JOURNAL

No. 147 ISSN: 1364-4505 Friday 23 November, 2012

EDUCATION

OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNER OF THE NORTH OF ENGLAND EDUCATION CONFERENCE SHEFFIELD 2013

Schools and colleges to compete for students over 14

Contents
Comment No more dangerous dogs Page 2 News NAO report on academies Page 3 North of England; Asbestos in Wales Page 4 Prospects Interchange Page 5 Ofqual on National Assessment; SEN pilots extended; New FE capital spending Page 6 Feature Interview with Jaine Bolton, COO of NAS Page 7 Conferences CBI, IoE, AoC and the Skills Show Pages 8 to 12 Opinion New teachers Page 13 NAO on academies Page 14 Research Research digest Page 15 EDUCATION JOURNAL 1

urther education colleges will be free to recruit unlimited numbers of 14 to 16-year-olds onto full-time courses in competition with schools from next September. Draft details of the plans to be ocially released in about ten days were unveiled at the Association of College annual conference at the ICC in Birmingham, reports Ian Nash and Sue Jones at the AoC conference. Ocials from the Department for Education and the Education Funding Agency said that the Government is committed 100% to this recommendation in Professor Alison Wolfs Report on vocational education and told delegates to expect a detailed policy announcement from the DfE in a matter of days. This is the most important structural change in FE in my career, said Mike Hopkins, Principal of Middlesbrough College. Its a massive step forward. Colleges will be able to recruit 14 year olds directly without going through the Local Authority school admissions system. They will receive funding from the EFA on the same basis as 16-18s and using the Individual Learner Record system, albeit with some additional legal and administrative requirements, such as publication of attendance data, that are required of schools. While funding for schools can vary between 3,000 and 7,000 per pupil in dierent parts of the country, colleges will get a standard rate of around 4,000 and a vocational programme uplift of four percent on the assumption that they will be following a vocational programme for one day a week. They will follow similar courses to those now provided in schools for the other four days. They will also attract the pupil premium and area disadvantage rates, where these apply, raising possible per pupil funding to about 6,000. Colleges will also be able to apply for high needs student payments in the same way as for post-16 students and free school meals for eligible pupils. Policies and procedures will need to be published and conform to the Readiness to Open checklist for Free Schools and must cover issues such as admissions and exclusions, leadership and stang, a broad and balanced curriculum entitlement, special educational needs, quality assurance, safeguarding and student care, guidance, support and behaviour. While many principals were enthusiastic about the prospect of recruiting large numbers of young learners and are condent of the quality of their oer, there are important issues to be considered. The sector already reports that schools are often reluctant, if not downright hostile, to colleges recruiting sixteen year olds, so it will be dicult for colleges to get their message across to young people and their parents. Schools have a responsibility to supply independent, impartial advice and guidance but relations are likely to be dicult.
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No more dangerous dogs

s we report in this issue, yesterday the Government announced at the Association of Colleges conference that from next September it would allow further education colleges to compete with schools in attracting 14 to 16-year-olds. Yesterday was also the day that the National Audit Oce published a report, Managing the Expansion of the Academies Programme, which was highly critical of the way the Department for Education had managed that expansion. The NAO acknowledged the success of the Government in moving so many schools into the academy fold. Yet Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Oce, concluded that "the Department for Education was not suciently prepared for the nancial implications of such a rapid expansion, or for the challenge of overseeing and monitoring such a large number of new academies. In other words, the Government had not fully worked out the implications of its policy. Could we be about to see a repeat of that with the changes to further education? The Government is wisely beginning to row back on another of its policies, the creation of the FE Guild. There is widespread support for the policy, but incredulity that the Guild could be ready to assume its full role by next August. Ministers are now talking about it being established by then, which is a very dierent thing. Even good policies need to be properly executed. Some in FE welcomed the opening up of their colleges to 14-16 year-olds with enthusiasm. In our news report on this we quote Mike Hopkins, Principal of Middlesbrough College, as saying: This is the most important structural change in FE in my career ... Its a massive step forward. Other, more cautious, FE leaders are wondering how they will provide services for children in the more adult environment of a large college that is also being encouraged by Government to do more higher education. Colleges also need to consider the eect on their reputation. According to the Wolf Report, they are most likely to be recruiting This is the most learners from the third quartile in the ability range but their exam important structural results at 16, including GSCE A*-C grades, will be published along with those of schools covering the whole ability range. This change in FE in my information will have to be carefully managed if they are not to be career ... Its a massive left looking like low achieving institutions. And what of schools? This is not going to be helpful to the new step forward. University Technology Colleges, which cater for the 14+ age group. They work with further and higher education institutions, but it is dicult to see why a college leader would now want to put eort into working with a UTC when he or she can just open their own doors to the same group. For most secondary schools it is just another factor they will have to deal with in an increasingly disconnected system. It will hit their funding at a time when most are facing falling school rolls. It is probable that relatively few 14 year-olds will switch from school to college next September, for few parents will want to volunteer their children to be guinea pigs. However, if signicant numbers start to move across thereafter then that will have a negative impact on schools. Education is not, and should not be, about the convenience of institutions but regard does have to be had for the interests of those who will remain in schools. What the NAO report on the academies programme shows (and Building Schools for the Future showed about the last government) is that what seems like a good idea at the time a policy wonk convinces a politician to do something can be derailed if the detail is not thought through. Elsewhere in this issue we report on Edward Timpson announcing an extension to the 20 pilot programmes testing changes in policy for those with special educational needs. This approach is a wise one. Any minister who thinks it is a good idea to rush the introduction of new policies should remember the Dangerous Dogs Act. Ministers put that through in a day, then spent the rest of their careers regretting their haste.
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N A

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W U

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Does the National Audit Oce really do irony?

esterday the NAO published Managing the Expansion of the Academies Programme, a coruscating 50-page indictment of how the Secretary of State for Education and the Department for Education have overseen the expansion of the academies programme. The facts, unfortunately, speak for themselves. It is clear that the Department has not managed the expansion: it has mismanaged it. Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Oce, concludes: "The Academies Programme is a key element of the Governments plans to reform the school system. Delivering a ten-fold increase in the number of academies since May 2010 is therefore a signicant achievement. However, the Department for Education was not suciently prepared for the nancial implications of such a rapid expansion, or for the challenge of overseeing and monitoring such a large number of new academies. It is too early to conclude on academies overall performance, and this is something I intend to return to in the future. As the Programme continues to expand, the Department must build on its eorts to reduce costs and tackle accountability concerns if it is to reduce the risks to value for money." Although 48 per cent of secondary pupils are expected to be educated in academies in 2012, there are only ve per cent of primary pupils in academies. The report also ags up the 1bn additional costs of setting up the academies, which includes 350m that the DfE has not been able to recover from the local authorities ... the Department for from whence the academies converted. Education was not suciently The report recommends that the Department should: set out a pathway for how and when it intends to assess prepared for the nancial the value for money of the Programme, including a implications of such a rapid baseline position and key information sources; state clearly how it intends to monitor and address the issues expansion (in the number of contributing to the Programmes additional cost; explore academies) or for the the extent to which academies are experiencing cost increases or savings, and work with the sector to reduce challenge of overseeing and costs and spread good practice; and continue working with monitoring such a large the sector to emphasise the importance of proper stewardship and compliance while minimising unnecessary number of new academies. It burdens. Reaction Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers said: The National Audit Oce report specically warns against deeming the academies programme value for money. Unsurprising when 10 per cent of the Department for Educations total budget has been expended on this project, with a stang increase of 133 per cent in those posts focusing on this work. Michael Goves priorities are entirely wrong. It is absurd for the Government to justify spending 8.3 bn on academy conversions in two years while at the same time warning of a dire economic situation. Meanwhile, many good state schools are told theres no money as they stand in a state of disrepair with ever-diminishing support services. Schools have suered as the DfE has transferred funding from other budgets to stay within its spending limits. Furthermore, the NAO shows that some groups academy super heads and insurance companies for example are getting rich out of the academy programme at the publics expense.

is too early to conclude on academies overall performance ...

A review of the report is published in this weeks issue of Education Parliamentary Monitor and in the documents section of the Education Journal part of our website at www.educationpublishing.com

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Leading businesswoman to speak at top conference

leading businesswoman and founder of two childrens charities will be speaking at one of the UKs most prestigious education conferences in the New Year. Camila Batmanghelidjh will be joining several eminent speakers who will be passing on their wealth of experience at the North of England Education Conference being held in Sheeld in January. Camila is the founder of two childrens charities The Place 2 Be and Kids Company, where she currently works with some of the most traumatised young people living in London. She trained as a psychotherapist, engaged in 20 years of psychoanalysis and has become an advocate for vulnerable children. In 2009 she was named Business Woman of the Year for the Dods and Scottish Widows Public Life Awards. Camila has also been awarded Social Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst and Young, and Coutts and the Most Admired Chief Executive by Third Sector Magazine. She won the lifetime achievement award from the Centre of Social Justice. Inspiring learners will be the focus of the conference and Camila joins a number of thought-provoking speakers that have already been conrmed, including Professor the Lord Robert Winston, Professor Isaac Prilleltensky and Head of Ofsted Sir Michael Wilshaw. The conference, now in its 109th year, brings together the University of Sheeld School of Education working in partnership with Sheeld Hallam University. Delegate fees have been kept at the same rate as for the last conference and are being snapped up fast, with delegates being registered from as far as the Middle East! The conference will take place at Sheeld Hallam University from 16 to 18 January 2013. Further details about the conference and registration information can be found by visiting https://registration.livegroup.co.uk/neec2013/.

Asbestos report: serious risk to health

t has emerged that a new report into the asbestos risk at Cwmcarn High School in Caerphilly has warned of the serious potential risk to both children and sta alike. The report, conducted by Santia Asbestos Management, found that asbestos in the roof void may have been blown around the building by the schools own internal heating system. Workmen had detected airborne bres which were ten times over acceptable levels. The survey into Cwmcarn revealed that it posed a serious risk to health and recommended that the school should be demolished, as suggested in a previous inspection. The ndings suggest that the risks may have been increased by: Ceiling tiles being disturbed by draughts; Repairs to the electrical circuit; Pupils scraping chairs and tables in classrooms could even have caused damage to asbestos boards.

The Company concluded in its Report that: We are of the opinion that it is not feasible to continue operating the School in the current condition based on the risks imposed on occupants. The Report also concluded that it would not be possible or practical to refurbish the building by removing all the asbestos given other upgrades and safety improvements which would be needed. The Council and the Welsh Government are still considering the Report and its implications and yet to make a long-term decision about the future of the School and its pupils. Meanwhile, the pupils schooling continues to proceed on a temporary basis in part of Coleg Gwents Ebbw Vale Campus, where the arrangements are described as proceeding satisfactorily.
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Prospects Interchange launched at Skills Show

rospects, the leading education, employment and training group, used the occasion of Skills London 2012 at ExCeL today to launch its new Prospects Interchange. This is a new network that will connect blue-chip FTSE 100 companies, education organisations, government departments and agencies and others from the learning and skills sectors. It replaces FEdS, a subscription network acquired by Prospects that had originally been established within the nance industry. Prospects Interchange is free to join, and gives representatives of business and education a forum to discuss issues around learning, skills and employability. Prospects Interchange members include the BBC, BP, BT, City and Guilds, IBM, Lloyds TSB, Microsoft, OCR, Rolls Royce, UCAS and Unilever. Speaking at the event, Ray Auvray, Executive Chairman of Prospects said: We believe it is crucial for business and education to work closely together. Every school and college wants their learners to go on to successful, fullling careers but in order for this to happen, our education providers and institutions need to understand what employers are looking for in potential new recruits. Business has much to oer education. Young people can be inspired where there is the chance to meet and interact with companies and engaging with education presents a great development opportunity for employees. Prospects Interchange oers a collaborative forum, bringing business, government and education together, creating a new voice for employers to inuence policy and stimulate thinking on critical education and skills issues. Michael Larbalestier, Editor of the Prospects Interchange newsletter, said: Our newsletter will focus on education and enterprise, updating Prospects Interchange members with the latest news, research and policy developments. It will provide an opportunity for members to showcase their innovations and best practice. The newsletter will complement Prospects Interchange events and provide a regular link for members. For details on becoming a member of Prospects Interchange please contact Coral Rayeld on 020 8315 1260 or email coral.rayeld@prospects.co.uk

ist he Polemic T
The Polemicist is a new occasional magazine. To register to receive each copy, or to submit an idea for publication, please email: chris.waterman@e-strategix.co.uk
Vol 1 No 3 explains: "How the BBC might help prevent child abuse"

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EDUCATION JOURNAL

Ofqual reports on National Assessment arrangements

n Wednesday Ofqual published its report on the National Assessment arrangements for 2011/12. It presents the ndings of Ofquals review activities. Overall, the report states, we found that the Standards and Testing Agency (STA) successfully implemented a number of changes to National Assessment arrangements during 2011/12. As a new executive agency of the Department for Education (DfE) it introduced and eectively managed the Phonics Screening Check and made sure that schools received results of all Key Stage 2 tests on time. Among its ndings the report urged the DfE to make all relevant information about statutory testing arrangements to schools early in the academic year. It also recommended that the purpose and key principles of external moderation should be consistent from Early Years Foundation Stage Prole to Key Stage 2. At Key Stage 2, the report said that the DfE should make an early decision on whether and/or how the outcomes of the new English Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling test will contribute to the calculation of accountability measures for English in 2013.

FE building
Business Secretary Vince Cable used the AoC conference in Birmingham to announce a further 412m for capital projects for 56 further education colleges. The Government is contributing 110m and the colleges themselves are contributing 302m. The funding is the third phase of the Enhanced Renewal Grant (ERG3) which has contributed 330 million since May 2010, supporting over 1 billion of spending in college buildings across England. Vince Cable said: "Addressing gaps in skills is an important part of our industrial strategy. This initiative is another example of how Government is working in long term partnership with industry to give them more condence to invest, hire and grow."

Special educational needs trial extended

rials to help children and young adults with special educational needs are being extended by another 18 months. Edward Timpson, the Parliamentary Under Secretary at the Department for Education responsible for children and families, made the announcement earlier this week. There are 20 areas where a series of reforms are being tested before they become law. Parents of young people aged between one and 24 years have been testing the reforms. Their children have conditions as varied as autism, chronic medical conditions like lung disease and learning disabilities. The reforms include a single assessment process and an integrated education, health and care plan. This brings together all the support needed in a single place. Parents also have the option of a personal We want the best for budget. Mr Timpson said: We want the best children and young for children and young people who have people who have special special educational needs or who are disabled. The Minister claimed that the educational needs or reforms would put children and parents at the heart of policy, and would make sure who are disabled. that education, health and social care services work together in their interests. Our reforms will help children get support swiftly, make progress in school and then go on to live independently later in life. Mr Timpson met parents, councillors and professionals involved in the Bromley and Bexley trial at the Phoenix Centre, which has a hydro pool, as well as medical rooms and a gym. In providing so many facilities in one location it provides integrated services for parents of children with special educational needs.
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Apprenticeships are for everyone

Sarah Key talks to Jaine Bolton, Chief Operating Ocer of the National Apprenticeship Service, at the Skills Show near Birmingham.
eginning on a positive note, Jaine Bolton described the Skills Show UK as being Impressive from day 1 with its main aim being to show young people vocational opportunities. However in her view not enough is done to this end, saying the balance is more towards a career that you can get through higher education and an academic route. Jaine referred to the higher apprenticeships which have been developed over the last year and lead to level 4, 5 and 6 qualications. These apprenticeships, for example those oered at the Rolls Royce academy, oer a job, training, progression, a salary and the opportunity to gain workplace skills. They oer a clear work based progression attracting those who previously only saw themselves as having one option to go to university, such as one young man who had been oered a place to study at Oxford University, but had instead chosen to pursue a higher apprenticeship. NAS therefore promote the message that apprenticeships are for everyone, although according to Jaine there is more to be done to promote the for everyone message. In order to do this we need to sell the concept and product of vocational education. In other words how to get it and what it is. There is a constant need to renew the message and continually promote it much in the same way as is done for higher education in schools. Jaine noted that teachers and curriculum leaders do have some experience of vocational education, as they require experience within a school before they will be accepted on to a teacher training course. However, teachers need to be more comfortable talking about vocational education and getting employers into schools to do this. When asked whether she thought higher university fees would make more people consider apprenticeships, Jaine hoped they would but at the same time hoped that this would be for the right reasons. She hopes young people will think earlier about their options, with apprenticeships being considered at the same point as university rather than as a last resort. Some apprentices have been paid below the minimum wage of 2.65 an hour. Jaine made it clear that the NAS are making every eort to resolve this. They stress that an apprenticeship is not volunteering or work experience and encourage employers to think about what a fair pay rate would be for their apprentice. Further eorts to eradicate unacceptably poor practice are being made to ensure young people understand their rights. Jaine made the interesting point that apprentices who have been paid below the minimum wage tend to work in sectors in which there is poor practice anyway, so is not necessarily due to the fact that someone is an apprentice but a reection of the sector they work in. She added that NAS will be working with these sectors to try and resolve the situation. WorldSkills UK A key feature at the Skills Show is the WorldSkills UK Competitions for young people and adults in further education and apprenticeships to showcase their skills. When asked what the main outcomes of the competitions would be Jaine explained these raise the esteem and respect given to vocational education and highlights the fact that the employers involved are investing all their energy and values into this. Secondly, they raise standards for the individual as colleges will think about what they can do to help their competitors improve the next time, or to maintain standards if their entry is a winner. Also those exhibitors who have come to the skills show but have not entered a competitor will be urged to enter a competitor the following year. With the competitions being held for the rst time ever under one roof, whereas previously competitors were used to showcasing their skills in small halls, they are now competing in front of thousands people, leading to increased pressure and consequently serving to raise standards.

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Hoping to forge all our futures

Chris Waterman at the CBI conference in London

he CBI Annual conference took place on Monday at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane. Cameron, Cable, Milliband (Ed) and Boris Johnson processed across the main stage in turn, bringing their mixed messages to over a thousand captains of industry. With incredible prescience, the CBI had ensured that the audience has almost certainly been addressed by both the current and future Prime Minister. There was a steady ow of coee and business cards as the delegates networked in the spaces between sessions and admired the conference artist as he captured the avour of the conference with a rolling exhibition of caricatures and cartoons. The session that, perhaps, surprised the delegates was a 75-minute debate on education. The context was set by the CBI report First Steps: A new approach to our schools, a major report that has totally re-cast the CBI's approach to education in schools and indeed before school. John Cridland, CBI director-general, speaking exclusively to Education Journal, stressed the importance he attached to Chris Waterman developing the approach to education outlined in the report. "I have made this my priority for the coming year and I am not going to give up on it. What is now very obvious is the importance of education from the earliest age. Working with parents and communities is crucial. The CBI needs to work closely with education to break down the silo mentality. We need a culture change and that can only be achieved by people from industry and education talking to one another and establishing a common view about what education." The report itself signals a recognition by CBI of the importance of education in the early years and the importance of parental engagement in the education of children. High The context was set by the quality childcare that is aordable is identied as key, with a continuing focus on eective support from parents and CBI report First Steps: A new communities once children start school. The report also calls approach to our schools, a on business to step up to the mark. The education debate panel included Alison Peacock major report that has Headteacher of Wroxham Primary School (surely another rst for the CBI), SIr Michael Wilshaw, HMCI, Ken McMeikan, Chief totally recast the CBI's Executive of Greggs, and Sir Charles Dunstone, Chairman of approach to education in Carphone Warehouse. What they said was perhaps less schools and indeed before important than the fact that they were saying it at all: there were the two cultures on the platform, fully-engaged. The full school. report, while not exactly confronting the government, is swimming against the Govian tide, a tsunami intent on sweeping our schools back half a century. The CBI report recommends the removal of the currently overspecied national curriculum from primary schools and a move in secondary to a focus on an 18+ exam system comprising both academic and vocational A-levels. Not a bad place for a new dialogue to begin with teachers and their leaders..

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Education! Celebration? Surely not?

Chris Waterman at the Institute of Education in London

ast Saturday over 1,000 students, teachers and academerati packed the Institute of Education in London for a ten-hour festival of education. With more than a dozen parallel sessions, from a plenary with Michael Gove to an innovation space, a creative space and a thinking space, it seemed more like a pop festival than an education event. People got there early to make sure they could get in to hear the Secretary of State in conversation with David Aaronovitch. In fty minutes Mr Gove was gently roasted, to the delight of the audience. Wellprepared as ever, Mr Gove brandished a copy of a communist manifesto as he was asked to dene what an People got there early to make educated person looked like. Sporting his new Raybans, sure they could get in to hear it was perhaps out of kindness that the audience werent asked to vote whether he looked educated. His the Secretary of State in answers were at odds with the sentiments in his In conversation with David Praise of Tests speech to an academies conference earlier in the week and his body language, as he twisted Aaronovitch. In fty minutes Mr and turned in his chair, was also in marked contrast. If Gove was gently roasted, to the he had seen the leaets distributed about him on his way in to the event, he must have been prepared for the delight of the audience. audience to storm the stage. In the event, the heckling was more gentle than he gets at the Despatch Box. Once the main political boil had been lanced, the delegates got down to the serious business of celebrating education in its many forms. Poetry writing, dance and making children happy leavened the more usual diet of discipline, procurement and building learning power. Hundreds of educationists ebbed and owed from plenary sessions on great teaching to sessions on making vocational education attractive to the Once the main political middle class, from Ghouls performing live to Musical Futures. incredibly balanced curriculum all in one day! boil had been lanced, the An After eightbroad butnon-stop options, there were still plenty hours of of delegates left at the end to hear Michael Rosen and Anthony delegates got down to the Horowitz try to answer the question How can we stop killing serious business of the love of reading? celebrating education in The post-Festival drinks were held in the aptly named Crush Hall. If only the Secretary of State had stayed all day. Traditions its many forms. have to start somewhere: the Institute of Education has started a very rich tradition. Cant wait for 2013!

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Association of Colleges annual conference

The Government launched a series of initiatives at the 17th annual conference of the Association of Colleges at the ICC in Birmingham, aiming to improve training and increase competition. Ian Nash and Sue Jones report.

College-based training must not be given short measures

fsted inspectors are urging college leaders to look closely at teacher training standards and performance in maintained schools in order to see what they can learn about their own approach to the development of teacher professionalism. The suggestion from Matthew Coey, Ofsted head of inspections for the Learning and Skills sector, at the annual conference in Birmingham of the Association of Colleges this week, runs counter to a central recommendation in the report of the recent inquiry into professionalism in FE. The Lingeld review called for colleges to align themselves with higher education rather than schools. The schools approach ensures broad training in pedagogy, The Teaching Agency oers whereas Lingeld opts for the minimalist HE teacher training a real challenge to teacher model, which leaves it up to the institutions to decide how much teacher training, if any, is needed. education in schools A series of government announcements this week appear to support the former approach, with new policies unveiled to because if its inspected and allow colleges unlimited options to recruit learners from age not up to scratch, it is no 14 and exhortations from the Department for Education for longer funded and the colleges to be sponsors of new Academies to be created in the coming year from at least 400 failing primary schools. school stops delivering it. In urging colleges to look to school-based teacher training, Coey argued that the approach was tougher. The Teaching We dont have this in FE and Agency oers a real challenge to teacher education in schools yet we know that funding because if its inspected and not up to scratch, it is no longer drives behaviour. funded and the school stops delivering it. We dont have this in FE and yet we know that funding drives behaviour, he said. I expected Lingeld to align professionalism with schools rather than HE. We all desire the same outcome and should look to professionalism in maintained schools and see what we can learn. Joy Mercer, AoC director of education policy, said there was a more desirable middle way, reecting the breadth of provision at all educational levels in FE and giving colleges the discretion over training that they needed. Reecting the concerns of many delegates at the conference that the minimalist Lingeld model might be used as an excuse to cut government spending on professional development she said such training must carry the same entitlements as it does for schools. School teachers who train in service are entitled to money for training, coaching and mentoring. We need equality in how we approach training in colleges and schools, she said.

The suggestion from Matthew Coey, Ofsted head of inspections for the Learning and Skills sector, at the annual conference in Birmingham of the Association of Colleges this week, runs counter to a central recommendation in the report of the recent inquiry into professionalism in FE. The Lingeld review called for colleges to align themselves with higher education rather than schools.
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Minister is urged not to make decisions about FE Guild prior to consultations

erious doubts have been raised about just how much freedom ministers will grant colleges and other learning providers under the latest proposals to create an FE Guild to set professional teaching standards and codes of behaviour and develop qualications. Matthew Hancock, the new FE and Skills minister, made it clear to journalists, after speaking at the Association of Colleges annual conference in Birmingham this week, that he would decide the scope of such freedoms. We will be carefully designating what government does and what the sector does best, he said. If we get these questions right then we will have a solution that will last. However, Martin Doel, chief executive of the AoC, said that Few conference delegates since ministers had called for wide consultations through a partnership led by AoC and the Association for Employment doubted the need for such and Learning Providers, the outcome of that should not be prean organisation but there empted. You cant have a consultation and have a xed view of what the outcome of the consultation will be. was considerable concern It would be for the sector to decide after gaining evidence over what was seen as a from all key organisations, including unions, professional associations and employer groups in FE, adult learning, rushed agenda by the employment and the voluntary sector. If the consultation Government which wants comes back saying the sector doesnt want a guild or an improvement agency, then we will have to conclude that thats the guild up and running the case. by next August. Few conference delegates doubted the need for such an organisation but there was considerable concern over what was seen as a rushed agenda by the Government which wants the guild up and running by next August. We have got an extremely aggressive timetable to work towards but I think its achievable, said Doel. It also appears that the AoC had gained some extra time since, as the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills accepted, the word fully has been deleted from the phrase fully operative by August 1 in the remit letter from BIS. While the AoC and other organisations accepted that the guild could be doing some work by August 2013, Doel said: You cannot take over and remodel the world by 1 August; there has to be some prioritisation and the pace and approach has to be pragmatic.

Funding for functional skills to double in eort to tackle scandal of illiteracy

unding for adult English and maths functional skills, and for English and maths within an Apprenticeship, will be doubled, Matthew Hancock, Minister for FE and skills, announced this week at the Association of Colleges conference in Birmingham. He said: Here in these islands, we invented the English language that now dominates the globe. It is the global language: of trade, of culture, of diplomacy, and of the arts. And our history is littered with many of the advances in mathematics too. Yet too many of our young people cannot read or write, or add up properly, he said. This is a scandal and it must change. Carol Taylor, director of research at NIACE, said: In our national Inquiries into adult numeracy and adult literacy, we called for a recognition that all adults need to be able to read and write to a functional level, and to be numerate, in order that they can play a full part in their family, in work and in society as a whole. This announcement by the Minister for Skills acknowledges the overwhelming importance of the functional skills of English and maths, by enabling providers to increase the provision they put on for learners.
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The Skills Show

Sarah Key reporting from the Skills Show at the NEC near Birmingham

his year the NEC near Birmingham hosted the Skills Show, the UKs largest skills and careers event. For the rst time ever the show was held under one roof, attracting thousands of visitors who were able to witness vocational education in action. With 200 companies, educators and learning providers exhibiting at the show, visitors were able to learn about career and learning opportunities they may not have previously been aware of, including Higher apprenticeships which allow the individual to achieve a degree and in some cases a masters degree. As well as accessing advice and guidance from the many exhibitors, there was also a designated careers advice zone. Informative Spotlight talks were on oer featuring 100 employers, training providers and individuals passing on their experience and advice. One such speaker was Alan Bird, Executive Chef at The Ivy restaurant, who spoke with passion about the value of apprenticeships saying I have no doubt that my apprenticeship got me where I am today. Dispersed around the NEC were a range of Have a Go events; from fashion design to TV presenting, bricklaying to photography, visitors were able to try their hand at a career they may already have had in mind or those which they had not previously considered. Skills Patron for The Skills Show and Dragons Den TV, Theo Paphitis noted that these events will be an insightful and entertaining way for people to discover a whole wealth of skills. He added that if someone has a skill, they have a tool for life that can transform their fortune and form the basis for their very own enterprise. It is hoped that if an individual nds a skill they enjoy through the have a go activities, they will be inspired to take this further with education or an apprenticeship. The skills competitions were an eective way for individuals Dispersed around the NEC to both enhance their skills and showcase these to inspire increased pressure of the were a range of Have a Go others. With theroof and competing in frontSkills Show being held under one of thousands of events; from fashion design people, compared to small crowds in previous years, Jaine Bolton, Chief Operating Oce of the National Apprenticeship to TV presenting, Service, argued that the skills standard would be increased. bricklaying to photography, Competitors will be urged to perform to the very best of their inspired visitors were able to try potential and training providers will benext year to do the rst everything they can to compete again or for their hand at a career they time if they have not done so in 2012. For those who perform exceptionally may already have had in competitions, there is the opportunity towell in these UK represent Team mind or those which they in the internationals which are to be held in Leipzig in July 2013. Prior to this, the members of Team UK undergo a had not previously rigorous training programme; due to the high level of skills considered. involved this is recognised by employers and can often lead to a promotion. The common aim for all events at the Skills Show is to promote and provide advice on developing skills, apprenticeships and vocational education as a whole. It is hoped that visitors will be inspired to take part in vocational education and that its standing will be raised, in line with the phrase seeing is believing. The hope is that apprenticeships will be seen as a viable alternative to higher education rather than as an option purely for those who cannot go to university.

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Problems facing new teachers

Professor Ken Reid, Welsh Editor.

revealing picture of the new problems facing trainee and new teachers emerged this week. First, a new Report from rightwing researchers at the privatised Buckingham University found that only one in three teachers stays in teaching for very long. Of the 38,000 teachers who trained in 2010/2011 were still in teaching posts by the following January. Presumably, the majority of these had been unable to nd employment. An unequal picture of the qualications of new teachers also emerged. Whilst rising number of trainees now had good 2.1 degrees, those training in the arts had much higher entry qualications than those who were studying science subjects. Nearly 61% of those Professor Ken Reid employed went into the state sector, 5% into the independent route, whilst around 5% started working in other occupations apart from teaching. People training to be science, maths or ICT teachers were most likely to drop out, possible because these graduates found it most easy to gain alternative jobs with often higher salaries. Second, another new Report, produced by the NAHT, found that the serious consequences of cyber bullying may be forcing some teachers out of the profession, especially young teachers. Some of the incidents of cyber bullying were often very serious, protracted and totally malicious. For example, one teacher was accused of malpractice towards a child with whom he had never met or had any contact. Yet he remained suspended after the message on Twitter was brought to the attention of his school. Parents to blame Laura Higgins, of the Professionals Online Safety Helpline, claimed that parents who failed to supervise their childrens activities on the internet were often to blame. In the study, led by Professor Andy Phippen of Plymouth University, some of the comments analysed in the study were found to be threatening, menacing, indecent, oensive or obscene. Some texts amounted to nothing less than bullying. Because of the nature of some of the texts, some teachers, especially young teachers, felt unable or unwilling to reveal them to colleagues, their head teachers or with other ocials within their schools or local authority education departments. Some were extremely reluctant to ever go to the police, often because they feared the information could be misunderstood or mishandled. Third, teachers and further education and higher lecturers have increasingly to cope with being able to distinguish between pupils own work, often project-based or essays, and those purchased from specialist contract agencies. A new study by Professor Robert Clarke from Birmingham City University said that teachers and lecturers have to cope with endemic forms of plagiarism, which he termed contract cheating. Students and parents were typically paying 70 for a short piece of work or minor essay, but considerably more for a project-based assignment or dissertation. These were often stored electronically and could be produced from any part of the country so detection was especially dicult. However, more rms were entering this eld and it was becoming a most protable business. At present, such practice is not illegal although obviously, frowned upon. Some schools and students now face well-dressed men touting outside school, college or universities guaranteeing them a quick product, tailor-made for their own use with guaranteed condentiality. Therefore, for some students it is an easy way out. For some teachers and lecturers it may be a nightmare. It also poses exceptional risks for both exam boards and external examiners, especially as increasing numbers of students are now prepared to take the risk. Things have certainly changed since my time in teaching!

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Lessons from current aairs are as valuable as those from history

Professor John Howson

he Academies Progamme was the rst key project of the coalition government. So keen was the Secretary of State to develop the widespread creation of academies that the legislation passed through parliament before the summer recess of 2010. Recently, the National Audit Oce has published a report into the management of the expansion of the academies programme after the 2010 Act. http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/1213/academies_expansion.aspx In many ways the 2010 legislation was like the famous Circular 10/65 of Harold Wilsons Labour government that attempted to replace a selective secondary schools system with one founded upon comprehensive principles. Like circular 10/65, the 2010 Act, although it has the greater force of legislation, was more permissive rather than mandatory. In this respect it did not require all schools to convert, and the map on page 15 of the NAO Report clearly show the stark geographical dierences across the country that have resulted. The NAO has estimated that the additional cost of the programme has been in the order of 1 billion during the two nancial years between April 2010 and March 2012. This is greater even than commentators such as Peter Downes had been estimating, and begs the question about the value for money of the programme? Schools were told that converting to become academies would free them from local authority control, and the rhetoric conveyed the vision of schools operating as separate entities. It is, therefore, interesting to see that the NAO noted some tension between the expectations of reduced bureaucracy and the subsequent experiences, with 47% of converter academies feeling less free from bureaucracy than they expected before conversion: of course, this might have been the result of wholly unjustiable expectations on the part of some school leadership teams. One of the clear diseconomies of scale from the programme has been increased costs for accountancy and nance sta, with 71% of respondents to the NAO survey reporting increases in costs in this area. Insurance was another area where many schools faced increased costs that resulted from needing to take out policies that have may have been more expensive that cover bought from a local authority. These were eminently foreseeable results arising from the divesting schools from local authority control, and should have been both foreseen and prevented, even if they are outweighed by savings on grounds maintenance, water, catering services, and rates in some schools. Some academies also seem to have struggled with compliance requirements in the early days, with 20% of the 435 academy trusts with audited 2010/11 accounts having failed to submit these by the 31st December deadline: it is not clear what if any sanctions were imposed on such schools, and it is to be hoped that they did not include amongst them 10% of academy principals who had salaries above the maximum point on the appropriate leadership pay scale for their school; and especially not from amongst the six leaders of multi-academy trusts who in 2010/11 earned over 200,000. As the coalition moves into the second half of the parliament, there is a risk that as with Labours 1960s drive for non-selective secondary education the academy conversion programme will stall awaiting the outcome of the next general election. Such a legacy of a partly completed vision will not be helpful to the coherent and ecient governance of schooling in England, a fact the Secretary of State as a fan of history would do well to consider. But 10/65 and all that may not yet be history to him rather mere current aairs. Professor John Howson runs a company called DataforEducation.info. His collection of columns from 201112 can be found as an e-book on Amazon under the title: Please Miss. Do pigs have wings?

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JOURNAL

EDUCATION

Research Digest

JOURNAL

EDUCATION

This is a list of papers in academic journals published recently. After the title of the journal the information given is the publisher, the volume and issue number, the theoretical date of publication (which is not always the actual date), the number of issues per year or volume, the ISSN; the current personal subscription rate, the print and electronic institutional subscription rate and the electronic only institutional subscription rate. If only one figure is given then that indicates a single rate for all types of subscriber. Distance Education Routledge | 33/3 | November 2012 | 3 | 14750198 | 312 | 273 Editorial: Connectionism. Som Naidu Procrastination in a distance university setting. Katrin B. Klingsieck, Stefan Fries, Claudia Horz, and Manfred Hofer Are contextual and designed student-student interaction treatments equally effective in distance education? Eugene Borokhovski, Rana Tamim, Robert M. Bernard, Philip C. Abrami, and Anna Sokolovskaya Factors related to rural school administrators satisfaction with distance education. Matthew J. Irvin, Wallace H. Hannum, Claire de la Varre, Thomas W. Farmer, and Julie Keane Evaluating social connectedness online: the design and development of the Social Perceptions in Learning Contexts Instrument. Patricia J. Slagter von Tryon and M. J. Bishop Tutors influence on distance language students learning motivation: voices from learners and tutors. Junhong Xiao An analysis of high impact scholarship and publication trends in blended learning. Lisa R. Halverson, Charles R. Graham, Kristian J. Spring, and Jeffrey S. Drysdale Report - Use of synchronous online tools in private English language teaching in Russia. Olga Kozar Reflection - Reflection on the new dynamics of distance education: an interview with Sir John Daniel. Colin Latchem Theory and Research in Education Sage | 10/3 | November 2012 | 3 | 1477-8785 | 48 | 326 Gender equality and girls education: Investigating

frameworks, disjunctures and meanings of quality education. Sheila Aikman and Nitya Rao Power, knowledge and politics: Exploring the contested terrain of girl-focussed interventions at the national launch of the United Nations Girls Education Initiative in The Gambia. Caroline Manion Poverty, education, gender and the Millenium development Goals: Reflections on boundaries and intersectionality. Elaine Unterhalter Gender-based violence: Young womens experiences in the slums and streets of three subSaharan African cities. Georgina Yaa Oduro, Sharlene Swartz and Madeleine Arnot Educational Studies Routledge | 38/5 | December 2012 | 5 | 03055698 | 162 | 1126 | 1014 Resistant to the message: are pupils unreceptive to teachers anti-bullying initiatives and if so why? Michael J. Boulton and Richard Boulton Exploring the educational aspirations-expectations gap in eight grade students: implications for educational interventions and school reform. Chris Michael Kirk, Rhonda K. Lewis, Angekla Scott, Denise Wren, Corinne Nilsen and Deltha Q. Colvin Emotional intelligence and academic attainment of British secondary school children: a cross-sectional survey. Carmen L. Vidal Rodeiro, Joanne L. Emery and John F. Bell Teaching domain specific skills before peer assessment skills is superior to teaching them simultaneously. M.J. van Zundert, K. D. Knigs, D.M.A. Sluijsmans and J.J.G van Merrinboer The planning illusion: does active planning of a learning route support learning as well as learners think it does? Wilco J. Bonestroo and Ton de Jong Portraying intelligence: childrens drawings of intelligent men and women in Finnish and Russian Karelia. Hannu Rty, Katri Komulainen, Tuuli Paajanen, Mia Markkanen, Nina Skorokhodova and Vadim Kolesnikov Brief Report - Should we be encouraging pupils to ask more questions? Andrew Whittaker Investigation on the influence of the brand image of higher educational institutions on satisfaction and customer lifetime value. Cheng-Cai Wang, Chin-Tsu Chen and Chun-Fu Chen

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JOURNAL
Editor Associate Editor Parliamentary Editor Reference Editor Research Editor Wales Editor Writers Demitri Coryton FRSA Chris Waterman FRSA Tracy Coryton Arabella Hargreaves Michael Marshall Professor Ken Reid Julia Coryton, Laura Coryton, Professor John Howson, Sue Jones, Sarah Key, Ian Nash, Alex Reid and Professor Colin Richards. Education Journal No.147 (2012) The Education Publishing Company Ltd. 2012. Published by The Education Publishing Company Ltd., Crediton, Devon. Education Journal Devonia House, 4 Union Terrace, Crediton, Devon, EX17 3DY, UK. Tel: 01363 774455 Fax: 01363 776592 Email: info@educationpublishing.com Web: www.educationpublishing.com The Education Publishing Company Ltd., Devonia House, 4 Union Terrace, Crediton, Devon, EX17 3DY, UK. Email: info@educationpublishing.com The Education Publishing Company of Australia, PO Box 390, Sandy Bay, Tasmania 7006, Australia. Email: epca@educationpublishing.com The Education Publishing Company of New Zealand Ltd., PO Box 109,481, Newmarket, Auckland, New Zealand. Email: epcnz@educationpublishing.com

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