Election 2024

There are positives – but the Conservatives’ manifesto misfires on crucial issues

This was a chance to come out fighting, but the Conservatives’ policies fail to acknowledge the scale of need…

JL Dutaut
Olly Newton
Election 2024

Gaps remain in Labour’s plans to fill shortages and spread opportunity

Labour’s manifesto gives further education grounds for optimism, but the sector will need more than warm words and big…

JL Dutaut
Carl Cullinane
Qualifications

How the new Adult Social Care Certificate will support local skills needs

What is the new qualification is, who is it for, and what opportunities does it present for colleges and…

JL Dutaut
Craig Wade
HTQs

How to shift attitudes and market higher technical qualifications effectively

The umbrella term of higher technical qualifications is a useful conceit to appeal to the right learners in what…

JL Dutaut
Ben Verinder
The Staffroom – opinion

The election will bring change – but will it bring respect?

Whoever wins the contest, the new administration and its Department for Education must get to know our sector and…

JL Dutaut
Kirsty Haughton
resits

Why would anyone question the benefits of more teaching time for resits?

The benefits of setting minimum teaching hours for resits should be evident to all – and the government isn’t…

JL Dutaut
Andrew Otty


Mental Health

Mental health is key to educational efforts to rekindle social mobility

Government and the sector must put wellbeing at the heart of their work to reverse worrying trends in the…

JL Dutaut
Liz Bromley
Apprenticeships

From OOF to WOOF: How to put a leash on apprenticeship completion dates

The growing problem of ‘well out of funding’ learners is often the result of the tail wagging the apprenticeship…

JL Dutaut
Kerry Boffey
Qualifications

Reviewing post-16 qualifications is a start – but it’s not enough

Meeting engineering’s skills gap will require a lot more than tinkering with the courses on offer

JL Dutaut
Katie Ingrey
Research

The model that could make CPD greater than it is

An innovative approach to CPD showed great promise before funding was pulled – and should inform the sector’s approach…

JL Dutaut
Charlynne Pullen
Election 2024, resits

All parties must commit to keeping the GCSE resit policy

Middle-class commentators don’t understand it. University professors can’t explain it. But the resit policy is a vital lifeline for…

JL Dutaut
Andrew Otty
The Staffroom – opinion

AI should stand Assessment Intelligence – but we need to adapt

Developing assessments that reflect what’s already happening in our industries is the challenge of the next decade

JL Dutaut
Dan Phillips