The policy timeline presented in this document is a working document which forms part of a mixed methods study of Mathematics in Further Education Colleges (MiFEC) funded by the Nuffield Foundation. The documentary evidence includes reports published over a 22-year period between 1996 and 2018 by a range of stakeholders. Through a process of selection and review, the aim was to identify the key findings and how they may, or may not, have shaped the course of mathematics policy in post-16 education. Documents were selected according to their relevance to either post-16 mathematics education, or vocational education, or relevant wider reforms. These fell into four broad categories: • legislation and government consultation; • published reports led or commissioned by government; • published reports from other national organisations and stakeholder groups; • published documents on curriculum developments from a range of sources. The documents have been assembled into a timeline and the key messages summarised for each report (although these are not reported here). Other contextual changes have also been added to the timeline. Carefully chosen sector experts, each with specific knowledge and long experience in a relevant area (e.g. mathematics education, vocational education, government policy), reviewed and validated the timeline. This resulted in the following core dataset of 116 documents.
The results of this study of mathematics policy in Further Education over time are reported in two academic papers (See Dalby, D. and Noyes, A. 2020. The waxing and waning of functional skills mathematics . Journal of Vocational Education & Training, pp.1-20. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13636820.2020.1772856).
Since this is a working document, we would welcome comments and suggestions for improvement by email to Diane Dalby diane.dalby@nottingham.ac.uk. YEAR 1996/1997 1997/1998 1998/1999 1999/2000 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 Coalition: David Conservative: John Labour: Tony Blair; Labour: Gordon Brown; Conservative: David Cameron: Conservative: Conservative: Theresa Conservative: Theresa Government Major; Labour: Tony Blair Labour: Tony Blair Labour: Tony Blair Labour: Tony Blair Labour: Tony Blair Labour: Tony Blair Labour: Tony Blair Labour: Tony Blair Labour: Tony Blair Labour: Tony Blair Gordon Brown Labour: Gordon Brown Labour: Gordon Brown Coalition: David Cameron Coalition: David Cameron Coalition: David Cameron Coalition: David Cameron Coalition: David Cameron Cameron; Theresa May David Cameron (May May May (May 1997) (July 2007) (May 2010) (July 2016) 2015)
Secretary of State for Gillian Shephard/David David Blunkett/Estelle Estelle Morris/Charles Charles Clarke/Ruth Kelly Ruth Kelly; Alan Johnson Alan Johnson/Ed Balls Ed Balls/Michael Gove Michael Gove/Nicky Nicky Morgan/Justine Justine Greening/Damian David Blunkett David Blunkett David Blunkett Charles Clarke Ruth Kelly Ed Balls Ed Balls Michael Gove Michael Gove Michael Gove Nicky Morgan Justine Greening Education Blunkett (May 1997) Morris (June 2001) Clarke (Oct 2002) (Dec 2004) (May 2006) (July 2007) (May 2010) Morgan (July 2014) Greening (July 2016) Hinds (Jan 2018) 1999 June White paper, 2000 Learning and Skills 2001 White Paper, 2002 Education Act 2003. Green Paper, 14- 2005 February White 2006 White paper, 2007 Further Education 2008 Education and Skills 2010 Children, Schools 2011 Education Act 2014 Children and 2016 July White paper 2017 January Green Learning to succeed: a Act Schools: Achieving 19: Opportunity and paper, 14-19 Education Raising skills, improving and Training Act Act and Families Act Famiies Act Post-16 skills plan paper Building our 1996 July Education Act new framework for post- Success excellence. and Skills life choices Industrial Strategy 16 learning 2002 Green Paper, 14-19: 2003 July White paper 2005 Education Act 2006 Education and 2007 Green paper, Legislation and Extending opportunities, 21st century skills: Inspections Act Raising expectations: 1997 Education Act consultation raising standards. realising our potential staying in education and training post-16. 2005 March White paper, Getting on in business, getting on at work.
1996 March. Dearing. 1997 June Kennedy 2000 August DfEE 2001. DfEE. Skills for Life: 2001 DfES Payne Patterns 2003 DfES Payne 2004. February. Smith. 2006 December 2007 November Queen's 2009 November BIS Skills 2010 October BIS FE and 2011 December 2012 October Lingfield 2013 October BIS 2014 September BIS October 2015 CSEC&BIS 2017 January DfE Post-16 2017 Nov DFE Effective Review of Qualifications Learning works: widening Learning to succeed: The National Strategy for of Participation in full- Vocational pathways at Making Mathematics Prosperity for all in the speech Intention to raise for growth: the national Skills STEM data report Employer ownership of Professionalism in International survey of Report on Numeracy Education, skills and maths participation in practice in the delivery Government reports: for 16-19 Year Olds participation in further Raising standards in post- Improving Adult Literacy time education after 16 age 16-19 Count (post-14 maths) global economy Leitch school leaving age to 18 skills strategy (RAE) skills pilot: our vision. Further Education adult skills productivity - 2014-15 and teaching of English general & mathematics education. 16 learning (technical and Numeracy Skils review UKCES commissioned research and Mathematicsto16-18 consultation document) year olds
1997 DfEE Investing in 2001 Aim Higher 2002 April DfES Roberts 2003 DfES Skills for Life 2004. October Tomlinson 2007 July World Class 2008 March DCSF 2010 November Whilte 2011 DfE Government 2013 March Employer 2013 December. Policy 2015 July CESC 2016 April Sainsbury 2017 Feb CESC 2018 Feb DfE Young People: aiming to Initiative SET for Success focus on delivery to 2007 14-19 Curriculum and Skills (response to Leitch Promoting achievement, paper The Importance of response to Wolf report ownership of skills: statement on 16-18 Core Apprenticeships and report on technical Recruitment and Longitudinal survey of increase participation in (announcement) Qualifications Reform. review) valuing success teaching. Building momentum. Maths quaifications traineeships for 16 to 19 education retention of teachers adult learners: final post-16 education UKCES years olds. research report. (announcement)
2002 June DfES Success 2003 Skills for Success - 2004. DfES. Managing 2011 BIS. Skills for Life 2011 CESC Participation 2013 April CESC From 2015 BIS Reviewing post- 2016 July BIS Post-16 2017 March Second joint for All - discussion what the skills strategy Success Survey. by 16-19 year olds in GCSEs to EBCs: the 16 education and training Skills Plan report of Business, document means for business education and training Government's proposals institutions Energy and Industrial for reform Strategy and Education Committees
2002 November DfE 2011 March Wolf Review 2012 April CESC Great 2013 DfES Payne Choice 2017 July Smith review of Success for All - vision for of vocational education teachers - attracting, at the end of post post-16 mathematics the future training and retaining the compulsory education best
2011 June DfE Evaluating 2017 July Government mathematics pathways: response to Smith review final report.
2011 July CESC The English Baccalaureate
1998 January FEFC Key 1999. Moser. Improving 2000 Ofsted & FEFC & 2002 June Mathematical 2004 January CEE 2004 Education 2006 July ACME 2006 November NRDC 2008 July NCETM The 2009 February ACME 2010 Nuffield Values and 2011 January CEE 2011 November NIACE+ 2012 November RAE FE 2014 March ETF Strategic 2014 November UKCES 2015 October Ofsted 2016 OECD Building Skills 2018 Rodeiro Which Skills in FE: good practice literacy and numeracy: A TSC. Pilot of new key Skills in the workplace Regional variations in Maintenance Allowance Mathematics in FE Embedding literacy, organisation of Position Statement on variables Crawford Meschi & A dynamic nucleus, STEM data project report consultation: Maths and Employer perspectives Increasing provision in for All: A review of students benefit Other reports: general & report Fresh Start skills qualifications. adult and vocational introduced nationwide Colleges language and numeracy mathematics in colleges Qualifications in Vignoles Educational colleges at the heart (3) English report survey English and maths England fromretakingMathematic mathematics learning Mathematics at Level 3 choices and institutional oftheir communities through strategic s and from 2011 value planning EnglishGCSEs post-16?
2009 June Education for 2010 OECD The high cost 2011 February NIACE 2011 MEI Position 2012 December ACME 2014 C&G Sense and 2014 December ETF 2015 November ETF Key 2017 April Ofqual All Nuffield Review of 14- of low educational Numeracy Counts statement: maths for Post-16 mathematics: instability, three decades Effective practices in issues for education and Perceptions Survey 19 education and training performance post-16 Planning for success. of skills and employment post-16 vocational training Wave 15 report policy maths
2010 July ACME Post-16 2011 April Ofqual 2013 March CAYT 2014 AELP & ETF English 2015 Feb NIACE Engaging 2016 OECD Skills Matter: in 2016 Review of functional (Crawford & Cribb) and maths in learners in GCSE english Further Results from the skills standards in Reading and maths skills apprenticeships and maths Survey and Adult Skills mathematics at age 10 and earnings in later life
2010 August CBI making 2011 April Ofsted 2013 March Employer 2014 Nuffield 2015 March ETF Making it all add up: Business Tackling the challenge of ownership of skills: Mathematics after 16 maths and English work priorities for numeracy low numeracy skills building the momentum for all and maths
2010 UKCES Ambition 2011 April Ofsted A good 2013 Sutton Trust 2015 March AoC 2020: World class skills numeracy teacher. (Hodgen & Marks) The Inspection and FE and jobs for the UK employment equation colleges
2011 June ACME 2013 MEI GCSE 2015 June British Mathematical needs mathematics retake for Academy Count us in summary vocational students
2011 July RAE FE STEM 2013 Nuffield Hodgen, 2015 August PE Porter data project report (2) Marks & Pepper) Crossing the line Towards universal participation in post-16 mathematics
2011 August Vorderman 2015 CBI/Pearson A world-class Inspiring growth: mathematics education Education and Skills for all our young people Survey
2001 DfES. National 2004 Changes to A levels. Applied GCSEs QCA. Definition of 2007. Start of functional 2008. Key Skills Support Sept 2010. Functional 2011 Independent August 2012. Final Sept 2012. Last August 2014 Final New GCSE Maths standards and core introduced functional mathematics. skills pilots. Programme ends skills launched for all 16- evaluation of functional registrations for Adult registrations for Key Skills certifications for Adult specifications curriculum for Adult 19s except skills pilot Numeracy (apprenticeships) Numeracy Numeracy. apprenticeships. 2001 DfES New Key Skills 2007 Revised functional 2008 Advanced 14-19 August 2013 Advanced Review of functional skills Standards skills standards QCDA diploma introduced 14-19 diploma withdrawn standards and qualifications Curriculum changes Curriculum 2000' reform of A levels. Modular form with AS and A2 quals.
2001 AVCEs introduced
Department of Education 1997 QCA formed from All FEFC Inspections 2000 LSDA replaces FEDA 2000 Learning and Skills 2001 Department for Sector Skills Ofsted changes to 2007 Education Sector Skills 2009 DIUS abolished May 2010 Gove changes Oct 2011 QCDA 2013 LSIS funding BIS becomes Department Local area reviews and Employment (from NVCQ and SCAA include basic skills Council established, plus Education becomes DfES Development Agency Office for Standards in department split in two: Development Agency after just two years: name from DCSF to DfE dissolved. STA withdrawn. for Business, Energy and published and prompt a 1995) (iteracy, numeracy, ESOL) local LSCs. established Education, Children's Department for Children, replaced by UK responsibilities established Industrial Strategy. series of college mergers. Services and Skills Schools and Families Commission for transferred to new Education section of BIS (DCSF) and Department Employment and Skills Department of Business, is incorporated into DfE. of Innovation, and Local Enterprise Innovation and Skills Universities and Skills Partnerships (BIS). Structural and other (DIUS). changes 2000 Training Standards Changes commenced as a 2002 NRDC established 2006 LSDA dissolved. Office of the 2008 QIA closed and 2009 QCA becomes NRDC dissolved. Council established result of Skills for LIfe QIA and LSN Qualifications and assets transfered to LSIS QCDA Strategy: focus on established. Examinations Regulator increasing participation (Ofqual) launched and attainment in adult numeracy, innovation and quality of provision. Maths/Post- Year Month Title Published by Authors 16/General
1996 March Review of qualifications for 16-19 year olds Dearing P
1996 Education Act P
1997 June Learning works: widening participation in further Kennedy P education
1997 Investing in Young People: aiming to increase DfEE P participation in post-16 education (announcement)
1997 Education (Schools) Act G
1998 January Key Skills in Further Education: A good practice FEFC M report
1999 June Learning to succeed: a new framework for post-16 DfES P learning
1999 Improving literacy and numeracy: A Fresh Start DfEE Moser, C. M
2000 Pilot of new key skills qualification. Jointly by M Ofsted & FEFC & TSC 2000 Learning and Skills Act G
2000 August Learning to succeed: Raising standards in post-16 DfEE P learning (technical consultation document)
2001 White Paper Schools: achieving success P
2001 Aim Higher Initiative (announcement) P
2001 Skills for Life: The National Strategy for Improving DfES M Adult Literacy and Numeracy Skills
2001 Patterns of Participation in full-time education after DfES Payne P 16
2002 Education Act P
2002 April SET for Success: the supply of people with science, DfES Roberts M technical, engineering and mathematics skills
2002 June Mathematical Skills in the Workplace Hoyles M
2002 June Discussion document: Success for All DfES P 2002 Green Paper 14-19: extending opportunities, raising P standards.
2002 November Success for All - vision for the future DfES P
2003 Green Paper. 14-19: Opportunity and excellence. P
2003 July White paper. 21st century skills: realising our DfES P potential
2003 Vocational pathways at age 16-19 DfES Payne P
2003 Skills for Life focus on delivery to 2007 DfES M
2003 Skills for Success: What the skills strategy means for DfES P business
2004 January Regional variations in adult and vocational learning CEE Jenkins and P Wolf
2004 February Making Mathematics Count (post-14 maths) DfEE Smith, A. M
2004 October 14-19 Curriculum and Qualifications Reform. Tomlinson P 2004 Managing Success DfES & AoC P
2005 February White paper 14-19 Education and Skills DfES P
2005 March White paper Skills: Getting on in business, getting on DfES P at work
2005 Education Act G
2006 Education and Inspections Act G
2006 March White paper Further Education: Raising Skills, DfES P Improving Life Chances
2006 July Mathematics in FE Colleges ACME M
2006 November Embedding literacy, language and numeracy NRDC M
2006 December Prosperity for all in the global economy: world class DfES Leitch P skills
2007 Further Education and Training Act P 2007 July World Class Skills: Implementing the Leitch review of P Skills in England
2007 November Queen's speech: Intention to raise school leaving age TSO Gordon P to 18 Brown
2007 Green paper, Raising expectations: staying in P education and training post-16
2008 March Promoting achievement, valuing success: a strategy DCSF P for 14-19 qualifications
2008 July The organisation of mathematics in colleges NCETM M
2008 Education and Skills Act P
2009 February Position Statement on Qualifications in Mathematics ACME M at Level 3 from 2011
2009 June Education for All: Nuffield review of 14-19 education Nuffield P and training
2009 November Skills for growth: the national skills strategy BIS P
2010 Values and variables Nuffield Askew, M Hodgen, Hossain and 2010 Ambition 2020: World class skills and jobs for the UK UKCES P
2010 July Post-16 in 2016 ACME M
2010 August Making it all add up: Business priorities for numeracy CBI M and maths
2010 October FE and Skills STEM data report (RAE) (1) BIS/RAE M
2010 November White paper The Importance of teaching G
2010 The high cost of low educational performance OECD P
2011 January Educational choices and institutional value CEE Crawford, P Meschi & Vignoles 2011 March Review of vocational education Wolf, A. P
2011 Skills for Life Survey BIS M
2011 February Numeracy Counts NIACE M 2011 April A good numeracy teacher. Ofsted M
2011 April Tackling the challenge of low numeracy skills Ofsted M
2011 June Evaluating mathematics pathways: final report DfE Noyes A., Drake P., Murphy R., 2011 June Mathematical needs summary ACME M
2011 July FE STEM data project report (2) RAE M
2011 July The English Baccalaureate CESC P
2011 Position statement: maths for post-16 MEI M
2011 August A world-class mathematics education for all our Vorderman M young people
2011 October Participation by 16-19 year olds in education and CESC P training: Government response.
2011 November A dynamic nucleus, colleges at the heart of their NIACE+ P communities 2011 Government response to Wolf report DfE P
2011 December Employer ownership of skills pilot: our vision UKCES P
2012 April Great teachers - attracting, training and retaining the CESC G best
2011 April Ofqual Review of functional skills standards in M mathematics
2012 October Professionalism in Further Education (interim report) BIS Lingfield P
2012 November FE STEM data project report (3) RAE M
2012 December Post-16 mathematics: Planning for success. ACME M
2013 Towards universal participation in post-16 Nuffield Hodgen, M mathematics Marks and Pepper 2013 GCSE mathematics retake for vocational students MEI M
2013 Choice at the end of post compulsory education DfES Payne P 2013 March Employer ownership of skills: building the UKCES P momentum
2013 March Reading and maths skills at age 10 and earnings in CAYT Crawford & M later life Cribb
2013 April From GCSEs to EBCs: the Government's proposals for CESC P reform
2013 October International survey of adult skills BIS M
2013 December Policy statement on 16-18 Core Maths qualifications DfE M
2013 The employment equation Sutton Trust Hodgen, J. M & Marks, R.
2014 March Strategic consultation: Maths and English report ETF CUREE & M emCETT
2014 English and maths in apprenticeships AELP & ETF M
2014 Sense and instability, three decades of skills and C&G P employment policy
2014 November Employer perspectives survey UKCES P 2014 December Effective practices in post-16 vocational maths ETF M
2014 Mathematics after 16 Nuffield M
2015 February Engaging learners in GCSE english and maths NIACE Robey, C. & M Jones, E.
2015 March Inspection and FE colleges AoC P
2015 March Making maths and English work for all ETF M
2015 June Count us in British M Academy
2015 July Apprenticeships and traineeships for 16 to 19 years CESC P olds.
2015 Reviewing post-16 education and training institutions BIS P (area reviews)
2015 August PE (Porter) Crossing the line PE Porter, N. M
2015 October Education, skills and productivity BIS CESC&BIS M 2015 October Increasing provision in English and maths through Ofsted M strategic planning
2015 November Key issues for education and training ETF P
2015 Inspiring growth: Education and skills survey CBI & Pearson P
2016 April Sainsbury report on technical education Lord P Sainsbury
2016 Skills Matter: Further Results from the Survey of OECD M Adult Skills
2016 July Post-16 skills plan BIS P
2016 Building Skills for All: A review of England OECD P
2017 January Green Paper: Building our Industrial Strategy P
2017 January Post-16 maths participation in 2014-15 DfE M
2017 February Recruitment and retention of teachers CESC G 2017 March Second joint report of Business, Energy and Industrial P Strategy and Education Committees
2017 April Perceptions Survey Wave 15 report Ofqual P
2017 July Smith review of post-16 mathematics Smith, A. M
2017 July Government response to Smith review DfE M
2017 November Effective practice in the delivery and teaching of DfE Higton, J., M English and Mathematics to 16-18 year olds Archer, R., Dalby, D. et al 2018 February Quantitative Programme of Research for Adult DfE Panayiotou, M English and Maths. Longitudinal survey of adult S., Hingley, learners: final research report. S., Boulden, K., 2018 Spring Which students benefit fromretaking Mathematics UCLES Rodeiro, M and English GCSEs post-16? (Research C.V. Matters, Issue 25) We would like to acknowledge the following sources that were particularly helpful in the construction of the database. Gillard D (2011) Education in England: a brief history www.educationengland.org.uk/history British Prime Ministers: https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-prime-ministers-of-Great-Britain-and-the-United-Kingdom-1800350 Secretaries of State for Education: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretary_of_State_for_Education Government education select committee: https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/education-committee/publications Institute for government: https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ The Nuffield Foundation: https://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/research/education The Royal Society: https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/publications/ STEM Learning: https://www.stem.org.uk/ MEI: https://mei.org.uk/reports British Academy: https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/programmes/education-universities/