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‘ofqual’

Yes, but… no, but… Stop dithering – we need detail on the summer assessments

The Department for Education can’t delay any longer – contingencies and adaptations for next summer’s exams must be published immediately, writes Bill Watkin We are getting uncomfortably accustomed to a diet of divided opinion, it seems. Brexit, Trump, even wearing masks and lockdown, have all split views and raised the temperature in homes across the […]

Opinion

Functional skills ‘portfolio’ solution proposed to lift 30,000 apprentices out of limbo

Talks are under way to replace functional skills exams with “portfolio evidence grading” for apprentices who are unable to sit the tests due to Covid-19 restrictions, FE Week can reveal. Around 30,000 work-based learners, mostly in the health and care sectors, are currently estimated to be stuck in limbo and unable to complete the English […]

News

Beware the ‘tidy mind’ when considering funding below level 3

Ministers must listen to the sector carefully if they want to avoid a post-16 quals fiasco, says Tom Bewick After months of phoney war, the Department for Education has launched its second round of consultation on which regulated qualifications below level 3 will be assigned public funding in future. The battle lines are clear: the […]

Opinion

Are lifelong learner accounts back on the cards?

The government is flirting with the language of learner power reminiscent of an old New Labour policy. Jess Staufenberg looks at its chances of making a comeback For old hands in FE, Boris Johnson’s announcement in September of a “Lifetime Skills Guarantee”, resourced through a “National Skills Fund”, has echoes of an older, more ambitious […]

Feature, News

Ofqual must work closely with employers for its bigger role in apprenticeships

The new system has the potential to strengthen the employer voice, but needs clear communication routes, writes Lee Pryor The announcement that Ofqual will now be overseeing a significant number of apprenticeship standards has been greatly welcomed by institutions such as ours. This is a significant move for organisations that provide end-point assessments and will […]

Opinion

Revealed: The sectors excluded from PM’s new ‘lifetime skills guarantee’

Major parts of the economy will see level 3 qualifications in their sector excluded from the new Lifetime Skills Guarantee, FE Week can reveal. Sectors deemed a low priority with low wages include hospitality, leisure, travel, retail, media and arts, while sectors such as IT, construction and engineering will get the green light. When the […]

News

The show must go on: online resources to support delivery during lockdown 2.0

With Boris Johnson announcing a second national lockdown on Saturday, we continue to face much uncertainty and disruption to our delivery of education and it is hard to imagine there will be mush change this academic year – a reality Michael Gove reflected over the weekend. Although schools, colleges, providers, and universities will remain open, […]

News

Ofqual’s independence questioned as regulator ‘buried its head in the sand’ during exams fiasco

The education select committee has accused Ofqual of “burying its head in the sand” by ignoring repeated warnings in the run-up to this year’s disastrous exams, claiming the regulator instead chose to follow orders from ministers and “hoped for the best”. As well as questioning the independence of the regulator,  committee chair Robert Halfon also […]

News

DfE seeks views on ‘undervalued’ level 2 and below quals market

The Department for Education has launched a call for evidence to find out what is “working well” with qualifications at level 2 and below. It is part of the government’s review that seeks to simplify England’s “confusing” vocational and technical qualifications landscape by removing funding for those qualifications that compete with T Levels and A-levels. […]

News