An International Comparison of Technical Education Funding Systems

This Education Policy Institute (EPI) report gives a comprehensive comparison of technical education in England and the UK with other developed countries. It shows that the education system is still placing too much emphasis on academic pathways for young people. The research considers how far England is behind leading nations, and what reforms would be […]

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      string(341) "... of their education or career.  Neither of those is compatible with expectingthem to rush through volumes of coursework and cram for a full set of exams.Please support us to deliver an education which works for our students at this extraordinary time in their lives.YourssincerelyTomDower Principal UTC South Durham"
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      string(2034) "lost 51 hours of direct specialist teaching today and I have 40% of my staff team who cannot come into the building.  But most of all they are concerned for our students and their wellbeing.  Please do not tell me that it is affordable Most schools are not able to balance their budget this year anyway (not the topic of this letter) but we have spent £1000 on supply teachers today and £3000 for the week.  On top of all the other Covid costs, this is utterly unsustainable and yet there is no indication of financial support to keep students in school.  I have a choice between breaking our budget or imposing far more remote education.Thesethemes are replicated in most schools across most Local Authorities and I knowthat many have had a tougher time than we have.Please work with us to create a plan which will meet the needs of the young people we care for in the situation they find themselves in How about taking a breath, recognising the pressures on them and giving them a chance?  How about moving to a fully planned CAG process, or a 50% exam and 50% teacher assessed system?  How about trusting exam boards to define sensible assessments for their technical and vocational qualifications?  How about removing the pressures of performance tables on schools so that we can focus on the welfare of our students? How about extending the interim Ofsted visit programme to the end of the year to provide supportive clarity of the situation across education? Ihave asked my staff to concentrate on the wellbeing of our students.  I have asked my teachers to focus on theskills their students need for the next stages of their education or career.  Neither of those is compatible with expectingthem to rush through volumes of coursework and cram for a full set of exams.Please support us to deliver an education which works for our students at this extraordinary time in their lives.YourssincerelyTomDower Principal UTC South Durham"
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Leadership

Generation On Mute - An Open Letter To The Department for Education and Ofqual

13 Nov 2020

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      string(338) "More than half of students who attend University Technical Colleges (UTCs) - which take in pupils from the age of 14 to 19 - are dropping out between the ages of 16 and 17, according to this Education Policy Institute (EPI) report. It says   the government scheme for technical education is costing ..."
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      string(386) "... local and national skill needs. With UTCs only focusing on ages 16-18, this would give them an opportunity to deliver differentiated, specialised, high-quality technical education. This should allow UTC students to progress to higher levels of technical education in Institutes of Technology, National Colleges, university, or other providers ..."
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      string(415) "More than half of students who attend University Technical Colleges (UTCs) - which take in pupils from the age of 14 to 19 - are dropping out between the ages of 16 and 17, according to this Education Policy Institute (EPI) report. It says   the government scheme for technical education is costing hundreds of millions of pounds and failing to deliver good results for students."
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      string(1187) "retention, it is not clear that students are benefiting from a 14-19 education. With provision starting at age 16, UTCs should focus on delivering high-quality existing technical qualifications and eventually the new ‘T-levels’ – relevant to local and national skill needs. With UTCs only focusing on ages 16-18, this would give them an opportunity to deliver differentiated, specialised, high-quality technical education. This should allow UTC students to progress to higher levels of technical education in Institutes of Technology, National Colleges, university, or other providers, should they wish to pursue further study. Better measures are needed that account for the technical-oriented provision of UTCs. Improved destination measures are needed that also account for the characteristics of students, so that the particular intakes of UTCs can be taken into account. WEB LINK UTCs: Are They Delivering For Young People And The Economy?Keywords UTC, University Technical Colleges, young people, economy, students, technical education, government scheme "
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Leadership

UTCs: Are They Delivering For Young People And The Economy?

17 Oct 2018

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Leadership Briefing 11.12(132)"
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Leadership

Work Placements: A Call For Evidence

7 Jul 2017

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      string(409) "... a distinct technical and vocational route through the education system may help reduce dropout and disengagement. The report calls for greater competition among academic and technical education providers. It also says that employers should work more closely with technical and vocational education providers to ensure the curriculum is relevant to ..."
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      string(371) "... technical and vocational education and the core subjects, a VocBacc for example, to sit alongside the existing Ebacc measure.· LEPS should report directly to a technical-vocational commissioning unit in the DfE with recommendations on skills and education needs in their local areas. LEPS should be required to engage formally ..."
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      string(662) "This Policy Exchange report warns that many students are suffering from the lack of an alternative to traditional academic studies and that a distinct technical and vocational route through the education system may help reduce dropout and disengagement. The report calls for greater competition among academic and technical education providers. It also says that employers should work more closely with technical and vocational education providers to ensure the curriculum is relevant to future jobs and incorporates high quality instruction to industrial-level standards.
Leadership Briefing issue 7.06 (78)"
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      string(5643) "investment or partnership, after a specified timeframe should result in relocation of students to alternative providers in line with identified need and demand for technical-vocational education in the local area.· Ofsted should integrate requirements around the inspection of IAG into its inspection framework for schools.· DfE should consult and report on options for a form of reporting system for providers failing to meet their statutory duties with regard to IAG, to ensure effective monitoring of IAG provision on an on-going basis.· Government should explore and report on options for incentivising non-school education providers to enter into the provision of IAG.· The DfE should increase the number of non-GCSE subjects that are allowed to count in headline accountability measures for schools at key stage 4.· The DfE should introduce a new baccalaureate-style performance measure for attainment in high quality technical and vocational education and the core subjects, a VocBacc for example, to sit alongside the existing Ebacc measure.· LEPS should report directly to a technical-vocational commissioning unit in the DfE with recommendations on skills and education needs in their local areas. LEPS should be required to engage formally with SSCs, local authorities and chambers of commerce on both sectoral and local skills and education needs and to disseminate their recommendations to all educational providers.· Notwithstanding other required reforms to the system of IAG, schools should be required to compile, update and provide to the local authority an annual list recording 1) the awarding body, 2) the name and 3) the level of all technical/vocational qualifications offered in their curriculum. In their capacity as managers of local provision, local authorities should be required to collate these lists, highlighting discontinuities and dead ends in level progression between institutions and qualifications, and feedback a reconciliation list to those taking commissioning decisions around technical-vocational provision and also to all local education providers for dissemination to students in IAG.· Individual units on the QCF should no longer be offered to students at key stage 4 and schools should focus instead on offering coherent qualifications to learners.· The DfE should reinstate an element of payment-by-results for students at the end of ks5 where some portion of funding is held back if learners fail to successfully complete their programme.· Funding rules should be changed to impose a higher threshold on school sixth forms around retention. Students dropping out at the end of as year should attract only partial funding for that year. Schools with sixth forms should not automatically receive half funding after 6 weeks and this limit should be raised.· Government should re-define all apprenticeship training programmes as being level 3 programmes of minimum three-year duration to send clearer signals to employers and potential trainees about the value and nature of apprenticeship and to encourage expansion of apprenticeship volumes. Other training programmes of a lower level or lesser duration should be given an alternative designation and a distinct brand.· A technical-vocational education commissioning unit should take commissioning decisions around necessary technical and vocational provision in regional areas, to be informed by relevant labour market intelligence.· DfE should review the situation with regard to early teaching of ks4 subjects in earlier key stages to ensure that other education providers are not disadvantaged.· The schools inspection framework and handbook should be revised by ofsted to incorporate inspection requirements around the specific demands of vocational and technical education, taking the handbook for the inspection of further education and skills as a model. New requirements should at a minimum address provision in employability skills, independent advice and guidance and the quality of facilities and staff involved in the delivery of specialist provision.· Where fe colleges make direct provision for students at key stage 4 they should be inspected, with regard to that provision, on the same basis as other ks4 providers, to include inspection of aspects such as spiritual and moral development etc.· Information on success, retention and achievement rates for all 16-19 providers should be published in the annual DfE performance tables. This information should be accurately represented by disaggregating one- and two-year programmes of study. Dropout rates should be highlighted separately for one- and two-year programmes.· Information on school leaver destinations at both ks4 and ks5 should be published in the annual DfE performance tables.· The DfE should change the rules on studio schools to allow for possible conversion of existing vocationally-oriented schools to studio schools under defined circumstances.· Further requirements on colleges wishing to make direct entry provision to young people from age 14 must ensure:· That the college has dedicated staff to meet the specific pastoral needs of young people in this age group· That provision should be coherent and integrated, constituting a distinct and supported programme of educational activities for young people in this age group.ActionNotesAuthorR ChimaDate CreatedJanuary 2013Enquiries to:raspal.chima@yahoo.co.uk(Authoring Unit)Month / YearPage 1 of 1©Birmingham City Council"
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Leadership

Building A High Quality Technical And Vocational Route Through The Education System

23 Jan 2013