GCSE re-sit policy fails more than 70% of learners

GCSE re-sit policy fails more than 70% of 17 year olds

A very good piece of analysis was published by FE Week following the release of GCSE results data last week.

Just 27% of 17+ learners who took GCSE English achieved grade C or above leaving 93,000 failures who have wasted another year with Mark Dawe of AELP saying “Surely this is evidence enough that hitting students over the head with the same form of learning and assessment is not the way forward."

Maths was even worse with more than 120,000 failing again - just over 50,000 learners managed to turn their D into a C+.

The implications of the re-sit policy means that providers cannot offer the best or most appropriate qualification for many learners - the figures now show how big that problem really is.

Levy and FS reform - more

Apprenticeship levy funding video by SFA

SFA have released a 15 minutes video of a presentation by Una Bennett, the SFA's Deputy Director for Funding.

If you're used to the very high quality ForSkills training and resource videos, (more than 550 subscribers now, making the ForSkills channel by far and away the most popular in the sector), then you're probably going to be disappointed at the sound quality and relative dynamic method of presentation delivery, but all the information is there.

Click here for a link to the video.

Functional Skills Reform Programme

The final stage of the first phase of the Functional Skills Reform Programme gives awarding organisations, practitioners and others the opportunity to comment on proposals for the subject content for maths and English Functional Skills qualifications.

The opportunity to comment on the proposed subject content for Functional Skills represents the final stage of the first phase and is open until September 12th.

With revised qualifications due to be introduced in just 2 years time, now is a great time to get involved.

ForSkills summer update

It's been a busy summer at ForSkills!

On the company side
ForSkills is now part of the NCFE group. NCFE is a major Awarding Organisation well known throughout the sector for innovation, brilliant customer service and a fantastic organisation to work and for! ForSkills will continue to operate as autonomous company but with the backing and financial strength of a major educational charity behind us.

Maths and English
Assessments and diagnostics covering the new GCSE 9-1 specification have been released to support all customers who start delivering these in September.

Mobile
The ForSkills Go app now includes SkillsBuilder We have added a number of videos for SkillsBuilder (as well as general help and tips videos). These are linked to a learner’s Individual Skills Plan so they will be directed to the videos linked to the topic areas they need to work one.

New Sampling Plan Overview in SkillsPortfolio
We have added a Sampling Plan Overview grid that allows IQAs to see which types of evidence and units they have sampled evidence across from the planned sampling periods. This new grid also allows IQAs to plan the units and evidence type they wish to sample in the future and allows them to see quickly and visually where they have verified according to their plan.

Jonathan Wells

ForSkills, Guroo and NCFE

Apprenticeship Levy Update

Apprenticeship levy update consultation

You can't have missed the news about this. The Government published a discussion paper giving information for all employers on the proposed apprenticeships funding support package that will operate in England from May 2017. It includes how much employers will be able to spend on each apprenticeship and the rules employers will need to follow.

The lists of individual apprenticeships show you the proposed funding bands that will apply from May 2017. It is important to note that this is a consultation and the final support package will be confirmed in October 2016.

Access to the survey is here. Headlines from the update include:

• No change for English and maths. Training providers received £471 for each of these qualifications, as now when an individual is working towards an apprenticeship standard. This will come direct from the government and will not be deducted from an employer’s digital account.
• STEM (Science, technology, English and maths) pathways will receive funding increases.
• The training costs of 16-18 years old in small companies will be fully met by Government with additional incentives for certain categories of apprentice.
• The Government will pay 90% of the additional costs when the "levy pot" has been used providing the employer meets the 10% in cash.
• Significant changes to funding rates, which are being replaced by negotiated rates.
• New training register will be compulsory.
• Employers can use levy funds to retrain workers in new skills, even if they already have prior qualifications.
• Large employers with have a "digital account" at launch.

Small employers will have to pay 10% of training costs

Produced by Jonathan Wells
ForSKills
Guroo 
And now NCFE too!

Functional Skills reform programme

Functional Skills Reform Programme

As part of the Functional Skills Reform Programme, alongside the revision to the national standards for adult literacy and numeracy, ETF have also published draft subject content for maths and English Functional Skills qualifications.

The opportunity to comment on the proposed subject content for Functional Skills represents the final stage of the first phase and is open until September 12th.

Meanwhile, the opportunity to comment on the second draft of the revised standards for literacy and numeracy is open until this Friday 19 August - that's 5pm TODAY!

Jonathan Wells

ForSkills and Guroo and now part of the NCFE group too!

Reform Programme for Functional Skills

Functional Skills Reform Programme

Continuing to the next stage of the Functional Skills Reform Programme, ETF launch the consultation on the draft revised Standards for literacy and numeracy. These draft Standards will be available for feedback from 4th – 25th July.

The questionnaire and a link to both sets of Standards (along with FAQs) are available here: Participation from anyone with an interest in Functional Skills qualifications is welcomed by ETF and PyeTait.

I've read them and what jumps out to me is the extensive "real-life" nature of the examples given and the detail by which the standards are described.

It does show that Functional Skills reform programme is progressing well and I'm confident we'll end up with a rigorous, up to date and valuable set of qualifications moving forward.

Ofsted video about skills development in apprenticeships

Janet Rodgers, Ofsted's National Lead for Apprenticeships talks about developing skills on apprenticeships.

This video is part of a series from Ofsted's national leads, focusing on their specialisms and key issues in these areas.

Videos supporting maths and English skills GCSE and Functional Skills

Videos supporting learners in Functional Skills

Probability supporting maths level 1/2 and GCSE.

Writing a letter supporting English level 2 and GCSE - starts with a 2 minute clip from a real telephone complaint.

Possessive apostrophes supporting English at level 2 and GCSE.

Areas of different shapes supporting maths at level 2 and GCSE.

Complex sentences supporting English and entry 3 and level 1.

@if functions in Excel supporting ICT at level 2.

Negative numbers supporting maths at level 1 and level 2.

Suffixes supporting English at Entry 2 and Entry 3.

And finally, a slightly different take on how maths can be used to solve real life problems. This video is from the hugely entertaining and informative TED TALKS that last around 18 minutes. It looks at the maths behind dating with three top tips!