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Revealed: The ‘scary’ mess left by principal that jumped ship

Significant senior staff vacancies and non-existent strategic and financial plans are just some of the issues facing a cash-strapped London college which was left in tatters by its old leader, its new principal has revealed.

Karen Redhead lifted the lid on the difficulties at Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College during a hot-topic panel session with FE Commissioner Richard Atkins, Association of Colleges boss David Hughes, Ofsted deputy director for FE Paul Joyce, and the ESFA’s director for FE Peter Mucklow, at the AoC conference yesterday.

She took over from Garry Phillips as principal in September, who jumped ship in the summer before the college’s financial mess could be revealed by Mr Atkins in October. Mr Phillips stood down from his new role at City College Plymouth last week following union and staff backlash.

Garry Phillips, who left West London College in July 2018

Ms Redhead told delegates in the session that she doesn’t “like an easy life” and does like to “take on challenges”, and the job at EHWLC “has not let me down”.

“I could see the college was about to run out of money in early October and I was only five minutes into the job at the time so an urgent priority was to apply for exceptional financial support and that could meet our ongoing obligations, the main one being the payroll,” she explained.

“I still am carrying a load of vacancies at the college, including chair, vice chair, clerk, deputy principal for curriculum and quality, director for finances and resources, director of management information system, and the director of human resources is due to leave next month.

“That should give you a little bit of an idea about what I’m working with.”

She said that added to this, the college has “no strategic plan, no curriculum plan to speak of, no workforce plan or financial plan that was not fit for purpose, or estates strategy despite having multiple and complex projects on the go and no risk register has been produced since 2016.

“By way of context you will realise the scale of the issue”.

Mr Atkins’ visit in August was prompted by EHWLC’s precarious financial position which has now left it dependent on government bailouts for its survival.

According to the college’s published accounts, it went from a £5.7 million surplus in 2015/16, to an £8 million deficit in 2016/17.

Ms Redhead said it will take two years for the college to achieve a breakeven position, which is “scary, we can’t hang about”.

The new principal explained that due to the “extent of our financial issues”, there are currently three agencies “that have us in intervention”. These include the ESFA, the Transactions Unit which administers bailouts, and the FE Commissioner’s team.

“My experience is that the three agencies are trying really hard to work effectively together in order to streamline intervention and also attempt to minimise any duplication of demands on the college,” Ms Redhead said.

“It has been simultaneously supportive and burdensome.”

However, due to the college being in receipt to exceptional financial support, the “hoops we’re having to jump through are considerable and they present in my view probably the biggest barrier to the colleges rapid recovery”, the new principal added.

By way of context you will realise the scale of the issue

“We’re constantly being asked by the agencies to supply things that would be readily available in a college that was in better shape, but I’ve already mentioned some of the strategies and policies that we’re lacking.

“Our management information is significantly under developed so I’m having to do a lot of retrospective shoring up, whilst also trying to propel a college forward.”

Ms Redhead went on to explain that the college has just undergone its first stocktake visit, which was “thorough, challenging and purposeful”.

“It genuinely gave me access to what felt like a combination of high quality coaching and mentoring which is just what we need at the moment,” she said.

“We’ve worked very hard as a college over the last few months and stocktake visit feedback noted that an overwhelming amount of work has taken place in the first few months but I do know we’re off on a long journey.”

She concluded that it is a “lonely job” at the top of a college, and there are some “major financial challenges and tough decisions ahead”.

Ms Redhead said she has worked in FE for 28 years. Before joining EHWLC she was the principal at Derwentside College.

Picture: From left: FE Commissioner Richard Atkins, EHWLC new principal Karen Redhead, Association of Colleges boss David Hughes, Ofsted deputy director for FE Paul Joyce, and the ESFA’s director for FE Peter Mucklow

Public sector apprenticeship target: 1.4 per cent progress so far

Overall progress towards the public sector apprenticeship target stands at 1.4 per cent so far, according to statistics published by the Department for Education this morning.

The target, which came into effect last April, obliges public sector organisations to make sure that new apprentices make up at least 2.3 per cent of their overall workforce numbers on average over the next four years.

According to today’s figures there were 45,314 new apprenticeship starts in 2017/18 across the whole of the public sector.

That represents 1.4 per cent out of a total workforce of 3,207,619 at the start of the year.

Within that overall figure there are some huge variations: the armed forces smashed the target with new apprenticeship starts representing 9.1 per cent of their total number of employees over the year.

They had 13,475 apprenticeship starts, out of a total workforce of 147,465.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, police forces’ apprenticeship recruitment rate stood at just 0.2 per cent.

They took on just 375 apprentices over the year, out of a total workforce of 160,060.

A further two areas of the public sector recruited below 1 per cent – with both the fire authority and local government reporting progress of 0.9 per cent towards the target.

The NHS was one of the better performing public sector organisations, despite the number of apprentices it recruited over the past two years dropping by a third.

It had 13,800 apprenticeship starts in 2017/18, which represented 1.2 per cent of a total headcount of 1,194, 614.

Skills minister Anne Milton said she was “very pleased” to see the rising number of apprenticeship starts in the public sector.

“I am particularly pleased to see that vital services like the NHS are doing well, and along with the Royal Navy are leading the way,” she said.

“I visited Leeds Teaching Hospital recently where I saw first-hand how apprenticeships have changed people’s lives and are helping to make sure the NHS can continue to get the skilled nurses they need.

“I want to see other public sector employers rising to the challenge so that more people can get the skills they need to get a good job and rewarding career.”

Jonathan Mitchell, who oversees the development of new apprenticeships at the Institute for Apprenticeships, said it was “delighted” to see the “significant progress” towards the public target.

“It is encouraging to see that the armed services are leading the way. We have been working closely with them and also the NHS to help boost their use of new apprenticeships,” he said.

As previously reported by FE Week, progress by the civil service towards the target stands at 1.3 per cent overall – although apprenticeship starts made up less than one per cent of the workforce in seven government departments.

Mark Dawe, boss of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, said that rules around off-the-job training were likely to be hitting public sector apprenticeship take-up and reiterated his demand for greater flexibility in implementing the rule.

“We constantly hear from public sector employers that the 20 per cent rule is posing them real challenges, especially in terms of staff backfill to enable releases to happen,” he said.

All public-sector organisations in England with 250 or more employees must have reported progress towards the apprenticeship target by September this year.

It’s an average target across the years 2017/18 to 2020/21 to “give flexibility to organisations to manage peaks and troughs in recruitment”, according to DfE guidance.

Careers and Enterprise Company blasted over £200k conference spend

The Careers and Enterprise Company has been blasted for spending more than £200,000 on two conferences after MPs demanded to know why private sponsorship for such events was not sought instead.

The organisation, which was grilled by the education select committee in May over its spending, had a second hearing with MPs this morning, with questions covering staff salaries and cost of events.

MPs heard the company’s ‘Joining the Dots’ conference cost £158,000 – or £200 per person – with another conference, held at the children’s activity centre KidZania, costing nearly £50,000.

CEC, which has so far received £40 million in public money to support careers guidance in schools and college, was also given short shrift by MPs about a new survey tool it claims is measuring impact.

Robert Halfon, chair of the education select committee, led the questioning of chief executive Claudia Harris and chair Christine Hodgson.

After revealing the ‘Joining the Dots’ conference spend, Halfon said: “Is that money that could go on the frontline? How can that be justified?”

Ms Harris said an annual conference helps schools and colleges work together and understand good careers guidance.

But Mr Halfon said other similar organisations get private companies to sponsor such events so taxpayers’ money is not used, to which she replied the idea was “a good opportunity for us.” Hodgson added there would be no annual conference in 2019.

Mr Halfon pointed out another conference was held at KidZania for £46,000. Ms Harris and Ms Hodgson appeared initially stumped, with Ms Hodgson saying she thought KidZania had helped to support the event.

But then Ms Harris said: “2,000 business volunteers give us a day a month for free. […] That is what we did in return, to offer a learning event.”

“It’s how we ensure quality, by providing those events,” she added.

Ms Harris said the conference budget was “probably around” £150,000 to £200,000 a year, prompting Halfon to point out those two conferences mentioned were already more than that put together.

He asked Ms Harris: “Do you not understand there are massive public sector constraints […] people could rightly say, ‘why is this money not being spent on the front line?”

It comes after the commons youth select committee has said Ofsted should inspect provision funded by the CEC to check on its impact – an idea which Halfon floated again during the hearing today.

Members of the committee, including Trudy Harrison, MP for Copeland, queried why more quantitative data – such as NEET figures – was not being collected by the CEC.

Ms Harris responded that as more than the current 3,000 secondary schools and colleges become involved in CEC-funded initiatives, such data could be increasingly collected.

But she also pointed out a “lag” in government destinations data, which means that the most recent figures available pre-date the CEC’s involvement with schools and college.

Mr Halfon added that “surveys are not enough” to demonstrate the organisation’s impact.

Finally, Lucy Powell, MP for Manchester Central, took aim at the high senior staff salaries at the CEC. According to Ms Hodgson, she as chair is pro-bono at the organisation while Ms Harris is on £135,000.

Ms Harris said she asked for a £50,000 reduction in the salary when she was initially offered the role, implying it was originally offered at £185,000.

Ms Powell also queried why a deputy chief executive role was advertised at £117,000. Harris said the organisation was expanding rapidly as the government has announced more careers hubs and needed more senior staff leadership.

In May the CEC was heavily criticised for spending almost £1 million on research and not on frontline guidance for learners.

College group boss gives up bonus in ‘landmark’ pay deal

The new boss of a London college group has given up his annual bonus as part of a “landmark” pay deal, the University and College Union has announced today.

Staff at the three colleges that make up Capital City College Group – City and Islington College, Westminster Kingsway College, and the College of Haringey, Enfield and North east London – will receive up to a five per cent pay rise this year.

Staff on the lowest wages will receive the full pay rise, while senior management will see a three per cent increase – while the most highly-paid executive staff won’t receive any increase.

At the same time the group’s new chief executive, Roy O’Shaughnessy (pictured above), who took over from former boss Andy Wilson earlier this term, has agreed to waive his right to an annual bonus.

“This landmark pay increase, agreed at one of the largest college groups in England, sets the bar for others when it comes to the pay and conditions of staff,” said Matt Waddup, the UCU’s head of policy and campaigns.

“Too often colleges hide behind low levels of government investment to avoid giving their staff a fair pay deal,” he said.

“It’s widely accepted that the further education sector has been under-funded for many years – resulting in a situation where staff have been under-paid too,” said CCCG chair Alastair da Costa.

“We want to do something about this and we are fortunate that as a group with some financial strength, we are in a position to do so,” he said.

Mr da Costa said the group was “happy” to be able to start to close the gap between executives’ pay and that of their staff “by adjusting our pay award so that lower-paid staff get a proportionately larger raise than their higher-paid colleagues”.

The UCU said the deal is worth around £140 a month extra for staff, and will be backdated to September in their December pay packets.

Staff earning less that £55,000 will receive a five per cent rise, while part-time staff – including hourly paid – will get their rise pro-rata.

Those earning between £55,000 and £76,000 will receive the smaller three per cent rise, while those earning more than £76,000 won’t receive any pay rise.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell offered his congratulations to UCU members at the college for securing a “brilliant victory”.

“Congratulations to the governing body in agreeing this bold and progressive step forward and I hope this signals a change in direction that the whole sector can follow.”

The news comes a day after it was announced that staff at six colleges across the country will walk out for two days next week in the first wave of action over this year’s pay award.

At the same time ballots will open on possible future action over pay at a further 26 colleges.

College staff are unhappy about proposals put forward by the Association of Colleges, which represents college leadership, over pay for 2018/19.

They were left bitterly disappointed in July when the AoC said it was unable to recommend a salary increase of five per cent, and was instead only able to propose a “substantial pay package” over two years dependent on government funding.

AoC conference: 7 takeaway points from the chief inspector’s speech

Ofsted’s chief inspector delivered a keynote speech to bring this year’s Association of Colleges conference to a close today.

Amanda Spielman talked delegates through the new common inspection framework and what it means for FE, a crackdown on “teaching to the test”, and the inspectorate’s new level 2 report, among other things.

FE Week has pulled out the seven main takeaway points.

1. HMCI questions if colleges are chasing income over students’ best interests

The chief inspector said Ofsted’s level 2 report found that some subjects, namely arts and media, “stand-out” as areas where there is “mismatch between the numbers of students taking courses and their future employment in the industry”.

She said “these colleges risk giving false hope to students” and it “raises the question: are they putting the financial imperative of headcount in the classroom ahead of the best interests of the young people taking up their courses?”

“If so, this isn’t acceptable,” Ms Spielman added.

“Inspectors will want to see that the decisions that are being made are in the best interests of learners, rather than in the interests of performanace tables or for financial gain.”

2. Crackdown on ‘teaching to the test’

Ofsted wants to send a “clear message” that “teaching to the test to achieve high achievement rates is not good practice, and that there is no need to continually assess learners to predict likely achievement grades,” Ms Spielman said.

She added that time is “far better spent” making sure learners “accumulate all the required knowledge, skills and behaviours”.

3. Changes to grades under the new CIF

Ms Spielman spoke delegates through the three main proposed changes in the new CIF, which will be piloted early next year ahead of its introduction in September 2019.

“The first change is losing outcomes as a stand-alone judgment,” she said.

“The second change is broadening the existing quality of teaching, learning and assessment judgement into a quality of education judgement. This one will include curriculum alongside teaching, learning and assessment, and will also reflect outcomes. There will be no separate outcomes judgement.

“Then thirdly, we propose splitting the current judgement of personal development, behaviour and welfare into two separate judgements: one for behaviour and attitudes, and the other for personal development.”

4. Provision types to be halved to 3

Ms Spielman said Ofsted wants to “make it easier for people, particularly employers, parents and students”, to find the information they need from inspection reports.

Therefore, the inspectorate is “planning to simplify the classifcation of provision types that we inspect”.

“We will consult on reducing this from the current 6 categories down to 3,” she said.

“The working titles are: Education programmes for young people; Apprenticehips; and Adult learning programmes. Within these we will make sure that inspectors continue to report on traineeships and on full time 14 to 16 provision.”

The chief inspector added that Ofsted is “particularly concerned” that provision for learners with high needs and with special edcuation needs and disabilities will be “well and truly represented within these three provisions types”.

5. Revived emphasis on the ‘appropriateness’ of the curriculum

Ms Spielman said that inspectors in FE have “always considered the appropriateness of the curriculum” when arriving at inspection judgements.

But in the new framework, there will be a “stronger emphasis”.

“The content of the curriculum and the way that this content is taught and assessed will be a bigger part of inspection activity,” she explained.

6. Level 2 students need strong personal skills

The chief inspector said one “common strength” of good level 2 provision is “success in developing personal, social and employability skills”.

“For many level 2 students, not reaching a good pass in any GCSEs can generate a sense of failure and dent their self-belief and confidence,” she told delegates.

“A relatively high proportion of these students are likely to be from disadvantaged backgrounds. Teachers’ priorities were to get students to experience success, as well as address habits and attitudes to secure a positive next step.

“Students appreciated this level of support. They saw it as one of the features of colleges that led them to prefer it to school.”

7. Praise for college improvement

Confirming what FE Week revealed last week, Ms Spielman commended colleges for improving their performance last year, including a “9-point rise in the proportion of general FE colleges rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’”.

“It has been particularly pleasing to see a number of colleges, who had been either ‘inadequate’ or ‘requires improvement’ for extended periods, break that cycle and get to ‘good’,” she said, and gave “well done” shout-outs to Waltham Forest and The City of Liverpool College among others.

Rayner: Labour would scrap GCSE English and maths forced resits policy

The controversial GCSE English and maths resits policy would be scrapped under a Labour government, Angela Rayner is expected to announce.

The shadow education secretary will tell the Association of Colleges conference this afternoon that her party’s National Education Service would “reform” FE.

As part of a “series” of changes, she’ll tell delegates that Labour would ensure the boards of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Office for Students have an FE student placed on them.

The IfA would also be required to report to Parliament “on the quality of completed apprenticeships”.

Today’s announcements appear to be the first bit of detail about the NES’ FE policy, after Ms Rayner was criticised for falling short of revealing any during her Labour party conference speech in September.

However, she refused today to be questioned on her plans for other areas of interest including apprenticeships, T-levels, or bringing colleges back under local authority control, an idea which Jeremy Corbyn floated in an interview with FE Week at last year’s AoC conference.

“We won’t just make sure that FE has a voice. We will also listen,” Ms Rayner is expected say today.

“Recently, bodies from across the sector, including the Association of Colleges, have raised concerns about students in both the 16-18 and 19-25 age ranges who are being forced to re-sit English and Maths GCSEs over and over again due to ESFA funding requirements, even where other equivalent qualifications are available.

“So I can announce today that we have listened and we have heard. A Labour government would end that requirement.”

The move would include the opportunity for students to “pursue other courses that enables them to attain level 2 qualifications in English and Maths, such as functional skills”.

The current condition of funding rule, introduced in 2014, means that all students without at least a grade 4 – or a C, under the old alphabetical grading system – in English or maths must continue to study these subjects as part of their study programme.

Those with a grade 3, or D in the old system, must resit the GCSE exam rather than an alternative.

The requirement remains in place until the young person has completed 16 to 19 education, or achieved at least a grade 4.

A Labour spokesperson said the current system is “failing to improve grades for many students while creating serious issues for further and adult education which have faced real terms funding cuts of over £3 billion since 2010”.

Many FE representative bodies have asked the government to review the resits policy, mainly because of the sector’s tight resources due to the increasing number of students required to retake the qualifications, and they find that resitting a GCSE over and over again demotivates learners.

According to data released by the Department for Education in October, the number of people aged 17 or above who took maths GCSE last year fell by 7,000 to 160,519. Of those, just 22.6 per cent achieved at least a grade 4 – considered to be a pass – down from 25.4 per cent the year before.

Meanwhile, 148,894 people of the same age took English GCSE last year – up from 135,888 last year. Of those, 33 per cent achieved at least a grade 4, up from 31.1. per cent the year before.

Commenting on Labour’s announcements, Julian Gravatt, deputy chief executive of the AoC, said: “We welcome Labour’s package of proposals, which will make a real difference to the education and skills training of millions of people across the country each year.

“We particularly welcome their position on English and maths GCSE retakes. It’s vital that every young person leaves education with strong foundations in these subjects – they are the basis for success in work and in life.

“Colleges have long called for flexibility in how to support learners to achieve this. A one-size fits all approach has not worked and does not work. Colleges know their students and what works best for them.”

Milton tells college leaders to use money ‘wisely’ before asking Treasury for more cash

The skills minister has told college leaders that they need to use their money and resources “wisely” before making the case for more funding to the Treasury.

Addressing the Association of Colleges conference in Birmingham today, Anne Milton (pictured) said that “all too often I sign off on requests for emergency financial support” and there are too many colleges in “severe financial constraints that could have been avoided with good leadership”.

Repeating what she told FE Week readers in her monthly column two weeks ago, she delegates: “A one-off campaign is not enough on its own, you must get your leadership and governance right and use your money wisely.

“You must make good use of the money available and good use of the resources we put your way. Then, and only then can I and you make the case for additional.”

Ms Milton’s comments follow a spate of resignations from college leaders. Eight have stepped aside in eight weeks, and the majority left their colleges in very poor financial positions.

Some were the best paid in the country, with salaries topping £200,000.

“In this day and age robust financial management and leadership is the route to successful colleges,” the minister told today’s AoC conference.

“I would like to see a positive vision for FE. I want colleges to stand on their own ground and be proud of the incredible results they achieve.

“My ask of you is to help me to help you.”

Speaking to the media after her speech, Ms Milton said: “Anywhere in the public sector good places have good leadership.

“We need to up the game because I need to demonstrate a college sector that is performing well.”

Asked if she had told FE Commissioner Richard Atkins to clampdown on poor leadership, she added: “The FE Commissioner’s team is a resource that can help troubled colleges.

“Colleges are independent institutions so you can’t force anybody out but if colleges aren’t performing well and you’re the person in charge you probably need to reconsider your position, nobody needs to say it.”

And asked if she thought that high-paid leaders shouldn’t jump ship when their college gets in trouble, Ms Milton said: “That is a judgement call depending on the circumstances.

“Sometimes it is better if they go and sometimes it is better if they stay, you can’t generalise. But they are big bucks.”

UCU members at six colleges set for two-day walk out

Members of the University and College Union at six colleges will walk out for two days next week, in the first wave of strikes this year over pay.

At the same time, staff at a further 26 colleges are being balloted on possible action in the future.

“Staff in FE colleges have seen their pay systematically eroded in recent years and are being paid £7,000 less than schoolteachers,” said Matt Waddup, UCU head of policy and campaigns.

“While the government must take the blame for their failure to invest in further education, colleges can and must do more to support their staff,” he said.

He warned that strikes are likely to continue into 2019 “until colleges show that they are at last prioritising their staff”.

The six colleges affected by the walk-outs on November 28 and 29 are Bath College, Bradford College, Croydon College, Lambeth College, New College Swindon and Petroc.

Ballots on action over pay at 26 more colleges will open on November 28, and close on December 19.

FE Week reported last month that UCU members in more than 100 colleges across the country had been balloted since August, but had been frustrated by trade union laws which stipulate a minimum of 50 per cent turnout before they can act on the results.

At the time, 85 per cent of members across 107 colleges that voted said they would strike, but only four colleges had met the threshold for action.

College staff are unhappy about proposals put forward by the Association of Colleges, which represents college leadership, over pay for 2018/19.

The UCU described the proposal as “bizarre” at the time and warned that an immediate solution was needed if colleges wanted to avoid strikes in the autumn.

No such action has since been forthcoming and the government has outright refused to provide the funds needed to increase staff pay – even though it was able to increase school teacher pay by 3.5 per cent.

The AoC’s chief executive, David Hughes, was furious about this and launched a new louder strategy by holding a “week of action” where students, staff, parents, employers, and stakeholders were asked to “advocate for colleges”, including a march on parliament to demand more funding.

DfE reveals new national leaders of governance

The names of the first six national leaders of governance have been revealed by the Department for Education.

The roles, which pay £300 a day for an estimated 50 days’ work a year, have been established to provide mentoring and support to governors at colleges identified as needing extra help.

Serving governors or clerks from colleges that have been rated ‘outstanding’ or ‘good’ by Ofsted were eligible to apply for the roles, which will focus on working with colleges rated grade three or four that have been identified as needing governance support.

Speaking about the announcement, skills minister Anne Milton said the six selected to be national leaders of governance (NLGs) “are exceptional leaders who will up their peers to develop at this pivotal time, strengthening the sector in the process.”

FE Commissioner Richard Atkins said: “I’m delighted to have this new small team of talented and experienced governors and clerks who will be sharing their expertise and supporting colleges to raise the standard of governance.”

The first six NLGs are:

Andrew Baird, governor at East Surrey College
Shirley Collier, governor at York College
Heather Cross, clerk at Bath College and Wiltshire College
Carole Drury, clerk at Kendal College
Paula Heaney, governor at Long Road Sixth Form College
Simon Perryman, governor at Barnsley College

A previous NLG programme was run until March this year by the Association of Colleges, on behalf of the Education and Training Foundation.

Speaking to FE Week in June, when the application window opened, FE commissioner Richard Atkins said the programme had been brought back into the Department for Education “because we want to link the smaller number of NLGs to colleges that require or are asking us for specific help”.

“We know governors need development,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to working with a group of experienced governors, who might be chairs, governors, or clerks, and deploying them to colleges that would benefit from that kind of focused support.”