Welcome to my latest newsletter which includes:

  • Welcome
  • Updates in our sector
  • Bad practice
  • Reviews and feedback
  • Free competition to win two books
  • The minimum core - possible changes
  • New pages of information on my website

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Welcome


Welcome to my latest newsletter! All my previous newsletters can be accessed via this page.

As usual, my newsletter is to keep you updated with what's going on in our sector, as well as with my products and services.  


Updates in our sector

Skills and Post 16 Education Bill. The Bill had its second reading in the House of Lords on the 15 June. You can read the Bill here.

Ofqual is going to require all centre-marked assessments
to be subject to a form of CASS - Centre Assessment Standards Scrutiny. This was announced in 2019 but comes into effect in September 2021. If you haven't heard anything from your awarding organisation about how this might affect you, please get in touch with them. You can find out more here. You can read the decisions from the consultation by scrolling down this page.

If you are involved with VTQs, you can find out more about their regulation for 2021 here.

Free Level 3 qualifications can be found here.

Free courses and qualifications for adults (19+) are available through the Lifetime Skills Guarantee. Details, including eligibility criteria and how to apply, can be found here.

Free digital and numeracy courses from the Skills Toolkit can be accessed here.

Changes to the publication of statistics on further education and skills inspections and outcomes can be found here.

Employer and FE provider engagement: national retraining scheme. Two research reports on how employers and FE providers engaged with the national retraining scheme can be found here.

FE funding: initial teacher education (ITE) 2021 to 2022. Funding guidance for further education (FE) organisations and ITE providers for the 2021 to 2022 academic year to help train FE teachers can be found here.

Further education professional development grants. There is a pilot programme to improve professional development for the FE workforce through FE provider collaboration. See details here.

Government plans to expand 16-19 Covid tuition fund. See details here.

Managing behaviour in FE. A free book From Unison about managing difficult behaviour in colleges can be downloaded here.

I always post any relevant updates as they occur, on my Twitter feed - you can follow me here.


Bad practice


I am regularly informed by learners that they have signed up for a course and received poor or minimal support, have had extra charges imposed on them, felt misled, or received a fraudulent certificate (plus a host of other issues which would be deemed as bad practice).

If you know of any serious concerns, please let me know here. This can be done anonymously. I am collating information in the hope that something can be done by the ETF and the DfE. Sadly, there is a lot of bad practice taking place and it could give our wonderful sector a bad reputation.


Reviews and feedback


You can now leave a review on Google for any of my products and services. For example: books; resources; online CPD; consultancy; events; and general advice I've given you.

If you would rather provide feedback directly to me, you can use the form on my website

Thank you!


Free competition to win two books


Just go to this page of my website to enter the free competition before 30th July 2021.

You can be in with a chance of winning these two text books regarding assessment.


The minimum core - possible changes


As you may be aware, the teaching qualifications have been extended for registration until 31 July 2024. However, the level 4 CET and level 5 DET contain links to the minimum core skills which were last updated in 2013.

The Education and Training Foundation are intending to update these skills in the near future, and possibly add a section on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

When this will take place is not known, but just be prepared for it coming at some point.

You can read an interesting article regarding teacher training qualifications and quality assurance (and possible future changes), by Howard Pilot of the ETF here.


New pages of information on my website


I am continually updating my website and adding new pages. Here's the latest:
I host a LinkedIn group where monthly educational discussions take place. Feel free to join in here.

And finally ... as always ...

Please feel free to forward this e-mail to your colleagues.

I apologise if you've received this message more than once. Just reply to let me know, or scroll down to unsubscribe.

Stay safe, stay happy, stay healthy, and stay positive!

Best wishes
Ann

social media: Ann Gravells
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