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Burnham boosts cash to solve FE capacity crisis

Andy Burnham will use £10 million from his combined authority’s coffers to double the value of a special government grant to boost post-16 student capacity next year.

The Greater Manchester mayor has approved plans to tackle the 16 to 19 population bulge that many major cities are facing.

In April the government announced £10 million in capital funding for both Greater Manchester and Leeds to create “additional capacity” from September.

According to a Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) report, the mayor will put forward £10 million in “recycled” local funding, amid concerns the government’s £10 million for 2025-26 is only a “partial” solution to population growth that is projected to continue until 2028.

GMCA plans to use its own money to either “flexibly” top up Department for Education capital funding in later years or to pay for workforce and equipment needs.

The authority will also give half of the post-16 funding to Manchester City Council, one of the region’s 10 boroughs, after identifying high demand for providers from learners travelling from elsewhere in the region.

Meanwhile, Leeds City Council told FE Week it was “continuing to work” on how the funding will be spent locally and hoped to confirm plans “over the coming weeks”.

What’s the problem?

Most of England’s largest cities are under pressure to increase education places as the number of 16 and 17 year olds is projected to grow by 8 per cent, or 110,000, between 2023 and 2028.

Leeds City Council told FE Week its projection for its own area was a rise from 18,000 in 2023 to 20,000 in 2028.

In response, its schools, sixth forms and colleges have created 900 extra places in the last three years.

But Colin Booth, chief executive of Leeds’ main college group Luminate, said the city “urgently needs” around 2,500 more places by 2028 to cover technical level 3 courses and “almost all” subject areas below level 3.

Projections for Manchester suggest an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 extra education and training places will be needed “in coming years”, on top of the 2,000 places created by post-16 capacity funding in 2023-24.

According to the GMCA report, those places “mostly focused” on level 3 provision in sixth forms such as A-levels, while technical education places at lower levels were “stretched to their limits”.

Most for Manchester

Greater Manchester said the “very welcome” £10 million from the government would likely be used for urgent “repurposing [of] existing facilities” or “converting unused space”.

To decide which parts of the region funding goes to, officials have devised a formula that combines projected population change, numbers of young people not in education, employment or training, and “travel to learn” ratios between Greater Manchester boroughs.

As a result, colleges in the Manchester City Council area will share £5 million, while providers in Salford will get £1.2 million. Other boroughs will receive as little as £224,000.

The council appeared to win much of the funding after an analysis of its post-16 provision last year found it was about to run out of space.

After raising the issue repeatedly with DfE officials since 2022, the city council had “no option” but to “formally” declare a gap in provision, in the hope this would persuade the department to fund about 2,000 extra places.

The department had “no strategy, mechanism or funding” to address post-16 capacity issues in the same way as schools, Manchester City Council complained.

Is £10 million enough?

Leeds and Greater Manchester have welcomed the £10 million in capacity funding but other cities are understood to be facing similar population pressures.

But both cities agree funding is needed beyond the DfE’s capital grant, which cannot pay for revenue elements like equipment or staff wages, and may not address continued population growth up to 2028.

Leeds City Council said that while the extra £10 million was a “major boost” in filling the projected gap in physical spaces and learning environments, additional funding was needed for infrastructure and teaching “given the scale of provision required to meet demand in the city”.

Nikki Davis, principal of Leeds College of Building, told FE Week: “It’s not just about creating space, recruitment of staff has been notoriously difficult for years.

“Because of a lack of funding going in [to further education], rate rises are not keeping up with the costs of employment, so we’re not getting people into the industry.”

College planning to axe 100 staff faces strike

A college that is planning to cut 100 people from its workforce amid a financial crisis is facing three days of strike action and “significant disruption” during the exams season.

The University and College Union (UCU) today announced members at Havant and South Downs College (HSDC) will walk out on June 13, 18 and 19 over the “devastating” situation.

It comes days after HSDC’s long-standing principal Mike Gaston announced his retirement and follows government intervention due to “serious cashflow pressures”.

The college warned of “substantial” redundancies last month following a financial notice to improve.

A UCU spokesperson today claimed that the college wants to cut staff by 29 per cent at its Alton campus, 30 per cent at the Havant site and 33 per cent at its South Downs campus.

HSDC said the proposals affect “around 70 full-time equivalent roles (approximately 100 individuals), representing 12.5 per cent of our workforce”, and added: “Our extended consultation process with local trade unions has resulted in most staffing reductions occurring voluntarily, with only about 30 FTE roles still under review.”

UCU said staff will be picketing at all three sites from 8am to 10am on each day of the proposed strike action.

HSDC’s spokesperson said the college “acknowledges the right of staff to take industrial action”, but added: “We are deeply disappointed that planned strikes over the next few weeks coincide with critical exam periods and key taster sessions for prospective students.

“This timing risks significant disruption to students at a crucial point in their academic journeys, as well as to those considering their future studies with us.”

HSDC teaches around 7,000 students.

UCU has 145 members at HSDC. Turnout for the strike ballot was 61 per cent of total members, and 64 per cent backed strike action. UCU also claimed that members of the National Education Union at the college will join the action.

UCU’s spokesperson added that college management has offered talks with the union and NEU next week to discuss how the strike can be avoided and the trade dispute resolved.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “UCU and NEU members will be on picket lines this month because the savings management is trying to achieve would result in devastating job cuts and learning and support provision being slashed. It is hard to imagine how the college can continue to function, and students can continue to thrive with such severe cuts.

“HSDC is a college which has had outstanding teaching and learning, but staff and students have been let down by poor leadership and catastrophic failures in financial management. We now urgently need financial stability. The executive leadership team and board of governors must change course and work with the recognised unions to find a solution that protects provision and the college’s future.”

HSDC, rated ‘good’ by Ofsted, was deemed to have ‘inadequate’ financial health by the year ending July 2024 and its audited accounts warned of “material uncertainty”.

The financial statements show a £550,000 deficit, a negative EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) and a high staff-to-turnover ratio of 72 per cent – 7 percentage points above the FE Commissioner’s benchmark.

HSDC’s spokesperson said: “Whilst we respect the concerns raised by staff, we are also aware of the need to right-size the college and ensure our staffing resource is fully utilised. As we address overstaffing during this difficult time, we urge all parties to consider the long-term effects of strike action on students and the wider college community.

“Open communication and constructive dialogue has been in place with trade unions throughout this process, and remains essential in finding resolutions that support both our valued workforce and the learners who rely on us.”

Parents win payout after council SEND transport failure

A local council has been ordered to pay thousands to three families for failing to help SEND learners get to college.

Derby City Council has agreed to pay £4,240 after the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman investigated three complaints that the council’s transport offer for vulnerable students was “impractical and unaffordable”.

The investigation, published yesterday, found that the council had applied its post-16 SEND transport policy “too rigidly” and one mum had “no alternative” but to give up work to drive her child to school.

Derby City Council said it does not comment on individual cases but has taken “swift action” to implement all the Ombudsman recommendations.

Cash-strapped councils have increasingly introduced annual charges to families to contribute to post-16 SEND transport in a bid to fill their financial black holes, a previous FE Week investigation found.

Councils also alternatively offer personal travel budgets, which provides fixed regular payments to families to arrange suitable transport for their children with specialist needs.

But a number of specialist colleges have previously raised serious safeguarding concerns of the safety of the actual transport provided, with safety breaches such as blind students abandoned by taxis reported.

The complaints

The investigation report outlined each of the three complaints to the council over its offer of personal travel budgets (PTB).

The first was from a parent named Ms X, who criticised that Derby council’s personal travel budget of £1,600 per year was an “unaffordable” contribution towards the cost of her child’s transport. Ms X said the only viable transport option was a taxi, which was £80 per day.

As a result, she told the ombudsman that she had “no alternative” but to give up work and to take her child to school, causing her to rack up debt and lose her support network at work.

The second parent, Ms Y, also complained the PTB was “too low” for her fourth child to take a taxi to college so they were dropped off late and collected early, causing anxiety and the learner missing out on special education.

Ms Y also complained to the education secretary who found the council applied the policy “too rigidly” and asked it to reconsider how it applies exceptional circumstances.

The council eventually organised a taxi after the start of the 2024/25 academic year and offered to reimburse Ms Y’s mileage and retain the PTB as a financial remedy. She told the Ombudsman it does not reflect the “level of injustice” caused over a whole school year.

Meanwhile, Ms Z’s complaint said the council wrongly applied a policy that did not cover the age group of her child, who was an adult learner.

She also complained that the annual PTB of £4,240 offered did not cover shared transport, which cost £144 per day – a shortfall of over £11,800 per year. The council full reimbursed her costs and offered to pay for a taxi.

The investigation

The Ombudsman found in all three complaints that the council had decided it was necessary for it to provide support, but did not then check whether the solution offered “did the job” of actually getting students to school or college.

The council failed to consider whether the PTBs were affordable for each family, it ruled.

It recommended the council apologise and offer compensation to all three families.

It ordered Derby City Council to pay Ms X £1,000 for the distress it caused. It advised Ms Y to be paid £250 for the distress, £1,240 for the extra time spent taking her child to college, and £1,600 for the learners’ missed attendance.

The council was also made to pay £150 to Ms Z for the distress.

Amerdeep Somal, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman said: “Councils must demonstrate they have considered the options offered to individual families, who are entitled to transport support, that actually provide a practical, safe and affordable solution to allow them to attend. They should not be given a simple ‘one size fits all’ blanket offer.

“Derby City Council has now accepted my recommendations to improve its service, including revising its policy. I hope this will mean it properly considers families’ applications in future.”

Councillor Paul Hezelgrave, Derby City Council cabinet member for children, young people and skills, said: “While the council is unable to comment on individual cases, we accept the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s findings in these three cases and have taken swift action to implement all recommendations set out in the report.

“The council offers high-quality home-to-school travel assistance to more than 1,000 children and young people every day. Through ongoing service and delivery improvements, we’re committed to making sure all eligible children, young people, and their families consistently receive excellent support.”

‘Wholly unsuitable’ EHCPs, long waits for help: SEND inspection failures revealed

“Wholly unsuitable” education, health and care plans (EHCPs), long waits and “poorly planned” transitions into different phases of education were among the key reasons areas failed SEND inspections, new analysis by Ofsted shows.

The watchdog, alongside the Care Quality Commission, has vowed to make a series of improvements – including exploring the creation of a national pool of education inspectors and introducing report cards – following a two-year review into the local area partnership assessments.

Just 14 (26 per cent) of the 54 areas visited since the inspections were rolled out in 2023 received top marks – with the same number ordered to “urgently” address “widespread and/or systemic failings”.

Lee Owston, Ofsted’s national director for education, said: “We know that we can continue to improve the way that we inspect local areas.

“[It’s] a fact that services for children with SEND have fallen short for too long, and it is vital that we hold providers to account where improvements need to be made.”

1. ‘Wholly unsuitable’ EHCPs

Ofsted’s review stated the timeliness and quality of EHCPs was “identified as an area for improvement in 69 per cent of inspections” and a priority area in 71 per cent of areas with “widespread” failings.

In some, the plans “did not capture key information” from all the necessary professionals from education, health and social care. This was despite them “having a strong understanding of the child or young person’s needs”.

Some parents also said the support outlined in EHCPs “was wholly unsuitable for their child’s level of need or was not provided at all”.

Examples of “stronger practice” were witnessed, though. For example, one partnership “commissioned specialist providers to start assessments before… plans were agreed”.

This meant children and young people “got the support they needed quickly, sometimes without the need” for an EHCP.

2. Long wait times caused ‘pain and restriction’

In almost 60 per cent of inspections, “long waiting times for health services” for children and young people with SEND were listed an area for improvement. In 64 per cent of areas with “widespread and/or systemic failings” it needed action as a “priority”.

Needs could escalate during waits for services, the review said, while poor communication could frustrate parents and erode “their trust in the SEND system”, particularly if their child needs a diagnosis.

This can then further delay referrals to appropriate services.

In some areas, there were long wait times to access specialist equipment, which can have a “significant adverse impact” on children’s lives.

Waits for specialist wheelchairs caused some to suffer “from pain and restriction”, affecting their “physical development and… ability to fully participate in daily activities”.

3. Governance most common ‘priority area’

Strategic governance and oversight arrangements were most commonly identified as a “priority action”.

In these areas, leaders “had been too slow to respond” to the rise in SEND numbers and the “increasing complexity” of their needs. They usually “did not understand” youngsters’ needs and so did not target resources effectively.

But the review cited a “belonging strategy” in one partnership that was successful “largely because of the work of the behaviour support advisory team and appropriate use of AP”, which was “used as an intervention and not respite”.

The work helped “reintegrate” them back into mainstream settings. It also reduced suspensions and exclusions across primaries and secondaries.

4. Data-sharing ‘key’

Ofsted said “effective information and data-sharing” across a partnership is “key” to informing how services are prioritised and coordinated.

Where this was done best, partnerships were able to “identify emerging trends”, helping youngsters receive “the right support at the right time”.

However, this was listed as an area for improvement in 46 per cent of inspections. In “many areas… education, health and social care partners used different systems”, preventing them from “sharing information effectively and efficiently”.

This meant practitioners worked “in isolation” and that children and young people’s needs “were not always identified”.

The review added that “if schools do not share attendance data with relevant partners quickly, they may fail to identify when absenteeism is becoming a concern for a child with SEND”. This could lead to pupils’ needs “escalating”.

Inspectors did see “examples of partners using data effectively to ensure there were sufficient spaces in special schools, AP and post-16 settings”. This was also used to “plan and commission” additional places.

5. ‘Gaps in provision’ and poor transitions

Commissioning arrangements were listed as a “priority action in 43 per cent” of areas with “widespread and/or systemic failings”.

This led to “gaps in provision”, with leaders “not using available data and information effectively” to make commissioning decisions.

This impacted “what health, education and social care services could offer” kids, making appropriate provision unavailable.

When arrangements were effective, leaders “were able to make the best use of resources to help improve outcomes”. In one area, leaders were able to check the “suitability of commissioned AP and out-of-area placements”.

Planning for the transition between different phases of education, such as moving to new schools, colleges or into adult life, was an area for improvement in just over half of inspections.

This “led to gaps in provision and meant some children… did not have access to employment, training opportunities or other relevant services”.

“This can prevent those children and young people from achieving their potential, as well as making them feel isolated from their community,” the report said.

6. Working with parents

Through “co-production” children, families and providers “work together to make a decision or create a service that works for them all” to inform decisions and allow “everyone to feel like equal partners”, the review noted.

This was listed as an area for improvement in 24 per cent of inspections. Inspectors found “too often” ECHPS that weren’t “co-produced and therefore did not capture the child or young person’s voice”.

“In some cases, the contribution from health and social care professionals was not sufficient to provide a comprehensive review of the young person’s needs and how these could best be supported through a joint, multi-agency approach.”

7. Improvements promised

Ofsted and CQC said they will “consider options for further developing the area SEND framework”. This includes exploring the introduction of a “report card” after the first cycle of area SEND inspections ends in December 2027.

Following the review, the watchdogs also committed to making nine improvements to the way SEND checks are conducted. They are:

ensuring that inspectors have sufficient time and providing more opportunities for young people and families to engage with them during visits
communicating better with children, young people and families to ensure they understand how to share their thoughts with inspectors by improving surveys
simplifying the data inspectors ask for
making engagement meetings more supportive and adjusting the frequency of these meetings
where appropriate, specifying more clearly which member of the partnership should take forward areas for improvement
exploring how inspection reports can be made more accessible and sharing a summary of survey findings with local area partnerships and family representative groups to support strategic planning
updating and increasing the frequency of inspectors’ training
exploring the creation of a national pool of Ofsted education inspectors to increase the consistency and expertise of teams
working with the Ofsted Academy to continue recruiting inspectors with relevant experience in SEND and alternative provision

It’s the good, the bat and the snugly this Volunteers’ Week

From refurbishing derelict community buildings to creating bat boxes for primary schools, members of the Good for Me, Good for FE campaign are assessing the efforts of college students and staff during Volunteers’ Week.

The campaign, now in its fourth year, helps colleges drive up community action opportunities for their students and raise the profile of the difference they are making.

Building foundations

Foundation learning and construction students at Nottingham College have transformed two community centres this year, gaining valuable skills along the way.

Guided by mentors from youth charity Volunteer It Yourself, students gained level 1 qualifications in painting, decorating and carpentry alongside their regular studies, even finishing projects ahead of schedule thanks to their early starts and late finishes.

Foundation learning student Kayden said: “I learned woodwork, painting and how to work in a team. It was fun to do with my friends and gave me confidence for other projects.”

Saving the bats and the bikes

Furniture-making students at Newark College, part of Lincoln College Group, were tasked by Newark and Sherwood District Council to come up with a way to protect diminishing bat populations in the area, with a focus on biodiversity and sustainability.

After presenting their prototypes, students were asked to make 55 bat boxes, one for every local primary school. They had to learn how to use power tools, as well as working to tight deadlines in their teams.

One student has taken the idea even further by starting their own business making animal houses using the skills they picked up.

Meanwhile, the college’s multi-skills students worked with police to fix up bikes that had been seized, or found and not claimed, so they could be put to good use.

Ten bikes were given to the college in a poor state. Students learned how to remove parts, renovate them, change the wheels and tyres and re-paint frames, all as part of close-knit teams that had to work to a budget.

The college reports that seven out of the 10 bikes were successfully repaired and were then offered to students who needed them to get to college and back. The success of the project has meant another four bikes have since been donated.

USP local legends

In partnership with Essex Youth Service, USP College’s ‘local legends’ group opened up a range of opportunities for students to make a difference to their community and work towards the new Good for Me, Good for FE volunteering micro-credential.

This year, USP College Students’ Union took the lead on campaigns and initiatives promoting cardiovascular health, including rolling out first aid training so students know how to respond and help those in cardiac arrest.

Other projects included sports students taking the lead on organising tournaments and calling up creative and design students to organise publicity.

USP’s local legends now meet weekly and bring in guests to help lead new projects throughout the year.

Prepare for awards season

The Good for Me, Good for FE annual awards event is now an established entry in the FE calendar that identifies, celebrates and shares the very best social action initiatives in colleges across the country, as well as recognising the dedicated staff and student volunteers that are making a difference.

Entries for this year’s awards will open in September. Those shortlisted will be invited to an awards ceremony at the House of Lords in December where winners across eight categories will be announced.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: EDITION 499

Jo Easton

Trustee, Prison Education Trust

Start date: May 2025

Concurrent Job: Policy, communications and research consultant, self-employed

Interesting fact: Jo’s flat is part of a converted convent that was designed by the same architect as the Royal Courts of Justice

Sally Burnell

Trustee, Prison Education Trust

Start date: May 2025

Concurrent Job: Director Communications, The Bar Council

Interesting fact: Sally loves dancing. She started learning tap as an adult and for a short while was in the same dance class as the late great comedian Victoria Wood

Craig Hanlon-Smith

Principal, London South Bank Technical College

Start date: September 2025

Previous Job: Vice Principal – Student Engagement and Centre Principal – North Kensington, Morley College

Interesting fact: The love of Craig’s life is Baxter the beagle, nothing and no-one shall ever come between them

Teacher sacked in trans-student name row can appeal

A maths teacher fired by a college for refusing to use the name and pronouns of a trans student has been granted an appeal against a tribunal decision that ruled he was not unfairly dismissed.

Last year, the employment tribunal rejected an unfair dismissal claim from Kevin Lister, a teacher at New College Swindon from August 2020 until September 2022, who was found to have discriminated against a trans student and refused to comply with the college’s policy on gender.

The case will now be heard at an employment appeal tribunal after a judge ruled there were “arguable points as to the boundary between belief and manifestation” of belief under the 2010 Equality Act, and “unqualified rights to hold a belief” under the European Convention on Human Rights.

According to one legal expert the appeal outcome could have ramifications for all employers in education.

At a preliminary hearing last week Judge Beard labelled the appeal as “complex and raising point(s) of law of public importance”.

New College Swindon said it was “disappointed” with the appeal decision but remained “confident” its actions were “fair, justified, and did not amount to discrimination”.

Specialist employment lawyer Joanne Moseley from Irwin Mitchell told FE Week she had witnessed a growing number of incidents relating to conflicts of belief and freedom of expression.

She said: “I’ve seen many policies, including in the education sector, which don’t do enough to address and balance the needs of trans people protected under the gender-reassignment provisions of the Equality Act with the needs and rights of those protected under different protected characteristics, such as religion or belief and sex.”

The appeal comes after a significant Supreme Court ruling in April which ruled the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex.

Case begins

Lister was hired to teach maths at New College Swindon in August 2020, the same year student A, as named in the tribunal documents, started their A-levels at the college.

The following year student A asked Lister to refer to them with a male name and pronouns.

Lister was subject to a disciplinary investigation after the college received a complaint from another student that he refused to use student A’s preferred pronouns. The college also found Lister gestured towards student A instead of using their name, and on one occasion, wrote the student’s previous female name on the classroom whiteboard.

Lister also filed a safeguarding concern over student A being in “serious and imminent” danger from taking cross-sex hormones, though he later admitted having no evidence to substantiate his concern.

Lister was fired in August 2022 for gross misconduct for refusing to follow the college’s gender reassignment policy, which told staff to use students’ preferred names and pronouns. He was also barred by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Former principal Carole Kitching acknowledged at the tribunal that Lister also had protected beliefs, but he was sacked because of the way he manifested his gender critical views rather than those beliefs.

Lister brought claims of unfair dismissal, discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief and indirect discrimination in late 2022. All claims were dismissed in a judgment handed down in March 2024.

Appeal fight

Lister launched a crowdfunder in January 2024 called “Fight transgender madness in the education system” to fund cases against New College Swindon, the DBS and the Department for Education. The latter is for a judicial review “against the DfE’s actions to deliberately allow transgender indoctrination into our schools”.

At the time of going to press he had raised £34,288 towards his £50,000 target, receiving over 1,100 donations.

The employment appeal tribunal judge accepted two grounds of Lister’s appeal and said there were “arguable points” to assert the boundary between belief and manifestation in the Equality Act.

Lister argued the first tribunal did not consider the “inherently discriminatory” nature of the college’s gender reassignment policy and that the college attempted to interfere with his beliefs by making him adhere to the policy.

The hearing will discuss whether Lister’s contention that he “finds it difficult to use what he perceives to be the “incorrect” pronoun” was justified.

Moseley said that employers often manage issues “incorrectly” when staff members hold protected beliefs that don’t align with organisational values.

“For example, applying a hierarchy of protected characteristics and prioritising certain ones over others, possibly because of poor DEI training or allegiance to particular workplace schemes,” she said.

“The college in this case was seeking to balance these issues in the measures it took. Whilst each case is determined on its own facts, it is likely that the EAT case will give guidance that all employers can learn from.”

A New College Swindon spokesperson said: “Our priority is, and always will be, the safety and dignity of all of our students and staff.

Right-wing backlash against gender diversity could fuel conflict in FE

“We will continue to cooperate fully with the legal process and look forward to resolving the matter at the appeal hearing in due course.”

Lister told FE Week: “This is a critically important case to both education and democracy. If I am successful, teachers in schools and colleges will be free from the demands to promulgate ideologies against their wishes.

“This freedom is one of the bedrocks of Western democracies, yet it has never been under more threat.”

Plea for guidance

The appeal case comes as colleges await trans guidance from the government.

The DfE published draft guidance for colleges in December 2023 and has yet to publish the findings from its 2024 public consultation.

New College Swindon urged the DfE to provide “clear, statutory guidance”.

“The absence of definitive national policy continues to place education providers in a difficult position,” a college spokesperson said.

Most adult apprentices continue English and maths after exemption

Most adult apprentices are still studying for English and maths exams despite no longer being required to do so by the government, FE Week can reveal.

Ministers announced on February 11 that an exit rule, which forces apprentices without a GCSE pass to achieve a functional skills qualification in the core subjects to complete their training, was scrapped with immediate effect for those aged 19 or older.

Employers, training providers and apprentices were given a deadline of April 1 to decide whether to continue or stop English and maths study and update individual training plans.

Exclusive data, obtained by FE Week through a Freedom of Information request from the Department for Education, showed that of the 73,460 on-programme adult apprentices who were working towards at least one functional skills qualification at the time of the policy change, 43,830, or 60 per cent, had continued.

Another 1,540 (2 per cent) were on a break in learning, and 28,090 (38 per cent) had withdrawn from English and maths study.

Stephen Evans, chief executive of Learning and Work Institute and a member of the English and Maths Coalition, said: “It’s good that 60 per cent of apprentices are continuing with functional skills, but disappointing that 40 per cent aren’t and that most future adult apprentices won’t have this focus.

“While some sectors will have built high levels of English and maths into their apprenticeship standards and so feel they don’t need separate qualifications, we are concerned too many apprentices will be missing out on skills that are vital to their future lives and careers.”

Construction highs and digital lows

The DfE removed the functional skills exit requirement for adult apprentices in response to lobbying from parts of the sector, amid claims the rule was one of the biggest barriers in the apprenticeship system, causing stress for learners and high drop-out rates.

Estimates released this week by the DfE showed officials believe there will be between 6,800 and 10,200 additional achievements per academic year now the rule has been relaxed.

It is not yet clear what proportion of new starters, who would have been in scope of the functional skills exit requirement, are opting in or out of the courses.

For existing on-programme adult apprentices, FE Week’s FOI data showed level 2 and 3 apprenticeships had the biggest proportion of learners continuing with functional skills at 66 per cent and 63 per cent respectively.

Level 7 apprenticeships had the lowest proportion at 47 per cent, followed by level 4 at 51 per cent.

The DfE also provided FE Week with a breakdown by sector subject area.

Only digital had fewer than half (48 per cent) of apprentices choosing to continue functional skills. Business, administration and law had the next lowest at 54 per cent.

Seven other subject areas were in the 60 to 69 per cent bracket, while arts, media and publishing hit 70 per cent, and construction, planning and the built environment was 71 per cent.

Large digital apprenticeship provider QA Ltd told FE Week that only around 325 (25 per cent) of its 1,300 on-programme adult apprentices had opted to complete their functional skills.

A QA spokesperson said this was “driven by a mix of individual learner motivations and decisions made by our customers and varies significantly across learner demographics”. Those who have chosen to continue have done so because they want to “update and consolidate long-dormant skills”, for example.

JTL, which specialises in apprenticeships for electricians and plumbers, has 85 per cent of its 400 in-scope adult apprentices continuing with functional skills.

The provider’s operations director Clair Bradley said: “English and maths qualifications remain important in the building services engineering sector. For example, electrical apprentices are required to calculate voltage and power using formulas and, in both electrical and plumbing standards, learners study high-level scientific principles.

“A very small number of our apprentices have chosen not to complete their functional skills assessments in consultation with their employers (62 of an eligible cohort of 400), reflecting their specific individual or professional needs.”

‘Decent’ English and maths a ‘big enabler’ for businesses

Jill Whittaker, executive chair of hospitality apprenticeship provider HIT Training, told FE Week that over 80 per cent of her provider’s 4,000 adult apprentices were continuing with functional skills.

She said HIT has “always contextualised our teaching of literacy and numeracy for the sectors we operate in” which has led to higher success rates than the national average.

Most learners “really appreciate how important it is to them and to their lives” and the “vast majority of employers” HIT works with “see decent English and maths as a big enabler for their businesses and wanted to keep it in their apprenticeships as long as the apprentice was in agreement”, Whittaker added.

FE Week’s FOI data showed that similar proportions of female and male apprentices chose to continue with English and maths, at 60 and 63 per cent respectively. And 61 per cent of apprentices with learning difficulties have continued with the subjects, which was the same proportion for apprentices without a learning difficulty.

Simon Ashworth, deputy CEO of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, said: “This early data suggests that apprentices are keen to continue studying maths and English as part of their apprenticeship, which is encouraging, given the value these subjects bring.

“The key change is that maths and English no longer act as a barrier to completion for adult learners; a shift we should aim to replicate for younger apprentices to ensure we avoid the unintended consequences of a two-tier system.”

Colleges seek merger to capitalise on devolution

A “voluntary” merger between two Cheshire colleges is expected next year following the announcement of a devolution deal in the region.

Cheshire College South & West (CCSW) and Macclesfield College are set to partner in July 2026 – a proposal that was first floated nine years ago.

If approved the unification will create the largest FE college in the region with more than 11,000 learners and an annual income of over £63 million.

Leaders said the merger was timely so the colleges could “play a leading role” in regional skills development when a new combined authority is created next year.

The Cheshire and Warrington Mayoral Combined Authority is expected to be ready for its first mayoral election in May, according to reports this week.

Public consultation and a period of due diligence into the college merger will now take place, with it expected to take effect from July 31, 2026.

A spokesperson for the colleges said: “The proposed merger, which both colleges describe as voluntary, would create a powerful new education group that will lead the way in skills development and post-16 education provision across Cheshire.

“The announcement follows the acceleration of the region’s devolution deal, prompting the colleges to take proactive steps to ensure that devolution delivers for every learner and community.”

Merger history

South Cheshire College and West Cheshire College merged to become CCSW following then-FE commissioner David Collins’ 2016 joint area review of the county.

The review called for a phased merger approach to create a “Cheshire general further education college”, first creating CCSW and then merging it in subsequent years with the then-Mid Cheshire College, Warrington Collegiate and finally Macclesfield College.

Instead, Mid Cheshire College and Warrington Collegiate merged in 2017 to form Warrington & Vale College, the second largest institution in the region with over 7,000 students currently on its books.

Macclesfield chose to remain a standalone college.

The proposal

College representatives told FE Week the merger aims to create a “more financially resilient and sustainable” education group.

Macclesfield College achieved a “requires improvement” financial health grade in 2023-24, according to its latest accounts, with a negative -1.63 per cent EBITDA, but is expected to bump up to “good” this year.

Both colleges are projected to maintain the “good” financial health rating for both next year and 2026-27.

Macclesfield was last rated a grade 3 by Ofsted in 2023 but was making “reasonable progress” according to a monitoring report earlier this year. CCSW has been rated “good” twice by Ofsted since it merged.

Union members working at CCSW are currently in dispute with senior management over pay.

University and College Union (UCU) regional official Matt Arrowsmith said: “Staff at CCSW are already in dispute with the college over senior management’s refusal to offer a decent pay award this year, and UCU members are being balloted for strike action.”

A CCSW spokesperson said the college is “committed to finding a resolution with UCU”.

Arrowsmith added that the colleges must provide “a cast iron guarantee of job security” for all staff.

Both colleges confirmed there were no planned redundancies as part of the merger.

A merger document signed by both colleges’ chair of governors and principals, seen by FE Week, which outlined leaders’ commitments to the proposal, said they would “act with integrity” regarding any future staff changes.

The document also promised to “create a college with a strong national and regional reputation whilst maintaining our local identities and accountability”.