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‘ofqual’

7 changes the government must make to grow technical education

If the prime minister is serious about skills, he needs to take these agreed actions from our latest roundtable, writes David Phoenix The prime minister’s speech on further and higher education this week and the forthcoming FE white paper present a huge opportunity to grow post-16 technical education. But growing technical education requires local and […]

Opinion

Apprentices stuck in limbo as Covid hits functional skills tests

Thousands of apprentices are “stuck in limbo” as awarding bodies struggle to adapt their functional skills assessments in the face of Covid-19, training providers have warned. Leaders of providers, who say they cannot physically visit some of their work-based learners to invigilate their tests especially in the care and health sectors, have described the situation […]

News

Apprentice quality assurance charges to end from October

Controversial £40 charges for the external quality assurance of apprenticeship endpoint-assessment will start being phased out as soon as October, it has been confirmed. The fees will end as the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education hands over EQA responsibility for over 300 apprenticeship standards to Ofqual. Federation of Awarding Bodies chief executive Tom Bewick […]

News

Williamson’s education committee exams hearing: 4 things we learned

The education secretary faced questions about this year’s exams fiasco and the reopening of schools and colleges when he appeared in front of the Parliamentary education committee this morning. Gavin Williamson’s appearance in front of MPs follows a hearing last week with leaders from exams regulator Ofqual. Here’s what we learned from him.   1. […]

News

Investigation: College sector recruitment highs & lows after virus and exams fiasco

As colleges re-open their doors after a summer like no other, staff have had to cross their fingers and hope new learners turn up, on the right courses for them. The outlook was nerve-wracking – schools that would usually hold students’ hands until they reach college hadn’t seen their pupils in months. Employers normally offering […]

Feature, News

Ofqual calls time on estimated grades for BTECs and other vocational qualifications

Ofqual has ruled out the use of calculated grades to award vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) again. Following this year’s exams fiasco, the regulator ran a consultation on how to grade BTEC and other vocational learners next year should Covid-19 continue to disrupt normal assessments. The outcome has been published today and states that rather […]

News

Ofqual moots online tests as plan B for 2021 exams

Ofqual has confirmed exams will go ahead next year come what may, saying that it is looking at online tests as a ‘plan B’ incase of lockdown disruption. The regulator was quizzed on what the 2021 exam series will look like for year 13 students during an education select committee hearing this morning, particularly in […]

News

Ofqual and the exams fiasco: 8 interesting things we learned

Senior staff from the exams regulator were hauled infront of the education select committee today where they were grilled on this year’s results fiasco. Ofqual has been criticised for keeping quiet while chaos reigned on their now infamous grades-awarded-by-mutant-algorithm system, while ministers pushed blame their way. But the Ofqual team’s accounts seem to have shifted […]

News

Ofsted’s autumn visits: what FE providers need to know

Ofsted has today published further details about how their “interim visits” of FE providers will work this autumn. The watchdog stressed these will not be routine inspections and will not result in a judgement grade. The guidance follows an announcement in July that Ofsted would use a phased return to routine inspections, following a pause […]

News