Ofsted will start visiting colleges and training providers again from September – with letters about what the inspectors found to be published but with no grades.
The watchdog will also carry out an additional monitoring visit to new providers that have an existing ‘insufficient progress’ rating, which will also result in a “brief” report but will include fresh progress judgements.
Ofsted’s inspection activity has been paused since March owing to the outbreak of Covid-19.
Amanda Spielman (pictured), Ofsted’s chief inspector, said the inspectorate will be “part of the rebuilding effort from September” and their visits will “help parents understand how schools and colleges are getting children and students back up to speed after so long at home”.
“And we want to help [schools and colleges], by having constructive conversations and not passing judgement,” she added.
But Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said many leaders will need “a lot of convincing that these visits will bring real value or otherwise they will simply be a distraction”.
Guidance specifically for the FE and skills sector about Ofsted’s new “visits”, published today, states that they will “look at how effectively leaders are enabling provision to resume fully following an extended break in formal education, including considering remote education and safeguarding”.
The visits will focus on “all” providers with ‘inadequate’ or ‘requires improvement’ inspection grades as well as providers that the inspectorate has “identified risks or concerns about”.
A “sample” of ‘good’ and ‘outstanding’ providers will also be carried out, which will be “based around a series of professional conversations with senior and middle leaders, staff and learners, with a focus on identifying the barriers that colleges and other further education and skills providers have faced and are still facing in managing the return to full education for learners”.
They will also focus on the curriculum and “how it meets the reasonable needs of learners and stakeholders”; the “approaches used to develop learner’s knowledge and skills”; and safeguarding arrangements.
Ofsted stressed that these visits are “not inspections” and made clear they will not use the education inspection framework and FE and skills inspection handbook, and “we will publish a brief operational note in September about how we will carry out visits”.
But the visits will “not result in any grade or progress judgement; we will publish a letter explaining why we visited, what we found, and the next steps leaders should take,” the guidance added.
The visits will also “not judge providers on their response to Covid-19 during the spring and summer terms 2020”, and “not require any pre-written planning or other documentation for the visit” as the lead inspector will make a “simple phone call” to discuss the logistics of the visit.
Ofsted said it will also not ask providers for documents or records in a certain format as “we will use what they have”; not require staff to prepare any lesson plans or examples of assessment, or to put up any displays for the visit; and not involve a general review of policies and procedures.
FE and skills providers will be given up to two working days’ notice of a visit, but “occasionally longer where necessary”.
In terms of new provider monitoring visits from September 2020, Ofsted said: “We will carry out an additional monitoring visit, covering the three usual themes, to new providers that have one or more existing ‘insufficient progress’ judgements and that would have been due a full inspection up to and during this interim period.
“These visits will follow our established format.
“New provider monitoring visits will not result in an overall inspection grade for a provider. However, inspectors will make a progress judgement for each of the themes examined, and we will publish a brief report.”
Last month FE Week reported on the “frustration” of leaders at new providers, which were previously suspended from starting new apprentices after being judged as making ‘insufficient progress’, as the pause in Ofsted inspections has prolonged their inability to recruit.
Barton said the “rationale, consistency and tone” set by inspectors is going to be “more important than ever” come September, and “these visits must not turn into inspection by another name, at a time when schools and colleges will have so much to deal with”.
FE Week takes a look at how prison education has adapted after face-to-face teaching was suspended following the Covid-19 outbreak
Formal prison education was largely suspended almost four months ago as part of a wider national jail lockdown to reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission.
Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) advised the Justice Select Committee on March 24 that it was moving to an “exceptional delivery model” and confirmed that non-essential activities should be stopped.
Since then, inmates, who usually spend at least ten hours a day outside their cells, with many using that time to study with tutors from colleges and training providers, have been in lockdown for up to 23 hours a day.
Latest HMPPS data shows there have been a total of 44 deaths among prison service users where Covid-19 is suspected to be the cause and 510 prisoners have tested positive so far, according to the Ministry of Justice. In addition, the Scottish Prison Service College in Falkirk was closed at the end of April after a suspected outbreak of coronavirus among its trainers.
Staff at Portland Prison and Young Offender Institution tweeted their appreciation for the provision of learning packs
As a result of safety concerns, colleges and training providers have taken different approaches to overcome the challenges posed by the current restrictions in order to continue providing some form of education to their learners in jail.
Weston College, in Weston-super-Mare, which is one of four providers of the Prison Education Framework, has been printing 150 different learning packs every week and distributing them to the 19 prisons they serve on a bespoke basis.
These include packs tailored towards English and maths assessments for GCSE and functional skills as well as technical and vocational qualifications.
Andrea Greer, deputy principal of prison education, HR and reputation at Weston College, told FE Week they had to “mobilise the distance learning materials and remote learning materials incredibly quickly” during this “unprecedented time” because there was “obviously a need to try and keep up as much momentum as possible”.
She said Weston College has been trying to ensure the programmes are delivered sequentially where possible, while staff have been marking work and offering feedback to individual learners. They had also distributed books to residential units before prison libraries were locked down to ensure reading material was available.
Although the service has received “really, really positive feedback” from prisoners about the learning packs, Greer admitted that the discontinuation of face-to-face education will “disrupt continuity and focus”. She said that some learners may find it difficult to adapt to in-cell learning or find that noise or other distractions on residential units impedes their studying. The deputy principal was also concerned about the effect of confinement, a lack of visitors and anxiety about the pandemic on participation.
The provision offered by the providers of the Prison Education Framework usually includes a core curriculum of English, maths, ICT and English for Speakers of Other Languages.
It varied across prisons pre-lockdown as the numbers of hours of education to be offered are not stipulated in the contracts but can reach up to five to six hours a day.
Prison governors have the autonomy to decide about other services that will make up their education offer and therefore the amount of face-to-face teaching available is dependent on individual prisons.
At HMP Coldingley, in Surrey, for example (a prison where Weston College teaches), prisoners can opt for six weekly hours of education, in which they are able to type up assignments or access the virtual campus.
This hosts resources such as the Open University’s virtual learning environment.
Further disruption will be experienced by prisoners who may not be able to complete qualifications if they are transferred or released before delivery resumes. Moreover, newly arriving prisoners will not be able to access the full induction programme about their learning and training options.
A prisoner studying a Maths distance learning course in his room
However, Greer understands that some prisoners who had completed or almost completed learning may receive calculated grades, similar to this year’s cohort of students at other FE providers. She said: “As per Ofqual guidelines there are likely to be some claims for expected grades, especially for functional skills, provided that there is evidence of learning progress and performance plus assessments indicating that learners were on track to pass examinations.”
Another prison education provider Novus, which is part of the LTE Group, has used in-cell television, prison radio, telephony and digital resources to “support, engage with and educate” their learners in addition to distributed physical learning packs.
A spokesperson said: “Current restrictions have meant we’ve not been able to have the same face-to-face contact with our learners so we have had to adapt our delivery to address the challenges of the current situation.”
It has also worked with partners such as Koestler Arts, Music in Prisons, Sing Inside and White Water Writers to develop “adaptive offers that bring the classroom to the cell”.
Sarah Hartley, operational lead for creative arts, enrichment and families at Novus, added: “Access to, and engaging with, the creative arts is something that can be hugely beneficial when prisoners are confined to their cells and in isolation. Creative activities are integral to the opportunities that we are producing across Novus to engage with our learners from afar.”
Learners in all Novus establishments have been invited to participate in a project with Tate Modern called “A Future I Can Love”. Their in-cell brief is to respond to the pandemic through sketches, written word, poetry and music.
All four Prison Education Framework providers, which also include Milton Keynes College and independent learning provider PeoplePlus, are having twice weekly meetings with the MoJ, HMPPS and awarding organisations to share best practice, and Weston College’s learning packs have been uploaded to a shared portal so they can be accessed by other educators.
Greer said: “I think that there was a concerted effort on the part of all providers to work together for the benefit of those learners. It’s quite an open forum… that’s worked really well over this lockdown period.”
In contrast, one young offender institution has been delivering two hours of socially distanced face-to face education every weekday throughout lockdown, according to HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, who conducted scrutiny visits in April.
The young people, aged between 15 and 18, have been able to keep two metres apart at Parc, in South Wales, which is run by security company G4S. This has included classroom-based pathways as well as carpentry, cookery and PE. They additionally receive in-cell workbooks and library provision through a delivery service.
Furthermore, online in-cell teaching has been taking place in some institutions but is similarly not widespread due to limited access to remote learning platforms.
The Prisoners’ Education Trust (PET), which provides educational materials to people in prison, has also been working with staff to continue delivering distance learning courses during this time. The charity is calling for all prisoners to have restricted in-cell access to a computer device and an intranet where they can access interactive educational resources.
Francesca Cooney, head of policy, said: “It would completely revolutionise education provision and this Covid crisis has really highlighted the digital divide between people in the community and prisoners.”
She added that enabling prisoners to progress in individualised courses and to complete assessments “would have made all the difference in lockdown” and is “necessary if education in prisons is going to be relevant”.
Cooney believes prison education is vital as it can give inmates “good outcomes”, which helps them succeed when they are released.
The MoJ’s data lab found that ex-prisoners who had completed education courses during their time in jail – which include GCSEs, A-levels and level 1-3 diplomas – were 25 per cent less likely to reoffend, and 26 per cent more likely to find employment in their first year of release.
In addition, the department has reported that participation in prison education carries a net benefit of approximately £5,400 to £5,600 per learner.
A conditional roadmap on the easing of lockdown in prisons, published by the government in June, set out that when education activities do resume, they will do so with “considerable restrictions and adaptations”, including reduced capacity, and progress will be “slow and incremental”.
Although the average number of course applications received by the PET per month has dropped significantly from 220 to between 40 and 50 over May and June, the charity predicts a rise in engagement once prisoners are able to access education departments.
Cooney added: “I think they’ll be really looking forward to having the opportunity again. [But] even when education comes back in on the ground in prisons, that will be socially distanced education initially, so far fewer people will be able to do it than were doing it before, and there were never enough spaces in the first place for people.”
A government prison service spokesperson said: “Restrictions on daily life in our prisons have helped save lives and protect the NHS.
“Workbooks and in-cell activities have been provided and services will return to normal when it is safe to do so.”
A training provider has laid off all 30 staff and shut its door to hundreds of young engineering apprentices, FE Week can reveal.
West Yorkshire-based Kirkdale Industrial Training Services Limited (KITS), an Ofsted grade 2 registered charity that is more than 50 years old, informed their staff and the government of the decision to close on Tuesday.
A total of 278 young apprentices, typically in the engineering and manufacturing sector, have now been left without a training provider.
The decision also impacts 62 learners on study programmes taught by KITS through a subcontract with Calderdale College.
While this publication did not receive comment from the charity’s owners about the situation at the time of going to press, it is understood the main reason for pulling out of delivery was coronavirus related.
KITS website has been taken down and its phone went unanswered.
The Department for Education said their officials are now working with the company to help make sure their apprentices are able to continue their studies with alternative providers.
Calderdale College, which declined to comment, will be responsible for making alternative arrangements for the young people on study programmes so they can complete their learning.
While KITS is understood to be one of the first apprenticeship providers to shut up shop as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, it did report a healthy financial position in its latest accounts for the year ending March 2019.
They show a £122,259 surplus and state that the charity’s financial position “remains strong” with cash in the bank of £2.2 million.
KITS decision to cease trading came in the same week the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education published their latest board minutes and warned of up to 300 “at risk” providers.
The minutes, for a meeting in March, state: “The chief executive outlined the anticipated impact of Covid-19 on the apprenticeship programme. It was noted that 300 independent training providers/ colleges are estimated to be at risk, and that there were reports of disruption to apprenticeship assessments.
“It was further noted that a poor economic outlook for employers may reduce levy receipts, affecting apprenticeship starts and completion rates.”
A spokesperson for the quango told FE Week the 300 figure was an “early possible estimate” of what the impact of Covid-19 might be, based on a consensus of other informed stakeholders, such as the Association of Employment and Learning Providers.
Since March, the AELP has been warning government that providers could soon go bust as a result of the pandemic, without extra financial support as apprenticeship starts drop off.
Data published last week by the DfE showed that from March 23 – when lockdown began – to May 31 there were 26,090 starts compared to the 50,050 reported between those months in 2019 – a fall of 47.9 per cent.
While the ESFA has offered providers some form of Covid-19 supplier relief, in which they receive payment in advance of delivery, it excludes the majority of apprenticeships – those offered by levy-paying employers.
General FE colleges received a string of positive results, including a grade one, in June from the last drop of Ofsted reports before inspections resume in 2021.
However, the watchdog doled out a number of negative results to other providers, which included pushing two providers from grade two to grade four.
Seventeen reports were published throughout June, which featured the last inspection visits to take place before the watchdog paused all inspection activity in March due to the covid-19 pandemic. It was announced yesterday routine Ofsted visits will not resume until January 2021.
Riverside College Halton climbed from ‘good’ to ‘outstanding’ in their report, with inspectors commenting on the “exemplary” behaviour of learners in a “calm, orderly, aspirational and safe learning environment”.
The college was also complimented for its “well-qualified” teachers who benefit from “high-quality” professional development: for example, catering teachers are trained in chocolatiering and cake modelling.
Havant and South Downs College received a grade two in its first inspection since it was formed from merging the South Downs and Havant colleges.
The college was judged as ‘outstanding’ for its adult learning to 1,400 learners, who benefit from “flexible” learning to fit their working lives.
Despite dropping from a grade one, Walsall College was still considered to be ‘good’ following its latest visit, and is still ‘outstanding’ in its provision to 160 learners with high needs.
This was because leaders “very effectively” use high needs funding to plan a programme to prepare learners for further training, employment and life after college.
Goon news in the specialist sector as Livability Nash College, which provides to 45 learners with severe to profound special educational needs and disabilities, moved from grade four to three.
The students were reported as enjoying lessons in sensory communication, horse riding, cooking, music and exercise.
But independent provider Liga (UK) crashed from grade two to four after Ofsted found trainer-assessors do not hold “appropriate” vocational qualifications or experience.
Managers and leaders do not use apprentices’ prior learning, so too many start training with a level of prior attainment that is “the same or higher than the apprenticeship they enrol on”.
The grade four means Liga (UK) will likely be banned from the government’s apprenticeship provider register.
Fellow private provider Develop-U made ‘insufficient progress’ in two areas of a monitoring visit held after it received a grade three in a full inspection.
Inspectors reported tutors and coach assessors do not make enough use of information they have on 47 apprentices to plan a programme to meet their individual needs.
360 Recruitment received two ‘insufficient progress’ ratings in an early monitoring visit, after it was found 12 of its 17 apprentices employed by an external company have to work on a production line instead of attending planned training.
Burleigh College, an independent provider to unemployed adults, was told it ‘requires improvement’ at its first full inspection. Although a high proportion of its learners are successful in gaining employment, leaders have not planned a curriculum well enough to develop learners’ skills outside the qualification.
Employer provider Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust made ‘insufficient progress’ in two areas of an early monitoring visit. Staff, the report reads, do not have “sufficient” knowledge and skills to implement an “ambitious” curriculum.
The University of Suffolk, which delivered to 145 apprentices from four NHS trusts, was handed a grade three in its first inspection after inspectors found learners with additional learning needs do not receive adaptive software until some months into their studies.
Meanwhile Richmond-upon-Thames Borough Council went from a grade two to a four as inspectors said although the leadership of its apprenticeship programme was “sound”, the leadership of adult and community learning, “in stark contrast”, was “inadequate”.
Derbyshire Adult Community Education Service also dropped from a grade two, to a grade three. Leaders were reported as not having a “clear oversight” of provision as management information systems were “cumbersome or out-of-date”.
City Gateway, in London, did not improve on a grade three it received at a previous inspection.
Weymouth College and Leyton Sixth Form College both maintained a grade two following a short inspection.
Blue Arrow Limited and the University of Reading both scored three ‘reasonable progress’ ratings in a monitoring visit.
[CORRECTION: The original version of this article stated that ‘Derby Adult Community Education Service’ dropped from a grade 2 to a 3. It was in fact ‘Derbyshire Adult Community Education Service’ which dropped from a grade 2 to a 3.]
Covid-19 has changed the way colleges work – and so will the upcoming FE white paper, writes Ian Pretty
The past few months have been game-changing with colleges forced to modify almost everything they do in the wake of Covid-19. But more change appears to be on the horizon in the form of a new FE white paper.
We know that there are several issues that the white paper should address. Post-16 skills have a regulatory system that is not fit for purpose, outdated governance models and insufficient funding.
Colleges and universities are also in competition, especially around the delivery of level 4-5 provision.
There is potential for the paper to catalyse deeper strategic partnership between the government and the FE sector. A model like this already exists in Northern Ireland, where colleges have a seat at the table when the Department for the Economy decides on how to respond to globalisation, technological change and the demand for new skills. This model is not perfect: Northern Irish colleges have gained more access, but the price has been less autonomy.
The white paper will need to address the structure of the sector. Policymakers praise the “small is beautiful” model of colleges, delivering locally, embedded within their communities, and rooted in place. But we also hear that the government wants to rationalise the sector to possibly as few as 50-60 college groups in England.
Each model has strengths and weaknesses, but will the white paper support one model over the other?
We think that there are advantages to a group model.
College groups can leverage economies of scale to invest in high-cost provision, they can better weather financial storms and reduce government intervention, and they would be better able to form strategic partnerships with the government.
But how would smaller standalone colleges be integrated into such a system and what is the mechanism by which to achieve more regional college groupings? There is undoubtedly an element of déjà vu here with the area-based review (ABR) process not too far in the rear view mirror.
The ABR process had very mixed success and failed to achieve the government’s primary objective of fewer, larger and more financially resilient colleges. The reason was simply that the government could not force mergers. Perhaps it is considering following the lead of the Scottish government where colleges were brought into the public sector, compelled to merge and subject to ministerial oversight. This is not something Collab Group could support for the English sector as it would undermine the autonomy of colleges to make long-term strategic decisions in the interests of communities and learners.
Will the white paper support one model over the other?
In a world of English devolution, control in Whitehall would create a wedge between combined authorities and colleges. London’s economy and population are bigger than Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland combined; Greater Manchester’s economy and population is larger than Wales.
Perhaps the white paper should advocate a reset of FE to create a closer alignment to devolved skills strategy and funding and away from Whitehall?
College groups can leverage economies of scale Collab supports a drive towards regional colleges, but also recognises this won’t be right for all providers.
There is a social and economic value in smaller community and specialist providers that may not easily ingratiate into a wider group structure.
So, is there a “third way” between the group model and full reclassification? Perhaps smaller colleges should be allowed to revert to public sector control in the way that sixth-form colleges were offered to become MATs? This would ensure their long-term stability within the public sector, while still maintaining autonomous regional or college groups across geographies.
Ultimately, the white paper will not represent the first change for the sector, nor even the last. But the government needs to recognise the pivotal role that colleges play in supporting learners, communities and economic recovery.
Employers will be offered cash incentives of up to £750 per student on a T-level industry placement from September, the government announced today as part of a “new package of support”.
The funding, which will be paid to individual providers to then pass on to businesses, is planned to run just for the 2020/21 academic year currently.
Senior leaders in FE have long expressed concern that young people, especially in rural areas, will be unable to pass the T-level owing to a lack of local and lengthy placement opportunities, which need to be at least 315 hours, or approximately 45 days each.
Guidance published by the Department for Education this morning admits that “experience to date has shown that employers are in many instances unwilling to undertake industry placements because of the additional costs of organising them and training their staff to train the learners that would be taking on”.
As a result, providers “are eligible for the additional funding if they have an agreement with the department for the provision of 16 to 19 education and training and are receiving Capacity and Delivery Fund (CDF) in the funding year 2020/21 under that agreement”.
The funding, up to a maximum of £750 per industry placement and a maximum of ten learners per employer, must be used “only to provide such funding as can be reasonably deemed necessary to compensate employers who have cited eligible costs as a barrier to offering industry placements”.
“Eligible costs” can include administration, such as setting up management information systems; training, such as that for line managers in mentoring and working with learners; and operating costs directly relating to the industry placement such as, equipment, materials and supplies.
If providers are “satisfied” that the employer’s financial situation is such that it requires “immediate” support in order to initiate an industry placement scheme and if so requested, providers may provide the employer with an advance payment of up to 50 per cent of the estimated total at the start of the placement but “may not pay over the balance until after completion”.
Skills minister Gillian Keegan said: “With this new package we are supporting businesses and providers so they are able to give students access to the best possible experiences and ensure all placements are high-quality from the start, so we can set up the next generation for success.”
Other elements of the “new package” include “additional delivery models” for employers and providers for the way industry placements can be delivered to “reflect modern practices”, and allowing CDF placements to be delivered over two academic years, with a “reduced delivery target of 25 per cent for the 2020/21 academic year, to reflect the impact of the coronavirus on employers”.
New guidance “setting out the key roles and responsibilities for providers and employers”, and a “ new guide for students to help them prepare for their placement, with hands on support and advice so everyone can get the best experience possible” have also been published.
The government said it will also procure an organisation with the “appropriate expertise to support 2020, 2021 and 2022 providers to help them deliver high-quality placements in line with the delivery guidance”.
The new package follows an industry placement pilot programme, which included grants to employers, which was run in 2019/20. An evaluation report of the pilot can be found here.
The first three T-levels in construction, digital and education and childcare will be taught from September 2020 with more rolled out gradually between 2021 and 2023.
The new post-16 qualifications have been designed to be the technical equivalent and on a par with A-levels.
The Education and Skills Funding Agency has set out the measures it will take to “significantly” reduce subcontracting in further education over the next three years.
Headline actions to tackle “poor oversight and fraud” include a cap on the volume of subcontracted provision, a new national “standard” all providers will have to meet, “acting on the use” of brokers to “sell on” provision, and requiring prior approval for distance subcontracting.
The agency made the announcements on Tuesday as part of their response to their subcontracting consultation that was run earlier this year and which received more than 400 responses.
Here are the key things you need to know about the 10 proposals from the consultation, how they were received and what the ESFA is planning for each of them.
1. Providers to publish a reason for subcontracting
The ESFA said an educational “rationale” for subcontracting should be signed off by the provider’s governors or board and published on the provider’s website, alongside their management fee structure and a list of subcontracting partners.
Eighty-two per cent of respondents to this proposal either “strongly agreed” or “agreed” with this, and the proposal has now been adopted. The ESFA has given providers until October 31, 2020 to publish their rationale.
2. Introduce stronger criteria, including prior approval, for distance subcontracting
The ESFA proposed that providers submit a case for subcontracting at a distance – any delivery that is an hour or more away from the main provider’s campus.
More than a quarter of respondents, 27 per cent, “strongly disagreed” with this, saying it would “negatively impact” remote learners and that IT and online learning make it “irrelevant”.
The agency admitted distance arrangements are integral for certain delivery models, but expressed concern about how appropriate oversight can be maintained.
As a result of respondent concerns, providers will need prior approval just for distant 16-to-18 study programme provision from 2021-22, where delivery is outside their normal recruitment area.
3. Volume controls on provision
The agency’s consultation proposed decreasing the volume of provision a provider could subcontract over three years: from 25 per cent of a provider’s ESFA post-16 income in 2021-22, to ten per cent by 2023-24.
But 37 per cent of respondents said they “strongly disagree” with this, saying subcontractors “will be put out of business”.
As a result, the ESFA said it will “take forward work” this academic year to establish the “right threshold for that cap and timescales for a staged reduction”.
The agency will, however, require all providers to produce a plan during the 2020 autumn term setting out how they will achieve a reduction in subcontracted provision, and the ESFA will undertake a “random sampling exercise” of plans early in the 2021 calendar year.
4. Prior approval for some whole programme subcontracting
The ESFA’s consultation had proposed that from 2021-22 “we would introduce stricter controls on the circumstances in which the whole of a learner’s programme could be subcontracted, and providers will be required to obtain agreement from the ESFA before doing so”.
But 52 per cent of respondents either “disagree” or “strongly disagree” with it, according to the consultation outcome.
As a result, the ESFA said it will “introduce the requirement for prior agreement” only for all 16-to-18 and adult education budget programmes, not apprenticeships, that “exceed a specified guided learning hours duration, effective from 2021-22”.
5. Ofsted to monitor big subcontractors
The ESFA proposed to monitor the volume/value of provision held by a single subcontractor and where that is above £3 million, they said they would refer the provider to Ofsted for inspection.
Seventy-two per cent of respondents supported this.
The agency said it will now “take steps to ensure that large subcontractors are monitored and managed more effectively than at present” and they will “share this information with Ofsted” who “also believe that large subcontractors should be subject to more inspection”.
6. Require a direct contractual relationship between a lead provider and a third-party provider giving specialist input
This refers to sports clubs involved in subcontracting, where the agency wants there to be no financial transactions between the subcontractor and the club.
While this only affects certain respondents, most of those that put a definite answer did agree with this measure and the ESFA said this requirement will come in from 2021-22.
7. Introduce one set of funding rules for subcontracting
Nearly three-quarters of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with this, with most saying the current multiple sets of rules make compliance difficult.
By 2021-22, the ESFA will publish a single subcontracting reference guide containing the rules for all provision types.
8. Providers and ESFA to publish top slice retained for subcontracted provision
The ESFA said it will extend the requirement to publish information about managements fees retained in subcontracts to include 16-to-19 provision by 2021-22.
They will also “reserve the right to challenge and potentially act” with providers where “we learn of cases where the funding retained exceeds 20 per cent and offers “little value”.
9. Introduce an externally assessed standard for subcontracting management
This externally assessed standard for subcontracting would, the ESFA proposes, effectively act as a licence to practise.
A majority of respondents supported this proposal, but opponents see it as an additional burden and a potential duplication of Ofsted’s role.
The ESFA said it will develop a standard for all funding streams for the 2021-22 academic year, and it will obtain assurance in areas such as planning and governance and managing contractual and supplier risk.
10. Implement changes from 2020-21 where possible
Thirty-seven per cent “strongly disagreed” with this, so the ESFA, in light of the Covid-19 outbreak, has decided to roll out reforms at a more “cautious” pace. The ESFA will still implement some changes from the next academic year but phase them in until 2022-23.
Construction Gateway in the West Midlands has resulted in wider economic benefits and more students finding jobs, says Clare Hatton
“Levelling-up” has become a buzz word in politics, particularly following the prime minister’s pledge to provide equal opportunity and future prosperity.
But as we continue to navigate a global health crisis, it is set to become even more important as we try to ensure that economically disadvantaged populations no longer fall behind and that the new wave of unemployment is quickly addressed. A step-change in FE is needed, providing a deeper understanding of the evolving needs of communities to equip people with the right skills and training opportunities to drive improvements in local economic performance, as well as rebalancing productivity and social mobility.
In this year’s Budget the government said it would spend £1.5 billion over five years upgrading and improving colleges.
We must be strategic now and in the aftermath of the pandemic
This is a positive move, but more cash is needed in the impending spending review to address the urgent need to boost the economy, especially in the light of Covid-19.
The role of FE in driving adult education, skills retraining and supporting the wider levelling-up agenda will therefore be substantial and calls for a more collaborative approach.
Shifting priorities and provision
FE is vital in securing the country’s future and shaping our economy and society. With more than 2.2 million young people and adults requiring education and skills training, this has never been more important. However, we must consider reinvigorating the system to ensure we can be strategic in helping individuals and employers requiring support, now and in the aftermath of the pandemic.
We must create more accessible routes to rebalance the opportunities for a wider range of people; greater collaboration is needed between colleges, providers and employers to identify and address the skills needs of their particular regions.
Devolution has allowed the WMCA to effectively respond to the region’s sectoral priorities, targeting investment in skills where it is needed. Having control of the adult education budget for the West Midlands has given us the autonomy to better identify and respond to the needs of learners and employers, matching the right skills with the incoming demand.
Learning from successes
Unemployment is generally higher across the West Midlands than the UK average, and workers are generally lower skilled. However, the region has performed better than average in terms of improving these measures since the foundation of the combined authority. Processes focus on training and skills provision, and job opportunities that support the region’s wider economic and social priorities.
Our Construction Gateway programme, which provides basic construction training through the classroom and practical onsite experience, targets the hardest to reach residents.
This includes the long-term unemployed, ex-offenders and BAME groups. Forty-nine per cent of students have been from BAME groups and 5 per cent have been women (compared with 7 per cent and 1 per cent respectively across the sector).
The programme has successfully delivered a much stronger focus on matching skills funding with the skills needs of construction, and this knowledge has in turn helped the relationships between training providers and major construction employers to improve significantly. They have been able to better understand the current vacancies and the relevant training requirements to meet immediate and future skills needs.
Consequently, employers have identified improved access to skilled, motivated and “work ready” staff, also improving the perception of those within harder to reach demographics.
Greater collaboration and better understanding can now be applied to other sectors and regions in a bid to rebalance social disparity.
Looking ahead
The importance of building strong partnerships with business, employers, FE colleges and training providers, and being responsive to their needs, has never been so important. The FE sector must adopt a more collaborative approach to skills and retraining, building local knowledge and relationships to address the economic and social priorities and close the wealth and opportunity gap
