Opening from June: College Leaders Given Flexibilities
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In-depth, investigative journalism, determined to get past the bluster & explain the facts for the FE & skills sector FEWEEK.CO.UK | @FEWEEK FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020 | EDITION 317 'GIVE US 'TRUST COLLEGE 'DON'T FLEXIBILITY LEADERS AND INTERFERE AS TO WHO RESPOND IN THE IS ON SITE' SWIFTLY' DETAIL' opening from june: college leaders given flexibilities Colleges freer to choose who attends for face-to-face contact FE Week leadership survey finds 54% support DfE expectations But 71% fear significant number of learners will refuse to attend Page 5 @FEWEEK EDITION 317 | FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020 MEET THE TEAM Nick Linford Shane Mann Billy Camden EDITOR MANAGING DEPUTY DIRECTOR EDITOR @NICKLINFORD @SHANERMANN @BILLYCAMDEN [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] JL Dutaut Fraser Yasemin Craggs COMMISSIONING Whieldon Mersinoglu EDITOR REPORTER REPORTER @DUTAUT @FRASERWHIELDON @YASEMIN_CM [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] THE TEAM Simon Kay DESIGNER HEAD DESIGNER Nicky Phillips ? [email protected] DESIGNER Simon Kay SALES MANAGER Bridget Stockdale ADMINISTRATION Frances Ogefere Dell EA TO MANAGING Get in touch. DIRECTOR AND FINANCIALS Victoria Boyle Contact [email protected] or call 020 81234 778 Please inform the FE Week editor of any errors or issues of concern regarding this publication. SPARSHOLT COLLEGE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL LAND-BASED £50,062 - £54,710 https://httpslink.com/wtiz FEATURED BASINGSTOKE COLLEGE OF JOBS TECHNOLOGY - FACULTY HEAD £44,000 TO £50,000 (WITH £5,000 UPLIFT FOR ENGLISH OR MATHS SPECIALISTS) https://httpslink.com/yg4m BIRMINGHAM METROPOLITAN COLLEGE VICE PRINCIPAL JAMES WATT COLLEGE £80,000 PER ANNUM THIS WEEK’S TOP AVAILABLE https://httpslink.com/098w JOBS IN THE FE SECTOR. TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION FEA PLEASE TURN TO THE CENTRE TEACHER TRAINING OF FE WEEK OR VISIT THE APPRENTICESHIP TRAINER/MENTOR WEB ADDRESS LISTED SELF-EMPLOYED DAY RATE https://httpslink.com/854f TO ADVERTISE YOUR VACANCY WITH EDUCATION WEEK JOBS AND FE WEEK PLEASE CALL CORONAVIRUS EMERGENCY 020 81234 778 OR EMAIL COVER ROLES SALARY DEPENDENT ON ROLE [email protected] https://httpslink.com/q237 2 Contents EDITION 317 Outstanding! College group given top Ofsted marks across the board Profile: Chris Humphries: Acting president and chair, WorldSkills International Page 6 Page 13 Former adviser to skills minister calls for temporary ban on new adult apprentices Page 20 Necessity breeds invention, and grade assessment has had to adapt quickly Page 21 SUBSCRIBE DISCLAIMER FE Week is owned and published by Lsect Ltd. 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Only around a quarter of eligible training “We are sorry for the delay and providers applied for the Education and Skills inconvenience, but assure you that it will not Funding Agency’s Covid-19 supplier relief affect the date that payments will be made,” the scheme, FE Week analysis suggests. ESFA added. The agency told this newspaper this week The agency has come in for a lot of criticism that they have received 162 applications for the over its handling of the relief scheme. extra financial support, which opened on April They took more than a month to launch 24 and closed on May 3. the support after the Cabinet Office gave The figure is 22 per cent of the 734 providers contracting authorities the green light to pay with a procured adult education budget their suppliers in advance of delivery on March allocation and/or non-levy apprenticeship 20, and when it was released, it excluded the contract with the government – nearly all of majority of apprenticeship providers. which would have been entitled to bid for the All apprenticeships recorded on the Goudie QC, a senior silk at 11KBW as well as a scheme. government’s digital system, mostly with levy- deputy High Court judge and a master of the It comes as the ESFA delays releasing the paying employers, have been made ineligible as bench of the Inner Temple, has been instructed outcomes of provider applications. the ESFA believes the contractual relationship is by the law firm VWV to help present the The agency had expected to notify providers between the employer and the provider, rather case in a letter on behalf of the membership of the outcome of their applications by Tuesday than the government. organisation. May 12, but this “unfortunately has not been The Association of Employment and Learning The letter was sent at the end of April and the possible in all cases”, they said in an update on Providers is challenging this legally. James government is yet to respond. Ofqual reveals three-week window for calculated grades BILLY CAMDEN result before revealing that colleges and circumstances”, where awarding organisations [email protected] training providers should “expect awarding need to extend the window beyond three organisations to ask you to provide centres’ weeks, “they will be in touch with you”. Colleges and training providers will have a assessment grades and other information “The window will allow them time for three-week “window” to provide calculated about learners in a window of up to three awarding organisations to quality assure the grades for vocational and technical weeks, starting 1 June”. data, check the overall profile of outcomes and, qualifications from June 1, Ofqual has revealed. This will be only a week after the regulator if necessary, raise any queries with centres The exams regulator this week published publishes its response to the current before results are issued,” Ofqual said. further guidance for grading the courses this vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) “If you feel your awarding organisation’s summer owing to the cancellation of exams. consultation, on May 22. deadline is unachievable, you should speak to It follows an announcement at the end of Ofqual intends to publish an app that will them urgently.” April that schools and colleges can either allow colleges, training providers and learners Results day for level 3 VTQs will be held on grade the qualifications by calculating results, to see what qualifications are in scope for August 13 alongside A-levels, while level 2 adapting assessments or, as a last resort, delay calculated grades or need-adapted assessment results will be given to students on August 20 assessments until they reopen. “when we publish the outcomes of our alongside GCSE. Ofqual reiterated that the “majority” consultation”. Ofqual’s new guidance can be found online of learners should receive a calculated The new guidance states that in “exceptional by visiting https://bit.ly/2LuJzdo 4 @FEWEEK EDITION 317 | FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020 DO YOU HAVE A STORY? News CONTACT US [email protected] Opening from June: college leaders given flexibilities NICK LINFORD to vulnerable students and children of key [email protected] workers, but the guidance makes it clear they do not have to open more widely from the June 1. From front Monday June 1 is the earliest opportunity, but College leaders have been given significant many colleges are expected to plan to open at flexibility over which learners they invite back a later date, after many leaders told the ESFA onsite from as soon as June. they would need more time to prepare. The Department for Education made the David Hughes, chief executive of the announcement in updated guidance on Association of Colleges, said the guidance Thursday after college leaders had strongly “will help colleges to make the right decisions demanded them. in the best interests of their students, whilst It is understood senior staff from the maximising the safety of staff”. Education and Skills Funding Agency had “We are advising every college to make phoned nearly every college principal on their own decisions on their assessment of Wednesday 13 May to quickly collate feedback priorities, needs, the context in which they on the expectation they reopen from as soon operate and individual risk assessments and as 1 June and only for those 16 to 19-year-old we are confident that is what the government learners on the first year of a two year course, wants,” he added.