Ofsted to ensure that routine inspections work in the best interest of students and staff.”

A spokesperson for Ofsted said: “This is a challenging and uncertain time and all routine inspections are suspended until further notice.

“Restarting routine inspections is a decision government and Ofsted will take in due course.”

 

 

College staff don’t need protective equipment, new government guidance states

College staff do not require personal protective equipment, new government guidance has stated.

The guidance also warns cleaning items such as soap “may be rationed” as the supply chain dries up, and rules out any future coronavirus testing for all educational staff.

A document on ‘implementing social distancing in education settings’, updated this morning, states “scientific advice indicates that educational staff do not require personal protective equipment”.

“This is needed by medical and care professionals providing specific close contact care, or procedures that create airborne risk, such as suctioning and physiotherapy, for anyone who has coronavirus (COVID-19), and is displaying symptoms.”

If you are “not providing this care to someone with the virus, and displaying symptoms, PPE is not needed”, the guidance adds.

It comes despite calls from MPs for school and college staff to be given “priority access” to such equipment.

However the guidance instead states the advice for schools, colleges and childcare settings is to “follow steps on social distancing, handwashing and other hygiene measures, and cleaning of surfaces”.

This is because, the guidance states, the virus that causes Covid-19 is “mainly transmitted through droplets generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes or speaks. These droplets are too heavy to hang in the air. They quickly fall on floors or surfaces.”

However the guidance states some children, and those with special educational needs, “may be unable to follow social distancing guidelines, or require personal care support”.

“In these circumstances, staff need to increase their level of self-protection, such as minimising close contact (where appropriate), cleaning frequently touched surfaces, and carrying out more frequent handwashing.”

The Department for Education said it will “shortly publish additional advice for settings caring for children and young people with complex needs”.

Some cleaning items ‘may be rationed’

The guidance states the Department for Education has been working with public sector buying organisations to “understand and address supply chain issues relating to hygiene and cleaning products for state-funded provision”.

It adds: “At this time, the supply chain has flagged that for some products there are reduced volume deliveries, and less frequent deliveries, which means some items may be rationed.

“They are seeking to find alternatives to any products which are out of stock.”

Testing for all staff WON’T be rolled-out

The guidance states that testing has been prioritised for those most at risk of severe illness from the virus, those in hospital care for pneumonia or acute respiratory illness “will be the priority”.

It states is a “member of staff becomes unwell with a new, continuous cough, or a high temperature, in an education setting, they should be sent home and advised to follow the staying at home guidance”.

The guidance states that “wider testing is being rolled out, and priority lists will be set for this”.

It adds: “If critical workers, including education and childcare staff, are tested, this will not be for all staff, but rather for staff with symptoms, in order to enable them to go back to work if they test negative.”

Last month, schools and colleges were told they must keep campuses open to vulnerable children and those of “key workers” indefinitely, including during the holidays where possible, while most people go on an unprecedented nationwide shutdown.

Profile: Chris Webb

Jess Staufenberg finds herself spellbound by the new principal of Bradford College’s skill for telling an engaging story

It’s a rare interviewee who can narrate their life in so compelling and entertaining a waythat questions become essentially unnecessary, but Chris Webb, the new principal of Bradford College, can do just that. If this Essex boy and experienced sector leader can re-write the story of that struggling institution in as humane a way as he can tell a tale, the staff are in good hands.

Like all natural teachers, he has a habit of turning his past experiences into lessons for the present, and the story of his lorry driver father going bankrupt three times during his childhood is no different. It was an observation in risk that may just explain why Webb has been brave enough to take on Bradford last year, with its humiliating government bailouts, strikes and grade 3 Ofsted rating.

It’s not about success. It’s about what you do in failure to turn it around

“Today my dad would be described as an entrepreneur but I’m not sure they described them like that in the old days in the East End,” he chuckles. “He had three businesses that went broke. Every time he was bankrupt, we had to move out. My mum always said, ‘I lost three houses.’” His father, who suffered from pneumonia and flu, “always dusted himself off and began again”.

The experience made an impression on Webb. “The bit my dad gave me is that it’s not about success. It’s about what you do in failure to turn it around. I’m where I am because I’ve been willing to take risks.” The instability of his father’s work, however, also drove another point home – get an education. It sounds as though his mother deserves serious credit for endlessly bugging Webb about this.

“My mum was always saying, you need to get an education, because my dad dropped out of school so when he went bankrupt, he couldn’t get a job.” It was his mother who spelt it out straight when he failed English O level – “you won’t get a job without it” – and who, when Webb failed his A levels and was working in a betting shop, looked at his friends graduating from university and said “that could have been you, son”. He eventually got the English O level, headed to Havering College of Further and Higher Education to get A levels, and took himself off to university. Faced with moments of failure, Webb appears never to have taken it too personally and set out to prove everyone wrong instead.

Aged 5

Webb also has a great eye for spotting a learning moment in unglamorous places. One of my favourite stories is from behind the desk at a William Hill shop, aged 20. “Being a betting manager is about working out the bets,” he explains knowledgeably. “When people have multiple bets on horses or football results, it’s called ‘crashing the block’ and it’s complicated maths. I used to work it out with a calculator, but these people would know if you’d miscalculated by a penny. These people who had spelt the name of the horse wrong and played truant at school, they were whizzes at math. It instilled in me that anyone can learn anything if you’re interested enough.”

Webb took the hint himself and signed up to study human biology A level at night school in 1991. The deep satisfaction he gleaned from passing is, even all these years later, infectious. “I had an A level! I looked at the brochure and I thought, I’ll do geography this year. So I did another year at night school, and blow me down I passed it! I thought, ‘brilliant, now I’ve got two A levels”. I’ve rarely heard anyone speak with such joy about obtaining their education, qualification by hard-won qualification.

The story of his final A level is more moving. Webb had a sister, smart enough to have studied law before leaving to get married, with whom he was in good-humoured competition about who was cleverest. Together, they studied economics A level, giving Webb his third – and the same grade as his sister. “It ended in a draw!” Webb doesn’t dwell on the sadnesses in his life. His sibling died of cancer in her 30s. Their father followed her five years ago.

Chris competing in the Great North Run

Instead, he focuses on the people who gave him his great chances, many of them women. The first was the lecturer who picked up the phone when he applied through clearing for sport science and IT at Canterbury Christ Church university. It was full, but “she spent about 20 minutes on the line trying to help me find the right course. I thought, if she cares about me now, imagine how much she’ll care if I go there.” Webb held out so he could apply the following year, there also meeting his deeply supportive wife, Belinda.

The next person to give him a chance was Teresa Frith, now senior skills policy manager at the Association of Colleges, who interviewed Webb for his first FE job at Bedford College. “I always say, whatever goes wrong in FE that I’m responsible for, it’s Teresa’s fault,” he chuckles. Stints at the City of Westminster college, which supported him through teacher training, as well as Braintree College under Debbie Lavin (“she taught me loads about management”) followed. Then he saw it – the TES article about Jackie Fisher, fearsome principal of Newcastle College, entitled “I don’t do cuddling”. Fisher is quoted as saying “I don’t suffer fools”.

“I thought, I want to go and work for her,” says Webb. “It was one of the first jobs I’ve ever gone for, where I really wanted it. I remember driving back past the Angel of the North thinking, I do hope I see you again.” He did. “Jackie was one of the most inspirational people I ever worked for. It was tough, of course. I remember one year I had to read my numbers out at the senior leaders’ meeting and we were £0.5 million off target. I thought, ‘this is it then! Well, it’s been good fun.’” But Jackie was understanding. Webb laughs at his surprise at not losing his job, praising Fisher again for all she taught him.

At graduation with family

But an even greater learning opportunity, Webb says, was when he was a “rubbish deputy principal” at South Thames College for two years. He quit. “It was my failure. I can look back now and see why she was frustrated with me.” Sue Rimmer, principal of South Thames, was a strong contrast to Fisher. “Sue was very emotionally intelligent about how people felt. She’d come from a union background – students were important, but so were the staff. It was important to look after employees and I struggled with that after Newcastle.” But, as ever able to pick up a lesson during failure, Webb credits Rimmer with inspiring one of his strategies at Bradford. “Many of the decisions I’ve made at Bradford have been lessons I’ve learned from Sue. Our first strategy is a curriculum for learners; our second is outstanding student experience.” So far, so Fisher. “The third is to be an employer of choice. That wouldn’t have made my top 10 before.”

Whatever goes wrong in FE that I’m responsible for, it’s Teresa’s fault

Throughout our conversation, it becomes clear why Webb has now set himself the toughest challenge of all. Easy routes are not his style – and it may be that the success of Barnsley College, where he was from 2011 until March 2019, did not feel fully earned. Its ‘outstanding’ grade was in place before he joined. By contrast, nobody wanted Bradford College, which in 2018 needed two £1.5 million bailouts in one month – an unheard-of scenario.

“I was the only external candidate. But I wanted a challenge. By 2024, I want Bradford to be recognised as one of the best colleges in the country.”

Webb closes with a final story. “I was with my dad on his last day. He said ‘here son, you know what, your mum and I, we’ve had a laugh, it’s never been dull, and I don’t regret a thing.’

“I could have stayed at Barnsley. I’ve been at Bradford for a year now, and you know what, there’s not been a single dull day. I don’t regret it at all.”

ESFA suspends 24 more providers from recruiting apprentices

Twenty four apprenticeship providers have been suspended from taking on new starts after receiving poor Ofsted ratings so far in 2020.

In accordance with Education and Skills Funding Agency rules, any new provider found to be making ‘insufficient progress’ in at least one area of an early monitoring visit from the inspectorate will be temporarily stopped from recruiting unless there are “extenuating circumstances”.

The register of apprenticeship training providers was updated today and shows that a further 24 providers have been hit with the penalty since FE Week’s last stock take of banned providers in November.

They are among a list of 46 providers (see in full below) that are currently suspended from taking on new apprentices, which is a reduction on the 49 bans reported by the ESFA in November.

Since then, 18 of the 49 have left the apprenticeships register altogether and can no longer deliver the programmes in any capacity.

These are: Biffa Waste Services Limited, Care-Ex Services Limited, Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust, E.Q.V. (UK) Limited, Fresh Training Services (UK) Limited, Goodman Masson Limited, Havilah Prospects Limited, Hertfordshire Catering Limited, Mears Learning Limited, Piper Training Limited, Premier Nursing Agency Limited, Right Track Social Enterprise Limited, Securitas Security Services (UK) Limited, HL Training Solutions Ltd, The Sandwell Community Caring Trust, Total Training Company (UK) Limited, WDR Limited, and YMCA George Williams Company.

And nine of the 49 have had their suspensions lifted after achieving at least a grade three in a full Ofsted inspection, or found to be making ‘reasonable progress’ in safeguarding if that was the only area that failed during their first monitoring visit.

These are: Agincare Group Limited, Azilo Training Limited, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, Kingswood Learning and Leisure Group Limited, Prospect Training (Yorkshire) Limited, SSG Services (Est 2003) Limited, The Development Fund Limited, Took Us A Long Time Limited and University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust.

The full list of the 46 apprenticeship providers which have current recruitment suspensions as of 7 April (those in bold are new to the banned list since November):

2 SISTERS FOOD GROUP LIMITED

AAA TRAINING SOLUTIONS LIMITED

ACTIVE LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT LIMITED

ALDRIDGE EDUCATION

AMDAS CONSULTANCY LTD

ARRIVA LONDON NORTH LIMITED

ASHLEY COMMUNITY & HOUSING LTD

ASHLEY HUNTER LTD

ASHORNE HILL MANAGEMENT COLLEGE

ASPECTS CARE LIMITED

AZESTA LIMITED

BIOR BUSINESS SCHOOL LIMITED

BRITISH AIRWAYS PLC

CATALYST LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT LIMITED

COGENT SKILLS TRAINING LIMITED

COMPLETE TRAINING & ASSESSMENT LIMITED

CS TRAINING UK LIMITED

DIANTHAS LTD

DIVAD TRAINING LIMITED

E G S NATIONWIDE LIMITED

EMPOWERMENT CENTRE, TRAINING AND CONSULTANCY SERVICES LTD

FAIRWAY TRAINING (HEALTHCARE) LIMITED

GENIUS SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS LIMITED

GENIUS SOLUTIONS LIMITED

GLOUCESTERSHIRE ENTERPRISE LIMITED

GOWER COLLEGE SWANSEA

HOME GROUP LIMITED

JD ACADEMY LIMITED

KEYSTONE TRAINING LTD

LONDON DESIGN AND ENGINEERING UTC

MANATEC LIMITED

MATRIX SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL LIMITED

NEW MODEL BUSINESS ACADEMY LIMITED

PHOENIX4TRAINING LLP

PRINCIPAL SKILLS LIMITED

PROSPECTS TRAINING INTERNATIONAL LIMITED

RAPID IMPROVEMENT LIMITED

RITA’S TRAINING SERVICES

SOUTH EAST COAST AMBULANCE SERVICE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST

THE BUSINESS PORTFOLIO (UK) LIMITED

THE CHIEF CONSTABLE OF NORTHUMBRIA

THE TEACHING & LEARNING GROUP LIMITED

TVS EDUCATION LIMITED

WELCOME SKILLS LIMITED

WILLING AND ABLE LIMITED

WISER ACADEMY LIMITED

Rebecca Long-Bailey appointed as Labour’s new shadow education secretary

Rebecca Long-Bailey has been appointed as the shadow education secretary following a Labour Party reshuffle by new leader Keir Starmer.

Long-Bailey, the MP for Salford and Eccles, takes over the position from Angela Rayner, who was elected deputy leader and appointed chair of the party over the weekend.

Long-Bailey joined parliament in 2015, was previously the shadow business secretary, and came second in the Labour leadership contest.

Following her appointment today, she tweeted to say: “Delighted to be appointed as shadow education secretary by Keir Starmer and thanks to the brilliant Anglea Rayner for her work in this role.

“In this time of crisis I will do my utmost to ensure that our teaching staff, students and their families receive the support they deserve.”

She added: “Never has there been a more important time to fight for a properly funded, accountable, public education service, free at the point of use, from cradle to grave so that all our aspirations can be realised.

“Social mobility is meaningless if we don’t all rise together.” 

According to Long-Bailey’s website, she began her working life serving at the shop counter of a pawn shop, before moving on to call centres, a furniture factory, and as a postwoman.

She later studied to become a solicitor, “where, for many years I acted on behalf of NHS Bodies on a range of governance and contractual issues”.

Since joining Parliament, Long-Bailey has taken part in various debates in the House of Commons that concern apprenticeships and further education.

In June 2016, during a bill hearing on the apprenticeship levy, she said she was “happy to support” the introduction of the policy, but had “some concerns” including the three million starts target.

In November 2015 she took part in a debate on further education and told MPs that “Salford City College and other further education institutions in my constituency have had to battle savage cuts over the past five years”.

She added: “Colleges in my constituency cannot cope with further cuts to their budgets.

“The city college has already had to lose teachers and support staff, make cuts in pastoral care and extracurricular activities, and drop a number of courses just to survive.”

Free recording: Latest FE policy response to Covid-19 outbreak

On Saturday, FE Week hosted its second webinar looking at the latest legislation and guidance from the government regarding the response to the coronavirus pandemic, for the FE and skills sector.

Sponsored by Learning Curve Group and presented by Shane Mann, publisher of FE Week, the session included chief executive of the Association of Colleges David Hughes and chief executive of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers Mark Dawe.

We also heard from director of Holex Susan Pember, Ofsted’s Paul Joyce, chief executive of the Federation of Awarding Bodies Tom Bewick, and Ben Sutherland, a partner at law firm Eversheds Sutherland.

You can watch it back for free by clicking here.

Further FE Week webinars will be announced throughout the pandemic to help support the sector.

HMRC publish furlough and training guidance for apprentices

The government has finally confirmed that apprentices can continue with funded training when employers use the job retention scheme, subject to being paid the apprenticeship minimum wage “for all the time they spend training”.

HMRC guidance published today (click here),  says: “Apprentices can be furloughed in the same way as other employees and they can continue to train whilst furloughed.

“However, you must pay your Apprentices at least the Apprenticeship Minimum Wage, National Living Wage or National Minimum Wage (AMW/NLW/NMW) as appropriate for all the time they spend training. This means you must cover any shortfall between the amount you can claim for their wages through this scheme and their appropriate minimum wage.

“Guidance is available for changes in apprenticeship learning arrangements because of COVID-19.” Click here