Special investigation: The fallout from mass exam reversal

Thousands of young people are having their recent exam failures reversed, thanks to a change in the design of certain qualifications. FE Week looked into what’s going on: who’s making the change, why it has happened and how many learners are affected.

More than 1,300 learners who failed courses last year are now being told they’ve passed – including some who’d already dropped out of education.

Ofqual is responsible for their stroke of luck: the exams regulator has reinterpreted rules on reformed level three applied general and tech level qualifications, which introduced for teaching from 2016.

Most of these were designed so learners had to pass all their externally assessed exams to achieve the final qualification. That changed last month, after Ofqual wrote to awarding organisations asking them to create a “safety net” for learners who had narrowly failed one or more of their exams.

Awarding giant Pearson, whose BTECs account for the majority of the qualifications affected, has confirmed that 1,300 learners at 270 of its centres have been affected.

Some learners who sat externally assessed units in 2017 and 2018 are now eligible to achieve a qualification when previously they weren’t

“Some learners who sat externally assessed units in 2017 and 2018 are now eligible to achieve a qualification when previously they weren’t,” a spokesperson said.

“We have communicated with all providers about this change to ensure that all learners receive the qualification they deserve.”

Applied general qualifications and tech levels are vocational or technical alternatives to A-levels that can lead onto higher education or employment. The change is expected to have an impact on providers’ achievement rates, though the ESFA seems reluctant to make official changes.

Learners on two-year courses who are due to complete their qualifications this summer are affected, as well as those who finished one-year foundation courses last summer.

The true number of learners to get the good news might be much higher; two other major awarding organisations offering similar qualifications told FE Week that they had introduced changes as a result of Ofqual’s letter, though neither could say how many learners will be affected.

Ofqual itself was similarly unable to predict how many people would now qualify.

A spokesperson confirmed that its advice was issued “knowing that there was a case for retrospective regrading”, and that the regulator had “modelled the potential impact of assessment changes” with a number of awarding organisations, including Pearson.

One assessment expert who did not want to be named warned that learners could have “lost out” on a year of education or training, or found themselves unable to progress onto other education or training.

FE Week contacted a number of colleges that are among the 100s to have learners affected by the safety net change (see table below).

Some said several learners had dropped out after failing their courses last year, though many were permitted to carry on into the second year in an effort to boost their grades.

Uxbridge College said that 10 learners on one course will have their results reversed. It is petitioning the Education and Skills Funding Agency to have these changes reflected in official achievement statistics.

This represents a 19-per-cent increase in the success rate on that course, and a 0.1-per-cent uptick in overall 16-to-18 achievement rates.

But the ESFA insisted that it had “no immediate plans” to amend achievement rates – although it would keep this under review.

The courses were reformed in 2016 to make them more rigorous, under rules set out by the Department for Education.

These rules have not changed, but a spokesperson said the DfE had “recently reiterated guidance to ensure consistency”.

According to Ofqual statistics, there were 144,855 tech level certificates issued in 2016/17, and 222,445 applied general certificates.

Pearson, has by far the largest share of both: 79,970, or 55 per cent, of the tech levels and 180,225 or 81 per cent of the applied general.

Other awarding bodies include UAL and OCR, which had a nine- and six-per-cent share respectively of applied general qualifications in 2016/17. City and Guilds is the second largest awarding body for tech levels, responsible for 31,945 or 22 per cent.

An Ofqual spokesperson said it is “pleased” that Pearson had applied the change to BTECs.

“In weighing up the need to make changes to their qualifications, we asked awarding organisations to ensure appropriate standards were achieved in these new qualifications,” they said.

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Spreading the news: How have providers been affected?

Hundreds of providers have now been given the joyous task of telling students who previously failed their courses that they have now passed.

Original failures for these learners would have had huge consequences: they might have been rejected from university, stopped from progressing onto higher courses or missed out on potential jobs.

For the training providers themselves, achievement rates would have taken a hit – meaning current government figures are not a true reflection of their training offer.

Although most are still trying to figure out the ramifications for themselves, a number of colleges with over 50 affected students between them, gave FE Week their initial reaction.

Uxbridge College has 10 learners on applied science courses affected, and some are now even being told that they actually achieved an overall ‘merit’.

However, the college said it took a “local decision at the time based on our own assessment and knowledge of the students’ standards and achievements in this qualification, before this was known, in order to not disadvantage these learners”.

All 10 were allowed to progress into their second year of the extended diploma “in an effort to improve their grades”.

It is not considered that these learners will be unduly and adversely affected by the change

“It is not considered that these learners will be unduly and adversely affected by the change and can focus their attention on improving the quality of the grades they obtain,” a spokesperson said.

However, she added that there is an impact on the college’s achievement rates.

“The changes do represent a 19-per-cent increase in the achievement rate of the applied science course and a 0.1-per-cent improvement to the overall 16-to-18 achievement rate for HCUC [the merged institution of Harrow and Uxbridge College], which at 85.5 per cent is now the highest among west London colleges and third across London colleges.”

She added that the college will make “representations” to the ESFA to ensure these results are reflected in the overall data record.

South Essex College was told by Pearson that it had 12 students affected.

“We are working with these students to support them through the process,” a spokesperson said.

“Six left the college to pursue other employment opportunities while six are continuing their studies at the college by progressing on to a different course.”

The Sheffield College had 20 students affected.

“The majority of those, 15, have re-enrolled and continued with the second year of their course,” a spokesperson explained. “We are in the process of contacting all of those affected.”

NCG, which had 3,160 students on the level three diplomas last year, knows of nine students at two of its colleges affected so far. Other colleges in the group are still waiting to hear if they have any learners affected.

A spokesperson said the group is “monitoring the impact closely and will liaise with learners at the earliest opportunity”.

Nottingham College and Exeter College informed FE Week that they only have a handful of students affected but said it was too soon to comment.

The rules explained and what has changed

Level three applied general and tech level qualifications were reformed in 2016, so that they could be counted in the Department for Education’s 16-to-19 performance measures.

The qualifications were designed to meet technical specifications set out by the DfE, which include a portion of external assessment.

These rules don’t say that learners have to pass all of their exams to achieve their qualification, but that was how most of the courses were designed, including those offered by Pearson.

This meant, for example, that a learner who had a distinction in three out of four exams but who narrowly failed one exam would fail the overall qualification.

In its letter, Ofqual said it is “concerned that this may impact the validity of grades issued and is not fair to students who narrowly miss passing one or more units”.

It asked the AOs to “provide a safety net for students who narrowly pass on one or more externally-assessed units” on these courses, so that a learner could still pass the overall qualification without having to pass all the externally-assessed exams.

It’s not clear where the original interpretation of the rules came from, or the impetus for Ofqual’s letter.

The DfE is insisting that its rules haven’t changed.

“We have always been clear with awarding organisations about the standard that is expected and nothing has changed. We recently reiterated the guidance to ensure consistency,” a spokesperson said.

An Ofqual blog post on the topic said AOs had designed the qualifications to meet official guidelines that learners had to pass every externally assessed exam.

Awarding organisations would have had to submit their qualifications to the DfE for inclusion in the list of awards that count towards the performance measures.

Reviewing tolerances: What are awarding organisations doing?

Pearson is by far and away the biggest provider of both applied general and tech level qualifications, though other major awarding organisations including City and Guilds and OCR also offer their own versions of these courses.

OCR offers both applied general and tech level qualifications through its level three Cambridge Technicals (2016) suite of courses.

A spokesperson said it would be “introducing a near-pass unit grade for this summer’s exams” for all qualifications in the suite, and that the change would be applied retrospectively.

However, it couldn’t say how many learners would have their results changed.

“We’re running the data checks now and will be in touch with any affected centres as soon as possible,” they said.

At this stage we cannot give exact figures of how many learners will be impacted

Similarly, City and Guilds, which offers tech levels, will be introducing a yet-to-be-determined “tolerance” for learners that would be completing their courses this year.

It intends to “consider those results that are within a tolerance of marks below the pass mark as having achieved the component”.

A spokesperson said the body is still “reviewing options” for learners that completed courses last year, and would “communicate further to centres once we have been through this process”.

“At this stage we cannot give exact figures of how many learners will be impacted,” she said.

AAT also offers tech levels. A spokesperson said it will be “reviewing what actions it needs to take in light of Ofqual’s letter, if any”.

And VTCT will be consulting over the summer before making any changes to its applied general qualifications in sports, active health and fitness.

It is “considering assigning a minimum points threshold” that would allow learners to pass the qualification without having to pass every external assessment.

Not every awarding organisation is making changes to their courses, however.

Graham Hastings-Evans, managing director of NOCN, which offers tech levels, said it “will not need to” do so, as “no learners have been adversely affected”.

Julie Hyde, the director of CACHE, said it had “determined that no safety net was required” for either the NCFE CACHE technical or NCFE applied general qualifications, after “reviewing the assessment strategy and purpose” of the courses “alongside consultation directly with Ofqual”.

The IMI is “not intending to make any changes” to its tech level qualifications”, and ActiveIQ, which offers tech levels, “cannot adjust the qualifications’ assessment specification”.

A spokesperson for University of the Arts London, which issued the second highest number of applied general qualification certificates in 2016/17, said its courses aren’t subject to the Department for Education’s rules. As a result it didn’t need to make any changes, and none of its students were affected.

Stephenson College challenged over £100,000 tactical subcontracting

A college that charged up to 57 per cent in management fees has been found to be attempting to use up £100,000 of skills funding with tactical subcontracting.

But the Education and Skills Funding Agency has refused to say whether it will take enforcement action over what appears to be a clear breach of funding rules.

According to a posting on the government’s contract finder website from late April, Stephenson College is on the lookout for subcontractors to deliver part of its adult education budget for less than three months.

The contract worth £100,000 will run from May 14 to July 31. Bids from interested providers were requested by May 4.

The duration of under three months suggests it’s a tactical move to use up unspent adult education budget.

Funding rules state that providers “must not subcontract to meet short-term funding objectives”.

We ultimately wouldn’t have this problem if those that delivered got the funding directly

But the ESFA said it could not comment on this specific case – even though it has begun a subcontracting crackdown to ensure funding is used for “recognised costs”.

The college avoided repeated opportunities for almost a week to defend itself.

It also declined to justify management fees topping 50 per cent, as detailed in its subcontracting supply-chain policy, which is supposed to be reviewed in November.

“Stephenson College retains a management fee from all subcontracted partner organisations; typically this is between 22 to 57 per cent,” it said.

The policy was changed shortly after FE Week’s enquiry.

After taking six days to respond, a spokesperson eventually said: “The subcontracting supply chain fees and charging policy on our website reflects our current practice.”

The policy was actually updated on May 1, one day before the statement was issued.

It now says that the subcontracting charge is “typically” 20 per cent.

Mark Dawe, the head of AELP, said this proportion should be the “absolute maximum”.

If Stephenson College or any other provider is breaking funding rules on subcontracting, he insisted that the ESFA needs to “enforce them”.

READ MORE: ESFA misses the chance to toughen up

“We ultimately wouldn’t have this problem if those that delivered got the funding directly,” he stressed.

In March, AELP, the adult community education body Holex, and provider group Collab all signed up to new best-practice guidance that lead providers should charge no more than 20 per cent in management fees.

Lead providers often claim that pricey management fees are necessary to cover administrative costs, but many in the sector, including the education committee chair Robert Halfon, believe that too much money is being diverted from frontline learning.

Management fees of up to 40 per cent, as were infamously charged by Learndirect, have long been a source of major controversy – but this figure pales in comparison with Stephenson College’s 57 per cent.

The college has an AEB allocation of £2,182,600 for 2017/18. It currently has a single declared subcontractor, Canal Engineering Limited, which delivers £80,000 of AEB on the college’s behalf, according to the ESFA’s list.

Four subcontractors delivered AEB and apprenticeships provision worth £206,730 on behalf of the college in 2016/17 – of which it retained £40,813, or a little under 20 per cent, according to the college’s website.

But in 2015/16 it retained a massive 40-per-cent cut on a subcontract with one provider worth £186,163.

Last month the ESFA announced it would be reviewing subcontracting fees and charges, and any changes will come into force from August.

“The ESFA rules are clear that providers must not subcontract to meet short-term funding objectives,” a DfE spokesperson said. “The ESFA investigates such cases and can take action where necessary.”

ESFA misses chance to get tough on wasteful subcontracting

The ESFA must enforce rules that are supposed to be putting a stop to wasteful short-term subcontracting.

The example uncovered this week showed Stephenson College seeking to find subcontractors to use up £100,000 of funding by the end of July.

That’s less than three months from the start of the contract to the end, proving that it’s a tactical move with the short-term aim of simply hitting its adult education budget allocation.

The funding rule they are clearly breaking states that providers “must not subcontract to meet short-term funding objectives”.

So what is the ESFA going to do about it?

It sadly wouldn’t tell us, and passed up a perfect opportunity to show that it’s getting tough.

Incidentally, 57-per-cent management fees are way too high, so it’s good that the same college changed its policy after we confronted them.

AELP, Holex and Collab were right to stipulate that lead providers should charge no more than 20 per cent.

The system must not be abused. Unscrupulous lead providers will have to find other ways of supplementing their income.

Lessons from the T-levels work experience pilot

The 45-day placement requirement in the new T-levels is a laudable goal, but colleges need differentiated support, writes Andy Stittle

Work placements are a valuable undertaking: they set theory in context and develop sector-specific employability skills.

Like most colleges, Truro and Penwith welcomed the T-levels work placements pilot, which gave us the opportunity to identify a few problems that need to be addressed before final roll-out.

Lessons from the pilot are crucial if we are to ensure that T-levels do not follow earlier failed attempts at reform to vocational and technical qualifications.

Engagement with employers, given the small scale of the pilot, was not an issue – it simply involved building on our existing employer relationships. However, we did come up against numerous challenges.

Typical of rural areas, our students travel significant distances to study and work, many for over three hours every day. Rural bus services are limited and costly. With a flat-rate payment allocated to a work placement travel and no rural uplift, this is a major problem.

READ MORE: Tips for colleges to work with small businesses

Securing high-quality placements that are “affordable” in time and cost to students is a challenge. Cornwall is characterised by rurality and low productivity. Access to some sectors is difficult and the reason why substantial numbers of our students eventually leave the county.

The 45-day minimum requirement is highly problematic for a large tertiary college in an area with predominantly micro, small and medium enterprises. Significant block release or timetabling college attendance over three days a week in one year, for example, would mean that many staff teaching across comprehensive provision (technical/vocational and academic) would be unavailable. Even in the pilot phase, a minority project can dominate timetabling structures at the cost of other provision.

Quality placements are potentially as demanding on employers as apprenticeships.

When the initiative is rolled out across all curriculum areas, we suspect from conversations with employers that saturation point could be reached. The period also rules out the “one-day-a-week” placement model often favoured by employers.

Furthermore, many smaller employers typically secure orders three to four months in advance and cannot commit to placements further ahead than that. The opportunity of a longer-term placement is valued by many employers however; it develops the student as an effective team member, though it can result in an offer of employment and leaving the college course.

In many sectors, we have set up sector employer representation groups.

Quality placements are potentially as demanding on employers as apprenticeships

These have proved particularly useful in keeping employers abreast of the new developments and in addressing potential hurdles. Some of these solutions, such as sharing the work experience between two employers, need to be addressed in final roll-out. They are particularly keen on the model of a qualification which progresses to a higher-level apprenticeship, as this is where their skills gap resides.

However employers are keen that the college retains its own commercial town-centre operations, such as a hair and beauty salon or restaurant, as an eligible placement.

These provide a range of vocationally specific yet rounded employment skills by rotating job roles. Employers are very complimentary about the range of work-ready skills students acquire in these venues, something difficult to facilitate in a busy small enterprise.

The enhanced placements align particularly well to occupational courses with clear progression to employment or apprenticeships. Students on the pilot enjoy and value their placement. It builds aspiration, informs career choice,s signals future options and can enhance work ethic in college.

However, additional funding simply to meet additional delivery hours will not be sufficient.

Only financially healthy colleges will truly be able to meet the new technical reforms, and with half the sector in deficit, this needs to be addressed through wider review, including: increased flexibility or changes to address student demand, the time limitations of a busy small business, the diversity of courses and regional complications.

Andy Stittle is director of teaching and learning at Truro and Penwith College

Tips for colleges to work with small businesses

Employer buy-in is only going to get more important as T-levels arrive, and Mike Cherry has some advice for colleges that want to engage more small businesses to help out on skills

Investing in our young people and supporting them to move into work is a topic that I care very much about, both in my capacity as national chairman of FSB and personally as a small business owner. I am passionate about helping small businesses flourish, and nurturing the skills of the next generation. This is why Young Enterprise has been FSB’s chosen charity for over five years and why we are supporting the government’s opportunity areas initiative.

The last few years have seen many changes to education and training in England.

One of the most fundamental shifts has been the movement toward a skills system that is increasingly employer-driven in an attempt to better meet the needs of business. Whether you’re an advocate or sceptic of this approach, it has placed greater emphasis on the role of business in educating and preparing young people to make decisions about their pathway into work.

Although 82 per cent of small firms agree they should be involved in careers education activities, over half of business owners have never engaged

But beyond this, fostering better links between business and education is crucial if we are to address troubling skills shortages that many small businesses are facing.

Our own research has found that a third of business owners who have attempted to recruit in the last 12 months have been unable to find the individuals they’re looking for. This is particularly the case in skilled trades, which is worrying given that our members tell us that technical skills are the most important skillset for growth.

I am proud of the fact that many small businesses are already actively involved with schools, colleges and universities. They are participating in careers and apprenticeship fairs, workshops and providing opportunities for students to experience and understand the world of work. In Kent, over 400 students and small businesses have taken part in Skills 3030 workshops – a two-hour event involving facilitated “speed networking”, employment-related workshops and inspiring stories from entrepreneurs.

However, by their very nature, small business owners are time and resource poor – factors that can inhibit this engagement. Although 82 per cent of small firms agree they should be involved in careers education activities, over half of business owners have never engaged with a school or college.

READ MORE: Lessons from the T-levels work experience pilot

Of course, the introduction of T-levels and apprenticeships, for example, will pave the way for more students to experience the workplace first-hand – many in local small firms – but we need to keep looking for ways to achieve a greater impact for all young people, in all routes.

Small firms want to help, but educators need to take the lead and follow a few golden rules to successful engagement. Firstly, SMEs provide clear information about participation in careers activities. Over a third said better guidance on how to get involved would get them more involved.

Secondly, try to ensure that the business has a consistent point of contact in the college.

Thirdly, once a relationship is established with a business, prioritise maintaining and nurturing it.

Many small firms we’ve spoken to have been involved in a careers fair, never to be approached by the college again. Finally, don’t forget to approach small business owners to educate young people about self-employment and entrepreneurship.

Our small businesses are lynchpins of their communities, recognisable faces on our high streets, and employers of local people. They understand the value of giving back, providing opportunities and inspiring young people in education.

However, I’ve found that the benefits work both ways – over half of small firms believe that improving their involvement with their local college would have a positive effect on their perception of the skills and aspirations of young people, which can only be a good thing.

There are clear gains to be had on both sides, but my opinion is that the success of business and education engagement depends on strong leadership, clear communication and effective resourcing by the education sector.

This can only be achieved with sustained support from government. The careers strategy was a step in the right direction, but time will tell as to how effective it proves to be.

Mike Cherry is chair of the Federation of Small Businesses

Sixth-form teams up with local charity to deliver lessons on self-esteem

 A sixth-form college has teamed up with a local charity to deliver lessons on self-esteem.

City of Stoke-on-Trent Sixth-Form College partnered with the domestic abuse and social inclusion charity Arch to run its ‘Girl Power’ programme, which covered topics such as consent, life goals, self-confidence and relationships, for female students aged 16 to 19.

Seven students took part in the programme, identified by the college as those who would most benefit from the weekly two-hour sessions.

Following the programme’s success, the charity has received funding to run another round of sessions with the college, and will look to expand the programme across the city over time.

“We were aware that the age of our students makes them statistically more likely to experience abusive relationships. To maximise the college’s support network we reached out to Arch whose work in the area is highly regarded,” said Camilla Jameson, learning support assistant at the college. “The young women who participated have drastically improved their self-confidence and resilience, which is great to see.”

‘Unsafe’ Moulton College appoints safe pair of hands as interim principal

A troubled Northamptonshire college has appointed a familiar face as an interim leader after its principal resigned in the wake of a damning grade four Ofsted report.

Stephen Davies stepped down from Moulton College last month following a shocking report, which said learners, including those with high needs, were not safe.

Ann Turner (pictured above) has now taken the reins to try and steer the college back to safety.

She has nearly two decades of experience at a land-based college, having spent 12 years as principal at Myerscough College in Preston, and seven years prior to that as their director of finance.

I’m thrilled to be joining Moulton College as interim principal

She retired from Myerscough in March and is already very familiar with Moulton.

Ms Turner served as chair of Landex until November 2017, a collection of nearly 40 land-based colleges and universities across the UK, including Moulton.

“I’m thrilled to be joining Moulton College as interim principal,” she said. “Having worked with the college over the last 15 years through Landex, Moulton has always been a part of me. It’s not quite the retirement I was expecting, but an opportunity that I could not refuse.”

“Moulton has some incredible facilities and dedicated staff across the board, and I admire the commitment to develop, improve and innovate that the college has.”

Mr Davies left Moulton after seven years in the job. He started in 2011 when the specialist land-based college was rated ‘outstanding’, but it has since seen a gradual decline in standards to amid many financial problems, which led to an intervention from the FE commissioner.

The college has onsite accommodation and delivers programmes in “highly dangerous vocational areas” such as construction, equine studies animal management, sport, and food and drink manufacturing.

Stephen Davies

In an inspection in February Ofsted found a “number of serious breaches” to health and safety regulations, and a instances where practice was “unsafe or sloppy”.

In equine yards, gates were “left open” and a teacher “demonstrated unsafe practice” when tacking up a horse.

The college said in a statement in April, when the report was published, that it had moved quickly ensure effective safeguards were being put in place to protect learners.

Ms Turner said the college has a “really unique offer, with courses ranging from equine and animal welfare through to sport and construction”, and she aims to “build on the foundations already in place to make Moulton College the best destination for students exploring a career in these areas, not just in Northamptonshire, but beyond as well”.

Anne Milton hasn’t met the IfA’s apprentice panel in its first year

The skills minister has still not met with the Institute for Apprenticeships’ panel of apprentices – more than 12 months after it was established.

The panel, which first met last April, is made up of current or recent apprentices who discuss issues from the learner’s perspective and raise with the main IfA board.

Shadow skills minister Gordon Marsden lodged a written parliamentary question on April 16 asking about meetings Anne Milton had held.

“I am hoping to meet with the panel of apprentices in the near future,” replied the minister yesterday, who claimed she had attended a meeting of the full IfA board “by telephone” last December.

“The panel of apprentices is particularly important to help the IfA improve the quality of apprenticeships, as it reflects the importance of apprentices’ experiences across a broad range of different occupational routes.”

Mr Marsden was not impressed.

“It’s frankly ludicrous that this reply – which finally came after DfE officials had clearly struggled with how to answer my question – admits that not only has the minister not met the apprentices’ panel, but also she wasn’t at the IfA’s last board meeting other than ‘by telephone’,” he said.

Gordon Marsden

“With the IfA just having taken on a daunting set of new responsibilities for technical skills, isn’t it crucial that the minister does get face to face personal feedback rapidly, both from the apprentices panel and its board?”

IfA responsibilities include overseeing development and approval of new apprenticeship standards and assessment plans, advising employers on government funding for standards, and quality-assuring the delivery of apprenticeship end-point assessments.

It will also oversee T-levels, the government’s new technical qualifications, which will appear starting from 2020.

Ms Milton’s predecessor as minister Robert Halfon was an advocate of the panel of apprentices’ potential to allow learners to exert a positive influence on decisions affecting them.

There were initially fears that the IfA may not have any apprentice representation at all during the early stages of its development.

Mr Marsden and the NUS president Shakira Martin, who was then the union’s vice-president for FE, wanted apprentices to take up places on the board itself – but the government would not commit to the idea.

However, in December 2016, Mr Halfon confirmed that the IfA would “invite apprentices to establish an apprentice panel, which would report directly to the board”.

The National Society of Apprentices expressed fears last summer that his successor Ms Milton was less interested in the panel.

“We heard Anne Milton talk about wanting to listen to as many voices as possible so we hope that she backs her words up with action,” a spokesperson said at the time.

Movers and Shakers: Edition 243

Your weekly guide to who’s new and who’s leaving

Wes Johnson, Chair, The Lancashire Colleges (TLC)

Start date: March 2018
Previous job: Principal, Lancaster & Morecambe College (ongoing)
Interesting fact: Wes is a passionate Nottingham Forest fan and regularly makes the 300-mile round trip to support his team.

Paul Simpson, Executive director for human resources and development, The Sheffield College

Start date: May 2018
Previous job: Senior HR manager, Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service
Interesting fact: Paul is a keen windsurfer and can’t wait to get back on the water this year to master the heli-tack technique.

Fred Carter, Principal, Lewes & Eastbourne Sixth-Form College

Start date: April 2018
Previous job: Vice-principal, North East Surrey College of Technology (NESCOT)
Interesting fact: Fred is a keen snooker player. His other loves include watching Leeds United, travelling, politics, and cricket.

Clive Cooke, CEO, East Sussex College Group

Start date: March 2018
Previous job: Principal, Sussex Coast College Hastings
Interesting fact: Clive used to deliver keep-fit training and aerobics sessions on a radio station in Birmingham.

Biram Desai, Chief finance officer, East Sussex College Group

Start date: March 2018
Previous job: Vice-principal, Sussex Coast College Hastings
Interesting fact: Biram qualified as a skydiver in Florida in 2004, despite his main parachute not opening during his first ever experience of the sport. He now gets his adrenaline fixes closer to the ground.

 

If you want to let us know of any new faces at the top of your college, training provider or awarding organisation please let us know by emailing news@feweek.co.uk